“Russia tested a new nuclear-capable and powered cruise missile fit to confound existing defenses, inching closer to deploying it to its military, President Vladimir Putin claimed in remarks released on Sunday. Putin, dressed in camouflage fatigues, could be seen meeting with senior Russian military figures, according to a video released by the Kremlin. The footage showed Gen. Valery Gerasimov, Russia’s chief of general staff, telling the Russian leader that the Burevestnik covered 14,000 kilometers (8,700 miles) in a key test Tuesday. … On Wednesday, Putin directed drills of Russia’s strategic nuclear forces that featured practice missile launches. The exercise came as his planned summit on Ukraine with U.S. President Donald Trump was put on hold.” (10/26/25)
“A popular UFO-reporting app has recorded thousands of sightings of Unidentified Submersible Objects (USOs) near US waterways — phenomena which high-ranking US Navy officials warn could pose a threat to national security. … As of August, Enigma has also logged more than 9,000 mysterious sightings within 10 miles of US shorelines or major bodies of water — 500 of them within 5 miles — with more than 150 of the reports describing objects hovering above or descending into waterways, according to Marine Technology News. The US states with the most reported USO sightings were California (389) and Florida (306) — both among the top three US states with the most ocean coastline.” (10/26/25)
“Donald Trump announced on Saturday that he will raise US tariffs on [American buyers of goods from] Canada by 10% in retaliation for an anti-tariff advertisement sponsored by the Ontario government, which has further strained one of the world’s largest trade partnerships. The statement, posted on Trump’s Truth Social account, came after several days of public disputes over the ad, which referenced Ronald Reagan’s support for free trade and provoked the US president’s anger. … Trump had previously terminated trade talks with Canada due to the ad.” (10/25/25)
“Left-wing independent Catherine Connolly, who secured the backing of Ireland’s left-leaning parties including Sinn Féin, has won the country’s presidential election in a landslide victory against her center-right rival. Official results showed strong voter support for Connolly as president, a largely ceremonial role in Ireland. She won 63% of first-preference votes once spoiled votes were excluded, compared to 29% of her rival Heather Humphreys, of the center-right party Fine Gael.” (10/25/25)
“A man and a woman from Dublin have been arrested in the fatal shooting of Mark Calcagni, the manager of San Francisco’s historic strip club, the Condor Club, Santa Rosa police confirmed Saturday. Richard Lund, 43, and Asia Morton, 25, were romantic partners that had been previously employed at the storied venue, known as the first and oldest topless bar in the U.S. Detectives believe Lund shot Calcagni, 60, outside of his Santa Rosa home after waiting for him to return from work in the early morning hours of Oct. 3.” (10/26/25)
“A judge in New Mexico has halted a federal death penalty case, citing the pinch of the U.S. government shutdown and a funding shortfall for specialized public defenders that stretches back to the summer. The Trump administration in July announced plans to seek the death penalty for Labar Tsethlikai in connection with a string of kidnappings that involved sexual abuse and two deaths — a hallmark case in efforts to bring justice for missing and murdered individuals in Native American communities. The 52-year-old defendant from Zuni Pueblo has pleaded not guilty. Death penalty cases are especially costly to prepare, and the delay in Tsethlikai’s case provides an early warning about escalating impacts of the shutdown on the judiciary.” (10/24/25)
“Police have arrested suspects in connection with the theft of priceless jewels from the Louvre museum, just as one attempted to leave the country, the Paris prosecutor’s office said. Thieves last week targeted the Louvre’s Apollo Gallery in a brazen daylight raid, fleeing with jewelry worth tens of millions in a matter of minutes. … French media first broke news of the arrests, with CNN-affiliate BFMTV reporting that two suspects in their thirties and known to police were detained on Saturday evening local time. At least two other individuals suspected of being involved in the heist remain at large, according to BFMTV.” (10/26/25)
“President Donald Trump said Saturday that he is ‘open’ to meeting with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un at the demilitarized zone (DMZ) while he is in South Korea during his trip to Asia. ‘I’d be open to it, 100%. I got along very well with him, Kim Jong Un,’ Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One. ‘They don’t have a lot of telephone service,’ the president said. ‘They have a lot of nuclear weapons, but not a lot of telephone service.’ Trump, who departed for Asia on Friday night, told reporters that they could ‘put out the word’ that he was willing to meet the dictator.” (10/25/25)
“The United States Department of the Treasury has slapped sanctions on Colombian President Gustavo Petro, his family and the South American country’s interior minister, Armando Benedetti. Friday’s decision marks a significant escalation in the ongoing feud between the left-wing Petro and his US counterpart, the right-wing Donald Trump. In a statement, the US Treasury accused Petro of failing to rein in Colombia’s cocaine industry and of shielding criminal groups from accountability.” (10/24/25)
We’ve got a short (20-item) “weekend special edition” for you this morning.
And, of course, a year-end fundraiser update.
Friday was a “zero-dollar day,” with our total so far remaining at $785.50 (as of 5am on Saturday) versus our goal of $5,501.
Once we’ve raised half our total ($2,750.50), reader GL will “match funds” for the rest. But to get that SECOND half, we have to raise the FIRST half, and that’s where you come in. We’re a reader-supported publication; you’re a reader; please support us at:
Setting “mini-goals” seems to help, so here’s one: $131.34 by Monday morning.
That would get us to $916.84, the 1/3 mark, putting us a few days ahead of schedule to hit the goal before December 31. If you value the freedom movement’s daily newspaper at $131.34, or some fraction thereof, please kick in at:
