“Yemen’s Iranian-backed Houthi rebels [sic] threatened new attacks on ships traveling through the Red Sea corridor, likely trying to back Iran as it worried Monday about an approaching U.S. aircraft carrier after President Donald Trump threatened military action over its crackdown on nationwide protests. … The Houthi threat come as the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and other guided missile destroyers with it move toward the region. Trump has said the ships are being moved ‘just in case’ he decides to take action against Iran.” (01/25/26)
“Kaiser Permanente unionized nurses and other workers began an open-ended strike on Monday at dozens of locations in California and Hawaii, citing staffing shortages, workplace safety and wages. … About 31,000 employees represented by the United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals (UNAC/UHCP) plan to take part in the work stoppage, which will include picketing at several Kaiser locations, including some in Northern California and the Bay Area.” (01/26/26)
“Lake Forest Park police are investigating a residential burglary that left a suspected intruder hospitalized after a homeowner reported shooting them, according to the Lake Forest Park Police Department. Police said officers were called to a home in the 19100 block of Ballinger Way Northeast at about 5:02 a.m. Sunday after a homeowner dialed 911 to report that someone inside the home had just shot an intruder. Officers arrived within minutes and secured the scene. Police provided lifesaving aid to the injured person until Shoreline Fire Department crews arrived.” (01/25/26)
As I mentioned last week, we’ve recently found ourselves publishing more and more “hybrid” editions — full-size daily email digests for readers of Rational Review News Digest and Freedom News Daily. And I always include one of these notes atop those “hybrid” editions.
It’s become frequent enough now that I’ve decided to just make it “the way things are” — instead of a note like this, EVERY daily email edition will include a one-line notice at the top to let readers know there’s MORE content at our web edition.
Enjoy the new, BIGGER version of the freedom movement’s daily newspaper!
Yours in liberty,
Tom Knapp
Publisher
Rational Review News Digest / Freedom News Daily
“The risk of a partial government shutdown at the end of January is growing more likely, as protesters demonstrated with renewed furor overnight after a second person in the span of a month was [murdered] by federal immigration authorities in Minneapolis. Senate Democrats vowed to block a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding package on Saturday after Alex Jeffrey Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care nurse and Minneapolis resident, was [murdered] by U.S. Border Patrol agents. … President Trump and other administration officials defended the federal presence in Minnesota and tied the [murder] to an ongoing massive fraud investigation in the state.” (01/25/26)
“Gold continued to rise on Monday after breaking above $5,000 an ounce earlier than Wall Street expected. Futures hit the major milestone on Sunday, raising questions about the stunning speed of the rally in precious metals. Gold’s surge has become a hallmark of the so-called ‘debasement trade,’ with investors buying assets to protect against the erosion of purchasing power amid soaring government debt worldwide. ‘The rise in precious metals prices is breathtaking and profoundly scary,’ wrote Robin Brooks, Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution on Sunday, noting the rise in gold prices is ‘part of something much bigger.’ … Bullion has made turns higher at every major geopolitical this year, including the US capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and President Trump’s tariff threats in pursuit of Greenland.” (01/26/26)
“Israel said Sunday its military was conducting a ‘large-scale operation’ to locate the last hostage in Gaza, as Washington and other mediators pressure Israel and Hamas to move into the next phase of their ceasefire. The statement came as Israel’s cabinet met to discuss the possibility of opening Gaza’s key Rafah border crossing with Egypt, and a day after top U.S. envoys met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about next steps. The return of the body of the remaining hostage, Ran Gvili, has been widely [used as an excuse to not move] ahead with opening the Rafah crossing, which would signal the ceasefire’s second phase. … Hamas in a statement Sunday said it had provided all the information it had about Gvili’s remains, and accused Israel of obstructing efforts to search for them in areas of Gaza under Israeli military control.” (01/25/26)
“Uganda’s opposition leader claims ‘hundreds of soldiers’ raided his home overnight and held his wife at gunpoint, leaving destruction everywhere. Bobi Wine says his wife was assaulted and documents and electronic items were taken from his home. He made the claims on X on Saturday morning. Sky News has approached the Ugandan government for comment. It comes days after President Yoweri Museveni extended his decades-long rule of the African country in an election marred by claims of ballot stuffing.” (01/24/26)
“Around 1,700 apartment buildings in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv were still without heating following a Russian missile and drone attack earlier this week, Kyiv Mayor Vitalii Klitschko said on Sunday. Moscow has sharply intensified bombardments of Ukraine’s energy system since it invaded its neighbour in 2022. Russia launched a vast attack on Ukraine’s energy system on Saturday, rocking Kyiv with explosions overnight, leaving 1.2 million properties without power countrywide during sub-zero winter temperatures.” (01/25/26)
“The Navy has relieved the commodore of the First Naval Construction Regiment of his duties, the service said Friday. Capt. Douglas Whimpey, a Navy reservist, was relieved ‘due to loss of confidence in his ability to command.’ The U.S. military routinely cites only a vague ‘loss of confidence’ when removing commanders and other leaders from authority positions. … ‘Navy leaders are expected to uphold the highest standards of responsibility, reliability and leadership personally and professionally, and the Navy holds them accountable when they fall short of those standards,’ the Navy said in a statement.” (01/25/26)
