Source: The American Conservative
by Josh Shifrinson
“A security guarantee for Ukraine is a terrible idea. Even as it would reverse Trump’s long-standing opposition to further enmeshing the United States with Ukraine, a guarantee carries a range of dangers for the United States, Ukraine, and the European NATO allies while delivering few benefits. Whether offered as part of a peace deal or ceasefire, the guarantee may do little to deter Russia. Further, should a conflict break out, the arrangement is poised to trigger a fundamental crisis in U.S.–European relations. Above all, the guarantee promises to complicate rather than ameliorate Ukraine’s own understandable desire to find security for itself in the shadow of its Russian neighbor.” (12/19/25)
https://www.theamericanconservative.com/ukrainian-security-guarantees-are-dangerous-and-counterproductive/
Hey, everyone …
As Christmas and the new year approach, our daily editions will likely get shorter — not because we’re not willing to do the work, but because many of our sources take some time off this time of year. Content is still rolling in, though, so we’ve got a short (10-item) “weekend special edition” for you this morning.
THANK YOU to supporter CS, whose $15 donation yesterday brings our year-end fundraiser total to $2,108.84!
We’re $641.66 short of our goal — once we’ve raised $2,750.50, supporter GL will “match funds” to get us to the $5,501 finish line. We’re reader-supported, so please weigh in with some holiday reader support cheer at:
Yours in liberty,
Tom Knapp
Publisher
Rational Review News Digest / Freedom News Daily
PS: A couple of asides …
My family’s in the process of moving house, and I decided to purchase an old (1990), cheap ($700) “pop-up camper” to use as a home office. This is my first morning working from it, and I’ve only got one complaint: It’s COLD. Well, cold for Florida — it’s 44 degrees outside and not much warmer in the camper. I’m gonna have to run a bigger space heater. Anyway, this marks the first time since RRND started in 2002 that we have our own dedicated office space! Huzzah!
Also as part of the move (further out into the country, outside cable Internet reach), I switched to Starlink satellite Internet, and after a month I have to pronounce myself VERY satisfied with its price, quality, and reliability. If you’re looking for Internet service, please try Starlink through the link below. You’ll get a free month and so will I:
https://starlink.com/residential?referral=RC-DF-8980236-19330-50
I suggest buying the equipment through Amazon or Walmart rather than directly from Starlink. It’s usually less expensive.
Have a happy, healthy, and prosperous weekend! – Tom
Source: BBC News [UK state media]
“The US says its military has carried out a ‘massive strike’ against the Islamic State group (IS) in Syria, in response to a deadly attack on American forces in the country. The US Central Command (Centcom) said fighter jets, attack helicopters and artillery ‘struck more than 70 targets at multiple locations across central Syria’ Aircraft from Jordan were also involved. It said the operation ’employed more than 100 precision munitions’ targeting known IS infrastructure and weapons sites.” [editor’s note: If American forces weren’t in the country, where they have no business being, they wouldn’t be getting attacked there, would they? – TLK] (12/20/25)
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5yq7zzw618o
Source: The Watch
by Radley Balko
“The Trump administration’s assault on alleged drug boats has killed about one person per day since early September. These are murders, and basic humanity demands that we not get complacent about them.” (12/19/25)
https://radleybalko.substack.com/p/104-murders-in-107-days
Source: Reason
“Matt Stoller and Geoffrey A. Manne debate antitrust law and Big Tech.” (12/19/25)
https://reason.com/podcast/2025/12/19/is-it-time-to-break-up-big-tech/
Source: Reason
by JD Tuccille
“Donald Trump won the U.S. presidency in no small part thanks to his promise to enforce immigration restrictions that the Biden administration largely ignored. Election year polls found more voters preferred Trump over then-president Joe Biden on the issue and even favored his proposals for mass deportations. But the reality of tough border policies is a harsh reality check; since the current administration took office, Americans have cooled on its policies and warmed to immigration. That’s not to say the country is embracing Biden’s nudge-and-wink approach to border crossings. Instead, people seem to want a middle ground combining enforcement with a touch of humanity.” (12/19/25)
https://reason.com/2025/12/19/trump-won-on-immigration-now-most-americans-say-his-deportations-are-going-too-far/
Source: Reuters
“Ukraine has struck a Russian ‘shadow fleet’ oil tanker in the Mediterranean Sea with aerial drones for the first time, an official said on Friday, reflecting the growing intensity of Kyiv’s attacks on Russian oil shipping. The vessel — the Qendil — was empty when it was struck by drones in neutral waters more than 2,000 km (1,250 miles) from Ukraine, sustaining critical damage, the official at the SBU security service said in a written statement. … Ukraine has been attacking Russian oil refineries throughout 2024 and 2025, but has visibly widened its campaign in recent weeks, striking oil rigs in the Caspian Sea and claiming credit for sea-drone attacks on three tankers in the Black Sea.” (12/19/25)
https://archive.is/hOBAp
Source: Orange County Register
by Steven Greenhut
“The United States government first launched a War on Drugs on June 17, 1971, when President Richard Nixon declared: ‘America’s public enemy number one … is drug abuse. In order to fight and defeat this enemy, it is necessary to wage a new all-out offensive. … This will be a worldwide offensive dealing with the problems of sources of supply.’ The war has ebbed and flowed over the past 54 years, but the results are clear. Drugs won. But instead of learning the requisite lessons, the Trump administration is ramping up anti-drug-war rhetoric to lunatic levels.” (12/19/25)
https://archive.is/huzx6
Source: Foundation for Economic Education
by Kristian Guise
“Wealth taxes are over-reliant upon the few, making the tax superficially attractive to money-hungry legislators, but the tax revenue is unstable. A pseudo-wealth tax was proposed in the State of Washington of 1% on assets over $250 million, but once this was announced/expected, Jeff Bezos moved himself and many of his assets to Florida, costing Washington State nearly 45% ($1.44 billion) of the predicted $3.2 billion/year revenue. The people with the highest assets are also highly mobile; threatened with a wealth tax, many will just leave. Applying the tax itself also has high administrative costs.” (12/19/25)
https://fee.org/articles/wealth-tax-a-simplistic-answer-to-complex-problems/
Source: Antiwar.com
“Trump Gets $1 Trillion Military Budget, US Bombs Somalia Four More Times, and More.” (12/19/25)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RiDr6z8EU1s
