Source: Niskanen Center
by Solitaire Carroll
“Capability-based budgeting is not a wholesale reorganization. It’s a way of making the budget legible: first to yourself, then to leadership, then to oversight. Capability-based budgeting is an approach to budgeting that can apply to any kind of team — whether or not you are providing direct support to public facing or mission critical work. You can begin with a single portfolio, a single project, or even a single conversation about what outcomes your team is truly accountable for. Below is a practical roadmap for getting started, based on real federal implementations and the lessons learned along the way.” (12/19/25)
https://www.niskanencenter.org/capability-based-budgeting-a-practical-roadmap-for-getting-started/
Source: SFGate
“Waymo halted service in San Francisco as of Saturday at 8 p.m., following a power outage that left approximately 30% of the city without power. The autonomous cars have been causing traffic jams throughout the city, as the vehicles seem unable to function without traffic signals. ‘We have temporarily suspended our ride-hailing services given the broad power outage in San Francisco,’ Suzanne Philion, a Waymo spokesperson told SFGATE via email Saturday night. ‘We are focused on keeping our riders safe and ensuring emergency personnel have the clear access they need to do their work.’ Pedestrians posted videos on X Saturday of Waymo cars stuck at intersections with their lights flashing. The widespread power outage is affecting around San Francisco 130,000 customers and began as early as 9:40 a.m. in parts of the city.” (12/20/25)
https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/waymo-temporarily-suspends-service-sf-amid-power-21254917.php
Source: CounterPunch
by Jeff Bryant
“The letters started coming in October 2025. In the first wave, according to the Florida Policy Institute (FPI), “at least 22 school districts in Florida” got letters alerting them that charter school operators, including a for-profit charter school management company based in Miami, intended to use a state law recently enacted to open new charter schools on the campuses of existing public schools beginning August 2027. … With school enrollments in steep decline in nearly every district in the state, fear of a potential mass charter school industry takeover of public school spaces—along with the costs local districts will incur—looms over district leaders across the state and strikes them as a clear existential threat.” [editor’s note: Not sure how this is a bad thing. It exposes “charter schools” as what they are (part of the “public education” monopoly), meaning that monopoly might die off more quickly – TLK] (12/19/25)
https://www.counterpunch.org/2025/12/19/how-the-charter-school-industrys-newest-scheme-could-be-the-death-of-public-schools/
Source: The American Prospect
by David Dayen
“Last week, I reported on concerns that House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) was discouraging support for a bipartisan discharge petition to finally advance the exceedingly popular policy of ending congressional stock trading. Discharge petitions signed by a majority of House members get a guaranteed floor vote. The speculation was that Jeffries would rather keep the concept of a trading ban alive for campaigning (and maybe protect Democrats who want to keep trading) than take advantage of the ongoing rebellion against House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) to make tangible progress. I would say this is wholly confirmed now. The Democratic leadership is filing their own discharge petition on a stock trading ban, countering one from Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) that has 74 signatures, including 15 Republicans, more than enough for a House majority if all Democrats sign on.” (12/19/25)
https://prospect.org/2025/12/19/jeffries-undercuts-congressional-stock-trading-ban/
Source: Deutsche Welle [Germany]
“A Paris court on Friday rejected the French government’s request to suspend Chinese online platform Shein. The government made the request for a three-month suspension after public outcry sparked by the presence on the platform of child-like sex dolls and other illicit items. Besides child-like sex dolls, illegal weapons and banned medications were also found on the platform. The court said in its Friday ruling that suspending Shein would have been ‘disproportionate,’ as the offending products had been removed from the platform.” (12/19/25)
https://www.dw.com/en/france-court-rejects-request-to-suspend-shein/a-75247011
Source: The Tom Woods Show
“Covid Justice? Here’s a Step.” (12/19/25)
https://tomwoods.com/ep-2719-covid-justice-heres-a-step/
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
