Source: Washington Post
by the editorial board
“Black Friday used to be ugly: Articles about people camping in parking lots on Thanksgiving night. Stories of retail workers being subject to abuse by rowdy customers. Videos of people elbowing and punching their way to a bargain on a new TV. Not a good look for capitalism. Fortunately, things have changed. Now people don’t expect to see customers shoving each other on Black Friday. In fact, they don’t expect to see them at all. People can shop online, at a discount, from the comfort of their own homes. They also spread out their holiday shopping more than in the past, making the single day less important. In other words, people are doing capitalism every day instead of taking Black Friday off.” (11/27/25)
https://archive.is/W13OO
Source: CBS News
“Two members of the West Virginia National Guard were shot in an attack in Washington, D.C., Wednesday afternoon, officials said. FBI Director Kash Patel said the two Guardsmen were in critical condition. … The Metropolitan Police Department said the crime scene was secured and a suspect is in custody. Police said the suspect was wounded and was taken to a hospital. … The suspect has been identified by the Trump administration as Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national who entered the U.S. in 2021. Law enforcement said he is believed to have acted alone.” (11/26/25)
https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/washington-dc-shooting-national-guard/
Source: CounterPunch
by John W Whitehead & Nisha Whitehead
“The contrast between George Washington’s first Thanksgiving proclamation and the state of the nation today reveals how far we have drifted — and how low we have fallen — since Washington called upon early Americans (a nation of immigrants) to give thanks for a government that protected their safety and happiness, and for a Constitution designed to safeguard civil and religious liberty. But how do you give thanks for freedoms that are constantly being eroded? How do you express gratitude for one’s safety when the perils posed by the American police state grow more treacherous by the day? How do you come together as a nation in thanksgiving when the powers-that-be continue to polarize and divide us into warring factions?” (11/26/25)
https://www.counterpunch.org/2025/11/26/giving-thanks-for-our-blessings-means-saying-no-thanks-to-police-state-tyranny/
Source: The Political Orphanage
“Squanto the Power Broker.” (11/26/25)
https://politicalorphanage.libsyn.com/squanto-the-power-broker
Hey, everyone …
It’s the Thanksgiving holiday in the US. We’ve got a short (13-item) special edition for you, and there might be another “weekend special” before Monday. News and opinion don’t stop happening for the holidays, after all!
We’re thankful for our readers here at the freedom movement’s daily newspaper, but especially for the readers who support us financially.
We love doing what we do, but we probably wouldn’t have kept doing it for 23 years as Rational Review News Digest, and going all the way back to 1991 as Libernet and Freedom News Daily, if we weren’t getting at least a LITTLE money out of it (early on as RRND, we kept going after a month in which we brought in only $6).
Which brings me to JR, a long-time supporter AND monthly subscribing contributor, who donated ANOTHER $65 yesterday. Thanks again, and as always, JR! That brings our year-end fundraiser total to $1,350.84.
So … where are the rest of you?
We’re trying to raise $5,501 this year. Between our web, email, and social media editions, about 5,000 people read RRND/FND every day, so that’s a little more than a dollar per reader … and ONE reader, GL, has offered to cover half of it in the form of a “matching funds” pledge.
We’re $1,364 away from wrapping this fundraiser up, after which I’ll stop talking about money entirely for the rest of 2025 and mostly until October of 2026. Our “mini-goal” is to hit the $2,000 mark by Monday.
If you find value in our work (and if you read RRND/FND daily, you obviously do), please return some of that value as a donation, and help us get where we’re going:
Thank you, and have a happy, healthy, and prosperous weekend!
Yours in liberty,
Tom Knapp
Publisher Rational Review News Digest / Freedom News Daily
Source: Bitcoin Magazine
“Bitcoin price ripped higher above $90,000 on Wednesday, extending a sharp rally fueled by accelerating institutional demand and a new wave of Wall Street–engineered crypto products. The surge followed fresh disclosures showing BlackRock increasing its exposure to its own spot Bitcoin ETF, and JPMorgan pitching a complex, high-stakes structured note tied directly to BlackRock’s IBIT fund. Bitcoin price touched 24-hour lows of $86,129 before rebounding above $90,300, continuing a volatile upswing that has defined the fourth quarter.” (11/26/25)
https://bitcoinmagazine.com/news/bitcoin-price-skyrockets-past-90000
Source: Karl Dickey’s Freedom Vanguard
by Karl Dickey
“We should be able to have conversations about politics (which, BTW, is force), while understanding we are having a voluntary dinner together with family and/or friends. Tomorrow, the family or friend sitting across from you may have voted for the ‘wrong’ candidate, but likely agrees with you that violence is bad, that kindness is good, and that they just want to be left alone to flourish.” (11/26/25)
https://palmbeachexaminer.substack.com/p/reject-the-rage-bait-this-thanksgiving
Source: France 24 [French state media]
“The Cour de Cassation, France’s highest court, upheld on Wednesday former president Nicolas Sarkozy’s conviction for illegal campaign financing, in his latest legal headache after recently being jailed for nearly a month in another case. Sarkozy, 70, had appealed against the 2024 conviction for illegal campaign financing over his failed 2012 re-election bid, in which he had been handed a one-year prison sentence. Six months of that sentence were suspended and could be served through alternative means such as wearing an electronic bracelet without going to jail. Sarkozy, a one-term president from 2007-2012, has faced a series of legal challenges since leaving office and was sent to jail last month in a separate case related to an earlier election campaign.” (11/26/25)
https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20251126-french-ex-president-sarkozy-risks-second-final-conviction
Source: Reason
by Matthew Petti
“Do you have a long drive home after your family feast this week? The feds might be watching you. Recent reporting from the Associated Press and 404 Media reveals just how thorough federal surveillance of the highways has gotten, especially from immigration authorities. … remember, if you’re traveling by car for the holidays, you may be driving under the watchful eye of Uncle Sam. Just hope that he doesn’t find your travel plans suspicious.” (11/26/25)
https://reason.com/2025/11/26/how-ice-is-watching-your-thanksgiving-drive/
Source: The New Republic
“Trump Erupts in Frantic Tirade over 2026 as GOP Slips into Fresh Panic” (11/26/25)
https://newrepublic.com/article/203705/trump-erupts-frantic-tirade-2026-gop-slips-fresh-panic
