Source: Quillette
by Kristian Niemietz
“France’s protesters are rioting against austerity that doesn’t exist. Macron might as well give them the real thing.” (10/21/26)
https://quillette.com/2026/10/21/frances-imaginary-austerity-riots-economy/
Hey, everyone …
Yesterday was our annuual fundraiser’s second “zero-dollar day” in a row. Our total remains stuck at $1,003.
We need to reach $2,751.50, after which supporter GL will “match funds” to get us to the $5,503 goal … and things WERE moving pretty fast in that direction until the last couple of days.
Here’s where I point out that we’ve been bringing you Rational Review News Digest every non-holiday weekday for 24 years (as of this coming December 24), and for more than 35 years by incorporation of our predecessor publications (Libernet and Freedom News Daily).
Here’s where I point out that somewhere in the neighborhood of 5,000 of you find RRND/FND valuable enough to stick with and read via email, web edition, and social media feeds.
And here’s where I point out that “reader-supported” means we count on YOU to return some of that value received as financial support, in whatever amount you find justified.
I’m going to keep asking every weekday morning until we hit that $2,751.50 mark … after which I won’t mention it at all for the rest of 2026, or very much for the first nine months of 2027.
OK, I’m out of here for a medical appointment. It seems I have a hole in my retina, which kinda freaks me out. Not badly enough to keep me from bringing you your daily dose of news, commentary, and podcast action, though. And not badly enough to keep me from using my ailment as a fundraising prop. Feel free to help with my copay at:
And have a great day!
Yours in liberty,
Tom Knapp
Publisher
Rational Review News Digest / Freedom News Daily
Source: Daily Mirror [UK]
“US troops have been evacuated from bases in the Middle East as reports suggest Trump is planning major strikes on Iran. The State Department is also reducing its staff at diplomatic posts across the region, including in Saudi Arabia where Iran-backed Houthi rebels [sic] continue to launch attacks. A US official and two people familiar with the orders told NBC News that troops stationed at bases in Jordan, Qatar and Kuwait have been ordered to move in recent days. Sources claimed the move is part of the military’s planning as Trump considers restarting major combat operations in Iran – potentially before next month’s midterm elections.” (10/22/26)
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/us-news/trump-saudi-usa-diplomats-iran-37797858
Source: The Daily Economy
by Kimberlee Josephson
“Toward the end of the summer, I bought a new dishwasher after agonizing over a big-ticket purchase. … The same day my dishwasher was installed, my family went out to eat, and when the bill arrived, I found the comparison almost laughable: our meal plus the tip was approaching half the price of the dishwasher. How silly I had been to put off buying an appliance that would undoubtedly make my life easier and last for thousands of wash cycles — unlike the dinner that we enjoyed and consumed in under an hour. In retrospect, there was no need to agonize over the appliance purchase. I could manage the expense by forgoing a few nights of eating out. But that realization also highlighted a familiar consumer behavior: we often scrutinize large, infrequent purchases while accepting smaller, convenient expenses with little deliberation.” (10/21/26)
https://thedailyeconomy.org/article/dishwashers-dining-out-and-why-we-spend-the-way-we-do/
Source: Reason
“Are Prediction Markets Just Gambling? Kalshi CEO Responds.” (10/21/26)
https://reason.com/podcast/2026/10/21/are-prediction-markets-just-gambling-kalshi-ceo-responds/
Source: CBS News
“A federal judge ruled late Wednesday that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s practice of knocking on doors and asking people about their immigration status — and whether they have voted in recent elections — likely violates the Voting Rights Act. … In her ruling, U.S. District Judge Araceli Martinez-Olguin ordered federal immigration authorities to stop carrying out ‘elections-related field operations and field interviews’ in nine states, including California and New York, if the operations are likely to involve people who government officials ‘know, suspect, or should reasonably know or suspect are U.S. citizens.’ Her order will remain in effect until polls close on Election Day. She stayed the ruling until 5 p.m. on Friday, which will give the government a chance to seek appeal.” (10/21/26)
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/judge-dhs-noncitizen-voters-ruling/
Source: Eastern New Mexico News
by Kent McManigal
“Most people value obedience more than I do. To me, doing the right thing is what matters. I was more concerned with raising children who would grow into people who respected the rights of others than with raising compliant drones who obeyed every command. If I made a dumb rule, I wanted them to point it out, even when it was annoying or inconvenient. Show me how I’m wrong or convince me with a better argument. When I was wrong, which did happen, I usually admitted it. If I didn’t, I was wrong again. I wouldn’t want to be responsible for raising a child who follows bad orders. I wouldn’t want to raise a human who will harm others and say they are just doing their job. That’s repulsive and the height of evil.” (10/21/26)
Source: ABC News
“Russian attacks on Ukraine’s capital with ballistic missiles and drones overnight into Thursday killed one person and wounded 22, Ukrainian authorities said. The strikes in Kyiv came hours after the Kremlin agreed to restart U.S.-brokered talks aimed at ending the war. The attack damaged homes, transportation infrastructure and other civilian sites in several districts of the city, Ukraine’s State Emergency Service said. In the Dniprovskyi district, on the eastern bank of the Dnipro River, one person was killed and six were wounded, including a child, as fires broke out.” (10/22/26)
Source: The UnPopulist
by Cathy Young
“Rubio’s speech was not without some good points. If nothing else, as the Journal notes, he ostensibly treated Europe as an ally and partner rather than a target for scolding like Vance. He said some nice words about the West’s tradition of liberty and representative government. And, amid MAGA world’s aggressive contempt for anything that smacks of intellectualism, there is something refreshing about a speech that name-checks Aristotle, Plutarch, Copernicus, Newton, and Michelangelo. Unfortunately, Rubio’s tribute to the Greek, Western, and American spirit is also a conceptual salad in which Socrates, the 300 Spartans who resisted a mighty Persian army unto death at Thermopylae, and the mythical Achilles who chose glory over long life are mashed up into the model hero willing to die for ‘a cause worthy of his loyalty.'” (10/21/26)
https://www.theunpopulist.net/p/rubios-grotesque-defense-of-western
Source: Reuters
“Mexican federal prosecutors charged a former state prosecutor with treason on Wednesday after accusing him of allowing US personnel to take part in a drug operation in northern Mexico without the federal government’s approval. … Prosecutors allege Jauregui allowed US agents to participate in an April raid on a suspected drug lab in Chihuahua, a border state that has long been central to Mexico’s fight against organized crime. The raid only came to light after two of the US agents were killed in a car crash returning from the scene, drawing scrutiny from President Claudia Sheinbaum and pitting her against opposition Governor Maru Campos. … Attorney General Ernestina Godoy said Jauregui allowed foreign agents to carry out activities reserved for Mexican authorities and failed to share information with federal officials as required.” (10/21/26)