- Mexico: Police murder seven-year-old American girl
Source: CBS News
“Mexican police shot dead a 7-year-old American girl when they opened fire on her family’s vehicle from a helicopter during a drug enforcement operation, the state prosecutor confirmed Friday. Police captured a local criminal in Matamoros, which borders Brownsville, Texas, on October 29, triggering a series of street blockades by gunmen in the area. The Tamaulipas state prosecutor’s office said Friday that Aranza, a 7-year-old who was born in the United States, was hit in the head by police gunfire. The girl’s mother told Mexican media she was traveling with five children and her husband in a pickup truck when they noticed a police helicopter was following them. She said the family stopped the vehicle and her husband got out to say they were civilians with children but they were fired at anyway.” (11/09/26)
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/us-girl-shot-dead-police-cartel-chase-mexico/
- Houthi rebels say at least 44 killed in airstrike near Yemeni capital
Source: SFGate
“The death toll from airstrikes that hit homes near Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, on Saturday has increased to 44, most of them women and children, Houthi health authorities said late Sunday. The strikes on the village of al-Shariya, east of Sanaa, wounded 40 others, including eight children and nine women, said Anees al-Asbahi, spokesperson for the Houthi-run Health Ministry. The dead included 21 children and 10 women, he said, making the strikes one of the deadliest attacks in the latest bout of violence in Yemen’s yearlong civil war. Al-Asbahi said rescue teams were still searching the area for missing people, raising fears that the death toll could rise.” (11/09/26)
https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/houthi-rebels-say-at-least-44-killed-in-airstrike-22520434.php
- Iranian regime warns US regime to accept war-ending proposal or risk renewed fighting
Source: United Press International
“Iran on Sunday warned the United States to accept its proposal for ending the war and opening the Strait of Hormuz or risk renewed fighting. ‘Our 2-day proposal stands: meet the requirements, including end to war on all fronts, and you will see results. Or choose war, and see our alert and battle-hardened Warriors rain down hell,’ Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said in a social media statement. … Specifics of the proposal have not been entirely made public, but Araghchi said it would see the United States first meet several conditions on the first day of its implementation, including lifting sanctions, reducing its military presence in the region and unfreezing Iranian assets, while Tehran would, on the second day, reopen shipping lanes through the Strait of Hormuz.” (11/09/26)
https://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2026/11/09/iran-US-proposal/9791794198770/
- France: Regime accuses IRGC of supermarket fridge hacking
Source: BBC News [UK state media]
“France has accused Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of being behind cyber-attacks that raised the temperatures of supermarket fridges and freezers. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said the attack was ‘unprecedented in both its scale and its level of aggression’, adding those who were responsible would be hit with sanctions ‘at the European level’. Iran is yet to respond to Barrot’s allegations. The cyber-attack last month saw fridges and freezers in hundreds of supermarkets across France heated up, which spoilt fresh and frozen food estimated to be worth millions of euros. Then last week, dozens of supermarkets across several other European countries were also impacted by a cyber-attack that targeted fridges and freezers. It is not known if the instances are linked.” (11/09/26)
- NYC DSA so afraid of being “too white”, mulling “anti-oppression” task force
Source: New York Post
“Members of the city’s Democratic Socialists of America think their roster is too white — and are considering an ‘anti-oppression’ task force to recruit minorities and actual working-class New Yorkers. The New York City chapter of the uber-liberal group will consider a resolution stuffed with politically correct messaging at its convention on Saturday that would create ‘a Task Force to Promote Equitable Organizing Culture’ and force its leaders to get diversity training. ‘NYC-DSA aims to build the power of the socialist movement by growing our base among the multiracial, multigendered working class of our city’, the proposed resolution said. ‘DSA has historically faced well-documented challenges recruiting and retaining people of color, and NYC-DSA’s racial makeup does not reflect the racial diversity of our city’, the proposal added, also referring to the proposed group as an ‘anti-oppression’ task force.” (11/09/26)
https://nypost.com/2026/11/09/us-news/dsa-admits-its-too-white-as-it-mulls-anti-oppression-force/
- Trump: “Only kidding” about White for press secretary
Source: CBC News [Canadian state media]
“U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday said he was ‘only kidding’ when he suggested UFC CEO Dana White could become his next White House press secretary, after a social media post a day earlier stirred speculation about recruiting his feisty ally and signalled a combative approach to dealing with Democrats as they prepare to take control of Congress. Trump said White, a prominent supporter, ‘loves the idea’ of taking the job but insisted he had not been serious about the prospect, describing the suggestion as ‘just a little fun.'” (11/08/26)
https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/trump-dana-white-press-secretary-9.7414466
- G7 talks in Paris tackle global crises with uncertainty high over US approach
Source: SFGate
“Top diplomats from the Group of Seven industrialized democracies gathered in Paris on Monday with clear differences on global crises and questions about how U.S. President Donald Trump will approach foreign policy after his Republican Party’s heavy losses in the midterm elections. Whether on the Russia-Ukraine war, Iran or the International Criminal Court, the sides appeared far apart as two days of talks got underway, although all agreed on the need to end the conflicts as quickly as possible. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio faced questions about whether the Trump administration will shift its positions on those issues and others like energy security and artificial intelligence that dominated discussions among foreign ministers from the U.S., U.K., Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan.” (11/09/26)
https://www.sfgate.com/news/world/article/rubio-will-discuss-iran-ukraine-ai-and-more-22520303.php
- Ousted PM Sheikh Hasina seeks passport in sign of Bangladesh return plan
Source: Al Jazeera [Qatari state media]
“Bangladesh’s ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has requested a new passport and identity card to allow her to return from self-imposed exile in India. The request is the clearest sign that Hasina, who has been living in India for two years, plans to make good on her promise that she would return to Bangladesh in December. Hasina told the Reuters news agency that she intended to surrender before a court in Bangladesh, and her aides said on Monday the date would be announced once various formalities were completed. Bangladesh’s war crimes court sentenced Hasina to death in absentia last November for ordering a deadly crackdown on student protests that swept the country in 2024. … Last week, Junior Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir said Bangladesh wants Hasina returned under an extradition treaty with India. New Delhi has declined to hand her over.” (11/09/26)
- Annual Fundraiser: Moving Right Along …
THANK YOU to subscribing contributors ACS and ERW, and to long-time supporter KL — the $110.50 they sent us over the weekend brings our annual fundraiser total (as of 5am) to $1,262!
As a fundraiser goes on, it sometimes feels like every day is “find a new hook to reel them in” day. Which can be annoying, I know, but until we hit $5,503 ($2,751.50 from all but one of our readers, and “matching funds” from supporter GL), I have to keep it up. Today’s hook:
Tomorrow is my 60th birthday (or would be if I still admitted to HAVING birthdays). In “celebration,” I hope to raise at least $60 more for RRND/FND by then. If the occasion moves you to donate $60, or any part thereof, to our fundraiser, I’ll be duly grateful.
PLEASE SUPPORT RRND/FND!
Have a splendiferous day!
Yours in liberty,
Tom Knapp
Publisher
Rational Review News Digest / Freedom News Daily - China: Regime extends tariffs pause
Source: Bloomberg
“China will suspend an additional 24% tariff on [Chinese buyers of] US goods for another two months, formalizing a decision by the two countries’ leaders to prolong their trade truce until next January. The move will take effect at 1:01 p.m. Beijing time on Tuesday, with a 10% blanket tariff retained on [Chinese buyers of] US imports, the Customs Tariff Commission of the State Council said in a statement. China will also extend its suspension of special fees on American ships docking at its ports until Jan. 10, the Transport Ministry said in a separate statement on Monday.” (11/09/26)
- Trump says he was “too tough” on immigrants as he floats amnesty deal
Source: Financial Times [UK]
“Donald Trump conceded he had been ‘too tough’ on immigration and offered to work with Democrats on an amnesty deal for migrants in a sign that he could temper his deportation campaign in the wake of Republicans’ midterm rout. The president said in a TV interview aired on Sunday that some voters had been turned off by the severity of his administration’s approach to immigration. … Asked if he thought some kind of ‘legal status’ deal with Democrats was possible, Trump told CBS that was ‘something that’s actually doable’. He added that he would be willing to work with legislators such as Texas senator-elect James Talarico to achieve reform. The interview was filmed on Friday morning, shortly before Trump announced he was appointing immigration hardliner Stephen Miller as his chief of staff.” (11/08/26)
- Tanker Burns After Strike in Strait of Hormuz
Source: Maritime Executive
“On Saturday, at least two tankers were attacked in the Strait of Hormuz, including one that caught fire. The first vessel was transiting about eight nautical miles off the coast of Khasab, on Oman’s Musandam Peninsula, when it caught fire. Unverified videos purporting to show the blaze have circulated on social media, and appear to show a vigorous cargo fire burning amidships. The crewmembers were evacuated, and no injuries have been reported. Video footage shows at least two firefighting tugs on scene and working to combat the blaze.” (11/08/26)
https://maritime-executive.com/article/tanker-burns-after-strike-in-strait-of-hormuz
- Bitcoin drops, then pops as Nvidia cheating scandal and failed Iran talks trigger volatility
Source: CoinDesk
“Bitcoin has seen sharp two-way moves in the last several hours, reminding traders why leverage can hurt. The volatility came as the market digested two uncomfortable headlines. First, Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia – AI bellwether and the largest stock by market cap – admitted to an affair with a woman U.S. officials believe was spying for China. Second, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said negotiations with Iran had stalled. … Bitcoin fell to about $73,761 late Sunday, its lowest point since August, before recovering to trade above $75,000, according to CoinDesk data.” (11/08/26)
- Russian data leak reveals death toll in Ukraine
Source: Yahoo! News
“A data leak from Moscow’s statistics agency has revealed that more than 450,000 Russians have been killed in the war in Ukraine. Rosstat was hit by a cyber attack carried out by groups banned by Russia as ‘extremist organisations’, who stole data on the economy and wartime losses. The Belarusian Cyber Partisans and Silent Crow hacking groups obtained the records, which contained information from death certificates registered between February 2022 and August this year, from Rosstat’s internal demography database. …. Silent Crow, a pro-Ukrainian hacktivist group, published the data, which showed there had been an estimated 450,100 deaths. However, the Cyber Partisans, a group of anonymous hacktivists opposing the regime of Alexander Lukashenko, the president of Belarus, estimated the figure to be lower – at 393,881 – because of a more limited methodology that explicitly identified military operations as the cause.” (11/08/26)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/world/articles/russian-data-leak-reveals-death-154116267.html
- Sudan: Regime Detains Ex-Ruling Party Head Haroun Wanted by ICC
Source: US News & World Report
“Sudan’s army has detained a former senior Islamist official from ousted strongman Omar al-Bashir’s era who is wanted by the International Criminal Court, officials from his party said. Ahmed Haroun, who chairs Sudan’s former ruling National Congress Party, has been hiding for years and is wanted by the International Criminal Court over alleged war crimes and genocide in the Darfur region in the early 2000s. He has dismissed the charges as political.” (11/08/26)
- Trump calls for DOJ investigation into Democratic calls for oversight
Source: Politico
“President Donald Trump on Saturday said he had ordered the Justice Department to look into ‘threats’ by Democrats against Republicans in the wake of the GOP’s midterm electoral defeat, adding that those responsible should be imprisoned. Across two Truth Social posts, Trump accused Democrats of threatening Republican donors with imprisonment and Attorney General Todd Blanche and other administration officials with impeachment. He also said Democrats were targeting people ‘just because they happen to be Republicans, or Republican supporters.'” (11/07/26)
- UK cannot “cherry pick” EU single market deal, Barnier tells BBC
Source: BBC News [UK state media]
“Michel Barnier, the EU’s former Brexit negotiator has warned that the UK cannot ‘cherry pick’ which elements of the single market to which it subscribes, after Andy Burnham said he wanted to explore closer economic ties with Europe. The prime minister has said rejoining the bloc’s internal market was among options he could pursue as part of a reshaping of ties since the UK’s exit from the EU nearly six years ago. But Michel Barnier told the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg that EU members would insist on the UK readopting certain conditions, such as the free movement of people, to gain access. He said there was not a ‘single market à la carte’ menu from which the UK could pick and choose what elements it wanted to adopt.” (11/07/26)
- Palestine: Israeli forces release Palestinian journalist Abou Shhadeh
Source: Al Jazeera [Qatari state media]
“Israeli authorities have released Palestinian journalist Abed Abou Shhadeh after detaining him for five days without charge. Speaking after his release, Abou Shhadeh said on Sunday that his detention was part of ‘political measures’ intended not only for him ‘but to intimidate Arab society as a whole’. … Abou Shhadeh was held in a Shin Bet intelligence facility in Petah Tikva, on the outskirts of Tel Aviv, after being detained on Tuesday on suspicion of ‘contact with a foreign agent’. He was suspected of receiving money from foreign sources in order to support Israel’s Arab voters, according to the legal rights group Adalah, which is part of his defence team.” (11/08/26)
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/11/8/israeli-forces-release-palestinian-journalist-abou-shhadeh
- TN: Dolly Parton’s manager drops lawsuit against her nephew
Source: BBC News [UK state media]
“The manager of the late country music star Dolly Parton has dropped a lawsuit against her nephew. The civil case was filed by the company that manages Parton’s business interests less than a month after her death. It included allegations of threats, intimidation and coercion against Bryan Seaver, the relative who publicly confirmed Parton had died in August. A temporary restraining order was also sought. Seaver, who previously served as Parton’s head of security, denied the allegations. In a statement to the BBC’s US partner, CBS News, Seaver’s attorneys said he was ‘grateful to put this misunderstanding behind him so that the family can grieve peacefully’.” (11/07/26)
- DOJ clears Fox’s $22 billion Roku acquisition after antitrust investigation
Source: United Press International
“The Justice Department closed its antitrust investigation into Fox Corp.’s $22 billion acquisition of streaming platform Roku after the media company agreed to measures aimed at protecting competing streaming services, officials said Friday. The decision allowed Fox to complete its acquisition of Roku, combining its television, news and sports operations with a streaming platform reaching more than 100 million households worldwide. Federal regulators had investigated whether the merger would reduce competition or allow Fox to favor its own programming over rival content on Roku devices. DOJ officials said its investigation found that competition from other streaming platforms would likely prevent the combined company from harming consumers.” (11/07/26)
https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2026/11/07/fox-roku-acquisition-DOJ/6881794094157/
- Ten Reasons Hakeem Jeffries Should Not Be House Speaker
Source: Common Dreams
by Medea Benjamin“Now that Democrats have swept the House, a key question is: Who should lead it? Hakeem Jeffries is in line to become the first Black Speaker of the House, which would be a historic milestone. But members of Congress must examine Jeffries’ record, his priorities, and the kind of leadership he would bring to this moment. Here are ten reasons why Jeffries should not be Speaker: 1.) He has abandoned Medicare for All – At a time when millions of Americans struggle with unaffordable health insurance, medical debt, and the threat of financial ruin from illness, Jeffries has distanced himself from one of the most important progressive reforms … 2.) He refuses to break with Israel – Perhaps nowhere is Jeffries more out of step with the progressive base than on Israel. … 3.) He has failed to champion major cuts to the obscene Pentagon budget …” (11/09/26)
https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/why-hakeem-jeffries-should-not-be-speaker
- Learning and Forgetting Nothing
Source: The Erick Erickson Show
by Erick-Woods Erickson“After the Bourbons were restored to the French throne, Talleyrand is credited with saying they had learned nothing and forgotten nothing. The family had been driven from power, watched a king lose his head, and spent a quarter century in exile, yet it came back to Paris determined to govern exactly as it had before the deluge. Within fifteen years, the senior Bourbon line was gone again, this time for good. Much the same could be said of the Trump Administration one week after the midterms. … President Trump’s response has been to push out the person rumored to want a change and promote the person most responsible for what voters rejected.” (11/09/26)
https://ewerickson.substack.com/p/learning-and-forgetting-nothing
- In the Deep South, the “Red Wall” and History Collapse
Source: Washington Monthly
by Colin Woodard“The American Nations map, which charts our settler history, reveals the deep legacies disrupted by last week’s Democratic victories.” (11/09/26)
https://washingtonmonthly.com/2026/11/09/in-the-deep-south-the-red-wall-and-history-collapses/
- The Childlike Innocence of the American Protester
Source: Law & Liberty
by Ronald W Dworkin“Activists cosplay as revolutionaries while clutching desperately for legal restraints.” (11/09/26)
https://lawliberty.org/the-childlike-innocence-of-the-american-protester/
- The Evangelical Vote Will Return in 2028
Source: Liberal Currents
by Holly Berkley Fletcher“Those writing obituaries for Christian nationalism need to hold off.” (11/09/26)
https://www.liberalcurrents.com/the-evangelical-vote-will-return-in-2028/
- Impeach Pete Hegseth
Source: The Volokh Conspiracy
by Ilya Somin“Outgoing GOP Representative Thomas Massie is planning to introduce an impeachment resolution against Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. Soon-to-be Democratic Speaker of the House Hakeem Jeffries says he’s a ‘hard yes’ on the idea. That makes it very likely it will happen. If not now, then when Democrats take control of Congress in January, after their big win in the midterm election. Hegseth richly deserves it, and should be convicted on at least two major charges: his role in starting an unconstitutional war and over 200 cases of outright murder.” (11/08/26)
- Democrats’ disastrous ideas to “fix” Social Security
Source: New York Post
by staff“Watch out: Democrats’ big ideas for ‘saving’ Social Security — now set to go bust in 2032 — range from lunacy like boosting payouts to madness like job-killing tax hikes. The program’s trust fund empties out in just six years, forcing automatic 22% cuts in payments, yet the Democrats who just won control of Congress look to worsen the outlook, throwing the system’s finances even further out of whack. … The shortfall is now covered by the funds’ reserves; when they dry up, payouts automatically shrink about a fifth. Cue Democratic plans to jack up taxes (and not just on the rich!) to pull in more cash.” [editor’s note: And once again they ignore the idea of putting a “floor” on FICA, instead of just raising the ceiling – SAT] (11/08/26)
https://nypost.com/2026/11/08/opinion/democrats-disastrous-ideas-to-fix-social-security/
- Don’t mention the war: how Iran broke Trump’s winning coalition
Source: Asia Times
by Leon Hadar“In the classic Fawlty Towers episode, Basil Fawlty, hotel proprietor and concussed anglophile, spends an evening ordering his staff not to mention the war in front of his German guests, and then mentions it in every other sentence. Watching the Republican Party’s 2026 campaign, I kept thinking of Basil. For eight months, the White House, the party’s campaign committees and their friends in the conservative media worked hard at not mentioning the war with Iran. The voters, it turns out, mentioned it for them.” (11/09/26)
https://asiatimes.com/2026/11/dont-mention-the-war-how-iran-broke-trumps-winning-coalition/
- RFK Jr. May Be Finding a Stronger Foothold in Trump’s Administration
Source: Washington Sun
by Paige Winfield Cunningham“Earlier this year, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. seemed destined for a short tenure in President Donald Trump’s Cabinet. Now, the Make America Healthy Again movement’s footing looks surer in the administration and those around Kennedy say they believe the health secretary is here to stay. Incoming White House chief of staff Stephen Miller is friendlier to Kennedy’s priorities than ousted chief Susie Wiles, who former Kennedy advisor and MAHA activist Calley Means excoriated over the last few days for shutting down MAHA initiatives. Trump is enthusiastically backing top Kennedy efforts into researching autism and vaccines.” (11/08/26)
- Don’t Let Christian Nationalists Rewrite the First Amendment
Source: RealClearPolitics
by Ayaan Karan“The First Amendment’s Establishment and Free Exercise clauses seem clear. They guarantee the free exercise of religion while prohibiting the state from endorsing a particular religion. In the words of the Late Antonin Scalia, ‘The state may not discriminate among religions, and a favor available to one must be made available to all.’ Yet some of the Christian Nationalist crowd is shifting away from this widely accepted interpretation. … As new excuses beyond plain bigotry must be found to disparage and marginalize Muslims, Hindus, and other non-Christians, Christian Nationalists have attached themselves to a reactionary view of our founding. They’ve convinced themselves that if a view sounds archaic enough, they can spin it and say the Founders must have believed it.” (11/08/26)
- Quantum Vibe, 11/09/26
Source: Big Head Press
by Scott BieserCartoon. (11/09/26)
- Europe Has Become an American Colony in Revolt
Source: exile in a happy valley
by Nicky Reid“Paris is burning again but this time the fire is spreading and it’s spreading fast. What ostensibly began as the latest upheaval in a long, proud tradition of Parisian student uprisings has exploded into a human inferno scorching every corner of the European map. … While America keeps its subjects busy with make-believe democracy at the ballot box, the kids in Europe are fucking around with the real thing in the streets and I can’t be the only stateside anarchist who wants a taste of the uncut stuff.” (11/08/26)
https://exileinhappyvalley.blogspot.com/2026/11/europe-has-become-american-colony-in.html
- Why California’s Government Isn’t Working
Source: The American Prospect
by David Dayen“While voters were sticking a knife in the oligarchy across the country this year, that particular aspect of the blue tsunami ended at the border of California. Proposition 40, the billionaire wealth tax, failed. Worse, the competing initiative placed on the ballot to confuse voters, Prop 42, could very well pass. (It’s up by about 580,000 votes, but there are nearly five million left to count; the no side would need something like 56 percent of the uncounted vote to win.) Prop 42 bans all taxes on personal property and assets and is an almost direct copy of something that Texas passed three years ago.” [editor’s note: Panic! At the “progressive” disco – TLK] (11/09/26)
https://prospect.org/2026/11/09/why-californias-government-isnt-working/
- All of the Errors Forgotten
Source: Brownstone Institute
by Charles Krblich“Baseball is my favorite game because of the lessons it teaches. First, it’s a team game that individuals play: your at-bats and fielding are yours and yours alone, but they are put to work in the service of your team. Second, and most importantly, it is a game of individual and team failure: you are out more often than you are on base, a team winning percentage of .550 – .600 — just more than half of your games played — is a championship-caliber team, and each attempt is isolated. It is recorded. There is nowhere to hide the miss. The game forces you to live with failure as a normal outcome. Maybe as a result, a wide range of superstitions and rituals developed and many have been passed down through the generations.” (11/08/26)
https://brownstone.org/articles/all-of-the-errors-forgotten/
- Make Armistice Day Great Again
Source: Garrison Center
by Thomas L Knapp“In 1954, Congress replaced the traditional ‘Armistice Day’ observance with a celebratory ‘Veterans Day.’ Instead of mourning war, we now celebrate warriors. Parades. Air shows. Political speeches. Free meals, drinks, haircuts, etc. for veterans. A lot of ‘thank you for your service’ to everyone identifiable as a veteran of the US armed forces; quite a bit of mutual back-slapping among those of us who ‘served.’ To me, the best way to celebrate veterans would be stop making so many of us — especially, but not only, of the dead, maimed, traumatized, and homeless varieties.” (11/08/26)
- The Next Takeover
Source: The Porter Files
by Jake Porter“While most of us spent the spring and summer working on campaigns, Michael Heise, founder of the Mises Caucus, was plotting a second takeover of the Libertarian Party. His plan to create the ‘American Liberty Party’ wouldn’t just capture the Libertarian Party, but destroy it, replacing it with a bizarre mixture of America First populist mush that, by his own admission, ‘wont be explicitly libertarian.’ … On October 27, Heise announced the American Liberty Party. If you visit the website and scroll to the bottom you will realize that it is a project of the Mises Caucus, paid for by Mises PAC and not actually a new political party.” (11/07/26)
- Republicans’ Post-Midterms War Denialism Is an Exercise in Special Pleading
Source: The American Conservative
by W James Antle III“Republicans took a pounding on Tuesday that made past wave elections look like a mild drizzle by comparison. Just whatever you do, don’t blame the Iran war. … Even in 2006, Republicans had other problems besides the Iraq War. But this furious denial of the war’s impact is reminiscent of those who wanted to blame GOP congressional losses 20 years ago on earmarks.” (11/07/26)
- Free Speech Will Survive
Source: Racket News
by Matt Taibbi“Free speech is in trouble, and problems are snowballing, with the First Amendment now squeezed between competing visions of unfreedom. The massacre of the Republican party at the polls last week was driven at least in part by the Trump administration’s cringeworthy failures on the issue. … Supporters of civil liberties are becoming a subculture. We’re aging out of the era when Americans reflexively understood why free speech is important.” (11/07/26)
- Can the Wealthy Buy Elections?
Source: The Daily Economy
by Christopher Freiman“Money matters, but the data show that other things matter more. Minority interests routinely organize and win, even with comparatively little wealth.” (11/07/26)
https://thedailyeconomy.org/article/can-the-wealthy-buy-elections/
- California gives life to ending the death penalty
Source: Christian Science Monitor
by staff“In at least one regard, California Gov. Gavin Newsom did not make history Thursday in seeking to commute the death sentences of 548 people to life without the possibility of parole. A few other U.S. governors have granted universal clemencies to those facing state execution. Yet his mass commutation, once fully enforced, would be the largest in American history. It would empty out the largest death row in the Western Hemisphere, reducing the U.S. death row population by nearly 30%. And by its moral force as an act of official mercy, it might add to the steady erosion of public support for capital punishment. While Governor Newsom cited his constitutional authority in granting clemency – with the state’s highest court still yet to review some cases – he also said he acted out of personal conscience.” (11/06/26)
- Democrats won the midterms. Republicans may have won something bigger.
Source: Washington Post
“Now look, guys, I know it doesn’t feel that way. You not only took an epic thumping; you’ve probably lost any hope of holding the presidency in 2028. That doesn’t feel great, especially because Democrats are already murmuring about retribution. So I don’t blame you for failing to look on the bright side. But there is a bright side. In fact, there are two. For one thing, you have a chance to rebuild your party around something other than Donald Trump. That needed to happen. At 80, Trump has neither the energy nor the actuarial lifespan to lead the party into the future. But Trump didn’t want that to happen, and until now, he has had the power to prevent it, by ruthlessly purging anyone who tried to build an independent Republican identity. After this midterm defeat, that power will wane.” (11/08/26)
- I’m betting on Poland
Source: Adam Smith Institute
by Madsen Pirie“It shows good growth achieved by sensible policies and a willingness to work. It is rising faster than most competitors, and will likely soon overtake many of them, including ourselves, in living standards. Poland is a strong bet. Few countries have done so much, so fast, from such a low base. In 1994, Poland’s GDP per capita at purchasing power parity was $7,040, less than a third of Japan’s. By 2024 it stood at $51,263, just behind Japan’s $52,039. The IMF and World Bank expected Poland to pass Japan this year, and the IMF forecasts that by 2030 Poland will also surpass Israel, Spain and New Zealand on the same measure. Twenty years ago Poland stood at 48% of the EU average, but by 2024 it had reached 82%. It is not slowing much.” (11/06/26)
- Israel Claims It Had Nothing To Do With Trump’s Decision To Attack Iran
Source: Caitlin Johnstone, Rogue Journalist
by Caitlin Johnstone“Israel’s UN ambassador Danny Danon is acting like it’s absurd for American voters to have gotten it into their heads that Israel had something to do with the Iran war that’s costing them so much money. Asked by i24 News about JD Vance’s observation that American voters want a change in their country’s relationship with the Zionist entity, Danon framed Israel as an innocent passive witness to the Trump administration’s unprovoked attack on Iran. ‘I think it’s unfortunate, and we saw it coming from different directions, that many made the linkage between the rising prices, mainly oil prices, to the situation here in Israel,’ said Danon, adding, ‘We know that the decision to attack Iran was the decision of the United States. It wasn’t our decision.'” (11/06/26)
- Civilization Is About Settling for Second-Best
Source: Persuasion
“[T]he two sets of governing principles in our society—liberalism for the state and capitalism for the economy—are second-best arrangements. In other words, they do not coincide with most people’s sense of what an ideal world would look like. (Just to be clear, they are not second-best in the real-world sense. In the real world, they are the best that we can hope to attain, at least for the foreseeable future. The problem is that they are second-best with respect to most people’s personal values and moral ideals. They are not à la hauteur de nos espérances. This is why people got so annoyed at Francis Fukuyama for declaring the end of history.’ (11/06/26)
https://www.persuasion.community/p/civilization-is-about-settling-foR
- DSA’s shoddy midterm performance shows voters want moderation, not socialism
Source: New York Post
by Rikki Schlott“Democrats just had a resounding midterm victory across the nation. But they’d be remiss to believe that the election results are an endorsement of the party’s creep to the far-left. Analysis of Tuesday’s results shows that progressive and DSA-adjacent Democrats actually underperformed relative to their more moderate peers. That’s true across the country, with no major exceptions. Voters who came out for Democrats in the midterms are sending a very specific message: they want moderation, not radical DSA craziness. Hopefully Mamdani and AOC won’t take the “blue tsunami” as permission to pursue their most extreme political dreams. ‘It’s very hard to find a race with a high-profile progressive who is not underperforming in this election,’ New York Times Political Analyst Nate Cohn said in a Thursday episode of The Daily.” (11/06/26)
- Trump must end the war today and fire all top officials connected to it
Source: Responsible Statecraft
by Joe Kent“For the last eight months, the Iran war has been a topic of fierce debate: is the war in our national interest? Was Iran an imminent threat? Should we stay the course or escalate? … The American people settled the debate. It’s time to end the war in Iran. This is irrefutable, as Vice President Vance has admitted. Over 70% of voters blamed the Iran war and our off balanced relationship with Israel for the out of control inflation that affects their daily lives and have zero tolerance for more wars of choice. With this clear message from the American people, Trump must immediately end the war – today.” (11/06/26)
https://responsiblestatecraft.org/trump-ending-war-elections/
- We Can Save Ourselves From Nuclear Annihilation
Source: Common Dreams
by Peter Kuznick & Ivana Nikolić Hughes“The 1984 British movie ‘Threads’ opens with ordinary scenes in Sheffield, England, where a young couple learns they are expecting a baby. Their personal story intertwines with news of a growing conflict between the United States and the Soviet Union, centered on Iran. We next learn that a nuclear weapon is used in an attack, followed by another. Before long, Sheffield itself is the site of hydrogen bomb detonations, with our protagonists either perishing in the explosions or subsisting under devastating conditions of starvation, civil unrest, radiation-induced and infectious diseases, and freezing temperatures over the coming days, weeks, months, and years. The film ends with the 13-year-old daughter of the young couple from the start of the film giving birth to a deformed clump of flesh months after being raped in a lawless and collapsed society.” (11/07/26)
https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/save-ourselves-from-nukes
- After the Midterms, It’s Ideological Trigonometry for the Democrats
Source: The Dispatch
by Kevin D Williamson“The Democrats elected in 1974 were elected to punish Republicans for the crimes of Richard Nixon. But some of them thought that the post-Watergate world was a wide-open ideological field in which they had decades to frolic. Six years later, Ronald Reagan won the presidency, and four years after that, he was reelected in a 49-state landslide (recount Minnesota!) with nearly 60 percent of the total vote nationwide. The lesson for the take-out-the-trash Democrats of 2026: A political moment is not the same thing as a political trend.” (11/06/26)
https://thedispatch.com/article/midterms-democrats-idological-trigonometry/
- US Democrats, please take note: peace is good politics
Source: Asia Times
by Jeffrey D Sachs“Voters across the United States were loud and clear on Tuesday in their historic drubbing of Trumpism. The election was a decisive rejection of Trump’s war on Iran and its staggering costs at home. While savoring their victory and the historic opportunity to restore America’s constitutional order, the Democrats should take the anti-war message of the election to heart, because they suffered the same verdict two years ago, when voters rejected the Biden administration’s wars in Ukraine and Gaza.” (11/06/26)
https://asiatimes.com/2026/11/us-democrats-please-take-note-peace-is-good-politics/
- Resign, Mr President
Source: The Weekly Dish
by Andrew Sullivan“You have hurt your allies more than your foes. You’ve discredited the religious right more thoroughly than Jimmy Swaggart ever could. You gave the neocons the kiss of death, destroyed the Israel alliance, while presiding over a wave of foul antisemitism — right and left. You made fools of those earnestly trying to build a new right-of-center coalition. The National Conservatives and the post-liberals and the Claremonsters and the AIPAC loonies all tried to find some string of policy coherence, and today? Well, they all look like idiots, and some of them are figuring that out. There is no coherent thread that connects the past ten years except your ego, stupidity, and cruelty. And deep down, you know it.” (11/06/26)
- Late-Night Comedy or DNC Propaganda
Source: American Greatness
by Christian Toto“Come back, Johnny Carson! Late-night TV no longer resembles the laughs-first model perfected by The Tonight Show legend and, later, Jay Leno. It’s all about pushing progressive talking points, often shoving comedy to the exits. A new study by the conservative NewsBusters highlights just how imbalanced late-night television has become in the Age of Kimmel. The study found that 87 percent of jokes that targeted senatorial candidates drew satirical blood against Republicans. The time period? Peak campaign season: September 8 through October 29. That’s no accident. Meanwhile, Democrats running for the Senate endured just seven jokes in toto.” (11/06/26)
https://amgreatness.com/2026/11/06/late-night-comedy-or-dnc-propaganda/
- When the Watchdogs Are Silenced: India’s Crackdown on Those Documenting Online Censorship
Source: Electronic Frontier Foundation
by Jillian C York“On November 3, our colleagues at the Software Freedom Law Center, India (SFLC.in) received notifications from X that the Delhi Police had issued takedown requests targeting 42 URLs. Among the accounts and posts targeted were those belonging to SFLC.in, the Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF), and X account @geoblockedindia, as well as posts documenting legal notices and instances of online censorship. Takedown requests targeting SFLC.in and other digital rights groups threaten not only their work, but the public’s ability to know when and how online speech is being restricted.” (11/06/26)
- Your smartphone will set you free. That’s the problem.
Source: Washington Post
by August Lamm“A common complaint from recent dumbphone converts is that the switch has made them more reliant on others. Without a smartphone, it becomes necessary to ask for directions, weather, transit times and other information that was once easily accessed online. But why is interdependence a bad thing? In the depths of what has been dubbed a ‘loneliness epidemic,’ with friendship rates at an all-time low and screen time at an all-time high, the solution is not to become more self-reliant but to reinforce our social fabric through shared responsibility. I have lived without a smartphone for the past four years, and in that time I have grown comfortable depending on friends and even strangers to help me navigate an increasingly digital world.” (11/08/26)
- Republicans’ Midterm Wipeout Reignites the War Over Tariffs
Source: Washington Sun
by Jeff Stein“Trump’s tariff embrace has represented a revolution within the Republican Party. But even when skeptical, GOP lawmakers have begrudgingly gone along with the president for much of the last decade, wary of crossing the most popular figure in their party on one of his top priorities. Other Republicans came to agree with the president that insulating American firms from international competition could help rebuild domestic industry. Traditional conservatives are now optimistic that the party’s midterm catastrophe will mark the end of that era. A CNBC poll found 64% of voters believed Trump’s tariffs hurt their local economy, whereas just 14% said it helped. A Wall Street Journal analysis of AdImpact data also found Republicans spent $0 this campaign cycle on tariffs, either for or against. Democrats devoted $58.3 million to bashing the Trump policy.” (11/06/26)
- What’s a Rich Man to Do?
Source: Future of Freedom Foundation
“Just because someone is the CEO of a major corporation does not mean that he advocates a free society—even when he makes millions of dollars a year.” (11/06/26)
https://www.fff.org/explore-freedom/article/whats-a-rich-man-to-do/
- The Remnant with Jonah Goldberg, 11/09/26
Source: The Dispatch
“With Jonah Goldberg sleeping off his election-night hangover, Dispatch in-house grumbler Kevin Williamson takes the helm for today’s conversation with author Jeanna Smialek. The pair discuss Jeanna’s new book about the novelist and cover economist Maria Edgeworth, digging into political economy, Adam Smith, moral novels, women’s education, Harriet Martineau, early feminism, utilitarianism, value theory, Ireland, Little House on the Prairie, and the Great Potato Famine.” (11/09/26)
- Hexapodia Podcast, 11/09/26
Source: Noahpinion
“Noah, Brad DeLong, and Dan Wang discuss the Anthropic IPO.” (11/09/26)
https://www.noahpinion.blog/p/noah-brad-delong-and-dan-wang-discuss
- Free Talk Live, 11/08/26
Source: Free Talk Live
“Dave Ridley calls about NH vote on ‘tax cap’ :: Police in MS shoot and kill a baby, court ruled ‘justified’ :: Skeeter calls to act like a child :: Sarah in NM calls about new speeding cameras :: Caller insists IP is valuable :: Turd also likes IP :: voting systems are dumb :: people released from Aurora immigration detention center immediately re-arrested :: 2026-11-08 :: Hosts: Stu, Rich E. Rich, Riley O’Bill.” (11/08/26)
- The Permanent Questions, 11/08/26
Source: The Atlantic
“Can Beauty Make Us Good?” (11/08/26)
https://www.theatlantic.com/podcasts/2026/11/can-beauty-make-us-good/689302
- Neon Liberalism, episode 98
Source: Liberal Currents
“Samantha Hancox-Li chats with Andy Craig, senior editor at the UnPopulist, about the most revealing results from the election, including Mississippi and Texas, what it means for the future of the Republican Party (nothing good), and how corruption can unite ‘affordability’ Democrats and ‘Reconstruction’ Democrats.” (11/08/26)
https://www.liberalcurrents.com/trumps-epic-defeat-neon-liberalism-98-with-andy-craig/
- Year Zero with Tommy Salmons, 11/08/26
Source: Libertarian Institute
“They Still Hate You!!” (11/08/26)
- Antiwar News with Dave DeCamp, 11/08/26
Source: Antiwar.com
“US Expands Iran Blockade, Continues Strikes on Qeshm, Saudis Massacre Yemeni Civilians, and More.” (11/08/26)
- Unattended Baggage, episode 362
Source: Unattended Baggage
“Bye-Bye Fascists, Hello Commies.” (11/07/26)
https://unattendedbaggage.substack.com/p/episode-362-bye-bye-fascists-hello
- Free Talk Live, 11/07/26
Source: Free Talk Live
“Sarah says New Mexico voted to way overpay their state reps :: Sarah said she paid into the system enough the one year in her life that she worked a job :: Tim from FL calls in with questions for Skeeter :: Dan O’Neil calls in from the Exit and Build conference in Texas to promote parallel systems :: Sterling Lujan tells us about living in a Pop Up City in Austria :: What made R’s turn their backs on MAGA? :: Are hackers attacking the US food supply like in Europe? :: 2026-11-07 :: Hosts: Bonnie, Colin, Angelo.” (11/07/26)
- Pink Flame of Liberty, 11/07/26
Source: Pink Flame of Liberty
“Ponty’s Reporting on LNC Data Beach: Did Andy Buchovitch SCAPEGOAT Mises Caucus opponents?” (11/07/260
- The Dishcast with Andrew Sullivan, 11/06/26
Source: The Weekly Dish
“Michael Barone On The Midterm Results.” (11/06/26)
https://andrewsullivan.substack.com/p/michael-barone-on-the-midterm-results
- Rising, 11/06/26
Source: The Hill
“Lindsey Granger gives her lens on Jon Stewart suggesting that Sen. Chuck Schumer should not be the Senate majority leader now that Democrats have control of the Senate.” (11/06/26)
- Checks & Balances, 11/06/26
Source: Checks & Balances
“He Left Trump’s FBI. Now He’s Speaking Out.” (11/06/26)
https://chkbal.substack.com/p/he-left-the-trumps-fbi-now-hes-speaking
- The Political Orphanage, 11/06/26
Source: The Political Orphanage
“How to Talk to Your Neoliberal Shill.” (11/06/26)
https://politicalorphanage.libsyn.com/how-to-talk-to-your-neoliberal-shill
- The Daily Blast With Greg Sargent, 11/06/26
Source: The New Republic
“Trump Shivs Hegseth in Strange Aside as GOP Knives Come Out Big Time.” (11/06/26)
https://newrepublic.com/article/217676/trump-shivs-hegseth-strange-aside-gop-knives-come-big-time
- Anarcho Agenda, episode 153
Source: Anarcho Agenda
“The red blue fight is a waste of time.” (11/06/26)
https://anarchoagenda.libsyn.com/ep-153-the-red-blue-fight-is-a-waste-of-time
- System Update, 11/06/26
Source: Glenn Greenwald
“EXCLUSIVE: Interview with Flavio Bolsonaro on Leaving Brazil, Lula & More.” (11/06/26)
https://greenwald.substack.com/p/exclusive-interview-with-flavio-bolsonaro
- The Permanent Problem, episode 22
Source: Niskanen Center
“Fragile neighborhoods and spiritual poverty, with Seth Kaplan.” (11/06/26)
https://www.niskanencenter.org/fragile-neighborhoods-and-spiritual-poverty-with-seth-kaplan
- CounterPunch Radio, 11/06/26
Source: CounterPunch
“Wired to Steal w/ Yoav Litvin and Ilan Pappé.” (11/06/26)
https://www.counterpunch.org/2026/11/06/wired-to-steal-w-yoav-litvin-and-ilan-pappe/
- Freakonomics Radio, episode 694
Source: Freakonomics
“Does Democracy Really Need Elections?” (11/06/26)
https://freakonomics.com/podcast/does-democracy-really-need-elections/