09/30 -- Palestine: Netanyahu agrees to Trump Gaza plan, Hamas response pending; In Trump's Tussle With James Comey, You Should Hope Everybody Loses
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Thomas L. Knapp
Sep 30, 2025, 6:25:06 AM (5 days ago) Sep 30
to Freedom News Daily
Freedom News Daily, 09/30/25
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Produced by the staff of Rational Review News Digest
https://news.rationalreview.com/
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Today's Freedom News:
1) Palestine: Netanyahu agrees to Trump Gaza plan, Hamas response pending
2) “Government shutdown” odds rise as pols leave White House without progress
3) Russia: Putin orders largest autumn military enslavement quota since 2016
4) Trump social media suspension tantrum: Youtube agrees to $24.5 million in bribes
5) Canada: Regime pledges $400 million in corporate welfare for Algoma Steel
6) Switzerland: Regime agrees with US regime not to manipulate its currency
7) Zohran Mamdani refuses to denounce Hamas after their long-time sponsor does
8) CA: Federal indictment charges three activists with outing gang member to neighbors
9) Afghanistan: Regime shuts down Internet in latest crackdown
10) Trump Threatens to Cut All Federal Funds to NYC If Mamdani Is Elected
11) Vance: US regime “looking at” selling Tomahawk missiles to Ukrainian regime
12) Madagascar: President fires the government following days of deadly unrest
13) Denmark: Regime Bans Civilian Drone Flights Ahead of Major EU Summit
14) South Korea: New president stares down senile reality TV star
15) Idiot pol calls for arrest of another idiot pol for insulting fascist demagogue
16) Seychelles: Regime to hold presidential run-off after vote fails to produce clear winner
17) Trump renews threat to impose more taxes on Americans
18) MO: Kehoe signs new congressional gerrymander
19) Netherlands returning fossil collection taken from Indonesia in the colonial era
20) Moldova: Pro-EU regime edges towards majority in pivotal vote
Today's Freedom Commentary:
21) In Trump’s Tussle With James Comey, You Should Hope Everybody Loses
22) As Trump vows to end asylum, a tech bro site valiantly defends him — from accusations that he wants to end asylum
23) Trump Pulls Plug on Hunger Hucksters
24) Is This Even Capitalism Anymore?
25) The government never shuts down: What actually happens in budget standoffs
26) Alliance, Defiance, Noncompliance: Making Trump Listen
27) Jimmy Kimmel is back, but don’t get complacent
28) What Americans Think About Nuclear Power
29) The Single Dumbest Conspiracy Theory In The Entire World
30) We Need Many Small Beautiful Bills
31) The Comey case and faith in the law
32) The Perception of Reality
33) Dear President Trump: Portland Is Not Your War Zone
34) Who will lead Japan?
35) America’s Illiberalism Doom Loop
36) Killing Iran Diplomacy with Sanctions
37) Dem-aligned think tank blasted for Blinken appointment to board
38) In matters that don’t matter, I’m taking the side of not taking a side
39) Free Transit Isn’t Free
40) The Normalization of Assassination
41) Why Do We Assume TrumpTok Will Succeed?
42) Does Cartelization Threaten the Feasibility of Anarcho-Capitalism?
43) Trump: It’s Not Funny Anymore
44) The Anatomy of Constitutional Despair
45) A reckoning of James Comey’s own making, and Dems for weaponizing justice system first
46) Quantum Vibe, 09/29/25
47) Reality check: North Korea won’t give up its nukes
48) Strategic Treason: The Empire Fetes Man Who Killed US Troops
49) Financing Our Own Destruction
50) Donald Trump is a Child Molesting Zionist Cuck and He Needs You to Fear Trans People
Today's Freedom Podcast and Video:
51) Reason Roundtable, 09/29/25
52) Rising, 09/29/25
53) Finding Freedom, 09/29/25
54) Conflicts of Interest, episode 841
55) EconTalk, 09/29/25
56) Antiwar News with Dave DeCamp, 09/29/25
57) Bulwark Takes, 09/28/25
58) The Chris Spangle Show, 09/28/25
59) Brian Wilson Speaks, 09/28/25
60) Matthew Hoh on The Scott Horton Show
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_____ Today's Freedom News _____
1) Palestine: Netanyahu agrees to Trump Gaza plan, Hamas response pending
Source: Reuters
“President Donald Trump secured Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s backing on Monday for a U.S.-sponsored peace proposal to end a nearly two-year-old war in Gaza, but questions loomed over whether Hamas would accept the plan. … The White House released a 20-point document that called for an immediate ceasefire, an exchange of hostages held by Hamas for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, a staged Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, Hamas disarmament and a transitional government led by an international body. … ‘Hamas hasn’t yet received the plan officially, nothing beyond media publication,’ a Hamas official told Reuters. But an official briefed on the talks later said Qatar and Egypt shared the document with Hamas, which told mediators they will review it ‘in good faith’ and then respond.” (09/30/25)
https://archive.is/YWbYT
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2) “Government shutdown” odds rise as pols leave White House without progress
Source: The Hill
“Congressional leaders left a meeting with President Trump on Monday saying they’d made no progress toward a deal that would prevent a shutdown on Wednesday, increasing the odds the government’s lights will turn off in less than 48 hours. … Each side said little was accomplished at the White House on Monday — and insisted the other party was to blame.” (09/29/25)
https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/5528042-shutdown-congress-white-house-meeting/
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3) Russia: Putin orders largest autumn military enslavement quota since 2016
Source: The Telegraph [UK]
“Vladimir Putin has called up more than 100,000 Russian men for military service in what amounts to the biggest autumn conscription since 2016. The Russian president wants to recruit 135,000 men aged 18-30 from October to December to routine service, which typically involves a year at a military base inside Russia. Though military service is not necessarily a call to fight in Ukraine – which is known as mobilisation – there have been reports of conscripted men being sent to the front line. Similarly, conscripts who complete military training face a higher likelihood of battlefield deployment.” (09/29/25)
https://archive.is/PsDlj
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4) Trump social media suspension tantrum: Youtube agrees to $24.5 million in bribes
Source: CNN
“YouTube agreed to pay $24.5 million to settle a lawsuit filed by President Donald Trump after he was suspended by social media platforms following the January 6, 2021, insurrection. This makes Alphabet-owned YouTube the last of the three Big Tech social media companies sued by Trump — which included Meta and then Twitter, now called X — to settle over his removal from their platforms. YouTube will pay $22 million to settle the claims made by Trump to the nonprofit Trust for the National Mall, which is ‘dedicated to restoring, preserving, and elevating the National Mall, to support the construction of the White House State Ballroom,’ according to a court document. The social media company will also pay $2.5 million to settle with other plaintiffs, such as the nonprofit American Conservative Union.” (09/29/25)
https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/29/business/youtube-settle-trump-lawsuit
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5) Canada: Regime pledges $400 million in corporate welfare for Algoma Steel
Source: CBC News [Canadian state media]
“The federal government announced a $400-million financial support for Algoma Steel under its large enterprise tariff relief scheme, Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu said on Monday. The loan will ‘help Algoma Steel Inc. continue operations, transition to a business model less reliant on the United States, and limit disruption to its workforce,’ the government said in a statement. The Ontario government will also provide a support of $100 million, it said. … The loan is a part of a $10-billion financing facility announced in March for large companies to help them fight the tariffs and counter-measures. It complements a slew of other tariff-related measures that the federal government has announced for the Canadian steel industry.” (09/29/25)
https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/algoma-steel-federal-government-financial-aid-tariffs-1.7646164
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6) Switzerland: Regime agrees with US regime not to manipulate its currency
Source: Financial Times [UK]
“Switzerland has agreed with the US that it will not manipulate its currency, in a rare joint statement widely seen as a ‘green light’ for further intervention by the country’s central bank to restrain a rise in the franc. The Swiss National Bank and the US Treasury on Monday issued a declaration formally aligning their views on foreign exchange matters, with both countries promising not to ‘target exchange rates for competitive purposes.’ The statement also recognised that market interventions are a valid tool for addressing currency volatility or ‘disorderly’ moves in exchange rates.” (09/29/25)
https://archive.is/8KifI
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7) Zohran Mamdani refuses to denounce Hamas after their long-time sponsor does
Source: New York Post
“Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani refused to denounce Hamas after he was asked to back Israeli Prime Minister [and long-time funder/sponsor of Hamas] Benjamin Netanyahu’s vow to wipe out the terrorists and secure the release of all remaining hostages. Mamdani stopped short of condemning the militant group after Netanyahu used his defiant address to the United Nations General Assembly on Friday to declare that Israel must ‘finish the job’ in its war against Hamas. ‘I am not going to echo the words of Benjamin Netanyahu,’ the mayoral nominee told reporters when asked point-blank later Friday if he agreed with the Israeli PM’s stance that Hamas is a terrorist group that needs to be destroyed. ‘I can, however, share my own words and say them right here, which is that my politics is built on a universality.'” (09/29/25)
https://nypost.com/2025/09/29/us-news/zohran-mamdani-refuses-to-denounce-hamas-after-israels-benjamin-netanyahu-vows-to-eradicate-terrorists/
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8) CA: Federal indictment charges three activists with outing gang member to neighbors
Source: SFGate
“Three activists opposed to President Donald Trump’s immigration raids in Los Angeles have been indicted on charges of illegally ‘doxing’ a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent, federal prosecutors said. Investigators said the women followed the agent home, livestreamed their pursuit and then posted the agent’s address online, according to a statement Friday from the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Once they arrived at the agent’s home, prosecutors allege the women shouted ‘ICE lives on your street and you should know,’ according to the indictment. The defendants are each charged with one count of conspiracy and one count of publicly disclosing the personal information of a federal agent, the statement said.” (09/29/25)
https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/federal-indictment-charges-3-activists-with-21073572.php
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9) Afghanistan: Regime shuts down Internet in latest crackdown
Source: CBS News
“Afghanistan is in the midst of a communications blackout, just weeks after Taliban authorities began severing fibre optic connections in multiple provinces, in what appears to be the Islamist regime’s latest crackdown. … Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities began to restrict internet service earlier this month, shutting down high-speed connections in several regions across the country, the French news agency AFP reported Monday. CBS News has independently verified that internet links have now been cut nationwide. The Taliban’s leadership has not publicly commented on the blackout. But on Friday, Haji Zahid, a local Taliban spokesperson in the northern province of Balkh, said in a post on X that the ban had been ordered by their leader, Haibatullah Akhundzada, ‘to prevent immoral activities.'” (09/29/25)
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/afghanistan-taliban-internet-crackdown/
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10) Trump Threatens to Cut All Federal Funds to NYC If Mamdani Is Elected
Source: Common Dreams
“US President Donald Trump on Monday doubled down on his threat to cut off federal funding from New York City if its voters elect Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani as mayor. In a post on his Truth Social page, Trump falsely labeled Mamdani ‘a communist’ and predicted that ‘he is going to have problems with Washington like no Mayor in the history of our once great City.’ Trump then elaborated on the ‘problems’ Mamdani would face: ‘Remember, he needs the money from me, as President, in order to fulfill all of his FAKE Communist promises. He won’t be getting any of it, so what’s the point of voting for him? This ideology has failed, always, for thousands of years. It will fail again, and that’s guaranteed!'” (09/29/25)
https://www.commondreams.org/news/trump-mamdani-new-york
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11) Vance: US regime “looking at” selling Tomahawk missiles to Ukrainian regime
Source: CBS News
“The White House is weighing Ukraine’s request for long-range Tomahawk missiles to defend the country against Russian forces, Vice President JD Vance said Sunday. ‘We’re certainly looking at a number of requests from the Europeans. And one of the things, again, that I think has really worked about the president’s policy in Ukraine and Russia is that it’s forced the Europeans to step up in a big way. … It’s something the president’s going to make the final determination on,’ Vance said on ‘Fox News Sunday.’ … The U.S.-made Tomahawk missile has a range of about 1,500 miles, which would place Moscow well within the range of Kyiv should the Ukrainian government obtain them. On Monday, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov implied that the U.S. was directly interfering in the war between Russian and Ukraine.” (09/29/25)
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/jdvance-trump-zelenskyy-ukraine-russia-us/
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12) Madagascar: President fires the government following days of deadly unrest
Source: SFGate
“Madagascar President Andry Rajoelina fired the prime minister and the rest of his government Monday in response to days of deadly protests in the Indian Ocean island over the failure of the electricity and water supplies. Rajoelina said in a speech on national television that Prime Minister Christian Ntsay and other government officials would stay on an interim basis until a new government is formed. He invited applications for government positions. Youth-led protests against chronic electricity and water cuts began on Thursday, prompting the government to order nighttime curfews in the capital, Antananarivo, and other major cities. The protesters had called for the resignation of both Ntsay and Rajoelina. The United Nations human rights office said earlier Monday that 22 people had been killed in clashes surrounding the protests.” (09/29/25)
https://www.sfgate.com/news/world/article/youth-led-unrest-in-madagascar-has-left-at-least-21073601.php
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13) Denmark: Regime Bans Civilian Drone Flights Ahead of Major EU Summit
Source: New York Times
“Denmark has closed its airspace to all civilian drone flights ahead of a major European Union defense summit in Copenhagen this week, after a spate of recent drone sightings near airports amplified security concerns. Denmark was one of several European countries that reported unidentified drone sightings over the past week, which prompted airport closures and widespread travel disruption. The sightings — which officials have attributed to unnamed foreign actors — rattled Europe, already on high alert because of recent incursions by Russian aircraft in the airspace of Poland, Estonia and Romania. Denmark’s transport minister, Thomas Danielson, cited the sightings in announcing that his country’s airspace would be closed to civilian drones from Monday to Friday to ensure ‘extra focus on safety’ around the summit.” (09/29/25)
https://archive.is/q898t
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14) South Korea: New president stares down senile reality TV star
Source: Fox News
“President Donald Trump had South Korea’s new leftist President Lee Jae-myung panicking after his Truth Social post a few hours before meeting in late August. Here’s what Trump wrote: ‘WHAT IS GOING ON IN SOUTH KOREA? Seems like a Purge or Revolution. We can’t have that and do business there. I am seeing the new President today at the White House. Thank you for your attention to this matter!!!’ Trump was referring to the Lee administration’s aggressive efforts to punish former President Yoon Suk Yeol and to intimidate conservative opponents, including religious groups. A South Korean government investigative raid on the jointly operated Osan Air Base was also on Trump’s mind. But then Trump eased up. Later, in a good-natured joint press conference with Lee, Trump said it might have just been ‘a misunderstanding’ or ‘rumor.'” (09/29/25)
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/south-koreas-new-leftist-president-pulls-fast-one-donald-trump
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15) Idiot pol calls for arrest of another idiot pol for insulting fascist demagogue
Source: Raw Story
“California Governor Gavin Newsom should be charged criminally for describing Stephen Miller as a ‘fascist,’ according to a Republican lawmaker. On Friday, Newsom’s press office posted this on X: ‘STEPHEN MILLER IS A FASCIST!’ MAGA accused Newsom of ‘trying to get Miller killed’ with the simple comment on social media. Miller is currently the White House deputy chief of staff under Trump. Republican Rep. Derrick Van Orden (WI) went as far as to allege criminality on behalf of the governor. ‘At this point, this reaches the threshold of domestic terrorism,’ the lawmaker claimed. ‘This is no longer ‘inflammatory,’ it is criminal.'” (09/29/25)
https://www.rawstory.com/criminal-newsom-arrested-miller/
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16) Seychelles: Regime to hold presidential run-off after vote fails to produce clear winner
Source: BBC News [UK state media]
“Seychelles is set to hold a rerun of its presidential elections between the two main contenders, after no outright winner was announced. Opposition leader Patrick Herminie received 48.8% of the vote against the incumbent President Wavel Ramkalawan who garnered 46.4%, the electoral commission announced. According to the electoral rules, a candidate must obtain more than 50% of the vote to be declared the winner, and a run-off election has subsequently been scheduled for next week. Seychelles is Africa’s smallest country, a 115-island archipelago in the Indian Ocean with a population of just over 120,000. There were eight presidential hopefuls in last week’s election.” (09/29/25)
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c36kre10g8eo
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17) Trump renews threat to impose more taxes on Americans
Source: BBC News [UK State Media]
“Donald Trump has repeated his threat to impose a 100% tariff on {American viewers of] all films not made in the US, claiming the American industry had been ‘stolen’ by other countries. He said on Monday that California had been heavily affected and the levy ‘would solve this long time, never ending problem.’ In May, the US president said he would talk to Hollywood executives about his plan and to begin the process of imposing the levy because America’s film industry was ‘dying a very fast death.’ Trump’s remarks come as he announced a new wave of tariffs last week, including a 100% levy on [American buyers of] branded or patented drug imports as well as 50% levies on [American buyers of] kitchen and bathroom cabinets.” (09/29/25)
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4g78e809zqo
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18) MO: Kehoe signs new congressional gerrymander
Source: The Hill
“Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe (R) signed the state’s new congressional map into law, setting the GOP up to gain one additional seat in the House in next year’s elections. … Kehoe signed it after the measure comfortably passed in both houses of the state Legislature, along mostly party-line votes, though some Republicans in the state House broke with their party to vote against it. The law redraws the lines of Missouri’s congressional map ahead of the midterms to likely increase the number of Republicans representing the state in the U.S. House to seven and reduce the number of Democrats to one.” (09/28/25)
https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/5500453-missouri-redistricting-gop-gains/
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19) Netherlands returning fossil collection taken from Indonesia in the colonial era
Source: SFGate
“The Dutch government has agreed to return thousands of fossils to Indonesia from a world-renowned collection, after a commission ruled that they were removed in the colonial era ‘against the will of the people’, the education ministry announced Friday. The historically significant trove known as the Dubois Collection includes a piece of skull uncovered from the Solo River on the island of Java that is regarded as the first fossil evidence of Homo erectus, which is generally considered to be an ancestor of our species, Homo sapiens. The fossils are often referred to as ‘Java Man’. The decision to return more than 28,000 fossils to Indonesia is the latest act of restitution by the Dutch government of art and artifacts taken — often by force — from countries around the world in colonial times.” (09/28/25)
https://www.sfgate.com/news/world/article/the-netherlands-is-returning-a-fossil-collection-21068708.php
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20) Moldova: Pro-EU regime edges towards majority in pivotal vote
Source: Reuters
“Moldova’s ruling pro-EU party pulled comfortably ahead of its Russian-leaning rival in a crucial parliamentary election as final results trickled in on Monday, a relief for the government as it seeks to keep the country out of Moscow’s orbit. With around 93% of votes counted, the Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS) had 47% versus 27% for the Patriotic Bloc, which opposes closer ties with Brussels. While still short of a majority in the 101-seat chamber, the preliminary count gets PAS closer to the threshold than many political analysts had expected and could make coalition-building less fraught than feared. And with more ballots to come in from overseas voters, who tend to favour integration with Europe, it remains possible PAS will get over 50% in the final tally.” (09/28/25)
https://archive.is/ZfjGT
_____ Today's Freedom Commentary _____
21) In Trump’s Tussle With James Comey, You Should Hope Everybody Loses
Source: Reason
by JD Tuccille
“Two things can be simultaneously true. One is that President Donald Trump and his aides are petty, vindictive people who, like other members of the political class, misuse power to punish opponents. The other is that some of their targets currently or recently within government are abusive, untrustworthy, and should be held to account. That brings us to former director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) James Comey and the law enforcement agency he once led. Comey’s indictment is undoubtedly an act of political payback. But Comey and his agency really are dangerous and worthy of scrutiny and deprivation of power to prevent future harm.” (09/29/25)
https://reason.com/2025/09/29/in-trumps-tussle-with-james-comey-you-should-hope-everybody-loses/
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22) As Trump vows to end asylum, a tech bro site valiantly defends him — from accusations that he wants to end asylum
Source: The Watch
by Radley Balko
“One of the more frustrating dynamics of the Trump era is being called hysterical for warning that the president would do exactly what he has said he would do. There was a lot of this before the 2024 election, as anti-anti Trumpers lectured those of us worried about authoritarianism that Trump is all bluster, or that our institutions would hold, or that he would be too incompetent to carry out his worst campaign promises. You’d think that the last nine months would have shut those people up. Alas, no.” (09/29/25)
https://radleybalko.substack.com/p/as-trump-vows-to-end-asylum-a-tech
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23) Trump Pulls Plug on Hunger Hucksters
Source: JimBovard.com
by James Bovard
“The Trump administration is ending one of the biggest statistical scams in Washington. For thirty years, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has issued an annual ‘food security’ report that politicians used to fabricate an illusion of mass hunger. USDA announced that it is canceling that annual survey because ‘the data is rife with inaccuracies slanted to create a narrative that is not representative of what is actually happening in the countryside.’ That annual survey was ‘costly, politicized, and [does] nothing more than fear monger,’ USDA said. Those were some of the most honest statements out of USDA since Agriculture Secretary Earl Butz confessed in 1973 that the federal peanut program was driving him crazy.” (09/29/25)
https://jimbovard.com/blog/2025/09/29/trump-pulls-plug-on-hunger-hucksters/
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24) Is This Even Capitalism Anymore?
Source: The Daily Economy
by Brayden Myers
“In recent years, many have been critical of attempts to leverage TikTok in trade deals. Democratic Senator Mark Warner previously warned that treating ‘national security as a tradable item’ was dangerous. But Warner, and many Democrats, are missing the bigger picture. While debating Chinese government control over one company, the US government has been gaining control over others. … This is the Democratic Party’s fundamental problem. They keep attacking Republicans for positions the GOP abandoned years ago, while avoiding battles where the real differences lie. They fight mighty battles against the champions of free markets, limited government, and private ownership. But that Republican Party is gone.” [editor’s note: Capitalism and free markets are opposites – TLK] (09/29/25)
https://thedailyeconomy.org/article/is-this-even-capitalism-anymore/
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25) The government never shuts down: What actually happens in budget standoffs
Source: The Hill
by Cheryl Kelley
“Congress is threatening another ‘government shutdown’ as the September 30 deadline approaches. But here’s what most Americans don’t understand: Government has never shut down. Not once. What people call “shutdowns” affect only the most visible, least essential [sic] services. The actual machinery of government continues operating normally during shutdowns. … What does shutdown theater actually cost taxpayers? Lost Productivity, for starters. The 2013 shutdown cost $2.5 billion in back pay to 850,000 furloughed employees who missed a combined 6.6 million work days. All that productivity was permanently lost, since they were paid for work not performed. Shutdowns also result in special expenses specifically related to preparing for shutdowns.” (09/29/25)
https://thehill.com/opinion/congress-blog/5523992-government-never-shuts-down-heres-what-actually-happens-in-budget-standoffs/
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26) Alliance, Defiance, Noncompliance: Making Trump Listen
Source: TomDispatch
by Nan Levinson
“On July 17th, I joined a group of Vermonters for a Good Trouble Lives On action in a village near where we were staying that month. Over the past 161 straight days, a small but determined contingent of mostly White, mostly grey-haired, mostly too-polite-to-make-much-trouble residents had been gathering at noon to protest Donald Trump’s policies on a little triangle of land where two streets meet in the village center. Their number had swelled to several dozen on that very hot day, a significant turnout for a community of fewer than 1,000 people. The majority of those driving past us flashed their lights, waved, or nodded in support, including the driver of a giant Pepsi delivery truck. … A young organizer tried to start a chant of protest, but the majority made it clear that they preferred to stand quietly, and she gave up.” (09/28/25)
https://tomdispatch.com/alliance-defiance-noncompliance/
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27) Jimmy Kimmel is back, but don’t get complacent
Source: Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression
by Garrett Gravley
“That Trump’s administration chilled protected speech notwithstanding the law is distressing. Jawboning is unconstitutional, as the Supreme Court unanimously held last year in NRA v. Vullo. In that case, the state of New York pressured financial institutions and insurance companies to sever ties with the gun rights organization in the aftermath of the Parkland shooting. Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote in the opinion, ‘Government officials cannot attempt to coerce private parties in order to punish or suppress views that the government disfavors.’ Yet that is exactly what happened here. We just witnessed the FCC attempt to coerce Disney to suppress Kimmel’s speech, just as New York attempted to coerce financial institutions to suppress the NRA’s advocacy.” (09/29/25)
https://www.thefire.org/news/jimmy-kimmel-back-dont-get-complacent
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28) What Americans Think About Nuclear Power
Source: Bet On It
by Bryan Caplan
“The United States almost bans nuclear power. Yes, the government allows existing nuclear plants to keep running, producing 19% of all U.S. electricity. But getting a new nuclear reactor approved — much less a whole new nuclear plant — is next to impossible. … Given this draconian regulation, you might think that Americans absolutely detest nuclear power. If you take a hasty look at public opinion, however, that looks totally false.” (09/29/25)
https://www.betonit.ai/p/what-americans-think-about-nuclear
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29) The Single Dumbest Conspiracy Theory In The Entire World
Source: Caitlin Johnstone, Rogue Journalist
by Caitlin Johnstone
“The single dumbest conspiracy theory in the entire world is that every major humanitarian institution on earth is conspiring to falsely frame Israel for the crime of genocide. And yet believing this bat shit insane conspiracy theory is the only way to think it’s not a genocide. There is no other way to claim that there is no genocide happening in Gaza without treating this self-evidently ridiculous theory as true. In order to believe that there is no genocide in Gaza, you need to accept it as a given that the United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory is conspiring to frame Israel for this crime. You also need to believe that the International Association of Genocide Scholars is in on the conspiracy. You also need to believe the Israeli human rights group B’Tselem is in on the conspiracy.” (09/29/25)
https://caitlinjohnstone.com.au/2025/09/29/the-single-dumbest-conspiracy-theory-in-the-entire-world/
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30) We Need Many Small Beautiful Bills
Source: Future of Freedom Foundation
by Laurence M Vance
“It is clear that the Constitution authorizes very few powers and duties of the president. Thus, it is not the job of the president to steer the economy; create jobs; combat discrimination or anti-Semitism; enact trade policy and set tariff rates; authorize assassinations; nationalize land or an industry; set national priorities; initiate a war; lower prices; ban bump stocks; institute an industrial policy; force Americans to buy American-made goods; establish an industrial policy; make, nullify or suspend laws; rename bodies of water; or wage war on drugs, tobacco, salt, cancer, climate change, or obesity.” (09/29/25)
https://www.fff.org/explore-freedom/article/we-need-many-small-beautiful-bills/
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31) The Comey case and faith in the law
Source: Christian Science Monitor
by staff
“In today’s political discourse, diametrically opposite viewpoints, or asserted ‘facts,’ seem ingrained. The Sept. 25 indictment of former FBI Director James Comey by the U.S. Department of Justice underscores this rift. Among lawmakers of each party, for example, views are reliably partisan. Yet in the wider arena of public comment, conservative and liberal observers are more in agreement than in argument: They see this action as a proving ground for the country’s system of democratic rule of law and checks on power, while cautioning that ‘lawfare’ (using courts to intimidate or hinder an opponent) does not honor justice. Mr. Comey faces two charges – perjury and obstruction of justice. The administration’s case is seen as generally weak by legal experts from across the spectrum. President Donald Trump publicly demanded that Mr. Comey be prosecuted, even after previous investigations found insufficient grounds to do so.” (09/29/25)
https://www.csmonitor.com/Commentary/the-monitors-view/2025/0929/The-Comey-case-and-faith-in-the-law
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32) The Perception of Reality
Source: Brownstone Institute
by Russ Gonnering
“How can we ever arrive at a true representation of reality? During the Great Covid Disaster, I kept thinking that if only the actual unbiased data could be shared with those who insisted the virus evolved naturally, or those who believed early treatment was impossible, or those who insisted the mRNA agents were ‘safe and effective,’ the impasse could be broken. Alas, that never happened because the source of illumination had been altered from what it was in the past. With the advent of Postmodernism, the literal definition of truth itself has changed.” (09/29/25)
https://brownstone.org/articles/the-perception-of-reality/
-----
33) Dear President Trump: Portland Is Not Your War Zone
Source: Common Dreams
by John Marks
“The announcement arrived with theatrical certainty. Troops would go to Portland to protect federal immigration facilities. ‘Full force, if necessary’. The words were meant to settle the matter and to set the scene. Portland, the script insists, is a place of permanent disorder. The city’s answer was simple. Calm streets, improving crime metrics, and no emergency that justifies soldiers. That clash of frames is the real story. It is not only about one weekend, one building, or one President. It is about how federal power is narrated, how cities are chosen as stages, and how a state with long practice in saying no prepares for the next round.’ The question is why now. The events at the South Waterfront ICE site in June offer the easiest pretext.” (09/29/25)
https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/dear-president-trump-portland-is-not-your-war-zone
-----
34) Who will lead Japan?
Source: Foundation for Economic Education
by Sascha Hannig
“On October 4, 2025, Japan will choose its fourth prime minister in five years, since Shigeru Ishiba resigned after only a year in office due to internal pressures within the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). Although leadership changes in a parliamentary system are common, the process comes at a time of economic uncertainty and social transformations in Japanese society, which are paired with increasing geopolitical tensions around the Asia–Pacific region. As a Latin-American who lived in Japan during COVID-19, I find myself pondering on the implications of Shinzo Abe’s assassination, the rise of lobbying accusations, and the unveiling of a power-connected cult, all against the backdrop of a permanent state of elections. In parallel, the dominant LDP faces a changing political landscape, which might challenge its dominance in the future — as newly formed parties gain momentum.” (09/29/25)
https://fee.org/articles/who-will-lead-japan/
-----
35) America’s Illiberalism Doom Loop
Source: The Atlantic
by Idrees Kahloon
“Extreme partisanship disables principled thinking in almost every arena of American life, but this cycle of tit-for-tat illiberalism is especially dangerous. Liberal democracy depends on a shared belief in individual rights, equality of all citizens, and the rule of law. The major political factions must not behave as if they have a monopoly on the truth or a right to power. Illiberal actors think they have both.” (09/29/25)
https://archive.is/RQxJW
-----
36) Killing Iran Diplomacy with Sanctions
Source: Eunomia
by Daniel Larison
“The return of U.N. sanctions will achieve nothing except to inflict more misery on the people of Iran. The U.K., France, and Germany were wrong in pushing for the reimposition of sanctions. If the goal was to revive nuclear negotiations, threatening Iran with more punishment shortly after Israel and the U.S. attacked their country was the worst way to go about it. The three European governments acted as accomplices to the Trump and Netanyahu’s aggression after the fact, and they shredded what little credibility with Iran they had left. The U.S. and Israel did most of the work to kill diplomacy with Iran, but Britain, France, and Germany went out of their way to finish the job.” (09/29/25)
https://daniellarison.substack.com/p/killing-iran-diplomacy-with-sanctions
-----
37) Dem-aligned think tank blasted for Blinken appointment to board
Source: Responsible Statecraft
by Connor Echols
“A human rights organization is demanding answers about why the Center for American Progress — an influential center left think tank — awarded a board seat to former Secretary of State Antony Blinken despite his alleged complicity in war crimes in Gaza, according to an open letter shared exclusively with Responsible Statecraft. The letter, drafted by DAWN, accuses Blinken of providing Israel with ‘essential military, political and public support to ensure it could continue its atrocities’ in Gaza. ‘We believe that Mr. Blinken is not an appropriate choice to serve as a board member of an organization that aims to ‘promote peace and shared global prosperity’ in light of his well-documented role in aiding and abetting Israeli war crimes,’ the letter says. Raed Jarrar, DAWN’s advocacy director, said Blinken’s appointment ‘damages the reputation’ of the Center for American Progress (CAP).” (09/29/25)
https://responsiblestatecraft.org/blinken-war-crimes/
-----
38) In matters that don’t matter, I’m taking the side of not taking a side
Source: Washington Post
by Peter Mehlman
“Every American must take a side on everything. A dispute so trivial as to have zero impact on your life? Sorry, personal relevance is irrelevant. You feel unqualified to offer an opinion? Weigh in anyway. Sorry, I can’t go for that. No can do. In matters that don’t matter, I’m taking the side of not taking a side. When everyone becomes part of everyone else’s focus group, it’s time to step out. If you find yourself preparing for arguments you’ll never have with people you’ll never meet, whose minds you could never change, it’s muzzle time. My opinions barely matter to me anymore, but in the last month alone, I’ve been asked for opinions on so many issues, I have attention-surplus disorder. Well, there’s a fence in my backyard. I’m sitting on it.” (09/29/25)
https://archive.is/Un80H
-----
39) Free Transit Isn’t Free
Source: Common Sense
by Paul Jacob
“If Zohran Mamdani, the Big Apple’s openly democratic-socialist, covertly communist mayoral candidate makes it into Gracie Mansion, he will try to enact many plans to improve — i.e., worsen — things. The candidate wants to increase taxes and government spending, reduce freedom and individual responsibility. The standard Democratic agenda, but foisted bigger and faster. One announced plan is to scrap mass transit fees. Taxpayers would then suffer new costs. But so would riders who travel ‘free.'” (09/29/25)
https://thisiscommonsense.org/2025/09/29/free-transit-isnt-free/
-----
40) The Normalization of Assassination
Source: The American Conservative
by George D O’Neill Jr.
“The news has been filled with reports of assassinations, attempted assassinations, and shootings targeted against law enforcement. The spate of political violence has seriously eroded America’s legitimacy as a moral and decent state. How did we get here? U.S. state violence on the world stage may help explain the rise of political violence here at home.” (09/29/25)
https://www.theamericanconservative.com/the-normalization-of-assassination/
-----
41) Why Do We Assume TrumpTok Will Succeed?
Source: The American Prospect
by David Dayen
“The first thing to say about the sale of TikTok to a still-undefined U.S. consortium is that everything about this episode has been rampantly illegal. The U.S. passed a law requiring the divestiture of TikTok from its Chinese parent company. There was a date certain for the divestiture—January 19—and one prescribed escape valve to extend the deadline a single time. Donald Trump did not use that prescribed provision, and instead unilaterally extended the deadline five times, including another 120-day delay established on September 25, essentially by saying his Justice Department would not enforce the law passed by Congress. This isn’t a case of prosecutorial discretion, where you have some colorable justification to not prosecute someone violating the law. In this case, the law was just about Chinese-controlled social media platforms.” (09/29/25)
https://prospect.org/power/2025-09-29-why-do-we-assume-trumptok-will-succeed/
-----
42) Does Cartelization Threaten the Feasibility of Anarcho-Capitalism?
Source: Ludwig von Mises Institute
by Stanisław Wójtowicz
“Anarcho-capitalism is a libertarian project of a stateless order in which private companies would be responsible for providing security, law, and dispute resolution. In previous articles, I briefly described the most important doubts about the feasibility of such an order and analyzed the most widespread concern, which is that agencies will not cooperate with each other. We now move on to another objection to anarcho-capitalism, which suggests that private security agencies (PDAs), instead of competing with each other, would form a cartel. The effects of cartelization can be twofold: first, colluding agencies may inflate prices and lower the quality of security; second, the cartel could, in the long run, transform into a state.” (09/29/25)
https://mises.org/mises-wire/does-cartelization-threaten-feasibility-anarcho-capitalism
-----
43) Trump: It’s Not Funny Anymore
Source: CounterPunch
by John Feffer
“The United States is generally a place where comedy is king. As the weekly cartoon series South Park demonstrates, by routinely putting Trump in bed with Satan, nothing is sacred in this country. Trump, like most would-be dictators, has no real sense of humor aside from making fun of other people. Can he wipe out the great scourge of comedy in America? He has many models to choose from.” (09/29/25)
https://www.counterpunch.org/2025/09/29/trump-its-not-funny-anymore/
-----
44) The Anatomy of Constitutional Despair
Source: Law & Liberty
by Paul Moreno
“Constitutional limits just keep stymieing progress.” (09/29/25)
https://lawliberty.org/book-review/the-anatomy-of-constitutional-despair/
-----
45) A reckoning of James Comey’s own making, and Dems for weaponizing justice system first
Source: New York Post
by Miranda Devine
“In the wake of James Comey’s indictment, Democrats like Sen. Richard Blumenthal and Rep. Eric Swalwell are issuing dark warnings with a straight face that ‘what goes around comes around’ and that anyone who cooperates with Donald Trump’s ‘vengeance prosecutions’ will face retribution when Dems are back in charge. But their threats fall on deaf ears because they started it. Democrats long ago weaponized the justice system against their political opponents. Let us count the ways.” (09/28/25)
https://nypost.com/2025/09/28/opinion/this-is-a-reckoning-of-james-comeys-own-making-and-dems-for-weaponizing-justice-system-first/
-----
46) Quantum Vibe, 09/29/25
Source: Big Head Press
by Scott Bieser
Cartoon. (09/29/25)
https://www.quantumvibe.com/strip?page=2554
-----
47) Reality check: North Korea won’t give up its nukes
Source: Responsible Statecraft
by James Park
“During North Korea’s parliamentary session last week, Kim Jong Un, the North Korean leader, delivered a speech expressing his clear willingness to engage in diplomacy with the United States. But under one strict precondition: the United States must stop seeking to denuclearize North Korea. … Pyongyang’s stern rejection of denuclearization is disturbing and hard to accept for Washington, but it also provides a reality check as the Trump administration seeks to engage North Korea. Trump may have fond memories of his talks with Kim Jong Un from 2018 to 2019 and may hope for a repeat. The harsh reality is that diplomacy with North Korea based on ‘denuclearization’ looks more unlikely than ever.” (09/29/25)
https://responsiblestatecraft.org/north-korea-trump/
-----
48) Strategic Treason: The Empire Fetes Man Who Killed US Troops
Source: Antiwar.com
by Scott Horton & John Weeks
“On Monday, Sept. 22, the current president of Syria, Ahmed al-Sharaa, joined the former director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), David Petraeus, on stage for a discussion at the Concordia Annual Summit in New York City. The summit is one of the most prestigious global affairs forums in the world …. It was a surreal moment because 20 years ago, during Iraq War II, these men were enemies. Once upon a time, al-Sharaa was known as Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, a foot soldier in Al Qaeda in Iraq (AQI), and Petraeus was known as US Army General David Petraeus, commander of the 101st Airborne Division in Iraq. In fact, it was a moment that revealed the extent to which the US Empire has become an inherently treasonous project.” (09/29/25)
https://original.antiwar.com/scott/2025/09/28/strategic-treason-the-empire-fetes-man-who-killed-us-troops/
-----
49) Financing Our Own Destruction
Source: In These Times
by Rebecca Burns
“Billionaire private equity executive Antonio Gracias has had a busy year. In March, as part of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Gracias was sent in search of supposed fraud at the Social Security Administration. A few weeks later — at a rally with his longtime friend and then-head of DOGE, Elon Musk — Gracias claimed to have found it. Echoing a right-wing conspiracy theory, Gracias said an increase in Social Security numbers assigned to noncitizens looked like a move to ‘import voters’. In fact, eligible non-citizens are routinely assigned Social Security numbers as part of the federal work authorization process, but they cannot vote. Undocumented immigrants pay billions into Social Security each year but cannot receive benefits.” (09/29/25)
https://inthesetimes.com/article/financing-our-own-destruction-finance-pensions-doge-divestment-climate-change
-----
50) Donald Trump is a Child Molesting Zionist Cuck and He Needs You to Fear Trans People
Source: exile in happy valley
by Nicky Reid
“Few politicians have invested more ill-gotten resources into riling up my neighbors against some mythic Queer agenda than Donald Trump has over the last four years. He has transformed his public persona from a populist potty mouth who would much rather troll John McCain’s funeral than the Pride parade to an absurdly philanderous stadium church crowd exciter whooping up hysteria over bearded macho men playing ladybug soccer and mandatory sex change surgeries at a kindergarten near you. There is a reason for this. The first four years in the White House alone proved that Donald Trump is just another neocon-hiring missile merchant to anyone actually paying attention, so he has to invest more and more resources into making sure that you’re way too pissed off at weird people like me for you to pay attention.” (09/28/25)
https://exileinhappyvalley.blogspot.com/2025/09/donald-trump-is-child-molesting-zionist.html
_____ Today's Freedom Podcast and Video _____
51) Reason Roundtable, 09/29/25
Source: Reason
"Will a Shutdown Finally Shrink Government?" (09/29/25)
https://reason.com/podcast/2025/09/29/will-a-shutdown-finally-shrink-government/
-----
52) Rising, 09/29/25
Source: The Hill
“Robby Soave gives his take on the legacy of Assata Shakur, and the reactions from across the left to her recent death in exile.” (09/29/25)
https://thehill.com/hilltv/rising/5526809-rising-september-29-2025/
-----
53) Finding Freedom, 09/29/25
Source: Lions of Liberty
“Faith, Culture and Liberty with Buck Johnson.” (09/29/25)
https://www.lionsofliberty.com/episodes/faith-culture-and-liberty-with-buck-johnson
-----
54) Conflicts of Interest, episode 841
Source: Libertarian Institute
“Netanyahu’s UN Speech Was Filled with Lies.” (09/29/25)
https://libertarianinstitute.org/news/coi-841-netanyahus-un-speech-was-filled-with-lies
-----
55) EconTalk, 09/29/25
Source: EconTalk
“Eating with Intelligence (with Julia Belluz).” (09/29/25)
https://www.econtalk.org/eating-with-intelligence-with-julia-belluz/
-----
56) Antiwar News with Dave DeCamp, 09/29/25
Source: Antiwar.com
“US Considers Arming Ukraine With Tomahawks, IDF Kills 198 in Gaza in 3 Days, and More.” (09/29/25)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dq0HMs4bZ2c
-----
57) Bulwark Takes, 09/28/25
Source: The Bulwark
“Your Tax Dollars Are Funding the DUMBEST Bailout Ever!” (09/28/25)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYVPQRK-gF0
-----
58) The Chris Spangle Show, 09/28/25
Source: We Are Libertarians
“Christian Nationalism, Free Expression, and the Future of Liberty.” (09/28/25)
https://www.chrisspangle.com/p/christian-nationalism-free-expression
-----
59) Brian Wilson Speaks, 09/28/25
Source: Brian Wilson
“With God on Our Side.” (09/28/25)
https://brianwilsonwrites.substack.com/p/with-god-on-our-side
-----
60) Matthew Hoh on The Scott Horton Show
Source: The Scott Horton Show
“Matthew Hoh on the Institutionalized War State and the Disgraceful David Petraeus.” (09/29/25)
https://scotthorton.org/interviews/9-26-25-matthew-hoh-on-the-institutionalized-war-state-and-the-disgraceful-david-petraeus/
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https://news.rationalreview.com/
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Today's Freedom News:
1) Palestine: Netanyahu agrees to Trump Gaza plan, Hamas response pending
2) “Government shutdown” odds rise as pols leave White House without progress
3) Russia: Putin orders largest autumn military enslavement quota since 2016
4) Trump social media suspension tantrum: Youtube agrees to $24.5 million in bribes
5) Canada: Regime pledges $400 million in corporate welfare for Algoma Steel
6) Switzerland: Regime agrees with US regime not to manipulate its currency
7) Zohran Mamdani refuses to denounce Hamas after their long-time sponsor does
8) CA: Federal indictment charges three activists with outing gang member to neighbors
9) Afghanistan: Regime shuts down Internet in latest crackdown
10) Trump Threatens to Cut All Federal Funds to NYC If Mamdani Is Elected
11) Vance: US regime “looking at” selling Tomahawk missiles to Ukrainian regime
12) Madagascar: President fires the government following days of deadly unrest
13) Denmark: Regime Bans Civilian Drone Flights Ahead of Major EU Summit
14) South Korea: New president stares down senile reality TV star
15) Idiot pol calls for arrest of another idiot pol for insulting fascist demagogue
16) Seychelles: Regime to hold presidential run-off after vote fails to produce clear winner
17) Trump renews threat to impose more taxes on Americans
18) MO: Kehoe signs new congressional gerrymander
19) Netherlands returning fossil collection taken from Indonesia in the colonial era
20) Moldova: Pro-EU regime edges towards majority in pivotal vote
Today's Freedom Commentary:
21) In Trump’s Tussle With James Comey, You Should Hope Everybody Loses
22) As Trump vows to end asylum, a tech bro site valiantly defends him — from accusations that he wants to end asylum
23) Trump Pulls Plug on Hunger Hucksters
24) Is This Even Capitalism Anymore?
25) The government never shuts down: What actually happens in budget standoffs
26) Alliance, Defiance, Noncompliance: Making Trump Listen
27) Jimmy Kimmel is back, but don’t get complacent
28) What Americans Think About Nuclear Power
29) The Single Dumbest Conspiracy Theory In The Entire World
30) We Need Many Small Beautiful Bills
31) The Comey case and faith in the law
32) The Perception of Reality
33) Dear President Trump: Portland Is Not Your War Zone
34) Who will lead Japan?
35) America’s Illiberalism Doom Loop
36) Killing Iran Diplomacy with Sanctions
37) Dem-aligned think tank blasted for Blinken appointment to board
38) In matters that don’t matter, I’m taking the side of not taking a side
39) Free Transit Isn’t Free
40) The Normalization of Assassination
41) Why Do We Assume TrumpTok Will Succeed?
42) Does Cartelization Threaten the Feasibility of Anarcho-Capitalism?
43) Trump: It’s Not Funny Anymore
44) The Anatomy of Constitutional Despair
45) A reckoning of James Comey’s own making, and Dems for weaponizing justice system first
46) Quantum Vibe, 09/29/25
47) Reality check: North Korea won’t give up its nukes
48) Strategic Treason: The Empire Fetes Man Who Killed US Troops
49) Financing Our Own Destruction
50) Donald Trump is a Child Molesting Zionist Cuck and He Needs You to Fear Trans People
Today's Freedom Podcast and Video:
51) Reason Roundtable, 09/29/25
52) Rising, 09/29/25
53) Finding Freedom, 09/29/25
54) Conflicts of Interest, episode 841
55) EconTalk, 09/29/25
56) Antiwar News with Dave DeCamp, 09/29/25
57) Bulwark Takes, 09/28/25
58) The Chris Spangle Show, 09/28/25
59) Brian Wilson Speaks, 09/28/25
60) Matthew Hoh on The Scott Horton Show
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_____ Today's Freedom News _____
1) Palestine: Netanyahu agrees to Trump Gaza plan, Hamas response pending
Source: Reuters
“President Donald Trump secured Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s backing on Monday for a U.S.-sponsored peace proposal to end a nearly two-year-old war in Gaza, but questions loomed over whether Hamas would accept the plan. … The White House released a 20-point document that called for an immediate ceasefire, an exchange of hostages held by Hamas for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, a staged Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, Hamas disarmament and a transitional government led by an international body. … ‘Hamas hasn’t yet received the plan officially, nothing beyond media publication,’ a Hamas official told Reuters. But an official briefed on the talks later said Qatar and Egypt shared the document with Hamas, which told mediators they will review it ‘in good faith’ and then respond.” (09/30/25)
https://archive.is/YWbYT
-----
2) “Government shutdown” odds rise as pols leave White House without progress
Source: The Hill
“Congressional leaders left a meeting with President Trump on Monday saying they’d made no progress toward a deal that would prevent a shutdown on Wednesday, increasing the odds the government’s lights will turn off in less than 48 hours. … Each side said little was accomplished at the White House on Monday — and insisted the other party was to blame.” (09/29/25)
https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/5528042-shutdown-congress-white-house-meeting/
-----
3) Russia: Putin orders largest autumn military enslavement quota since 2016
Source: The Telegraph [UK]
“Vladimir Putin has called up more than 100,000 Russian men for military service in what amounts to the biggest autumn conscription since 2016. The Russian president wants to recruit 135,000 men aged 18-30 from October to December to routine service, which typically involves a year at a military base inside Russia. Though military service is not necessarily a call to fight in Ukraine – which is known as mobilisation – there have been reports of conscripted men being sent to the front line. Similarly, conscripts who complete military training face a higher likelihood of battlefield deployment.” (09/29/25)
https://archive.is/PsDlj
-----
4) Trump social media suspension tantrum: Youtube agrees to $24.5 million in bribes
Source: CNN
“YouTube agreed to pay $24.5 million to settle a lawsuit filed by President Donald Trump after he was suspended by social media platforms following the January 6, 2021, insurrection. This makes Alphabet-owned YouTube the last of the three Big Tech social media companies sued by Trump — which included Meta and then Twitter, now called X — to settle over his removal from their platforms. YouTube will pay $22 million to settle the claims made by Trump to the nonprofit Trust for the National Mall, which is ‘dedicated to restoring, preserving, and elevating the National Mall, to support the construction of the White House State Ballroom,’ according to a court document. The social media company will also pay $2.5 million to settle with other plaintiffs, such as the nonprofit American Conservative Union.” (09/29/25)
https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/29/business/youtube-settle-trump-lawsuit
-----
5) Canada: Regime pledges $400 million in corporate welfare for Algoma Steel
Source: CBC News [Canadian state media]
“The federal government announced a $400-million financial support for Algoma Steel under its large enterprise tariff relief scheme, Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu said on Monday. The loan will ‘help Algoma Steel Inc. continue operations, transition to a business model less reliant on the United States, and limit disruption to its workforce,’ the government said in a statement. The Ontario government will also provide a support of $100 million, it said. … The loan is a part of a $10-billion financing facility announced in March for large companies to help them fight the tariffs and counter-measures. It complements a slew of other tariff-related measures that the federal government has announced for the Canadian steel industry.” (09/29/25)
https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/algoma-steel-federal-government-financial-aid-tariffs-1.7646164
-----
6) Switzerland: Regime agrees with US regime not to manipulate its currency
Source: Financial Times [UK]
“Switzerland has agreed with the US that it will not manipulate its currency, in a rare joint statement widely seen as a ‘green light’ for further intervention by the country’s central bank to restrain a rise in the franc. The Swiss National Bank and the US Treasury on Monday issued a declaration formally aligning their views on foreign exchange matters, with both countries promising not to ‘target exchange rates for competitive purposes.’ The statement also recognised that market interventions are a valid tool for addressing currency volatility or ‘disorderly’ moves in exchange rates.” (09/29/25)
https://archive.is/8KifI
-----
7) Zohran Mamdani refuses to denounce Hamas after their long-time sponsor does
Source: New York Post
“Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani refused to denounce Hamas after he was asked to back Israeli Prime Minister [and long-time funder/sponsor of Hamas] Benjamin Netanyahu’s vow to wipe out the terrorists and secure the release of all remaining hostages. Mamdani stopped short of condemning the militant group after Netanyahu used his defiant address to the United Nations General Assembly on Friday to declare that Israel must ‘finish the job’ in its war against Hamas. ‘I am not going to echo the words of Benjamin Netanyahu,’ the mayoral nominee told reporters when asked point-blank later Friday if he agreed with the Israeli PM’s stance that Hamas is a terrorist group that needs to be destroyed. ‘I can, however, share my own words and say them right here, which is that my politics is built on a universality.'” (09/29/25)
https://nypost.com/2025/09/29/us-news/zohran-mamdani-refuses-to-denounce-hamas-after-israels-benjamin-netanyahu-vows-to-eradicate-terrorists/
-----
8) CA: Federal indictment charges three activists with outing gang member to neighbors
Source: SFGate
“Three activists opposed to President Donald Trump’s immigration raids in Los Angeles have been indicted on charges of illegally ‘doxing’ a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent, federal prosecutors said. Investigators said the women followed the agent home, livestreamed their pursuit and then posted the agent’s address online, according to a statement Friday from the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Once they arrived at the agent’s home, prosecutors allege the women shouted ‘ICE lives on your street and you should know,’ according to the indictment. The defendants are each charged with one count of conspiracy and one count of publicly disclosing the personal information of a federal agent, the statement said.” (09/29/25)
https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/federal-indictment-charges-3-activists-with-21073572.php
-----
9) Afghanistan: Regime shuts down Internet in latest crackdown
Source: CBS News
“Afghanistan is in the midst of a communications blackout, just weeks after Taliban authorities began severing fibre optic connections in multiple provinces, in what appears to be the Islamist regime’s latest crackdown. … Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities began to restrict internet service earlier this month, shutting down high-speed connections in several regions across the country, the French news agency AFP reported Monday. CBS News has independently verified that internet links have now been cut nationwide. The Taliban’s leadership has not publicly commented on the blackout. But on Friday, Haji Zahid, a local Taliban spokesperson in the northern province of Balkh, said in a post on X that the ban had been ordered by their leader, Haibatullah Akhundzada, ‘to prevent immoral activities.'” (09/29/25)
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/afghanistan-taliban-internet-crackdown/
-----
10) Trump Threatens to Cut All Federal Funds to NYC If Mamdani Is Elected
Source: Common Dreams
“US President Donald Trump on Monday doubled down on his threat to cut off federal funding from New York City if its voters elect Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani as mayor. In a post on his Truth Social page, Trump falsely labeled Mamdani ‘a communist’ and predicted that ‘he is going to have problems with Washington like no Mayor in the history of our once great City.’ Trump then elaborated on the ‘problems’ Mamdani would face: ‘Remember, he needs the money from me, as President, in order to fulfill all of his FAKE Communist promises. He won’t be getting any of it, so what’s the point of voting for him? This ideology has failed, always, for thousands of years. It will fail again, and that’s guaranteed!'” (09/29/25)
https://www.commondreams.org/news/trump-mamdani-new-york
-----
11) Vance: US regime “looking at” selling Tomahawk missiles to Ukrainian regime
Source: CBS News
“The White House is weighing Ukraine’s request for long-range Tomahawk missiles to defend the country against Russian forces, Vice President JD Vance said Sunday. ‘We’re certainly looking at a number of requests from the Europeans. And one of the things, again, that I think has really worked about the president’s policy in Ukraine and Russia is that it’s forced the Europeans to step up in a big way. … It’s something the president’s going to make the final determination on,’ Vance said on ‘Fox News Sunday.’ … The U.S.-made Tomahawk missile has a range of about 1,500 miles, which would place Moscow well within the range of Kyiv should the Ukrainian government obtain them. On Monday, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov implied that the U.S. was directly interfering in the war between Russian and Ukraine.” (09/29/25)
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/jdvance-trump-zelenskyy-ukraine-russia-us/
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12) Madagascar: President fires the government following days of deadly unrest
Source: SFGate
“Madagascar President Andry Rajoelina fired the prime minister and the rest of his government Monday in response to days of deadly protests in the Indian Ocean island over the failure of the electricity and water supplies. Rajoelina said in a speech on national television that Prime Minister Christian Ntsay and other government officials would stay on an interim basis until a new government is formed. He invited applications for government positions. Youth-led protests against chronic electricity and water cuts began on Thursday, prompting the government to order nighttime curfews in the capital, Antananarivo, and other major cities. The protesters had called for the resignation of both Ntsay and Rajoelina. The United Nations human rights office said earlier Monday that 22 people had been killed in clashes surrounding the protests.” (09/29/25)
https://www.sfgate.com/news/world/article/youth-led-unrest-in-madagascar-has-left-at-least-21073601.php
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13) Denmark: Regime Bans Civilian Drone Flights Ahead of Major EU Summit
Source: New York Times
“Denmark has closed its airspace to all civilian drone flights ahead of a major European Union defense summit in Copenhagen this week, after a spate of recent drone sightings near airports amplified security concerns. Denmark was one of several European countries that reported unidentified drone sightings over the past week, which prompted airport closures and widespread travel disruption. The sightings — which officials have attributed to unnamed foreign actors — rattled Europe, already on high alert because of recent incursions by Russian aircraft in the airspace of Poland, Estonia and Romania. Denmark’s transport minister, Thomas Danielson, cited the sightings in announcing that his country’s airspace would be closed to civilian drones from Monday to Friday to ensure ‘extra focus on safety’ around the summit.” (09/29/25)
https://archive.is/q898t
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14) South Korea: New president stares down senile reality TV star
Source: Fox News
“President Donald Trump had South Korea’s new leftist President Lee Jae-myung panicking after his Truth Social post a few hours before meeting in late August. Here’s what Trump wrote: ‘WHAT IS GOING ON IN SOUTH KOREA? Seems like a Purge or Revolution. We can’t have that and do business there. I am seeing the new President today at the White House. Thank you for your attention to this matter!!!’ Trump was referring to the Lee administration’s aggressive efforts to punish former President Yoon Suk Yeol and to intimidate conservative opponents, including religious groups. A South Korean government investigative raid on the jointly operated Osan Air Base was also on Trump’s mind. But then Trump eased up. Later, in a good-natured joint press conference with Lee, Trump said it might have just been ‘a misunderstanding’ or ‘rumor.'” (09/29/25)
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/south-koreas-new-leftist-president-pulls-fast-one-donald-trump
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15) Idiot pol calls for arrest of another idiot pol for insulting fascist demagogue
Source: Raw Story
“California Governor Gavin Newsom should be charged criminally for describing Stephen Miller as a ‘fascist,’ according to a Republican lawmaker. On Friday, Newsom’s press office posted this on X: ‘STEPHEN MILLER IS A FASCIST!’ MAGA accused Newsom of ‘trying to get Miller killed’ with the simple comment on social media. Miller is currently the White House deputy chief of staff under Trump. Republican Rep. Derrick Van Orden (WI) went as far as to allege criminality on behalf of the governor. ‘At this point, this reaches the threshold of domestic terrorism,’ the lawmaker claimed. ‘This is no longer ‘inflammatory,’ it is criminal.'” (09/29/25)
https://www.rawstory.com/criminal-newsom-arrested-miller/
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16) Seychelles: Regime to hold presidential run-off after vote fails to produce clear winner
Source: BBC News [UK state media]
“Seychelles is set to hold a rerun of its presidential elections between the two main contenders, after no outright winner was announced. Opposition leader Patrick Herminie received 48.8% of the vote against the incumbent President Wavel Ramkalawan who garnered 46.4%, the electoral commission announced. According to the electoral rules, a candidate must obtain more than 50% of the vote to be declared the winner, and a run-off election has subsequently been scheduled for next week. Seychelles is Africa’s smallest country, a 115-island archipelago in the Indian Ocean with a population of just over 120,000. There were eight presidential hopefuls in last week’s election.” (09/29/25)
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c36kre10g8eo
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17) Trump renews threat to impose more taxes on Americans
Source: BBC News [UK State Media]
“Donald Trump has repeated his threat to impose a 100% tariff on {American viewers of] all films not made in the US, claiming the American industry had been ‘stolen’ by other countries. He said on Monday that California had been heavily affected and the levy ‘would solve this long time, never ending problem.’ In May, the US president said he would talk to Hollywood executives about his plan and to begin the process of imposing the levy because America’s film industry was ‘dying a very fast death.’ Trump’s remarks come as he announced a new wave of tariffs last week, including a 100% levy on [American buyers of] branded or patented drug imports as well as 50% levies on [American buyers of] kitchen and bathroom cabinets.” (09/29/25)
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4g78e809zqo
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18) MO: Kehoe signs new congressional gerrymander
Source: The Hill
“Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe (R) signed the state’s new congressional map into law, setting the GOP up to gain one additional seat in the House in next year’s elections. … Kehoe signed it after the measure comfortably passed in both houses of the state Legislature, along mostly party-line votes, though some Republicans in the state House broke with their party to vote against it. The law redraws the lines of Missouri’s congressional map ahead of the midterms to likely increase the number of Republicans representing the state in the U.S. House to seven and reduce the number of Democrats to one.” (09/28/25)
https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/5500453-missouri-redistricting-gop-gains/
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19) Netherlands returning fossil collection taken from Indonesia in the colonial era
Source: SFGate
“The Dutch government has agreed to return thousands of fossils to Indonesia from a world-renowned collection, after a commission ruled that they were removed in the colonial era ‘against the will of the people’, the education ministry announced Friday. The historically significant trove known as the Dubois Collection includes a piece of skull uncovered from the Solo River on the island of Java that is regarded as the first fossil evidence of Homo erectus, which is generally considered to be an ancestor of our species, Homo sapiens. The fossils are often referred to as ‘Java Man’. The decision to return more than 28,000 fossils to Indonesia is the latest act of restitution by the Dutch government of art and artifacts taken — often by force — from countries around the world in colonial times.” (09/28/25)
https://www.sfgate.com/news/world/article/the-netherlands-is-returning-a-fossil-collection-21068708.php
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20) Moldova: Pro-EU regime edges towards majority in pivotal vote
Source: Reuters
“Moldova’s ruling pro-EU party pulled comfortably ahead of its Russian-leaning rival in a crucial parliamentary election as final results trickled in on Monday, a relief for the government as it seeks to keep the country out of Moscow’s orbit. With around 93% of votes counted, the Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS) had 47% versus 27% for the Patriotic Bloc, which opposes closer ties with Brussels. While still short of a majority in the 101-seat chamber, the preliminary count gets PAS closer to the threshold than many political analysts had expected and could make coalition-building less fraught than feared. And with more ballots to come in from overseas voters, who tend to favour integration with Europe, it remains possible PAS will get over 50% in the final tally.” (09/28/25)
https://archive.is/ZfjGT
_____ Today's Freedom Commentary _____
21) In Trump’s Tussle With James Comey, You Should Hope Everybody Loses
Source: Reason
by JD Tuccille
“Two things can be simultaneously true. One is that President Donald Trump and his aides are petty, vindictive people who, like other members of the political class, misuse power to punish opponents. The other is that some of their targets currently or recently within government are abusive, untrustworthy, and should be held to account. That brings us to former director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) James Comey and the law enforcement agency he once led. Comey’s indictment is undoubtedly an act of political payback. But Comey and his agency really are dangerous and worthy of scrutiny and deprivation of power to prevent future harm.” (09/29/25)
https://reason.com/2025/09/29/in-trumps-tussle-with-james-comey-you-should-hope-everybody-loses/
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22) As Trump vows to end asylum, a tech bro site valiantly defends him — from accusations that he wants to end asylum
Source: The Watch
by Radley Balko
“One of the more frustrating dynamics of the Trump era is being called hysterical for warning that the president would do exactly what he has said he would do. There was a lot of this before the 2024 election, as anti-anti Trumpers lectured those of us worried about authoritarianism that Trump is all bluster, or that our institutions would hold, or that he would be too incompetent to carry out his worst campaign promises. You’d think that the last nine months would have shut those people up. Alas, no.” (09/29/25)
https://radleybalko.substack.com/p/as-trump-vows-to-end-asylum-a-tech
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23) Trump Pulls Plug on Hunger Hucksters
Source: JimBovard.com
by James Bovard
“The Trump administration is ending one of the biggest statistical scams in Washington. For thirty years, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has issued an annual ‘food security’ report that politicians used to fabricate an illusion of mass hunger. USDA announced that it is canceling that annual survey because ‘the data is rife with inaccuracies slanted to create a narrative that is not representative of what is actually happening in the countryside.’ That annual survey was ‘costly, politicized, and [does] nothing more than fear monger,’ USDA said. Those were some of the most honest statements out of USDA since Agriculture Secretary Earl Butz confessed in 1973 that the federal peanut program was driving him crazy.” (09/29/25)
https://jimbovard.com/blog/2025/09/29/trump-pulls-plug-on-hunger-hucksters/
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24) Is This Even Capitalism Anymore?
Source: The Daily Economy
by Brayden Myers
“In recent years, many have been critical of attempts to leverage TikTok in trade deals. Democratic Senator Mark Warner previously warned that treating ‘national security as a tradable item’ was dangerous. But Warner, and many Democrats, are missing the bigger picture. While debating Chinese government control over one company, the US government has been gaining control over others. … This is the Democratic Party’s fundamental problem. They keep attacking Republicans for positions the GOP abandoned years ago, while avoiding battles where the real differences lie. They fight mighty battles against the champions of free markets, limited government, and private ownership. But that Republican Party is gone.” [editor’s note: Capitalism and free markets are opposites – TLK] (09/29/25)
https://thedailyeconomy.org/article/is-this-even-capitalism-anymore/
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25) The government never shuts down: What actually happens in budget standoffs
Source: The Hill
by Cheryl Kelley
“Congress is threatening another ‘government shutdown’ as the September 30 deadline approaches. But here’s what most Americans don’t understand: Government has never shut down. Not once. What people call “shutdowns” affect only the most visible, least essential [sic] services. The actual machinery of government continues operating normally during shutdowns. … What does shutdown theater actually cost taxpayers? Lost Productivity, for starters. The 2013 shutdown cost $2.5 billion in back pay to 850,000 furloughed employees who missed a combined 6.6 million work days. All that productivity was permanently lost, since they were paid for work not performed. Shutdowns also result in special expenses specifically related to preparing for shutdowns.” (09/29/25)
https://thehill.com/opinion/congress-blog/5523992-government-never-shuts-down-heres-what-actually-happens-in-budget-standoffs/
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26) Alliance, Defiance, Noncompliance: Making Trump Listen
Source: TomDispatch
by Nan Levinson
“On July 17th, I joined a group of Vermonters for a Good Trouble Lives On action in a village near where we were staying that month. Over the past 161 straight days, a small but determined contingent of mostly White, mostly grey-haired, mostly too-polite-to-make-much-trouble residents had been gathering at noon to protest Donald Trump’s policies on a little triangle of land where two streets meet in the village center. Their number had swelled to several dozen on that very hot day, a significant turnout for a community of fewer than 1,000 people. The majority of those driving past us flashed their lights, waved, or nodded in support, including the driver of a giant Pepsi delivery truck. … A young organizer tried to start a chant of protest, but the majority made it clear that they preferred to stand quietly, and she gave up.” (09/28/25)
https://tomdispatch.com/alliance-defiance-noncompliance/
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27) Jimmy Kimmel is back, but don’t get complacent
Source: Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression
by Garrett Gravley
“That Trump’s administration chilled protected speech notwithstanding the law is distressing. Jawboning is unconstitutional, as the Supreme Court unanimously held last year in NRA v. Vullo. In that case, the state of New York pressured financial institutions and insurance companies to sever ties with the gun rights organization in the aftermath of the Parkland shooting. Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote in the opinion, ‘Government officials cannot attempt to coerce private parties in order to punish or suppress views that the government disfavors.’ Yet that is exactly what happened here. We just witnessed the FCC attempt to coerce Disney to suppress Kimmel’s speech, just as New York attempted to coerce financial institutions to suppress the NRA’s advocacy.” (09/29/25)
https://www.thefire.org/news/jimmy-kimmel-back-dont-get-complacent
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28) What Americans Think About Nuclear Power
Source: Bet On It
by Bryan Caplan
“The United States almost bans nuclear power. Yes, the government allows existing nuclear plants to keep running, producing 19% of all U.S. electricity. But getting a new nuclear reactor approved — much less a whole new nuclear plant — is next to impossible. … Given this draconian regulation, you might think that Americans absolutely detest nuclear power. If you take a hasty look at public opinion, however, that looks totally false.” (09/29/25)
https://www.betonit.ai/p/what-americans-think-about-nuclear
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29) The Single Dumbest Conspiracy Theory In The Entire World
Source: Caitlin Johnstone, Rogue Journalist
by Caitlin Johnstone
“The single dumbest conspiracy theory in the entire world is that every major humanitarian institution on earth is conspiring to falsely frame Israel for the crime of genocide. And yet believing this bat shit insane conspiracy theory is the only way to think it’s not a genocide. There is no other way to claim that there is no genocide happening in Gaza without treating this self-evidently ridiculous theory as true. In order to believe that there is no genocide in Gaza, you need to accept it as a given that the United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory is conspiring to frame Israel for this crime. You also need to believe that the International Association of Genocide Scholars is in on the conspiracy. You also need to believe the Israeli human rights group B’Tselem is in on the conspiracy.” (09/29/25)
https://caitlinjohnstone.com.au/2025/09/29/the-single-dumbest-conspiracy-theory-in-the-entire-world/
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30) We Need Many Small Beautiful Bills
Source: Future of Freedom Foundation
by Laurence M Vance
“It is clear that the Constitution authorizes very few powers and duties of the president. Thus, it is not the job of the president to steer the economy; create jobs; combat discrimination or anti-Semitism; enact trade policy and set tariff rates; authorize assassinations; nationalize land or an industry; set national priorities; initiate a war; lower prices; ban bump stocks; institute an industrial policy; force Americans to buy American-made goods; establish an industrial policy; make, nullify or suspend laws; rename bodies of water; or wage war on drugs, tobacco, salt, cancer, climate change, or obesity.” (09/29/25)
https://www.fff.org/explore-freedom/article/we-need-many-small-beautiful-bills/
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31) The Comey case and faith in the law
Source: Christian Science Monitor
by staff
“In today’s political discourse, diametrically opposite viewpoints, or asserted ‘facts,’ seem ingrained. The Sept. 25 indictment of former FBI Director James Comey by the U.S. Department of Justice underscores this rift. Among lawmakers of each party, for example, views are reliably partisan. Yet in the wider arena of public comment, conservative and liberal observers are more in agreement than in argument: They see this action as a proving ground for the country’s system of democratic rule of law and checks on power, while cautioning that ‘lawfare’ (using courts to intimidate or hinder an opponent) does not honor justice. Mr. Comey faces two charges – perjury and obstruction of justice. The administration’s case is seen as generally weak by legal experts from across the spectrum. President Donald Trump publicly demanded that Mr. Comey be prosecuted, even after previous investigations found insufficient grounds to do so.” (09/29/25)
https://www.csmonitor.com/Commentary/the-monitors-view/2025/0929/The-Comey-case-and-faith-in-the-law
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32) The Perception of Reality
Source: Brownstone Institute
by Russ Gonnering
“How can we ever arrive at a true representation of reality? During the Great Covid Disaster, I kept thinking that if only the actual unbiased data could be shared with those who insisted the virus evolved naturally, or those who believed early treatment was impossible, or those who insisted the mRNA agents were ‘safe and effective,’ the impasse could be broken. Alas, that never happened because the source of illumination had been altered from what it was in the past. With the advent of Postmodernism, the literal definition of truth itself has changed.” (09/29/25)
https://brownstone.org/articles/the-perception-of-reality/
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33) Dear President Trump: Portland Is Not Your War Zone
Source: Common Dreams
by John Marks
“The announcement arrived with theatrical certainty. Troops would go to Portland to protect federal immigration facilities. ‘Full force, if necessary’. The words were meant to settle the matter and to set the scene. Portland, the script insists, is a place of permanent disorder. The city’s answer was simple. Calm streets, improving crime metrics, and no emergency that justifies soldiers. That clash of frames is the real story. It is not only about one weekend, one building, or one President. It is about how federal power is narrated, how cities are chosen as stages, and how a state with long practice in saying no prepares for the next round.’ The question is why now. The events at the South Waterfront ICE site in June offer the easiest pretext.” (09/29/25)
https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/dear-president-trump-portland-is-not-your-war-zone
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34) Who will lead Japan?
Source: Foundation for Economic Education
by Sascha Hannig
“On October 4, 2025, Japan will choose its fourth prime minister in five years, since Shigeru Ishiba resigned after only a year in office due to internal pressures within the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). Although leadership changes in a parliamentary system are common, the process comes at a time of economic uncertainty and social transformations in Japanese society, which are paired with increasing geopolitical tensions around the Asia–Pacific region. As a Latin-American who lived in Japan during COVID-19, I find myself pondering on the implications of Shinzo Abe’s assassination, the rise of lobbying accusations, and the unveiling of a power-connected cult, all against the backdrop of a permanent state of elections. In parallel, the dominant LDP faces a changing political landscape, which might challenge its dominance in the future — as newly formed parties gain momentum.” (09/29/25)
https://fee.org/articles/who-will-lead-japan/
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35) America’s Illiberalism Doom Loop
Source: The Atlantic
by Idrees Kahloon
“Extreme partisanship disables principled thinking in almost every arena of American life, but this cycle of tit-for-tat illiberalism is especially dangerous. Liberal democracy depends on a shared belief in individual rights, equality of all citizens, and the rule of law. The major political factions must not behave as if they have a monopoly on the truth or a right to power. Illiberal actors think they have both.” (09/29/25)
https://archive.is/RQxJW
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36) Killing Iran Diplomacy with Sanctions
Source: Eunomia
by Daniel Larison
“The return of U.N. sanctions will achieve nothing except to inflict more misery on the people of Iran. The U.K., France, and Germany were wrong in pushing for the reimposition of sanctions. If the goal was to revive nuclear negotiations, threatening Iran with more punishment shortly after Israel and the U.S. attacked their country was the worst way to go about it. The three European governments acted as accomplices to the Trump and Netanyahu’s aggression after the fact, and they shredded what little credibility with Iran they had left. The U.S. and Israel did most of the work to kill diplomacy with Iran, but Britain, France, and Germany went out of their way to finish the job.” (09/29/25)
https://daniellarison.substack.com/p/killing-iran-diplomacy-with-sanctions
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37) Dem-aligned think tank blasted for Blinken appointment to board
Source: Responsible Statecraft
by Connor Echols
“A human rights organization is demanding answers about why the Center for American Progress — an influential center left think tank — awarded a board seat to former Secretary of State Antony Blinken despite his alleged complicity in war crimes in Gaza, according to an open letter shared exclusively with Responsible Statecraft. The letter, drafted by DAWN, accuses Blinken of providing Israel with ‘essential military, political and public support to ensure it could continue its atrocities’ in Gaza. ‘We believe that Mr. Blinken is not an appropriate choice to serve as a board member of an organization that aims to ‘promote peace and shared global prosperity’ in light of his well-documented role in aiding and abetting Israeli war crimes,’ the letter says. Raed Jarrar, DAWN’s advocacy director, said Blinken’s appointment ‘damages the reputation’ of the Center for American Progress (CAP).” (09/29/25)
https://responsiblestatecraft.org/blinken-war-crimes/
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38) In matters that don’t matter, I’m taking the side of not taking a side
Source: Washington Post
by Peter Mehlman
“Every American must take a side on everything. A dispute so trivial as to have zero impact on your life? Sorry, personal relevance is irrelevant. You feel unqualified to offer an opinion? Weigh in anyway. Sorry, I can’t go for that. No can do. In matters that don’t matter, I’m taking the side of not taking a side. When everyone becomes part of everyone else’s focus group, it’s time to step out. If you find yourself preparing for arguments you’ll never have with people you’ll never meet, whose minds you could never change, it’s muzzle time. My opinions barely matter to me anymore, but in the last month alone, I’ve been asked for opinions on so many issues, I have attention-surplus disorder. Well, there’s a fence in my backyard. I’m sitting on it.” (09/29/25)
https://archive.is/Un80H
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39) Free Transit Isn’t Free
Source: Common Sense
by Paul Jacob
“If Zohran Mamdani, the Big Apple’s openly democratic-socialist, covertly communist mayoral candidate makes it into Gracie Mansion, he will try to enact many plans to improve — i.e., worsen — things. The candidate wants to increase taxes and government spending, reduce freedom and individual responsibility. The standard Democratic agenda, but foisted bigger and faster. One announced plan is to scrap mass transit fees. Taxpayers would then suffer new costs. But so would riders who travel ‘free.'” (09/29/25)
https://thisiscommonsense.org/2025/09/29/free-transit-isnt-free/
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40) The Normalization of Assassination
Source: The American Conservative
by George D O’Neill Jr.
“The news has been filled with reports of assassinations, attempted assassinations, and shootings targeted against law enforcement. The spate of political violence has seriously eroded America’s legitimacy as a moral and decent state. How did we get here? U.S. state violence on the world stage may help explain the rise of political violence here at home.” (09/29/25)
https://www.theamericanconservative.com/the-normalization-of-assassination/
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41) Why Do We Assume TrumpTok Will Succeed?
Source: The American Prospect
by David Dayen
“The first thing to say about the sale of TikTok to a still-undefined U.S. consortium is that everything about this episode has been rampantly illegal. The U.S. passed a law requiring the divestiture of TikTok from its Chinese parent company. There was a date certain for the divestiture—January 19—and one prescribed escape valve to extend the deadline a single time. Donald Trump did not use that prescribed provision, and instead unilaterally extended the deadline five times, including another 120-day delay established on September 25, essentially by saying his Justice Department would not enforce the law passed by Congress. This isn’t a case of prosecutorial discretion, where you have some colorable justification to not prosecute someone violating the law. In this case, the law was just about Chinese-controlled social media platforms.” (09/29/25)
https://prospect.org/power/2025-09-29-why-do-we-assume-trumptok-will-succeed/
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42) Does Cartelization Threaten the Feasibility of Anarcho-Capitalism?
Source: Ludwig von Mises Institute
by Stanisław Wójtowicz
“Anarcho-capitalism is a libertarian project of a stateless order in which private companies would be responsible for providing security, law, and dispute resolution. In previous articles, I briefly described the most important doubts about the feasibility of such an order and analyzed the most widespread concern, which is that agencies will not cooperate with each other. We now move on to another objection to anarcho-capitalism, which suggests that private security agencies (PDAs), instead of competing with each other, would form a cartel. The effects of cartelization can be twofold: first, colluding agencies may inflate prices and lower the quality of security; second, the cartel could, in the long run, transform into a state.” (09/29/25)
https://mises.org/mises-wire/does-cartelization-threaten-feasibility-anarcho-capitalism
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43) Trump: It’s Not Funny Anymore
Source: CounterPunch
by John Feffer
“The United States is generally a place where comedy is king. As the weekly cartoon series South Park demonstrates, by routinely putting Trump in bed with Satan, nothing is sacred in this country. Trump, like most would-be dictators, has no real sense of humor aside from making fun of other people. Can he wipe out the great scourge of comedy in America? He has many models to choose from.” (09/29/25)
https://www.counterpunch.org/2025/09/29/trump-its-not-funny-anymore/
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44) The Anatomy of Constitutional Despair
Source: Law & Liberty
by Paul Moreno
“Constitutional limits just keep stymieing progress.” (09/29/25)
https://lawliberty.org/book-review/the-anatomy-of-constitutional-despair/
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45) A reckoning of James Comey’s own making, and Dems for weaponizing justice system first
Source: New York Post
by Miranda Devine
“In the wake of James Comey’s indictment, Democrats like Sen. Richard Blumenthal and Rep. Eric Swalwell are issuing dark warnings with a straight face that ‘what goes around comes around’ and that anyone who cooperates with Donald Trump’s ‘vengeance prosecutions’ will face retribution when Dems are back in charge. But their threats fall on deaf ears because they started it. Democrats long ago weaponized the justice system against their political opponents. Let us count the ways.” (09/28/25)
https://nypost.com/2025/09/28/opinion/this-is-a-reckoning-of-james-comeys-own-making-and-dems-for-weaponizing-justice-system-first/
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46) Quantum Vibe, 09/29/25
Source: Big Head Press
by Scott Bieser
Cartoon. (09/29/25)
https://www.quantumvibe.com/strip?page=2554
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47) Reality check: North Korea won’t give up its nukes
Source: Responsible Statecraft
by James Park
“During North Korea’s parliamentary session last week, Kim Jong Un, the North Korean leader, delivered a speech expressing his clear willingness to engage in diplomacy with the United States. But under one strict precondition: the United States must stop seeking to denuclearize North Korea. … Pyongyang’s stern rejection of denuclearization is disturbing and hard to accept for Washington, but it also provides a reality check as the Trump administration seeks to engage North Korea. Trump may have fond memories of his talks with Kim Jong Un from 2018 to 2019 and may hope for a repeat. The harsh reality is that diplomacy with North Korea based on ‘denuclearization’ looks more unlikely than ever.” (09/29/25)
https://responsiblestatecraft.org/north-korea-trump/
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48) Strategic Treason: The Empire Fetes Man Who Killed US Troops
Source: Antiwar.com
by Scott Horton & John Weeks
“On Monday, Sept. 22, the current president of Syria, Ahmed al-Sharaa, joined the former director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), David Petraeus, on stage for a discussion at the Concordia Annual Summit in New York City. The summit is one of the most prestigious global affairs forums in the world …. It was a surreal moment because 20 years ago, during Iraq War II, these men were enemies. Once upon a time, al-Sharaa was known as Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, a foot soldier in Al Qaeda in Iraq (AQI), and Petraeus was known as US Army General David Petraeus, commander of the 101st Airborne Division in Iraq. In fact, it was a moment that revealed the extent to which the US Empire has become an inherently treasonous project.” (09/29/25)
https://original.antiwar.com/scott/2025/09/28/strategic-treason-the-empire-fetes-man-who-killed-us-troops/
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49) Financing Our Own Destruction
Source: In These Times
by Rebecca Burns
“Billionaire private equity executive Antonio Gracias has had a busy year. In March, as part of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Gracias was sent in search of supposed fraud at the Social Security Administration. A few weeks later — at a rally with his longtime friend and then-head of DOGE, Elon Musk — Gracias claimed to have found it. Echoing a right-wing conspiracy theory, Gracias said an increase in Social Security numbers assigned to noncitizens looked like a move to ‘import voters’. In fact, eligible non-citizens are routinely assigned Social Security numbers as part of the federal work authorization process, but they cannot vote. Undocumented immigrants pay billions into Social Security each year but cannot receive benefits.” (09/29/25)
https://inthesetimes.com/article/financing-our-own-destruction-finance-pensions-doge-divestment-climate-change
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50) Donald Trump is a Child Molesting Zionist Cuck and He Needs You to Fear Trans People
Source: exile in happy valley
by Nicky Reid
“Few politicians have invested more ill-gotten resources into riling up my neighbors against some mythic Queer agenda than Donald Trump has over the last four years. He has transformed his public persona from a populist potty mouth who would much rather troll John McCain’s funeral than the Pride parade to an absurdly philanderous stadium church crowd exciter whooping up hysteria over bearded macho men playing ladybug soccer and mandatory sex change surgeries at a kindergarten near you. There is a reason for this. The first four years in the White House alone proved that Donald Trump is just another neocon-hiring missile merchant to anyone actually paying attention, so he has to invest more and more resources into making sure that you’re way too pissed off at weird people like me for you to pay attention.” (09/28/25)
https://exileinhappyvalley.blogspot.com/2025/09/donald-trump-is-child-molesting-zionist.html
_____ Today's Freedom Podcast and Video _____
51) Reason Roundtable, 09/29/25
Source: Reason
"Will a Shutdown Finally Shrink Government?" (09/29/25)
https://reason.com/podcast/2025/09/29/will-a-shutdown-finally-shrink-government/
-----
52) Rising, 09/29/25
Source: The Hill
“Robby Soave gives his take on the legacy of Assata Shakur, and the reactions from across the left to her recent death in exile.” (09/29/25)
https://thehill.com/hilltv/rising/5526809-rising-september-29-2025/
-----
53) Finding Freedom, 09/29/25
Source: Lions of Liberty
“Faith, Culture and Liberty with Buck Johnson.” (09/29/25)
https://www.lionsofliberty.com/episodes/faith-culture-and-liberty-with-buck-johnson
-----
54) Conflicts of Interest, episode 841
Source: Libertarian Institute
“Netanyahu’s UN Speech Was Filled with Lies.” (09/29/25)
https://libertarianinstitute.org/news/coi-841-netanyahus-un-speech-was-filled-with-lies
-----
55) EconTalk, 09/29/25
Source: EconTalk
“Eating with Intelligence (with Julia Belluz).” (09/29/25)
https://www.econtalk.org/eating-with-intelligence-with-julia-belluz/
-----
56) Antiwar News with Dave DeCamp, 09/29/25
Source: Antiwar.com
“US Considers Arming Ukraine With Tomahawks, IDF Kills 198 in Gaza in 3 Days, and More.” (09/29/25)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dq0HMs4bZ2c
-----
57) Bulwark Takes, 09/28/25
Source: The Bulwark
“Your Tax Dollars Are Funding the DUMBEST Bailout Ever!” (09/28/25)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYVPQRK-gF0
-----
58) The Chris Spangle Show, 09/28/25
Source: We Are Libertarians
“Christian Nationalism, Free Expression, and the Future of Liberty.” (09/28/25)
https://www.chrisspangle.com/p/christian-nationalism-free-expression
-----
59) Brian Wilson Speaks, 09/28/25
Source: Brian Wilson
“With God on Our Side.” (09/28/25)
https://brianwilsonwrites.substack.com/p/with-god-on-our-side
-----
60) Matthew Hoh on The Scott Horton Show
Source: The Scott Horton Show
“Matthew Hoh on the Institutionalized War State and the Disgraceful David Petraeus.” (09/29/25)
https://scotthorton.org/interviews/9-26-25-matthew-hoh-on-the-institutionalized-war-state-and-the-disgraceful-david-petraeus/
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