01/02 -- Iran: Several reported murdered by regime thugs in protests over economic woes; If Europe Confronts Russia, It Should Pay the Costs
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Thomas L. Knapp
5:55 AM (8 hours ago) 5:55 AM
to Freedom News Daily
Freedom News Daily, 01/02/26
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Presented by the Liberty International
https://liberty-intl.org/
Produced by the staff of Rational Review News Digest
https://news.rationalreview.com/
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Today's Freedom News:
1) Iran: Several reported murdered by regime thugs in protests over economic woes
2) Moscow, Kyiv regime “exchange drone strikes on energy grids” in New Year attacks
3) NYC: Mamdani sworn in as mayor
Today's Freedom Commentary:
4) If Europe Confronts Russia, It Should Pay the Costs
5) The National-Security Exception to Free Trade Is Real. So Are Its Tradeoffs.
6) Betty Boop Enters the Public Domain, but Only as a Dog
7) The Russian Idée Fixe
8) Should we listen when wealthy people offer to pay more in taxes?
Today's Freedom Podcast and Video:
9) Cato Daily Podcast, 01/01/25
10) Useful Idiots with Katie Halper and Aaron Maté
vvvvv SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS vvvvv
THE CONSTITUTION OF NON-STATE GOVERNMENT: FIELD GUIDE TO TEXAS SECESSION, by TL Hulsey
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1947660853
Tyranny Demands AN ACT OF SELF-DEFENSE: A NOVEL BY ERNE LEWIS
https://tinyurl.com/actofselfdefense
ONE IDENTITY FOR ALL YOUR CRYPTO
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SAMUEL EDWARD KONKIN III REVOLUTIONARY FRIEND BY WENDY MCELROY
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_____ Today's Freedom News _____
1) Iran: Several reported murdered by regime thugs in protests over economic woes
Source: Reuters
"Several people were killed during unrest in Iran on Thursday, an Iranian news agency and a rights group reported, as the biggest protests to hit the country for three years over soaring inflation sparked violence in several provinces. The semi-official Fars news agency cited a 'source with knowledge' as saying several people were killed in clashes on Thursday morning between police and what it said were armed protesters in Lordegan in western Iran. The rights group, Hengaw, also reported deaths in Lordegan, saying security forces had fired on protesters, killing and wounding several of them." (01/01/26)
https://archive.is/f9riU
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2) Moscow, Kyiv regime “exchange drone strikes on energy grids” in New Year attacks
Source: Independent Institute
“Ukraine and Russia exchanged drone strikes on each other’s energy grids as the New Year began, according to local officials. Ukrainian drones on Thursday struck an energy storage facility in the Russian city of Almetyevsk, causing a fire that has since been extinguished, Russian media cited the press service of the local governor as saying. Ukraine’s military said on Thursday it had hit Russia’s Ilsky oil refinery in Russia’s Krasnodar region overnight, as well as the Almetevskaya oil preparation facility in Russia’s Tatarstan region. Meanwhile, a Russian drone attack damaged power infrastructure in several Ukrainian regions overnight, Ukraine’s energy ministry said on Thursday.” (01/01/26)
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/ukraine-russia-war-trump-putin-zelensky-peace-deal-latest-news-b2893005.html
-----
3) NYC: Mamdani sworn in as mayor
Source: The Hill
“Zohran Mamdani, the democratic socialist and former New York State Assemblyman whose star quickly rose over the last year, was sworn in as New York City mayor early Thursday. Mamdani was sworn in as the 112th mayor of the country’s largest city during a ceremony at an abandoned subway station near City Hall in Manhattan. The first Muslim to serve as New York City mayor, Mamdani took the oath while putting his hand on two different Qurans. The Qurans previously belonged to Puerto Rican historian Arturo Schomburg and Mamdani’s grandfather, according to The New York Times. … Mamdani shocked the political world after he defeated former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic primary for New York City mayor in June, leaning heavily into the issue of affordability on the campaign trail.” (01/01/26)
https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/5668998-zohran-mamdani-sworn-in/
_____ Today's Freedom Commentary _____
4) If Europe Confronts Russia, It Should Pay the Costs
Source: The American Conservative
by Doug Bandow
“Europe has obvious reason to be concerned about Russia’s operations. Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys cited the recent explosion damaging a Polish train line to Ukraine as a dangerous ‘escalation’ by Russia: ‘we should address it really seriously because we are minutes from big casualties here.’ Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski declared, ‘This time, it was not just sabotage, as before, but an act of state terrorism, as the clear intention was to cause human casualties.’ However, this is precisely what the allies intend with their aid to Kiev. To kill Russians, lots of them. … Although American sympathies should be with the Ukrainian people, the United States has little at stake in the ongoing war.” (01/01/26)
https://www.theamericanconservative.com/if-europe-confronts-russia-it-should-pay-the-costs/
-----
5) The National-Security Exception to Free Trade Is Real. So Are Its Tradeoffs.
Source: The Daily Economy
by Donald J Boudreaux
“Today’s economic interdependence makes it surprisingly difficult to know when trade restrictions actually strengthen security — and when they backfire.” (01/01/26)
https://thedailyeconomy.org/article/the-national-security-exception-to-free-trade-is-real-so-are-its-tradeoffs/
-----
6) Betty Boop Enters the Public Domain, but Only as a Dog
Source: Reason
by Joe Lancaster
“Betty Boop is one of the most iconic cartoons of the 20th century. A pinup drawn to look like a 1920s flapper, the character debuted nearly a century ago and quickly became a household name: In 1932, just two years after her debut, one newspaper article dubbed Betty Boop ‘without question … the most popular film personage on the screen today.’ Today, the character enters the public domain, meaning it’s free for anyone to use — but perhaps only as a dog. The bizarre saga illustrates what’s wrong with modern copyright law.” (01/01/26)
https://reason.com/2026/01/01/betty-boop-enters-the-public-domain-but-only-as-a-dog/
-----
7) The Russian Idée Fixe
Source: CounterPunch
by Andriy Movchan
“‘Russia’s defensive war against NATO expansion’ — a concept that has become almost axiomatic for many Western leftists. This concept conveniently serves both to rationalize Russia’s actions and to radicalize criticism of their own governments. But what role does Putin himself assign to the supposed NATO threat? A close reading of his key speeches reveals that Putin explicitly denies any danger of a NATO attack on Russia. Instead, all the ruler’s attention and passion are focused elsewhere — on the question of primordial ‘historical justice.’ Putin dusts off millennia-old chronicles, finding in them proof of his reactionary utopia, his imagined historical right to possess Ukraine. Let’s talk about the most underestimated cause of this war — ideological obsession. The Russian idée fixe.” (01/01/26)
https://www.counterpunch.org/2026/01/01/the-russian-idee-fixe/
-----
8) Should we listen when wealthy people offer to pay more in taxes?
Source: Orange County Register
by Veronique de Rugy
“There is something emotionally satisfying about watching a wealthy person call for higher taxes on people like himself. It feels civic-minded, even noble. A recent commentary by former Utah senator, Massachusetts governor and Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney fits squarely into this tradition. Faced with a looming fiscal cliff, Romney concludes that entitlement reform is unavoidable and that higher taxes on affluent Americans must be part of the solution. Don’t be fooled, though. Yes, the status quo is unsustainable, and pretending otherwise is reckless. But taxing the rich can’t meaningfully solve our underlying fiscal problems. Worse, pursuing that illusion risks making those problems harder to fix while foreclosing opportunities for the next generation.” (01/01/26)
https://archive.is/FPByK
_____ Today's Freedom Podcast and Video _____
9) Cato Daily Podcast, 01/01/25
Source: Cato Institute
“Banking on Moral Hazard: The Push for $10 Million Deposit Insurance.” (01/01/26)
https://www.cato.org/multimedia/cato-podcast/banking-moral-hazard-push-10-million-deposit-insurance
-----
10) Useful Idiots with Katie Halper and Aaron Maté
Source: Useful Idiots with Katie Halper and Aaron Maté
“‘A couple of second chances’ – Trump Bends the Knee to Netanyahu At White House Shower.” (12/31/25)
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/a-couple-of-second-chances-trump-bends-the/id1476110521?i=1000743351034
----------------------------------------------------------------------
FND is published every weekday except on holidays. Forward freely.
To subscribe or unsubscribe, visit:
http://groups.google.com/group/freedom-news-daily
Support the Liberty International (tax deductible)
https://liberty-intl.org/join-the-movement/
----------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Presented by the Liberty International
https://liberty-intl.org/
Produced by the staff of Rational Review News Digest
https://news.rationalreview.com/
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Today's Freedom News:
1) Iran: Several reported murdered by regime thugs in protests over economic woes
2) Moscow, Kyiv regime “exchange drone strikes on energy grids” in New Year attacks
3) NYC: Mamdani sworn in as mayor
Today's Freedom Commentary:
4) If Europe Confronts Russia, It Should Pay the Costs
5) The National-Security Exception to Free Trade Is Real. So Are Its Tradeoffs.
6) Betty Boop Enters the Public Domain, but Only as a Dog
7) The Russian Idée Fixe
8) Should we listen when wealthy people offer to pay more in taxes?
Today's Freedom Podcast and Video:
9) Cato Daily Podcast, 01/01/25
10) Useful Idiots with Katie Halper and Aaron Maté
vvvvv SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS vvvvv
THE CONSTITUTION OF NON-STATE GOVERNMENT: FIELD GUIDE TO TEXAS SECESSION, by TL Hulsey
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1947660853
Tyranny Demands AN ACT OF SELF-DEFENSE: A NOVEL BY ERNE LEWIS
https://tinyurl.com/actofselfdefense
ONE IDENTITY FOR ALL YOUR CRYPTO
https://fioprotocol.io/
SAMUEL EDWARD KONKIN III REVOLUTIONARY FRIEND BY WENDY MCELROY
https://www.amazon.com/Samuel-Edward-Konkin-Revolutionary-Friend-ebook/dp/B0DP7B6127
TRY STARLINK: YOU GET A FREE MONTH AND SO DO WE!
https://starlink.com/residential?referral=RC-DF-8980236-19330-50
^^^^^ SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS ^^^^^
_____ Today's Freedom News _____
1) Iran: Several reported murdered by regime thugs in protests over economic woes
Source: Reuters
"Several people were killed during unrest in Iran on Thursday, an Iranian news agency and a rights group reported, as the biggest protests to hit the country for three years over soaring inflation sparked violence in several provinces. The semi-official Fars news agency cited a 'source with knowledge' as saying several people were killed in clashes on Thursday morning between police and what it said were armed protesters in Lordegan in western Iran. The rights group, Hengaw, also reported deaths in Lordegan, saying security forces had fired on protesters, killing and wounding several of them." (01/01/26)
https://archive.is/f9riU
-----
2) Moscow, Kyiv regime “exchange drone strikes on energy grids” in New Year attacks
Source: Independent Institute
“Ukraine and Russia exchanged drone strikes on each other’s energy grids as the New Year began, according to local officials. Ukrainian drones on Thursday struck an energy storage facility in the Russian city of Almetyevsk, causing a fire that has since been extinguished, Russian media cited the press service of the local governor as saying. Ukraine’s military said on Thursday it had hit Russia’s Ilsky oil refinery in Russia’s Krasnodar region overnight, as well as the Almetevskaya oil preparation facility in Russia’s Tatarstan region. Meanwhile, a Russian drone attack damaged power infrastructure in several Ukrainian regions overnight, Ukraine’s energy ministry said on Thursday.” (01/01/26)
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/ukraine-russia-war-trump-putin-zelensky-peace-deal-latest-news-b2893005.html
-----
3) NYC: Mamdani sworn in as mayor
Source: The Hill
“Zohran Mamdani, the democratic socialist and former New York State Assemblyman whose star quickly rose over the last year, was sworn in as New York City mayor early Thursday. Mamdani was sworn in as the 112th mayor of the country’s largest city during a ceremony at an abandoned subway station near City Hall in Manhattan. The first Muslim to serve as New York City mayor, Mamdani took the oath while putting his hand on two different Qurans. The Qurans previously belonged to Puerto Rican historian Arturo Schomburg and Mamdani’s grandfather, according to The New York Times. … Mamdani shocked the political world after he defeated former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic primary for New York City mayor in June, leaning heavily into the issue of affordability on the campaign trail.” (01/01/26)
https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/5668998-zohran-mamdani-sworn-in/
_____ Today's Freedom Commentary _____
4) If Europe Confronts Russia, It Should Pay the Costs
Source: The American Conservative
by Doug Bandow
“Europe has obvious reason to be concerned about Russia’s operations. Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys cited the recent explosion damaging a Polish train line to Ukraine as a dangerous ‘escalation’ by Russia: ‘we should address it really seriously because we are minutes from big casualties here.’ Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski declared, ‘This time, it was not just sabotage, as before, but an act of state terrorism, as the clear intention was to cause human casualties.’ However, this is precisely what the allies intend with their aid to Kiev. To kill Russians, lots of them. … Although American sympathies should be with the Ukrainian people, the United States has little at stake in the ongoing war.” (01/01/26)
https://www.theamericanconservative.com/if-europe-confronts-russia-it-should-pay-the-costs/
-----
5) The National-Security Exception to Free Trade Is Real. So Are Its Tradeoffs.
Source: The Daily Economy
by Donald J Boudreaux
“Today’s economic interdependence makes it surprisingly difficult to know when trade restrictions actually strengthen security — and when they backfire.” (01/01/26)
https://thedailyeconomy.org/article/the-national-security-exception-to-free-trade-is-real-so-are-its-tradeoffs/
-----
6) Betty Boop Enters the Public Domain, but Only as a Dog
Source: Reason
by Joe Lancaster
“Betty Boop is one of the most iconic cartoons of the 20th century. A pinup drawn to look like a 1920s flapper, the character debuted nearly a century ago and quickly became a household name: In 1932, just two years after her debut, one newspaper article dubbed Betty Boop ‘without question … the most popular film personage on the screen today.’ Today, the character enters the public domain, meaning it’s free for anyone to use — but perhaps only as a dog. The bizarre saga illustrates what’s wrong with modern copyright law.” (01/01/26)
https://reason.com/2026/01/01/betty-boop-enters-the-public-domain-but-only-as-a-dog/
-----
7) The Russian Idée Fixe
Source: CounterPunch
by Andriy Movchan
“‘Russia’s defensive war against NATO expansion’ — a concept that has become almost axiomatic for many Western leftists. This concept conveniently serves both to rationalize Russia’s actions and to radicalize criticism of their own governments. But what role does Putin himself assign to the supposed NATO threat? A close reading of his key speeches reveals that Putin explicitly denies any danger of a NATO attack on Russia. Instead, all the ruler’s attention and passion are focused elsewhere — on the question of primordial ‘historical justice.’ Putin dusts off millennia-old chronicles, finding in them proof of his reactionary utopia, his imagined historical right to possess Ukraine. Let’s talk about the most underestimated cause of this war — ideological obsession. The Russian idée fixe.” (01/01/26)
https://www.counterpunch.org/2026/01/01/the-russian-idee-fixe/
-----
8) Should we listen when wealthy people offer to pay more in taxes?
Source: Orange County Register
by Veronique de Rugy
“There is something emotionally satisfying about watching a wealthy person call for higher taxes on people like himself. It feels civic-minded, even noble. A recent commentary by former Utah senator, Massachusetts governor and Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney fits squarely into this tradition. Faced with a looming fiscal cliff, Romney concludes that entitlement reform is unavoidable and that higher taxes on affluent Americans must be part of the solution. Don’t be fooled, though. Yes, the status quo is unsustainable, and pretending otherwise is reckless. But taxing the rich can’t meaningfully solve our underlying fiscal problems. Worse, pursuing that illusion risks making those problems harder to fix while foreclosing opportunities for the next generation.” (01/01/26)
https://archive.is/FPByK
_____ Today's Freedom Podcast and Video _____
9) Cato Daily Podcast, 01/01/25
Source: Cato Institute
“Banking on Moral Hazard: The Push for $10 Million Deposit Insurance.” (01/01/26)
https://www.cato.org/multimedia/cato-podcast/banking-moral-hazard-push-10-million-deposit-insurance
-----
10) Useful Idiots with Katie Halper and Aaron Maté
Source: Useful Idiots with Katie Halper and Aaron Maté
“‘A couple of second chances’ – Trump Bends the Knee to Netanyahu At White House Shower.” (12/31/25)
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/a-couple-of-second-chances-trump-bends-the/id1476110521?i=1000743351034
----------------------------------------------------------------------
FND is published every weekday except on holidays. Forward freely.
To subscribe or unsubscribe, visit:
http://groups.google.com/group/freedom-news-daily
Support the Liberty International (tax deductible)
https://liberty-intl.org/join-the-movement/
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