THREAD: Research Fellow @hu_rdman writes about the attack on Aden airport on Dec 30, 2020, when he and other colleagues narrowly escaped death at what should have been a celebratory occasion welcoming the arrival of the newly formed Yemeni government.

At the #Aden airport, "the crowd was divided in two: to the right were #STC supporters... and to the left were supporters of the #GoY. However, the groups soon mingled and exchanged greetings... I whispered to a colleague: “It seems Santa Claus has been generous this year."

But around 2:00 pm, the airport was hit by three explosions, & it took @hu_rdman awhile to realize what had happened. "Five minutes & just 20 meters saved us from certain death. A loud explosion rocked the airport lounge, where we were supposed to go to carry out live coverage."

The attack caused a frenzied chaos and people ran either toward the ICRC aircraft or ditch in the dirt. "I thought to myself that perhaps it was better to stop than run blindly with no direction, but with my family in mind I decided to keep on running."

Ten minutes passed without hearing any further explosions, and everyone began checking on friends via phone. We then returned to the scene of the explosions to help the injured and examine the damage.

If you don’t see the connection between the Nashville terrorist blowing up a city block and the violent Capitol insurrection, you’re not paying attention.

We have allowed and even enabled white extremism to thrive in this country by not addressing them as what they are - terrorists - and by not punishing their actions for what they are - terrorism.

The GOP has wrapped these extremists into their tent for decades. These have always been rebranding off the same them - white extremism and accelerationism.

These calls for “unity” from the terrorist apologists or even those who incited the terrorism is so disingenuous as to be absurd. We absolutely should not allow them to dictate the narrative about what they created.

You see, the implication in all of these calls for “unity” aren’t just disingenuous, but contain an implied threat about exactly what they have enabled:
“If you don’t let these white extremists off, there will be more white extremism.”

Alejandro "Ale" Mayorkas is testifying on Capitol Hill today, as Biden's pick to lead the Department of Homeland Security - the 3rd largest federal agency.

It's not his first confirmation hearing -- previously nominated by Obama as Dep Sec in 2013, confirmed in 2014.

Mayorkas, unlike some Senators in the hearing, has kept his mask on the entire time so far -- delivering his opening statement, and even now as he begins to take questions.

Sen. Portman asking what Mayorkas learned from an investigation into his involvement in investor visa cases while he was Deputy Secretary...

Mayorkas: "I learn each and every day to be better tomorrow than I was today...these weren't the only 3 cases I was involved in, whether they involved the rich or the poor...I became involved to ensure our agency improved each day..."

Mayorkas on leveraging DHS resources to support pandemic response:

-FEMA should to ensure supply chain
-CISA (cyber security) should protect supply chain from cyber attacks and ensure other agencies' work protected

"the reach of the department is significant..."

When I hear weak and tepid calls for unity, I’m reminded of these words by Martin Luther King Jr. and also this letter which was a resounding critique of white moderates.

“So the question is not whether we will be extremists, but what kind of extremists we will be?” 1/5

Will we be extremists for hate or for love? Will we be extremists for the preservation of injustice or for the extension of justice? In that dramatic scene on Calvary's hill three men were crucified. 2/5

We must never forget that all three were crucified for the same crime- the crime of extremism. Two were extremists for immorality,and thus fell below their environment. 3/5

The other, Jesus Christ, was an extremist for love, truth and goodness, and thereby rose above his environment.

The nation and the world are in dire need of creative extremists.”

~ Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.,
Letters from a Birmingham Jail (April 16, 1963). 4/5

There can be no unity with white supremacists, nazis, and others who raided the Capitol

But citizens of good faith across diverse political/religious affiliations can find courage to seek a more beautiful way-become extremists for love.Truth tellers. Healers. Justice makers 5/5

This is the UK’s internal “who won the negotiations scorecard”, apparently. (via

On rules of origin, suggests that compromise found on batteries and electric vehicles (woo!)

But I have questions about the cumulation “Win” ... as the UK opening position was much more expansive than written here, and win looks like what we knew EU was offering.

That’s quite the spin, lads.

Would that win be rejecting be the ‘investor’ category proposed ... in the UK’s draft FTA text?

This is simultaneously both incredibly useful AND hilarious.

I will not comply (thread)

HR 127 - previously introduced by Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) - now has full bill text available. And it's worse than we thought.
Taken strictly on the surface, this legislation would implement:

At least 1,090 have been arrested at protests around Russia against @navalny's jailing

One of the protesters in Moscow. Looks familiar somehow...

.@navalny protesters are young & angry. Riot police not in a good mood either

13 arrested protesting @navalny's jailing even in far-off Yakutsk, where it was -54F today (via @shaunwalker7)

Now at least 1,338 @navalny protesters have been arrested around Russia. Kids in Moscow start throwing snowballs at riot police (via @tggrove @OvdInfo)

This weeks “AMERICA THIS WEEK With Eric Bolling” monologue:

WELCOME TO AMERICA THIS WEEK... 
THERE'S NO SUGAR-COATING IT... LAST WEEK WAS TOUGH TO SEE...
TOUGH TO HEAR...
AND TOUGH TO RE-LIVE AS MORE AND MORE DETAILS EMERGED ABOUT THE ATTACK ON THE CAPITOL AND THE LIVES LOST...

LOST. 
BUT WE AS A COUNTRY HAVE TO FACE THIS HEAD-ON... 
THERE'S NO GOING BACK TO THE WAY WE USED TO BE. 
THIS MORNING, I REALIZED THAT EVERYTHING IS ABOUT TO CHANGE.
  NO MATTER HOW I VOTE, NO MATTER WHAT I SAY, AMERICA IS NEVER GOING TO BE THE SAME...

I'VE BEEN COVERING POLITICS FOR ALMOST TWO DECADES.. 
AND THIS MOMENT IN TIME... WE ARE FURTHER APART AS A NATION THAN EVER BEFORE.. 
AT LEAST, IN MY LIFETIME..
MY FRIENDS ARE SPLIT.. 
THE LIBERAL ONES WON'T TALK TO THE CONSERVATIVE FRIENDS...

"SEE I TOLD YOU IT WAS GOING TO END THIS WAY"...
YA KNOW WHAT..? 
THEY WERE RIGHT. 
THEY HAVE BEEN SAYING THIS WOULD HAPPEN.
MY CONSERVATIVE FRIENDS ARE STILL SHAKING THEIR COLLECTIVE HEADS.. 
WOW.. THINGS WERE GOING GREAT FOR FOUR YEARS..
  WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED?...

THEY ARE RIGHT TOO...
THINGS WERE GOING GREAT FOR CONSERVATIVES.. 
THEY GOT THREE SUPREME COURT JUSTICES SEATED.. 
TAXES WERE LOWERED…
REGULATIONS WERE ROLLED BACK LIKE NEVER BEFORE SEEN.
  SO WHAT HAPPENED?
AS A LIBERTARIAN, I SHOULD HAVE SEEN THIS COMING....

An update on my Green Homes Grant odyssey...

**WARNING** contains many hoops...

1/16

Knowing the scheme was coming I used the government website links and started my research in September.

I reckoned solar hot water was the best next step to reduce my carbon footprint.

2/16

I have basic double-glazing that needs upgrading before a new heating system but double glazing was out of scope unless you have single glazing.

I'm adding even more insulation to my loft at my own cost.

3/16

So, anyway, researching 'local' providers for solar water heating installation that are on the website list as allowed to do it under GHG: Three potentials.

First didn't respond and suspect was the wrong contact information was on the website.

4/16

Second couldn't do a quote without a visit and the next time they could would be weeks and weeks after the scheme was meant to open for applications.

5/16

News Safety Update 2#: Let's talk about Situational Awareness! SA is the ability to identify, process, and comprehend the critical elements of information about what is happening. More simply, it's knowing what is going on around you. @RTDNA @NPPA @rcfp @pressfreedom #tvnewsers

The concept of Situational Awareness isn’t something for spies or secret agents. Applying it to real world conditions is actually rather simple. Situational Awareness is keeping your head on a swivel, looking around to observe what’s going on, who’s there, what they are doing.

What is going on around you that might cause you trouble? If based on your observations and predictions, you feel unsafe, then Situational Awareness means you're able to make adjustments to what you are doing, like changing your body language, behavior or location, to be safe.

Cooper's Color Codes are a great way to remember levels of Situational Awareness. You want to be in condition Yellow when you're on location, in your vehicle, out in the field and even in the newsroom.

Condition White: Unaware and unprepared. If something dangerous occurs in this condition you will be caught off guard and not ready to rapidly react to escape harm.

Actually myself & a few others were contacted by a Bernie FO to help find captains for districts & it got done. Bad actors in the campaign said “I made them look bad,” bc it was about optics, even if I was asked. Their anger went as far as forcing my # from my friends.

I was traveling to Iowa to cover the primary & kept getting calls incessantly demanding I take a tweet down. They badgered my friends until they gave my PERSONAL #. I refused to it was my gd right. Especially since I was asked to use social media to find help. The job got done.

There was absolute 0 “leaking of documents”. I have two other people who were also helping and someone very high up in the campaign who had to apologize to me & was angry I was harassed, bullied, emailed, & threatened via social media. We wrote a letter that never got an answer.

This was AFTER several on the ground activists knew there were bad actors in the campaign but were trying to work w it & stay silent for Bernie. One of the many mistakes the campaign made was put optics over honesty, & that was bc it was largely directed by DC consultants.

Ultimately I came to find out this whole “making us look bad” took precedent over listening to seasoned field organizers, Bernie 2016 volunteers, & many grassroots activists who had a different approach. It was all about the top dogs looking good & not very #NotMeUs.

The GovLab's Stefaan Verhulst will be testifying on smart city oversight before the NYC Council's Committee on Technology at 1:00 PM. You can watch him and the other witnesses live in Virtual Room 2 at:

Chair Holden opens the meeting. by speaking to the promise and potential that smart city technology offers, especially amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

He notes how big data, the internet of things, and other innovative solutions could help New Yorkers address real challenges.

However, he stresses, these come with privacy and security risks. The chair talks about the need to mitigate these challenges and ensure the benefits provided by smart city technologies outweigh costs.

Following the Chair's opening statement, John Paul Farmer, Chief Technology Officer of New York, offers testimony from the Administration.

He notes his focus will be on the city's work in Internet of Things, where NYC leads nationally and internationally.

"The Mayor's Office of the CTO has focused on improving the connectivity infrastructure needed to operate as a smart city," says Farmer

"Equitable connectivity is a foundation of the smart city. Widespread broadband is needed to connect the tools and sensors that make up IoT."

To: @senatemajld, @LindseyGrahamSC, et al. I know you and your colleagues have been able to overlook things like:

1. The Central Park Five
2. Birtherism
3. Mocking a disabled reporter
4. Mexicans are rapists
5. Two dozen accusations of sexual assault
6. Lock her up

1/

And the GOP was okay with:

7. Hush payments to Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal
8. No commitment to accept the 2016 election results
9. Grab ‘em by the pussy
10. Trump University fraud
11. Manafort, Steven Bannon, Roger Stone, Stephen Miller
12. The Muslim ban

2/

And you didn't balk at:

13. Separating families and keeping kids in cages
14. Siding with Putin over US intelligence agencies
15. The firing of the FBI director
16. Very fine people on both sides
17. Corruption in (and dissolution of) the Trump foundation
18. Jamal Khashoggi

3/

And you didn't say much about:

19. The free press being labeled the enemy of the people
20. The trans ban in the military
21. The Kim-Jong Un handshake in the DMZ
22. Pressuring the president of Ukraine to interfere in an American election
23. Only $750 paid in income taxes

4/

And you mostly blew off or made excuses for:

24. Coronavirus is a democrat hoax
25. Coronavirus will disappear on its own
26. Injecting bleach
27. Mocking mask wearing
28. Super-spreader rallies in the midst of a pandemic
29. Nearly 400,000 Americans dead from Coronavirus

5/

@realmajordan @gheliason @RichHiggins_DC @tobeycakes @1GigiSims1 Wanna bet the UK govt wants to use the "Base" to smear the Pro Brexit populists in their country? Let's see if they use them as an excuse to persecute them once Boris thorough destroys their economy.