NEW/THREAD: A forthcoming analysis from @TRACReports says @BuzzFeedNews has filed more #FOIA lawsuits--58-- than any other media organization in the US during Trump's presidency.

Here's a look back at the secrets my colleagues & I pried loose in 2020

1/

We started off 2020 publishing some of the most important and highly sought-after documents from former special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation: summaries of FBI interviews with key White House officials.

In February 2020, @BuzzFeedNews secured more than 1K pages of emails from NOAA related to Trump’s "doctored" map of Hurricane Dorian — dubbed #SharpieGate — and the panic, outrage, and internal revolt it triggered among top officials at those

That month, we also filed a #FOIA lawsuit against DOJ for docs related to Barr's intervention in the Flynn & Stone cases. Emails we obtained brought to light the behind-the-scenes drama between the lead prosecutor in the Stone case & his

The federal response to #FOIA requests, which was already shitty, got worse during last year’s coronavirus outbreak. Some agencies used the pandemic to justify cutting off responses altogether and to abruptly halt the processing of FOIA requests.

But we fought back. We sued.

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“[Trump] Went Down to #Georgia”

🎵A #GARunoff Musical Thread 🧵

(with music inspired by Charlie Daniels’ classic #GA fiddle song https://t.co/VxBwqkLq4E)

(1/11) 👇

[Trump] went down to Georgia
He was lookin' for a [vote] to steal
He was in a bind 'cause he was way behind
And he was willin' to make a deal
When he came across this [woman]
[Makin' democracy] hot
And [Trump] jumped upon a hickory stump
And said,"[Girl], let me tell you what"(2)

"I guess you didn't know it, but I'm a [politician], too
And if you'd care to take a dare, I'll make a bet with you
Now you [make democracy good], [girl], but give the Devil his due
I'll bet [an election] of gold against your soul
'Cause I think I'm better than you"

(3/11)

The [girl] said, "My name's [Stacey], and it might be a sin
But I'll take your bet, you're gonna regret
'Cause I am the best that's ever has been

(4/11)

[Stacey], rosin up your [voters] and play your [democracy] hard
'Cause Hell's broke loose in Georgia and the Devil deals the cards
And if you win, you get this shiny [election] made of gold
But if you lose, the devil gets your soul

(5/11)

Every Republican active in politics during the Trump era should be remembered based only on where they drew the line.

Did they draw the line at his openly racist immigration platform?

Did they draw the line when Trump mocked a disabled reporter?

Did they draw the line when he was sued for fraud?

Did they draw the line when he said a Hispanic judge can't be fair because of his race?

Did they draw the line when he urged his supporters to shoot Hillary Clinton?

Did they draw the line when he boasted about assaulting women?

Did they draw the line when he encouraged violence against journalists?

Did they draw the line over his ties to Russia?

Did they draw the line when he tore up every global treaty that keeps the world safe?

Did they draw the line when he banned flights from Muslim countries?

Did they draw the line when his administration shredded civil rights for workers, rape survivors, and disabled students?

Did they draw the line when he banned transgender military service because Fox said he should?

Did they draw the line when he forced a tax bill that gave trillions to the rich despite public opposition?

Did they draw the line when he tried to strip 20 million of health care?

BREAKING: For the fourth time this week, the Supreme Court has voted 6-3 to clear the way for a last-minute federal execution before Trump leaves office. Justices Breyer and Sotomayor write dissents. Justice Kagan also notes her dissent.

Dustin Higgs has COVID-19 and will be executed tonight despite lung damage that could turn his lethal injection into an egregiously painful death.

Here is Justice Sotomayor’s closing.

Here is Breyer on the SCOTUS majority’s rush to execute

Sotomayor names the federal inmates who have been killed since Trump revived the federal death penalty—a punishment that Biden will put a moratorium on next week

Sotomayor: “This is not justice.”

THREAD: What the world wants from John Kerry in 2021

Re-joining the #ParisAgreement isn't enough, say 25 climate ministers and advocates we interviewed from six continents. Deeds before words: Legislating a tough 2030 U.S. emissions reduction legislation is 1st serious step

2) But the world wants the words too, hoping Kerry will be world's climate cheerleader: convincing reluctant and developing country governments (also with $) to set aggressive climate goals, which many pinpoint as including carbon neutrality by 2050.

3) World's moved on from Obama era. Jacob Werksman (the EU’s international climate adviser) warned Obama alums on Biden’s team “they can’t expect to be treated the same way” as four or eight years ago

4) Net-zero emissions by 2050 — once an activist slogan — is now a guiding framework for policy across the G-7. “It is a totally different political and historical moment right now,” Costa Rican minister @AndreaMeza76.

5) @timothydadams, President and CEO of @IIF warned against the U.S. aiming too low at home, creating policy divergence with the rest of the world. He urged the Biden administration to “broadly align with the rapidly evolving global climate policy framework.”

Don't fall for the MSM push on this transition of power or Bidens facade. That's for their sheep to keep them content. He will never be president. Everything is happening as predicted. Here's your nutshell.

The electoral college votes will be sealed and sent by special carrier

I've probably spent 10 hours reconstructing what happened at the Capitol. Censorship has made this process more difficult, but I think I've gotten about as far as I'll get at this point. Unpreparedness and Chaos are both good words to describe what happened inside the Capitol. 1

My sincerest hope is that yesterday's abhorred invasion of white entitlement has taught the politicians who encouraged and enabled it that their political theatrics aren't a joke.

Lawmakers can incite a radical insurgency if they lie convincingly enough, but as lawmakers that insurgency will come for your heads after they've gotten bored attacking the marginalized people you unleashed them on.

Try to install a dictator and that dictator's rabid followers will put your heads on the chopping block right next to the rest of us.

As representatives, your jobs are to do whats best for all citizens. All of us whether you like us or not. That starts with putting an end to gridlock, revisionism, and blaming groups of marginalized people and the other side of the aisle.

Keeping the country stable takes compromise, not winning at all costs. We are your neighbors, not your enemies.

I've been thinking about this day every day for 4 years and that is not hyperbole.

LDF-UDF:

Why did Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan (PV) say what he did about IUML?

Even in 2016 when LDF won, @iumlofficial /UDF won 18 seats from Malabar/North Kerala area. Note that LDF has only 9 Muslim names within its list of MLAs.

PV has always been attempting to break the UDF-IUML unity and influence in North Kerala region.

As the CPM secretary, he attempted to split the votes by supporting Madani, Indian National League (a breakaway faction of IUML), KT Jaleel (an ind).

Madani is now in jail.

Don’t believe? In 2009, the LDF candidate in Ponnani was Madani nominee – Hussian Randathani. He lost to ET Muhammed Basheer.

A group of people within IUML had the party for not being angry and fierce enough in the aftermath of the Babri incident. They wanted IUML to breakaway from the Congress. When IUML did not, they broke away and formed INL. It was led by Ibrahim Sulaiman Sait.

INL has 1 MLA – PTA Rahim - in Assembly & they are part of LDF. PTA Rahim was with IUML. Left it. Joined hands with the Left in 2005 to win Panchayat polls. Defeated K Muraleedharan in Koduvally with help of LDF. Formed his own Party – National Secular Conference. Then joined INL

1) Not every column is vindicated by subsequent events but, unhappily, this one in @JNS_org from Monday was: Why the #Georgia Senate runoff hinges on the tribal culture war about @realDonaldTrump.

2) The GOP's loss of both #Georgia Senate runoffs was in part caused by changing demography & weak candidates. But it was also entirely avoidable. Instead of a referendum on #Warnock & #Ossoff, it was a referendum on #Trump.

3) Had the president & those who believe every word he says & every conspiracy theory floated by his acolytes who won't accept the reality that a majority of the nation rejected him, not spent the last two months re-litigating that loss, the Senate would not have been lost.

4) Trump visited GA only twice to campaign in that time & spent both ranting about the delusion that he won instead of trying to ensure that the GOP had the means to prevent a radical transformation of the country that would erase his legacy.

5) Yes, the Dems are hypocrites & there were irregularities & likely some fraud as is the case with every election. But the idea that magical Communist software or mass dumps of illegal votes decided the election was as much of a conspiracy theory as Russian collusion.

As an American citizen here's what i need to see happen today in Washington to deal with the political crisis unfolding. First, I need to hear from Christopher Wray, the head of the FBI. We need to know what the plan is -- the plan to find out how yesterday happened and how

2. everyone who participated will be discovered, investigated, prosecuted and jailed for a very long time. This crime against our nation can not go unpunished. Those seditious Americans need to face real consequences or our democracy and rule of law are a joke.

3. President elect Biden, who was perfect yesterday, needs to make a clear statement that bringing to justice the traitors who overran our Capitol yesterday will be a priority for him. Lawlessness will not stand in the Biden Administration. I want him to address the feelings of

4. black Americans this morning who once again have turned on their TV's to see two justice systems in America. And i want him to send a message to domestic terrorists in our country that they will be held to account for any attacks on government or their fellow Americans.

5. I want Democratic leaders in the House to make clear how they will hold the President accountable while he is still in office. Whether it's impeachment articles being brought to the floor or a censure motion, we all need to put every elected official on the record with a vote

Some random reflections on yesterday:

As a mob stormed the U.S. Capitol--the legislative center of the world's superpower--I couldn't ignore the significance of the date.

For one, this was the traditional date of the Epiphany, when Christ was revealed to the nations with the coming of the Magi.

Here you have nobles traveling a long way to pay homage to a baby who was born with nothing, wrapped in rags and laid in a a feeding trough. Our God came in humility and peace.

It's also the Optional Memorial of St. André Bessette--a Quebecois, religious brother, barely five feet tall, a doorman too "lowly" to be a priest.

Days after a Capitol insurrection that left 5 people dead, and as we learn of domestic terrorism threats ahead of inauguration, I still can't wrap my head around House Republicans having a full-blown tantrum about having to walk through a metal detector.

What is going on here?

At best, these GOP lawmakers are embarrassingly entitled.

At worst, they’re sneaking guns onto the House floor and don't want to get caught -- and terrifying their colleagues in the meantime.

These are actual quotes from House Republicans reacting to have to walk through a metal detector to get onto the House floor.

“Horse shit!”

“You are creating a problem you do not understand the ramifications of!”

“You can’t stop me, I’m on my way to a vote!"

The Capitol Police officers by the metal detector -- some of whom just saved these lawmakers' lives last week -- had to stand there and get yelled at, and be told the situation is "unconstitutional."

There is nothing in the Constitution about walking through a metal detector.

Never mind that you're not allowed to bring a gun onto the House floor, which it sure sounds like Rep. Madison Cawthorn did.

Some lawmakers are afraid of EACH OTHER. Some are raising concerns about Trump allied-lawmakers being conspirators with the violent insurrectionists.

CANADA and the CHINESE CONNECTION. There are many facets to this, and we’re seeing how it’s all playing out right before our eyes. I lost my thread earlier, so I will be doing some quotes as opposed to writing it all out.
China in late 2019. In January 2020, the Canadian