1. This weekend, 2000 Mules, @DineshDSouza's discredited documentary promoting the Big Lie, began showing at hundreds of theaters nationwide

Most of the theaters are owned by @Cinemark

Cinemark's founder, Lee Roy Mitchell, is a major Trump supporter

🧵

popular.info/p/major-cinema… @DineshDSouza @Cinemark 2. Lee Roy Mitchell, is the founder of @Cinemark and currently chairman. He keeps a relatively low profile but is a major Republican donor.

Mitchell and his wife donated $200,000 to Trump Victory in advance of the 2020 election.

popular.info/p/major-cinema…

Over the past year, Texas Lt. Gov and Senate President @DanPatrick has championed the state's draconian abortion ban and spearheaded attacks on the LGBTQ youth

On 3/22/22, @AnthemInc — one of the nation's largest health insurance companies — donated 25K to Patrick's campaign @DanPatrick @AnthemInc Over the past year, Texas Lt. Gov and Senate President @DanPatrick has championed the state's draconian abortion ban and spearheaded attacks on the LGBTQ youth

On 4/21/22, @ATT donated $20,000 to Patrick's reelection campaign

1. The RGA (@GOPGovs) backs @dougmastriano in PA

Mastriano attempted to throw out every vote in 2020 and have the legislature appoint Trump electors.

As Governor, he's pledging to make "corrections" to "voting logs"

This is a thread 🧵of corporate donors to the @GOPGovs @GOPGovs @dougmastriano 2. Corporate donations to @GOPGovs (2016 to present)

@amazon ($789,718)
@ATT ($984,827)
@CocaCola ($2,325,000)
@CVSHealth ($1,225,000)
@Google ($225,702)
@Walmart ($755,000)
@Verizon ($641,150 )
@gm ($1,605,900)
@comcast ($1,047,950)
@Walgreens ($400,450)

1. Republicans in Pennsylvania delivered an overwhelming victory to @dougmastriano, making him the GOP nominee for governor.

There are many radical GOP candidates these days, but Mastriano is at another level.

Follow this 🧵for details.

popular.info/p/the-man-who-… @dougmastriano 2. There are many Republicans who indulged Trump's claims that Democrats stole the 2020 presidential election

After PA's results were formally certified, Mastriano actually INTRODUCED A RESOLUTION to throw out all the votes and appoint Trump electors

popular.info/p/the-man-who-…

1. For several years, Popular Information has reported on rainbow-flag waiving companies support vehemently anti-LGBTQ politicians.

These are corporations that are trying to have it both ways.

Now, things have started to change.

popular.info/p/corporate-pr… 2. @thisisinsider reports The Portland Pride Parade rejected @JPMorgan's offer to sponsor this year's parade

Why?

Pride Northwest rejected the "offer after coming across a 2021 investigation by Popular Information regarding the bank's PAC spending"

businessinsider.com/portland-pride…

1. In campaign finance decision issued yesterday, Chief Justice Roberts acknowledged that people use campaign donations to buy "influence and access" but argued that buying "influence and access" was "a central feature of democracy"

popular.info/p/supreme-cour… 2. As a practical matter, Roberts is right. But the disturbing part of the decision is that Roberts believes that buying access is constitutionally protected and even modest restrictions imposed by Congress are invalid

popular.info/p/supreme-cour…

1. @tuckercarlson's embrace of replacement theory — the racist conspiracy that motivated the Buffalo shooter — is well documented

But the theory that the left is seeking to "replace" whites has been adopted broadly on the right

This 🧵 names names

popular.info/p/the-rights-e… @TuckerCarlson 2. @SenRonJohnson suggested that Biden was pursuing "open borders" as part of a strategy to "remake the demographics of America to ensure that they stay in power forever."

1. In a lengthy defense of @TuckerCarlson, @ggreenwald says "there is no racial hierarchy in Carlson's view of American citizenship and to claim that there is is nothing short of a defamatory lie."

Here is exactly why this is wrong.

🧵 @TuckerCarlson @ggreenwald 2. It goes well beyond promoting the racist great replacement theory.

In April 2021, Carlson said that the "worst attack on our democracy in 160 years" was the "Immigration Act of 1965."

Carlson said the law "completely changed the composition of America's voter rolls"

UPDATE: Two days ago, the Florida Department of Education promised to email me "evidence" that math textbook publishers were attempting to indoctrinate elementary school students with "race essentialism"

I'm still waiting...

https://twitter.com/JuddLegum/status/1524869175075823643

Instead of providing evidence, my reporting has been attacked publicly by the Florida Department of Education and @GovRonDeSantis' Press Secretary.

I stand by my reporting which is all verifiable via primary source documents

popular.info/p/ron-desantis…

UPDATE: Got a call from the Press Secretary for the Florida Department of Education, Cassandra Palelis, who told me this tweet was "very misleading."

We had a nice chat.

🧵

https://twitter.com/JuddLegum/status/1524803809880449024

Here is her argument: Even if a textbook reviewer specifically wrote "No CRT" it was still evidence of CRT if the reviewer gave the textbook a 4 ("good alignment) instead of 5 ("very good alignment").

So according to the Florida Department of Education, THIS is evidence of CRT

1. The acute shortage of baby formula across the country has a number of root causes, including the pandemic and a major recall

But its also a reflection of the shameful level of support provided to American families

popular.info/p/the-baby-for… 2. Some doctors "are encouraging new mothers to increase the amount of milk they pump and breastfeed as much as possible"

This is a personal decision and not an option for many parents due to allergies, medical conditions, and other factors

popular.info/p/the-baby-for…

1. A 5,895 page document released by the Florida Department of Education definitively proves that @GovRonDeSantis LIED about math textbooks for elementary students

Follow this 🧵for the receipts

popular.info/p/ron-desantis…

popular.info/p/ron-desantis… @GovRonDeSantis 2. On April 15, @GovRonDeSantis asserted that a review of math textbooks submitted by publishers found they included "indoctrinating concepts like race essentialism, especially, bizarrely, for elementary school students"

In other words, Critical Race Theory

Interesting that Musk's view of "free speech" allows Musk to comply with repressive regimes that impose far-reaching censorship laws, like China

popular.info/p/elon-musks-c…

https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1523654106745020418

Needless to say, this concept of free speech is completely bankrupt

UPDATE: In an internal email about popular.info's report, @zenogroup CEO @barbysiegel bizarrely claims Zeno was NOT "advising clients to stay silent on abortion rights."

Siegel argues Zeno was simply advocating for a "thoughtful approach"

Follow this 🧵for details

https://twitter.com/JuddLegum/status/1522563650724282368

@zenogroup @barbysiegel 2. Seigel writes that Popular Information's report "misrepresents the intent of our real-time communications counsel sent earlier this week" by pulling "select sentences."

So the problem is that Popular Information quoted the template email Zeno created to send to clients.

1. It's official: @GovRonDeSantis perpetrated a hoax, falsely claiming that dozens of math book publishers attempted to indoctrinate Florida students with Critical Race Theory

He knew this was false

But figured he could get away with it

Follow this 🧵if interested @GovRonDeSantis 2. On April 15 the FL Dept of Education issued a release: "Florida Rejects Publishers’ Attempts to Indoctrinate Students"

DeSantis said publishers included "indoctrinating concepts like race essentialism, especially, bizarrely, for elementary school students

That was a lie

BREAKING: A massive PR firm that represents high-profile corporations like @CocaCola, @Netflix, & @Starbucks is privately advising its clients to avoid commenting on abortion rights, according to an internal email obtained by popular.info

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popular.info/p/pr-giant-adv… @CocaCola @netflix @Starbucks 2. The firm, @zenogroup, created "a template email to share with client contacts."

The template warns that the media "will look for corporations to take a stand" on the repeal of Roe

Zeno recommends its clients stay silent

popular.info/p/pr-giant-adv…

1. Corporations can play a critical role pushing back against state overreach

Corporations were able to force North Carolina to repeal its “bathroom bill” in 2017

But with 20+ states poised to ban most abortions, just 3 companies have spoken out

🧵

popular.info/p/what-corpora… 2. @Levis: “Given what is at stake, business leaders need to make their voices heard and act to protect the health and well-being of our employees. That means protecting reproductive rights”

popular.info/p/what-corpora…

1. Abortion rights for millions will evaporate because anti-abortion politicians have accumulated immense power at the state & federal level

Accumulating that much power is very expensive

Cash from major corporations helped make this happen

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popular.info/p/these-13-cor… 2. To overturn Roe and ban abortion, you need control of the US Senate, state legislatures, and governorships

The three primary committees dedicated to electing anti-abortion politicians to those positions are the @NRSC, @RSLC, and @GOPGovs

popular.info/p/these-13-cor…

1. If the Supreme Court issues a decision repealing Roe, it will eviscerate abortion rights immediately in ~20 states

That's because state officials have enacted laws banning abortion on Roe's repeal

Major corporations are funding the politicians & groups behind these laws

🧵 2. No group plays a bigger role electing anti-abortion Republicans to state legislatures than the @RSLC

Yet corporations who claim to support women's rights have been donating millions to the @RSLC in 2022

popular.info/p/major-corpor…

1. Individuals affiliated with the Chinese government are already demanding Elon Musk change Twitter's policies.

Can Musk stand up to China?

If he does, it'll be the first time.

🧵

popular.info/p/elon-musks-c… 2. The future of Tesla depends on the cooperation of Chinese authorities.

HALF of all Tesla's sold last year were produced in China.

Chinese consumers account for 1/4 of Tesla's sales.

The Chinese gov't could end all of that.

popular.info/p/elon-musks-c…