I write Popular Information, an independent newsletter dedicated to accountability journalism. | judd@popular.info | Signal/Text: 202-599-7124 | DMs open
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Sep 16 • 10 tweets • 4 min read
1. In the wake of the murder of Charlie Kirk, his admirers are venerating him as a principled champion of free speech.
Ironically, some of the same people are participating in an organized campaign demanding that anyone with a different view of Kirk's political legacy be fired.
2. This effort has been extremely successful. Dozens of people have been fired for expressing opinions about Kirk that others deem unacceptable.
1. Trump and his allies have concocted a series of lies about the horrific murder of a 23-year-old woman in Charlotte in a transparent effort to secure an advantage in a critical North Carolina race that could swing control of the U.S. Senate.
It's nasty stuff.
Follow this thread for details.
2. On August 22, Iryna Zarutska was fatally stabbed while riding the train in Charlotte.
Decarlos Brown Jr., a 34-year-old with a history of mental illness, has been charged with first-degree murder.
1. CBS has hired Ken Weinstein as an ombudsman to review its news coverage for "bias"
Weinstein has no experience overseeing or producing news
A comprehensive review of his public statements, however, shows he has another qualification: undying loyalty to Trump
2. In the Summer 2018 edition of the journal Horizons, Weinstein wrote that Trump's 2016 election represented a victory in the "battle to reclaim American patriotism" from "elites."
1. Jared Kushner is taking TENS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS annually from Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern governments
Simultaneously, Kushner is playing a CENTRAL ROLE in shaping Trump's Middle East policy
It's a massive conflict. And a scandal. That's getting scant attention
2. On Monday, Kushner met in Miami with Steve Witkoff, Trump's Middle East envoy, and Ron Dermer, a top advisor to Netanyahu. The trio reportedly discussed a new proposal for a ceasefire and "day after" plans.
1. If passengers book a flight from the EU and it is canceled or significantly delayed, they are entitled to cash compensation — $300 to $700.
In the US, flyers were supposed to get similar rights soon.
But those plans have been scrapped by the Trump administration.
Here's how it happened.
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2. In May 2023, Biden announced a new rule to require airlines to pay passengers for delayed or canceled flights. Travelers in the US would receive $200 to $775.
1. Monday was a landmark day in one of the most brazen political and economic grifts in history.
It netted Trump, at least on paper, $3.4 BILLION.
Follow this thread for details.
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2. Trump launched World Liberty Financial and its crypto token (WLFI), about a year ago. At the time, the Biden administration considered such tokens illegal, unregistered securities.
1. Since Roe was overturned, Republican AGs have engaged in aggressive legal campaign to limit abortion not only in their states, but across the nation.
These efforts are being financed by major American corporations — including CVS, United HealthCare, Airbnb, and the parent company of Coachella2. In a fundraising email sent the day Roe was overturned in 2022, RAGA pledged: "Every donation will help Republican Attorneys General combat the Democrats' pro-abortion agenda and stand tall for life."
1. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth reposted a video last week advocating repealing women's the right to vote
It was a window into Hegseth's extreme Christian Nationalist ideology which he is imposing on 3 million military service members and civilian employees.
Let's dig in.
2. The video is an interview w/pastor Doug Wilson
Hegseth belongs to a church in Wilson's network
Hegseth's response — "All of Christ for All of Life" — means Christianity should dominate everything, including gov't
1. This week, the FBI released its comprehensive crime report for 2024, which revealed that both VIOLENT CRIME and PROPERTY CRIME reached their LOWEST LEVELS SINCE THE 1960s
This a massive story. But you might not have heard about it, even if you follow the news closely.
Here's why. 2. First, lets go back to September 28, 2021, when the FBI released the same report covering 2020 and it showed the largest increase in murders since data began being collected in 1960.
It was FRONT PAGE NEWS in the New York Times and the Washington Post.
Aug 4 • 9 tweets • 3 min read
1. On February 24, Extremity Care LLC, a company that sells very expensive bandages made from placentas, donated $5 MILLION TO TRUMP'S SUPER PAC
Days later, Trump froze a pending rule that would BAR MEDICARE FROM COVERING EXTREMITY CARE'S PRODUCTS, which are overpriced & not backed by science. 2. 6 DAYS after receiving Extremity Care's $, Trump blasted the rule on Truth Social. The post absurdly claimed the rule would result in 187,286 deaths annually.
1. The Everglades detention camp, known as Alligator Alcatraz, has become a LEGAL BLACK HOLE.
Hundreds of people are being held at the facility without charges, without access to attorneys, and without the ability to contest their detention in court.
2. The plaintiffs in a class action lawsuit filed an emergency motion last Friday arguing the treatment of detainees at the Everglades detention camp violates the Fifth Amendment right to due process.
1. DONALD TRUMP'S NEW CLAIMS ABOUT EPSTEIN CONTRADICT HIS PAST STATEMENTS
Yesterday, Trump said he kicked Epstein out of Mar-a-Lago shortly after he "stole" 16-year-old Virginia Giuffre from his spa. That was in 2000.
But in 2019, Trump's lawyer admitted Epstein remained a member until 2007
2. Also, Trump called Jeffrey Epstein "a terrific guy" who is "a lot of fun to be with" in an October 2002 New York Magazine article. That was two years after Epstein "hired" 16-year-old Giuffre, an Epstein victim.
1. Axios' Mike Allen & Jim VandeHei insist they NEVER expresses opinions on political topics
They describe their reporting as "clincal"
So, how did they cover the first 6 months of Trump? "President Trump, in terms of raw accomplishments, crushed his first six months in historic ways," they wrote2. Allen and VandeHei listed Trump's "wins": "Massive tax cuts. Record-low border crossings. Surging tariff revenue. Stunning air strikes in Iran. Modest inflation." It's "the very best chapter of his presidency"
1. According to President Trump, large American cities are crime-infested hellholes.
Last month, Trump claimed that cities run by Democrats have “heavy crime” and called Los Angeles a “trash heap...under the control of transnational gangs and criminal networks.”
The data tells a different story
2. Trump blames the alleged crime wave on cities that have limited cash bail.
So let's look at some cities run by Democrats that have recently imposed bail reform.
On April 24, @elonmusk's Neuralink falsely self-certified as a "small disadvantaged business" on a federal filing, a designation that qualifies the company for preferential treatment as part of a racial and ethnic diversity initiative. 2. Details and receipts, including a link to download the original filing here:
There is a massive scandal that almost all media outlets are ignoring.
It involves a new Trump Tower that will be constructed in Bucharest.
Follow this thread for details.
2. Historically, the media have covered any hint of financial entanglements between a U.S. president and foreigners as a scandal meriting extensive coverage.
In the 1990s there was Chinagate. In 2016, foreign donations to the Clinton Foundation. Then Hunter Biden's foreign income.
Jul 16 • 9 tweets • 2 min read
1. We interrupt this programming for some LEGITIMATELY GOOD NEWS
Violent crime in Baltimore has PLUMMETED to historic lows
How did the city do it?
Baltimore adopted a comprehensive set of "woke" policies, treating violence as a public health issue
2. In April, Baltimore had the fewest homicides (5) in 50 yrs!
In 2025, homicides are down 22%, & non-fatal shootings were down 19%
This follows a 23% drop in homicides & a 34% drop in non-fatal shootings in 2024
1. Former Congressman Alex Mooney (R-WV) stepped down in January after spending a decade in Congress.
A few weeks later, video obtained by Popular Information reveals, he was working at a lobbying firm.
2. Mooney joined a webinar on February 27 with the Christian Employers Alliance.
The president of the CEA said that Mooney had joined the lobbying firm Capitol South and would soon be "representing CEA on the Hill."