So much has happened this year – the global pandemic, of course, but also political chaos, freak weather and wildfires, and protests everywhere.

So how do we capture 2020? @ReutersGraphics stitched together clippings from the longest year 👇 https://t.co/83ZgiqzV0W 1/13

A surge of retail stock trading over the last year lit the fuse that sent shares of GameStop rocketing higher without a clear business reason, market watchers say, squeezing hedge funds that had bet against the retailer and other companies that were out of favor on Wall Street

What is going on? Here are some answers 👇

More individuals have invested in stocks during the COVID-19 pandemic, and experts cite a number of reasons, including lockdowns boosted savings, stimulus putting cash into people’s pockets and extremely low interest rates

Also, a proliferation of trading apps allowed anyone with a smartphone to buy or sell stocks for free. Retail investors’ participation in U.S. equity order flows increased to nearly 20% in 2020 from 15% in 2019, data from Swiss bank UBS showed

What has been the impact of this surge in retail trading?

Big U.S. technology companies were among the beneficiaries last year. Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix and Google saw record inflows as their businesses benefited from lockdowns and their stocks soared

💵 With unprecedented stimulus and easy money policies from central banks, investors then shifted to smaller stocks, especially ones that got beaten down during the pandemic

U.S. President Biden hailed the ceasefire now in effect between Israel and Gaza, after 11 days of fighting in which he was criticized by fellow Democrats for not speaking out more forcefully against Israeli actions https://t.co/ANjZ6u9OOE

Trump may be best remembered for his use of Twitter as a bully pulpit to stoke controversy or browbeat opponents, but the noise his tweets generated often distracted from the big policy changes he made over his four-year term https://t.co/shNVNMoDfg

During his rollercoaster presidency, the focus was often on what Trump was saying and not on what he was doing. But a review of his policies shows that he had a real effect on people’s lives. Here's a closer look 👇

➖ China:

The Trump administration put China’s rise in the spotlight and helped forge a bipartisan and increasingly adversarial U.S. view of the world’s second-largest economy

From a raft of tariffs on billions of dollars of Chinese imports to sanctions against top officials and a muscular use of penalties against top Chinese companies like Huawei, ZTE, SMIC and TikTok owner ByteDance, Trump hit Beijing on a variety of fronts

Tensions have risen especially over the past year with Trump repeatedly blaming China for the coronavirus, which originated in the city of Wuhan. The two global powers are increasingly at odds over a range of other issues, including Hong Kong, Taiwan and the South China Sea

The chaos inside the U.S. Capitol came after the police force that protects the legislative complex was overrun by a mob of Trump supporters in what law enforcement officials called a catastrophic failure to prepare https://t.co/DqwlosQxKY

The siege of the Capitol represents one of the gravest security lapses in recent history, current and former law enforcement officials said, turning one of the most recognizable symbols of American power into a locus of political violence

While events such as a presidential inauguration involve detailed security plans by numerous security agencies, far less planning went into protecting the joint session of Congress that convened to ratify the results of the 2020 presidential election, officials said

That lapse came despite glaring warning signs of potential violence by hardline supporters of Trump, who are inflamed by his baseless claims of a stolen election and hope to block the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden

And security initially was handled almost entirely alone by the U.S. Capitol Police, a 2,000-member force under the control of Congress and dedicated to protecting the 126-acre Capitol Grounds

One America News, the far-right network whose fortunes and viewership rose amid the triumph and tumult of the Trump administration, has flourished with support from a surprising source: AT&T https://t.co/Jv28zgbXLY via @johnshiffman @specialreports

21 December 2020 #MAGAanalysis #HeMightBeRight

A Shocking Theory - He Might Be Right

Today, we'll finish General Mac's interview with Sarah Westall, here at Twitter: @westall_sarahw. I've made it up to 26:51 in notations and responses so far.



2) As a student of how studying works, I was deeply surprised by yesterday's work. The interview up on one screen, my thread up on the other, I was able to start and stop comfortably. I could look up sources by pausing the interview. I enjoyed it. That shocks me.

3) Mind, I'm NOT saying I did a good job. It was the first time I've ever done that sort of commentary and real time research simultaneously. It's all kind of weird to me. You know, old dogs, new tricks, not easy, but so much fun!

4) From then till now, however, I've noticed an explosion of confusion in our nation over what's actually happening. We're in a fantastically sensitive moment in our history. Who's voice do we listen to, now? This is a tremendous question. Who's voice?

5) Most people don't care as much about theory as I do. I am a theoretician. Some fighting part of me knew, back in 2016, that almost no one was working off a very specific theoretical base. Maybe Trump was right. Allow me to shout:

MAYBE TRUMP WAS RIGHT

That is a theory.

“They’re gonna steal Georgia ! ! !” They ‘have to’ steal it—here’s why. | SOTN: Alternative News, Analysis & Commentary

One of the reasons people don’t know recovery happens through many avenues is because newspapers, TV, and film always promote 12-step recovery as the primary and only means by which one can recover. This is a big problem. 1/9

I also need to highlight that “self-care” is something specific to each individual. In all honesty I still have no idea what it is, what it looks like, or how I deploy it in my life. But I do know what is listed here 👇as self care would not work for me. 2/9

I completely understand that this is just one story focused on one person’s chosen (maybe) recovery path. But as most of us know, when you enter treatment, 12 step ideology will be preached 24/7. 3/9

if you don’t submit you will be labeled dishonest, closed-minded and unwilling. Often this starts a cascade leading down 2 paths. First, you assimilate into 12s culture, tc staff treats you well and gives you outstanding evaluations (which play a significant part in DC date) 4/9

Or the second pathway where you honestly admit 12s just isn’t for you (after all, this is a program of rigorous honesty right?). This path usually leads to public shaming, constant blaming of the patient for not “taking responsibility for cleaning his side of the street.” 5/9

@TheNewEuropean Sorry @TheNewEuropean You are doing exactly what you accuse the BBC News etc of - you have allowed May Freedom to continue Lying with out challange

She knew there had been illegalities in the Referendum

when she wrote and signed her Article 50 Letter

2/ @TheNewEuropean Court Case High Court Wilson v May Feb 2019 Sir James Eadie QC for May - the Prime Minister was aware of illegalities but decided to ignore them and proceed -

He also made it clear that the Referendum was "unlawful"

3/ @TheNewEuropean please if you are to go over Brexit 5 years and you should then at least involve people who watched with intelligence the Lies and misinformation by the MPs

4/ @TheNewEuropean July 2018 just after May in the above Article 50 episode where she knew of illegalities - she rushed to beat the Electoral Commission Report to Parliament - she had been informed by the E-C.
she knew of illegalities and decided to ignore

What does that say

5/ @TheNewEuropean The Electoral Commission Report found Vote Leave had Broken the Law -- reported that there were Serious offences committed that they referred to the Met Police - passed to Crown Prosecution 12 months ago

6/