Cross-Examination

• Twitter vs. Trump: Over the weekend, a third tranche of Twitter Files was released and reported by three journalists tapped by CEO Elon Musk in his ongoing action to expose the social media company’s speech-suppressing behavior. The latest files reveal the buildup to the infamous decision to ban Donald Trump from the platform days after the January 6 Capitol riot. According to Matt Taibbi, these files show “the erosion of standards within the company in [the] months before J6, decisions by high-ranking executives to violate their own policies, and more, against the backdrop of ongoing, documented interaction with federal agencies.” Furthermore, the files reveal that both FBI and DHS officials were in regular contact with Twitter leadership for months leading up to the 2020 election and months after. Twitter execs engaged in the suppression of specific speech, such as the Hunter Biden laptop story, at the encouragement of the federal government. But it wasn’t only the FBI/DHS that Twitter listened to; it was a slew of public figures such as Michelle Obama, who publicly called for Trump’s banning from the platform on January 7. Journalist Michael Shellenberger notes that both “internal and external pressure” played into Twitter’s decision to ban the former president, despite the fact that doing so ran afoul of its own policies. It is apparent that Twitter employees’ political bias more than anything else accounts for Trump being banned. Shellenberger observes, “In 2018, 2020, and 2022, 96%, 98%, & 99% of Twitter staff’s political donations went to Democrats.” He also notes that Twitter’s former Head of Trust and Safety Yoel Roth tweeted in 2017 that there were “ACTUAL NAZIS IN THE WHITE HOUSE.” Revelations of Twitter employees’ political bias motivating its speech censorship comes as little surprise to conservatives, who have long been ringing the alarm bells. Thankfully, these claims are now being confirmed.

• McCarthy vows subpoenas for 51 “Russian disinformation” agents: On Saturday, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy responded to the Twitter Files revelations of government agents colluding with Twitter to censor speech. It is “egregious what we’re finding” out, McCarthy stated. He plans on a hearing involving “those 51 intel agents that signed a letter that said the Hunter Biden information was all wrong — was Russia collusion” because “many of them have a security clearance." He then asked: "Why did they sign it? Why did they lie to the American public? A Clapper, a Brennan? Why did you use the reputation that America was able to give to you more information, but use it for a political purpose and lie to the American public?” McCarthy is eying a bid to become the next House speaker and has made holding Big Tech accountable one of his main goals.

• Lockerbie bomber now in U.S. custody: A Libyan suspected of being the individual who made the bomb that blew up Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, in 1988 has been detained by U.S. officials. The bombing killed 270 people, including 11 people on the ground and 259 aboard the Boeing 747, most of whom were U.S. nationals. Prior to 9/11, it was the deadliest terrorist attack against Americans. It remains the deadliest terrorist attack on British soil. To date, only one individual has been convicted for his role in the bombing — Libyan intelligence officer Abdelbaset al-Megrahi. However, back in 2009, al-Megrahi was freed after it was revealed he was suffering from terminal cancer. He died in Libya in 2012. Two years ago, the U.S. announced charges against Libyan Abu Agila Mohammad Masud for his role in the bombing. For the last 10 years, Masud has been in prison in Libya for unrelated bomb-making charges. During this time, he confessed to Libyan officials to having built the Pan Am Flight 103 bomb. Masud, now in U.S. custody, will the be first suspect to face trial on American soil for the Lockerbie bombing.

Headlines

• Elon Musk calls for prosecution of Anthony Fauci, teases bombshells on COVID censorship (Washington Examiner)

• White House denies involvement in Twitter censorship despite “direct contact” on COVID “misinformation” (Fox Business)

• Jim Crow 2.0? Democrats redouble voter suppression claims despite record high turnout in Georgia (Washington Times)

• “Destroyed my life”: Retired Navy SEAL Chris Beck, who came out as “trans,” announces detransition (NY Post)

• Pete Buttigieg has taken at least 18 taxpayer-funded private flights (Fox News)

• A fusion breakthrough that could change the world (National Review)

• Unhappy New Year: CBO forecasts poor economy, soaring deficits in 2023 (Daily Signal)

• Republican Kari Lake files lawsuit in bid to overturn Arizona election (CNBC)

• Policy: U.S. foreign aid: The gift that keeps on giving (FEE)

• Policy: Black homicide rates are back at ‘90s levels. The problem isn’t guns. (Daily Signal)

• Satire: Jack Dorsey defiantly states he has never heard of Twitter (Babylon Bee)

For more editors’ choice headlines, click here.