People ought not have to fear their leaders; leaders ought to fear their people. In too many places, though, this is currently not the case. We can not, and will not stand idly while people are being denied their basic rights and human liberties.
After we published our investigation into the Wang Fuk Court tragedy, we received a message from a student in Hong Kong whose grandmother lived high up in Block F, one of the most severely damaged buildings, and lost her life in the tragedy.
They gave us permission to share their story anonymously, telling us that their family, especially their mother, believes that talking about what they went through has helped them process everything that happened.
So, with their permission, we wanted to give them a platform to share their experience with all of you.
For their family, the nightmare didn't end when the fire was put out.
They had to wait an entire month before they could even confirm that their grandmother had passed away in the tragedy.
While their family desperately searched for answers, the student told us they had already begun losing hope after seeing the condition of Block F on the news.
“Watching the news was truly devastating.”
But their message wasn't only about what happened during the tragedy. They wanted people to know what families have experienced since, and how angry they remain about the way the situation has been handled.
According to the student, months later, residents were finally allowed back into their flats to retrieve important belongings. Each family was given just three hours, and the time it took to climb the stairs was included in that limit.
They told us some residents returned to find things like cups of noodles sitting on their furniture, which they believe suggested other people had entered the flats before residents were allowed back inside.
For families whose flats had survived relatively intact, three hours was nowhere near enough time to recover everything.
The student's own parents returned to their grandparents' flat and found the furniture burned and unrecognizable.
They also told us that the government is now offering to buy residents' flats at prices they believe are far too low to even just compensate them for the belongings lost in the disaster. A disaster that was ultimately caused by the government's refusal to act before it was too late.
And despite everything that happened, the student expressed deep frustration that, in their view, there still hasn't been meaningful accountability.
They alleged that help from Mainland China was rejected during the disaster because authorities said the situation was “not that severe”, despite the escalating severity of the fire.
And after everything their family has experienced, they told us one thing continues to bother them deeply: they believe the tragedy could have been prevented if the government had acted earlier.
“Even though it was clearly their fault, there are no apologies at all.”
But there was another side of this story they desperately wanted people to know about.
While they remain angry at the authorities, they are incredibly grateful to the people of Hong Kong.
Ordinary citizens donated food, clothing, electronics and money. Firefighters risked their lives saving residents and even their pets.
Their teachers noticed they were struggling and began checking in on them, offering encouragement and continuing to support them months later.
Their extended family came together to search for their grandmother and eventually help organize the funeral.
Their grandfather, who left the building around the time firefighters arrived because he was sick, was later treated and, according to the student, offered a place to stay at a non-governmental hospital free of charge.
Their family is doing better today. They've begun accepting the loss of their grandmother and their home.
But acceptance doesn't mean forgetting what happened or ceasing to demand accountability and proper reparations from the government.
We spent months investigating Wang Fuk Court because behind the 168 people who lost their lives are families who have had to live with the consequences of their government's criminal negligence and continued indifference to their suffering.
This is one of those families.
To the student who trusted us with their story, thank you.
And to all the people who stepped up to help these families when their system failed them, your part in this story deserves to be remembered too. ❤️
We did it! Finally, a revised version of the Cobain video has been approved by YouTube and is now live. Let’s just hope it stays that way this time.
We are a bit worried that the new YouTube upload won’t do as well in the algorithm since some people have already watched the original. So if you’re able to do anything to help give this version a boost (watch, like, share, comment, whatever you can), it would be super appreciated.
If we’re going to put any real pressure on the Seattle Police Department to reopen the case, we need videos like this one to reach as many people as possible.
And for anyone who would rather watch the uncut version, it’s still available on our Stacked.
Also, we just want to say thank you to everyone who has been leaving such kind and encouraging messages on our community posts over the past couple of days.
Not gonna lie, it’s been a stressful few days. This video meant a lot to us, and seeing the original get killed after all the work that went into it was incredibly discouraging.
But people like you help us keep going. Thank you ❤️
Update: YouTube still has not approved the new (more censored) revised version. If you're interested, the original version is now on our members page: www.stacked.com/@brew/membership
Overnight, YouTube restricted our Kurt Cobain video.
The one where we outline the recent forensic analysis proving that it is scientifically impossible for his death to have been self-inflicted, and ask for the case to be reopened.
As anyone who saw the original upload knows, we were extremely careful with how we approached sensitive aspects of the case, both in what we showed and how we discussed them. Despite those precautions, the video was still restricted.
YouTube didn’t provide much detail about which specific parts of the video caused the issue, so one of our team members was up all night reviewing the entire video, making additional cuts and censoring anything we thought could potentially conflict with the platform’s guidelines.
We’ve now uploaded that revised version and are waiting to see how it is reviewed.
We understand that YouTube has the difficult responsibility of moderating an enormous amount of content, particularly around sensitive subjects. At the same time, situations like this can be incredibly difficult for investigative channels like ours. When you’ve spent months researching a story and genuinely tried to follow the rules, not knowing exactly what triggered a restriction makes it very difficult to know what needs to be changed.
And the stakes go beyond a single video. This channel is our livelihood. It supports an entire team of people who spend their days researching, writing, editing and producing these investigations. When we don’t know what specifically crossed a line, we’re left trying to make decisions that affect not only what topics we feel we're allowed to talk about, but the people whose livelihoods depend on getting those decisions right.
YouTube has allowed us to build this channel, reach millions of people, and do this work for a living, and we don’t take that for granted. We just hope there can eventually be more transparency and communication for creators trying in good faith to navigate these policies.
For now, we’re waiting to see what happens with the revised video.
If you have thoughts on how we should approach sensitive investigations like this going forward, we’re listening.
Hey folks! Thanks for all the suggestions for the newest Brew’s name! We’ve gone through all your comments, and these seem to be the most popular ones. Now it’s time to vote!
A quick update on the $200,000 Missing Lego story! Is the fight over?
Two days ago, on August 19th, Bricks and Minifigs, along with the Mansell Family released a statement that they've come to a settlement. So what does this mean?
It means that finally, Bryan and his family, including his ailing father, will be made whole. And that's amazing! I'm sure everyone is happy about this, as are we. And that's what this was all about, right?
It was. But there's still more to this mess. While they said Bryan will be dropped from the civil lawsuit, they still haven't dropped the case against @RecklessBen , Victor Nguyen, and potentially others. This is a bigger issue, because this is an attack on Youtubers and Journalists that try to make things right for those who are wronged.
Also what's clear in their statement is that not only do they still not take responsibility, they keep spreading this same message:
"The underlying dispute arose from a consignment contract between the Mansell family and the Salem/Keizer Oregon store. BAM, Baker Salem, Josh Johnson and Brandon Best were not parties to it. The Mansells’ loss arose in part from the sale, accounting, storage and disposition of inventory by the former operator of the store." (full statement attached)
This is a twisting of what @Coffeezilla discovered, and the evidence we showed in our video. Placing all the blame on the Gorman's is factually incorrect. So we need to add to our scoreboard of 'alleged' lies. So let's add 2 to Ammon + Matt! They're still the winners it seems. (see photo)
Hey folks! We wanted to take a moment to share why we made our latest investigation.
Our newest video takes a closer look at the case of Todd Oland, a YouTuber who was accused of freezing a kitten for money. After spending a great deal of time researching the available information, we came away believing there is evidence that deserves far more attention and may support his innocence.
Our goal with this investigation was to help amplify information that never seemed to receive the same attention as the original accusation. While millions of people heard the claims against Todd, far fewer ever had the opportunity to see the evidence that points in a very different direction. We wanted to help change that by presenting the available evidence in one place and encouraging people to examine it for themselves.
Please remember that this video is not a call to target, harass, or threaten anyone mentioned in the case. We encourage respectful discussion and ask everyone to keep the conversation focused on the evidence.
One of the most encouraging parts of making this video was seeing the original person who accused Todd become open to an alternative explanation after taking a closer look at the available evidence. Moments like that remind us why these investigations matter.
We hope this investigation encourages more people to approach stories like this with an open mind and focus on the facts. If it helps even a few more people reconsider Todd’s case and contributes, even in a small way, to clearing his name, then we’ve accomplished what we set out to do.
If you haven’t seen the investigation yet, we’d really appreciate you giving it a watch. And if, after reviewing the evidence for yourself, you believe this story deserves to reach more people, we’d be grateful if you shared it to help spread the information surrounding Todd’s innocence. ❤️
Hey folks! Our latest video about how Reddit accused a man of an unthinkable crime has now been re-uploaded. (See the pinned comment on the video for more details.) Also, YouTube did something special for this episode. They transformed the 👍 Like button just for this video. If you enjoy the investigation and want to support it, give it a try!
Brew
Dear Citizens of the world,
People ought not have to fear their leaders; leaders ought to fear their people. In too many places, though, this is currently not the case.
We can not, and will not stand idly while people are being denied their basic rights and human liberties.
We do not forgive.
We do not forget.
Expect us.
Tomorrow.
3 weeks ago | [YT] | 18,397
View 512 replies
Brew
Hey folks!
After we published our investigation into the Wang Fuk Court tragedy, we received a message from a student in Hong Kong whose grandmother lived high up in Block F, one of the most severely damaged buildings, and lost her life in the tragedy.
They gave us permission to share their story anonymously, telling us that their family, especially their mother, believes that talking about what they went through has helped them process everything that happened.
So, with their permission, we wanted to give them a platform to share their experience with all of you.
For their family, the nightmare didn't end when the fire was put out.
They had to wait an entire month before they could even confirm that their grandmother had passed away in the tragedy.
While their family desperately searched for answers, the student told us they had already begun losing hope after seeing the condition of Block F on the news.
“Watching the news was truly devastating.”
But their message wasn't only about what happened during the tragedy. They wanted people to know what families have experienced since, and how angry they remain about the way the situation has been handled.
According to the student, months later, residents were finally allowed back into their flats to retrieve important belongings. Each family was given just three hours, and the time it took to climb the stairs was included in that limit.
They told us some residents returned to find things like cups of noodles sitting on their furniture, which they believe suggested other people had entered the flats before residents were allowed back inside.
For families whose flats had survived relatively intact, three hours was nowhere near enough time to recover everything.
The student's own parents returned to their grandparents' flat and found the furniture burned and unrecognizable.
They also told us that the government is now offering to buy residents' flats at prices they believe are far too low to even just compensate them for the belongings lost in the disaster. A disaster that was ultimately caused by the government's refusal to act before it was too late.
And despite everything that happened, the student expressed deep frustration that, in their view, there still hasn't been meaningful accountability.
They alleged that help from Mainland China was rejected during the disaster because authorities said the situation was “not that severe”, despite the escalating severity of the fire.
And after everything their family has experienced, they told us one thing continues to bother them deeply: they believe the tragedy could have been prevented if the government had acted earlier.
“Even though it was clearly their fault, there are no apologies at all.”
But there was another side of this story they desperately wanted people to know about.
While they remain angry at the authorities, they are incredibly grateful to the people of Hong Kong.
Ordinary citizens donated food, clothing, electronics and money. Firefighters risked their lives saving residents and even their pets.
Their teachers noticed they were struggling and began checking in on them, offering encouragement and continuing to support them months later.
Their extended family came together to search for their grandmother and eventually help organize the funeral.
Their grandfather, who left the building around the time firefighters arrived because he was sick, was later treated and, according to the student, offered a place to stay at a non-governmental hospital free of charge.
Their family is doing better today. They've begun accepting the loss of their grandmother and their home.
But acceptance doesn't mean forgetting what happened or ceasing to demand accountability and proper reparations from the government.
We spent months investigating Wang Fuk Court because behind the 168 people who lost their lives are families who have had to live with the consequences of their government's criminal negligence and continued indifference to their suffering.
This is one of those families.
To the student who trusted us with their story, thank you.
And to all the people who stepped up to help these families when their system failed them, your part in this story deserves to be remembered too. ❤️
1 month ago | [YT] | 19,551
View 343 replies
Brew
We did it! Finally, a revised version of the Cobain video has been approved by YouTube and is now live. Let’s just hope it stays that way this time.
We are a bit worried that the new YouTube upload won’t do as well in the algorithm since some people have already watched the original. So if you’re able to do anything to help give this version a boost (watch, like, share, comment, whatever you can), it would be super appreciated.
If we’re going to put any real pressure on the Seattle Police Department to reopen the case, we need videos like this one to reach as many people as possible.
And for anyone who would rather watch the uncut version, it’s still available on our Stacked.
Also, we just want to say thank you to everyone who has been leaving such kind and encouraging messages on our community posts over the past couple of days.
Not gonna lie, it’s been a stressful few days. This video meant a lot to us, and seeing the original get killed after all the work that went into it was incredibly discouraging.
But people like you help us keep going. Thank you ❤️
2 months ago | [YT] | 9,741
View 189 replies
Brew
Update: YouTube still has not approved the new (more censored) revised version. If you're interested, the original version is now on our members page: www.stacked.com/@brew/membership
2 months ago | [YT] | 11,759
View 535 replies
Brew
Overnight, YouTube restricted our Kurt Cobain video.
The one where we outline the recent forensic analysis proving that it is scientifically impossible for his death to have been self-inflicted, and ask for the case to be reopened.
As anyone who saw the original upload knows, we were extremely careful with how we approached sensitive aspects of the case, both in what we showed and how we discussed them. Despite those precautions, the video was still restricted.
YouTube didn’t provide much detail about which specific parts of the video caused the issue, so one of our team members was up all night reviewing the entire video, making additional cuts and censoring anything we thought could potentially conflict with the platform’s guidelines.
We’ve now uploaded that revised version and are waiting to see how it is reviewed.
We understand that YouTube has the difficult responsibility of moderating an enormous amount of content, particularly around sensitive subjects. At the same time, situations like this can be incredibly difficult for investigative channels like ours. When you’ve spent months researching a story and genuinely tried to follow the rules, not knowing exactly what triggered a restriction makes it very difficult to know what needs to be changed.
And the stakes go beyond a single video. This channel is our livelihood. It supports an entire team of people who spend their days researching, writing, editing and producing these investigations. When we don’t know what specifically crossed a line, we’re left trying to make decisions that affect not only what topics we feel we're allowed to talk about, but the people whose livelihoods depend on getting those decisions right.
YouTube has allowed us to build this channel, reach millions of people, and do this work for a living, and we don’t take that for granted. We just hope there can eventually be more transparency and communication for creators trying in good faith to navigate these policies.
For now, we’re waiting to see what happens with the revised video.
If you have thoughts on how we should approach sensitive investigations like this going forward, we’re listening.
2 months ago | [YT] | 11,863
View 547 replies
Brew
Hey folks!
Thanks for all the suggestions for the newest Brew’s name! We’ve gone through all your comments, and these seem to be the most popular ones.
Now it’s time to vote!
2 months ago | [YT] | 2,489
View 535 replies
Brew
In our latest episode, many of you finally got to meet the newest Brew in the Brew-niverse! ☕
(And if you haven't seen him yet, make sure to check out our latest episode.)
But what should we name him?
We got Cold Brew, Home Brew... (And we saw some of your comments on the video but sorry no we can't name him The Real Slim Brew 😂)
Leave your ideas in the comments below and help us make it official!
2 months ago | [YT] | 6,666
View 1,000 replies
Brew
A quick update on the $200,000 Missing Lego story! Is the fight over?
Two days ago, on August 19th, Bricks and Minifigs, along with the Mansell Family released a statement that they've come to a settlement. So what does this mean?
It means that finally, Bryan and his family, including his ailing father, will be made whole. And that's amazing! I'm sure everyone is happy about this, as are we. And that's what this was all about, right?
It was. But there's still more to this mess. While they said Bryan will be dropped from the civil lawsuit, they still haven't dropped the case against @RecklessBen , Victor Nguyen, and potentially others. This is a bigger issue, because this is an attack on Youtubers and Journalists that try to make things right for those who are wronged.
Also what's clear in their statement is that not only do they still not take responsibility, they keep spreading this same message:
"The underlying dispute arose from a consignment contract between the Mansell family and the Salem/Keizer Oregon store. BAM, Baker Salem, Josh Johnson and Brandon Best were not parties to it. The Mansells’ loss arose in part from the sale, accounting, storage and disposition of inventory by the former operator of the store." (full statement attached)
This is a twisting of what @Coffeezilla discovered, and the evidence we showed in our video. Placing all the blame on the Gorman's is factually incorrect. So we need to add to our scoreboard of 'alleged' lies. So let's add 2 to Ammon + Matt! They're still the winners it seems. (see photo)
If you have no idea what we're talking about, be sure to check out our video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDl4A...
2 months ago | [YT] | 3,048
View 80 replies
Brew
Hey folks! We wanted to take a moment to share why we made our latest investigation.
Our newest video takes a closer look at the case of Todd Oland, a YouTuber who was accused of freezing a kitten for money. After spending a great deal of time researching the available information, we came away believing there is evidence that deserves far more attention and may support his innocence.
Our goal with this investigation was to help amplify information that never seemed to receive the same attention as the original accusation. While millions of people heard the claims against Todd, far fewer ever had the opportunity to see the evidence that points in a very different direction. We wanted to help change that by presenting the available evidence in one place and encouraging people to examine it for themselves.
Please remember that this video is not a call to target, harass, or threaten anyone mentioned in the case. We encourage respectful discussion and ask everyone to keep the conversation focused on the evidence.
One of the most encouraging parts of making this video was seeing the original person who accused Todd become open to an alternative explanation after taking a closer look at the available evidence. Moments like that remind us why these investigations matter.
We hope this investigation encourages more people to approach stories like this with an open mind and focus on the facts. If it helps even a few more people reconsider Todd’s case and contributes, even in a small way, to clearing his name, then we’ve accomplished what we set out to do.
If you haven’t seen the investigation yet, we’d really appreciate you giving it a watch. And if, after reviewing the evidence for yourself, you believe this story deserves to reach more people, we’d be grateful if you shared it to help spread the information surrounding Todd’s innocence. ❤️
3 months ago | [YT] | 9,572
View 269 replies
Brew
Hey folks! Our latest video about how Reddit accused a man of an unthinkable crime has now been re-uploaded. (See the pinned comment on the video for more details.)
Also, YouTube did something special for this episode. They transformed the 👍 Like button just for this video. If you enjoy the investigation and want to support it, give it a try!
3 months ago (edited) | [YT] | 8,762
View 118 replies
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