Deep freeze in the heart of Texas
 Good morning! I'm back. I will relay to Scaachi your myriad compliments and, uh, concerns regarding her takeover. — Elamin THE BIG STORY
The long journey to bringing the Capitol rioters to justice
Two stories on this front — the first is that the alleged Capitol rioter photographed with zip tie handcuffs will stay in jail until his criminal case goes forward.
In a 17-page opinion, US District Judge Royce Lamberth in Washington, DC, ruled that Eric Munchel and his codefendant (who is also his mother) Lisa Eisenhart pose "a clear danger to our republic."
The Tennessee man was photographed inside the Capitol on Jan. 6 wearing tactical gear and carrying plastic zip tie handcuffs. Judge Lamberth wrote that, "Munchel has indicated that he would be willing to act against Congress again, and nothing short of pretrial detention can prevent him from doing so."
As for Munchel's mother, the judge described Eisenhart as "a self-avowed, would-be martyr."
Meanwhile, Thomas Caldwell, who allegedly conspired to storm the Capitol with far-right extremist group the Oath Keepers, also has to stay in jail pending trial because a judge said he is a "grave risk to the community."  Win Mcnamee / Getty Images HELP US FIGHT FOR TRANSPARENCY
Our journalists filed 58 Freedom of Information Act lawsuits during Trump's presidency — more than any other media organization in the US. We have no plans to slow down, but pursuing that work is expensive and time consuming.
That's why every BuzzFeed News Membership sign-up or one-time contribution from now until March 15 will go toward our FOIA fund. When you contribute, you'll become a BuzzFeed News member and receive special member-only emails, including an inside look when we publish the next major FOIA scoop. Help us reach our goal of $100,000 for our FOIA fund by contributing here. STAYING ON TOP OF THIS
The White House staffer who made a sexist threat to a reporter has resigned
Okay, stay with me here — a lot of news outlet names to keep straight. Last Friday, Vanity Fair reported that the Biden White House's deputy press secretary TJ Ducklo told a Politico reporter he would "destroy" her when she and a colleague were reporting on Ducklo's relationship with a reporter for Axios.
Ducklo reportedly went on to make a series of sexist comments to the reporter, calling her "jealous" because of an alleged past sexual relationship.
After the story, the White House suspended Ducklo. Then Ducklo said in a statement that after a discussion with White House communications leaders, he decided he would resign. SNAPSHOTS
Biden is planning to scrap Trump's version of the citizenship test that critics said was more confusing. Critics said the Trump-era version lacked transparency, added more than two dozen questions, and included confusing wording changes. For example, the answer to "Who does a U.S. senator represent?" was altered from "all the people" to "citizens of their state."
Why internet sleuths are still obsessed with Elisa Lam's death. A new Netflix docuseries about the Elisa Lam case presents itself as a study of true crime, but it mostly rehashes old conspiracy theories.
Meet the women making inclusive creative spaces for Black joy. Polly Irungu and Shavone Charles are making waves in the photography community, and in the process changing what we see when we turn on our phones. This photo essay / conversation with the pair is a wonderful time.  From the Ramadan in COVID series. Taiwo Aina WAITING FOR CONSEQUENCES
We've got to talk about Joss Whedon
When Buffy the Vampire Slayer was on TV, it was a groundbreaking series. Critics called it "feminist" over and over again. The show's creator, Joss Whedon, was held up as a geeky demigod and feminist hero.
Twenty years later, the reality is a lot more complicated. Buffy still has its brilliant moments, but it does not stand up to scrutiny. Take for example how the show's characters always got punished, in one way or another, for having sex.
And if Buffy's reputation doesn't stand up to scrutiny, neither does its creator's. Last week, former Buffy star Charisma Carpenter wrote that Whedon "abused his power on numerous occasions" and created a "hostile and toxic work environment."
Carpenter's women co-stars quickly rushed to back her up. Most of Buffy's men remained noticeably quiet.
Lauren Strapagiel reflects on Buffy and how the Whedon story was an evolution of long-existing reports of abuse. How has Whedon avoid accountability for so long? COLD IN THE HEART OF TEXAS
This woman's fish tank completely froze because of the winter weather in Texas
You've seen in the news this week that Texas has been wrecked by snow and cold. The state declared an emergency after the extreme conditions and frigid temperatures. Many parts of Texas are without power, and Texan homes aren't prepared for this kind of weather.
At Reni King's home in Amarillo, it was her daughter's fish who fared the worst. King and her family's home lost power a few times, their taps froze, and they ended up in a hotel for a few nights so they could properly care for their infant child.
When King went home to get clothes, she discovered her daughter's fish tank had completely frozen. King made a TikTok of her discovery, and people can't get over the frozen-solid fish tank. The world is hard enough — don't withhold your tenderness, Elamin 📝 This letter was edited and brought to you by Elamin Abdelmahmoud and BuzzFeed News. You can always reach us here.
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