Gideon Resnick

Lai had the chance to flee Hong Kong, but stayed to fight the accusations in court.

Speaking from his home in 2020, he reflected on his journey to the BBC.

For critics, Lai's conviction demonstrates Beijing's brutal intolerance for the freedom of expression that was once a core part of Hong Kong's cultural identity.

Tom Grundy is the editor-in-chief of Hong Kong Free Press, a donor-funded outlet launched to provide independent journalism for its residents.

He spoke to us about the trial and its implications.

Grundy said Lai's journey to the top of Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement was an unlikely one.

But in 2020, Hong Kong was changed forever with that national security law we mentioned.

It criminalized dissenting acts and diminished the region's autonomy.

Lai's tabloid, Apple Daily, No Relation, had its assets frozen, its headquarters were raided, and Lai's rise to Hong Kong's elite ended abruptly in metal chains.

Now he awaits sentencing, but his health is deteriorating, and Lai's family has urged foreign governments to lobby Beijing on his behalf.

President Trump told Fox in August that he would do everything he could to help Lai, but as of yet, there's no sign of progress.

And as for the future of journalism in Hong Kong, Grundy said the risks have grown.

Over the weekend, Hong Kong's last major opposition party, the Democratic Party, voted to disband as members reported pressure from China.

Now to a story that examines a trend at dollar stores across the United States.

It's been a year of strong sales for these discount brands.

And stores like Dollar General and Dollar Tree noted growth even among higher earners, as many look for ways to reduce their expenses.

But even though the discounts are there, the total at checkout can sometimes be a surprise.

The Guardian investigated this trend across the country and found that a combination of understaffing, poor inventory controls, and misleading sales pricing is causing many people to overpay.

Jocelyn Zuckerman, one of the reporters on the story, spoke to us about it.

These inspections are part of a regulatory process that involves state government employees who are quite literally sometimes carrying a laptop and a scanner gun, like the one that you might see at a checkout.