Best of Truthdig’s Live Blogs 2016: First Drafts of History Bring Shock, Sadness and Hope

From top left, clockwise: Donald Trump at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland; #NoDAPL water protectors and police at Standing Rock in North Dakota; Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton debate in Miami; and the scene outside the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, Fla. (Carolyn Kaster / AP; Donald Kaufman / Truthdig; CNN; Orlando Police / Twitter)

Editor’s note: From Dec. 23 through New Year’s Eve, Truthdig is running a roundup of the top 10 stories of 2016 in the following categories: Live Blog, A/V Booth, Report, Book Review, Ear to the Ground, Cartoon, Film Review, Live at Truthdig and Truthdigger of the Week.

Live blogs are the first draft of history. Some of the news in our top 10 list this year was scheduled, like the many presidential candidate debates and the Republican and Democratic national conventions. Other events were unforeseen, like the Pulse nightclub slayings in Orlando, Fla., and the ambush on Dallas police that left five dead. Other stories were unfolding, such as the U.K.’s Brexit vote and the #NoDAPL fight, which will continue in 2017.

10. Donald Trump Ends His Show in Cleveland With Now-Familiar Pitch The GOP presidential nominee closed the Republican National Convention with his trademark pledge: I will make America great again. Now, we will find out if he can deliver on this promise or if he is just a great salesman.

9. Are Big-Business Subsidies Corporate Welfare or Good for the Economy? Kate Gordon, vice chair of climate and sustainable urbanization at the Paulson Institute, and Michael Lind, co-founder of New America, won the debate as progressive icon Zephyr Teachout and felonious ex-lobbyist Jack Abramoff failed to convince a Manhattan audience that taxpayer subsidies for corporations should be eliminated.

8. 50 Dead at LGBT Nightclub in Orlando, Fla., in Worst Mass Shooting in U.S. History The gunman who launched an attack at the Pulse bar was described by some as a confused gay man, and the death toll broke a horrific record. President Obama addressed the nation, and state and local law enforcement officials began the process of dealing with life after a terrible tragedy.

7. After Days of Political Controversy, Presidential Nominees Hold Their Ground in Second Debate Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton fielded questions about issues that rocked their campaigns. By showing some discipline in his performance, Trump may have staved off political disaster.

6. #NoDAPL Battle: Standing Rock Water Protectors Inspire Solidarity Around the World Thousands of military veterans traveled to Cannon Ball, N.D., in early December and helped Native Americans halt construction on the Dakota Access pipeline. Though the reprieve may be temporary, the people-powered resistance movement continues to grow.

5. Hillary Channels Bernie to End Democratic Corporate Charade in Philadelphia The former secretary of state became the first woman to accept a major-party presidential nomination in U.S. history. However, the convention closed as it opened: on a divided note, with many disenchanted “Sandernistas” refusing to support her.

4. Five Officers Dead in Dallas Shooting as Slain Suspect Said He Wanted to Kill ‘White People’ More gun violence erupted in July. This time the victims were law enforcement personnel. The shooter was Micah Johnson, 25, a Dallas-area resident and Army veteran who had fought in Afghanistan. He was killed in the police response.

3. A Conversation on Privacy With Noam Chomsky, Glenn Greenwald and Edward Snowden Finding the right balance between national security and individual rights has remained a challenge since the Patriot Act was enacted in 2001. In March, Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor (Chomsky), co-founding editor of The Intercept (Greenwald) and NSA whistleblower (Snowden) discussed the subject of privacy in a panel organized by the Center for Democracy and Technology.

2. Brexit: Brits Vote for the United Kingdom to Leave the European Union So much for the U.K. remaining united. The long, confusing and controversial campaign ended with a shocking result and led to the resignation of British Prime Minister David Cameron.

1. Bernie Sanders Wins Democrats’ Eighth Debate as Hillary Clinton Remains Prisoner of Caution Some people call CNN the Clinton News Network, and the mainstream media bias for Hillary (the corporate favorite) was obvious in Miami on March 9. But after winning the Michigan primary in an upset, Sanders (the anti-establishment choice) continued his unexpected rise.