Farewell, Apple Daily

"Hope begins in the darkness."

The day, June 25th, 2021, will go down to history as one of the darkest days in Hong Kong's history. It's the day that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the Hong Kong government, puppet of the CCP, forced Apple Daily, the last pro-liberty newspaper, to shut down. 

Outspoken Hong Kong tycoon Jimmy Lai founded Apple Daily in 1995. Lai has an extraordinary life. Born in mainland China and determined to escape Communism, he smuggled himself to Hong Kong by hiding in a boat. Lai worked his way up in a textile factory and eventually founded a successful clothing company. After the 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre, Lai became a vocal critic of the CCP. His activism cost his business license in the mainland. Lai sold his clothing company and started a media company called Next Digital. Under the corporate umbrella of Next Media, Lai founded Apple Daily. 

Lai modeled Apple Daily after USA Today with its large and colorful photos. After the United Kingdom returned the control of Hong Kong to Be…