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☆ DeSantis's team would have 'preferred the internet had not broken' during the governor's campaign announcement on Twitter, leaked audio shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-27 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | Lloyd Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Ron DeSantis's campaign team held a donor briefing on Thursday at Four Seasons Hotel Miami. The event was held a day after the governor's glitch-filled campaign announcement on Twitter. Members of the campaign team gave talking points on how to spin the Twitter meltdown. "We all know we definitely would have preferred that the internet had not broken, without question," a member of DeSantis's campaign team said in the audio. One team member surmised that most candidates would have "melted" under the pressure of people waiting for the announcement to kick off.

☆ Fact Check-Image of George Soros in the background of Ron DeSantis photo is digitally altered
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-26 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

An image appearing to show billionaire George Soros seated at a table in the background of a photograph of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is altered. The image shows DeSantis standing alongside pundit John Cardillo, with what appears to be Soros viewable in the background seated at a round table. Examples of the altered image shared online can be seen (here) and (here). Michael Vachon, a spokesperson for Soros, told Reuters that Soros was not at the fundraiser. The altered image surfaced after DeSantis officially announced his bid for the White House on May 24 (here).

☆ Elon Musk Is Right About George Soros—and Not Anti-Semitic
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Alan M. Dershowitz | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/articles/elon-musk-is-right-about-george-soros-and-not-anti-semitic-hrw-j-street-israel-b7db935b

☆ Opinion: What happened to Elon Musk?
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Opinion Frida Ghitis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Appalled, Enes Kanter Freedom, the Turkish-born former NBA player, a fierce critic of Erdogan, told CNN, “I don’t want to hear about Elon Musk talking about free speech ever again. It turns out Musk’s free speech absolutism is less than absolute. Absurdly, he now says, “By ‘free speech,’ I simply mean that which matches the law.” So, if a tyrant makes a law banning criticism, will Musk believe that muzzling its critics conforms with free speech? Beyond his free speech hypocrisy, there’s the vanishing aura of Musk as the thoughtful futurist concerned about humanity’s fate. Soros, Musk wrote – to almost 140 million Twitter followers – “wants to erode the very fabric of civilization.

☆ A new CEO won’t fix Twitter’s biggest problem
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Clare Duffy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

New York CNN —During his six months as Twitter’s CEO and owner, Elon Musk decimated its ad business, alienated some news publications and VIP users, and plunged the platform into a constant state of chaos. But she may struggle to address Twitter’s biggest problem: Elon Musk. On Tuesday, Musk said he “didn’t care” if his controversial tweets drew the ire of Twitter advertisers or Tesla shareholders. She may struggle to undo the damage Elon Musk has done to the company's ad business. That could only add to the difficulty Yaccarino will face in shoring up Twitter’s business.

☆ Stanley Druckenmiller piles into these A.I. plays and other technology stocks
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Yun Li | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Billionaire investor Stanley Druckenmiller bought into a few stocks tied to artificial intelligence last quarter, while piling into a handful of other names in the tech sector, according to a new regulatory filing. Druckenmiller said last week these two bets were his way of getting exposure to the booming AI space. He thinks that AI could be a fruitful opportunity for investors, especially when the economy comes out of what he thinks is an imminent downturn. The investor also built a sizable stake in Alphabet, another AI play, making it one of his top 10 holdings. Amazon was another new bet for Druckenmiller, who built an $84 million stake at the end of March.

☆ Tesla’s governance autopilot heads for disaster
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Jonathan Guilford | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

It’s a vulnerable time for such pronouncements when the market Tesla (TSLA.O) effectively created threatens to overtake it. The stock price has tumbled some 60% since November 2021 compared to a 12% decline in the S&P 500 index (.SPX). A more deferential approach to Musk might have made sense during Tesla’s meteoric rise, when its mere existence bucked convention. The Department of Justice has initiated a probe into Tesla’s self-proclaimed “self-driving” capabilities, which have been involved in fatal crashes. Heeding advice from ISS and Glass Lewis would at least be a place to start, because leaving governance on autopilot also can have dangerous consequences.

☆ Elon Musk misquoted 'The Princess Bride' when asked why he keeps tweeting political opinions and antisemitic conspiracy theories: 'If we lose money, so be it'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

In an interview with CNBC that aired Tuesday, Elon Musk was asked about his tweeting. Musk said he'll say what he wants to say even if it leads to him, Tesla, or Twitter losing money. During an interview with CNBC's David Faber, Musk was asked about why he tweets the way he does. Faber pointed to a tweet from Monday in which Musk said Soros "wants to erode the very fabric of civilization" and "hates humanity." Faber asked why Musk continued to tweet such things and share his political opinions even though Tesla customers and Twitter advertisers may not agree with him.

☆ Elon Musk says he's a 'pro-Semite, if anything' when questioned about his public attacks on George Soros
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Aditi Bharade | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

His comments came after he compared George Soros to the "X-Men" villain Magneto on Monday. Elon Musk tried to defend his statements on the Jewish billionaire George Soros a day after likening Soros to a comic-book villain. On Monday, Musk tweeted that Soros reminds him of the "X-Men" villain, Magneto, while claiming that Soros "hates humanity." Musk then doubled down on his criticism of Soros, saying he thinks it's true that Soros does hate mankind, but offered no further substantiation for the claim. —nikki mccann ramírez (@NikkiMcR) May 16, 2023Musk's tweet on Monday saying "Soros reminds me of Magneto," has been viewed 39 million times as of press time.

☆ Elon Musk claims George Soros ‘hates humanity.’ The ADL says Musk’s attacks ‘will embolden extremists’
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Chris Isidore | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

While Musk’s remarks don’t mention the billionaire philanthropist’s ethnicity, Musk was criticized for dangerous rhetoric that could potentially fuel further attacks on Soros. When a Twitter user defended Soros as having good intentions which are criticized by those who disagree with his politics, Musk responded, “You assume they are good intentions. Attacks on Soros have increased in recent years alongside a broader increase in incidents of antisemitic attacks. Studies by the ADL and the Center for Countering Digital Hate found that the volume of hate speech on Twitter has grown dramatically under Musk’s stewardship. He most recently sold 22 million shares in December.

☆ Elon Musk said George Soros reminds him of 'X-Men' mutant Magneto in a bizarre tweet about the oft-maligned billionaire
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Aditi Bharade | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Elon Musk tweeted that George Soros reminds him of the "X-Men" mutant Magneto. Musk also claimed without substantiation that Soros "hates humanity." His tweet on Monday, which offered no context for his comparison, simply stated: "Soros reminds me of Magneto." Soros hates humanity." Representatives of Musk and Soros did not immediately respond to Insider's requests for comment sent outside regular business hours.

☆ DeSantis defends fundraising for the ex-Marine who fatally choked Jordan Neely in subway: 'Vets look out for other vets'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

DeSantis shared a fundraising page for Penny over the weekend, raising $2 million for his defense. "Vets look out for other vets," DeSantis said when asked about it Tuesday. Ron DeSantis of Florida defended ex-Marine Daniel Penny as having done the "right thing" after he fatally choked Jordan Neely on a New York City Subway. Protests ensued in New York City, and the story became national news as it touched on race, homelessness, crime, and mental health treatment. Crime in New York City is higher than before the COVID-19 pandemic, statistics show.

☆ Elon Musk: 'I'll say what I want, and if the consequence of that is losing money, so be it'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Mike Calia | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Elon Musk told CNBC's David Faber on Tuesday that if his inflammatory tweets scare away advertisers from Twitter, he will accept that. "I'll say what I want, and if the consequence of that is losing money, so be it," said Musk, who owns Twitter. Musk replied defensively as Faber pressed him over a tweet Monday night in which he likened liberal billionaire George Soros to X-Men villain Magneto, a Jewish Holocaust survivor. Soros, who is also Jewish, is a favorite target of right wing pundits and politicians and often the subject of anti-Semitic attacks. For years, Musk has tweeted controversial items, including conspiracy theories and comments his critics have called broadly discriminatory.

☆ Fact Check-George Soros ‘alive and healthy’ on May 15, 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Billionaire financier George Soros said he is “alive and healthy” on May 15, 2023, after viral posts on social media falsely claimed he died after a heart attack. Scores of social media posts claiming Soros died, including here and here, prompted confusion among users. A spokesperson for George Soros told Reuters on May 15 that Soros was alive and healthy and that rumors on social media that he suffered a heart attack are false. Soros himself also tweeted that he is “alive and healthy” and that the rumour is false (here). George Soros was alive and healthy on May 15, 2023, according to Soros and a spokesperson for the financier.

☆ Morning Bid: Debt ceiling jitters, Turkey vote, Soros ditches Tesla
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

President Joe Biden is meeting Congressional leaders on Tuesday to try to hash out a compromise to raise the debt limit and avoid a catastrophic default. A regulatory filing on Friday from the family office of George Soros showed the 92-year old billionaire investor has sold his entire stake in Tesla. Soros bought shares in the electric vehicle maker, run by Elon Musk, in 2022, as well as convertible bonds in 2018. Soros wasn't alone in pulling out of some of the pandemic-era darlings in the first three months of the year. Friday's regulatory filing showed he loaded up on other big tech stocks, including Netflix, Uber, chipmaker Qualcomm and cloud-based data company Snowflake - which fellow 92-year old investor Warren Buffett bought into back in 2020.

☆ Stanley Druckenmiller says A.I. could win big coming out of a recession, and he's bullish on Nvidia
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Yun Li | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

"It could be a beautiful opportunity in a hard landing just like '01, '02 ... a beautiful opportunity when the tech bubble bursts. NVDA YTD mountain Nvidia "My firm has only been able to participate in AI by owning Nvidia and Microsoft," Druckenmiller said. "It's not even clear to me if we had a really bad recession, that Nvidia would even come down." And now we have a big hike in interest rates." The Federal Reserve has hiked interest rates for 10 times since last year, taking the fed funds rate to a target range of 5%-5.25%, the highest since August 2007.

☆ Victory Day analysis: Putin tried to project strength, but Moscow parade revealed only his isolation
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Nathan Hodge | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —For Russian President Vladimir Putin, this year’s Victory Day parade in Red Square was a chance to continue his war on history. It has become a pawn to their cruel and selfish plans.”Despite the pomp of the parade, Putin cuts an increasingly isolated figure. In Russia, Putin and his regime have destroyed these values. A lone Soviet-era T-34 tank leads the procession in Moscow in contrast to the large array of military hardware on display on previous Victory Day parades. “Victory Day is the victory of our grandfathers,” he said.

☆ ‘Ron DeSoros’? Conspiracy Theorists Target Trump’s Rival.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Stuart A. Thompson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

To some, he is “Ron DeSoros,” a puppet of the Democratic megadonor George Soros. But he is finding that the conspiracy theories and outlandish attacks that Mr. Trump and his allies have aimed at rivals for years are coming for him as well. The attacks underscore the power that conspiracy theories continue to hold over Republican politics heading into the 2024 presidential election. To win the party’s nomination, Mr. DeSantis would probably need support from a Republican base that has produced many of the attacks against him. And while Mr. DeSantis enjoys broad support among Republicans, soaring to re-election victory just six months ago, the latest primary polls show Mr. Trump gaining a sizable lead.

New York CNN —Facebook’s parent company Meta announced Wednesday that it has taken down a network of more than 100 China-based accounts that posed as organizations in the US and Europe and pushed pro-Beijing talking points. The network, which had more than 15,000 followers on Meta’s platforms, appears to have had some financial resources behind it. The fake accounts also posted “negative commentary about Uyghur activists and critics of the Chinese state,” it said. “We’re keeping a close eye” on the Chinese influence operations heading into the 2024 election, the official said. Ahead of the 2022 US midterm election, FBI officials expressed concern that Chinese operatives appeared to be engaging in “Russian-style influence activities” that stoke American divisions.

A person who works with the group, American Edge Project, told CNBC that the $34 million was from Facebook. A Meta spokesman declined to comment and referred CNBC to American Edge instead. The person who works with American Edge told CNBC that the $4 million was also entirely from Facebook. American Edge launched a wave of TV and digital ads from late 2020 through 2021, taking on antitrust proposals. American Edge spent over $5 million between TV and digital ads in 2021, according to data from AdImpact.

☆ Big money donors rally behind Biden as he launches his reelection bid
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Brian Schwartz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Big donors in the business world started rallying around President Joe Biden soon after he announced Tuesday that he's running for reelection next year. A Biden campaign spokesperson didn't return a request for comment before publication. Katzenberg told CNBC in an exclusive interview Tuesday night that he believes the Biden campaign will raise more this time around than in 2020. Biden's campaign raised over $400 million from donors that gave under $200 during his last run for president, according to OpenSecrets. Venture capitalist Ron Conway has told friends he will help the president's campaign, according to a person close to him.

☆ Protesters stormed the stage and yelled 'Jews against DeSantis' while the Florida governor spoke at a GOP fundraising event
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-15 | by ( Hannah Getahun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Two protesters ran up on stage during a GOP event while Governor Ron DeSantis was speaking. The protesters shouted "Jews against DeSantis" before they were carried off stage. In a video posted to Twitter, two people with signs reading "Ron DeSantis: Loves Israel, Hates Jews" briefly make it on stage before immediately being grabbed by security and escorted away from the governor. You got to have a little fun," DeSantis said, as the pair were directed away from the governor. A representative for DeSantis and the New Hampshire Republican Party did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

☆ The GOP risks blowing its 2024 chances by enlisting fringe pols and pushing issues normal voters don't care about
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-08 | by ( Madison Hall | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The New York Times reported Trump wanted to hire far-right xenophone Laura Loomer to his campaign. The potential hire shows how far the Republican Party has moved from the median voter. It's just another example of how out of touch the Republican Party has become with the average voter. The Republican Party has yet to win the popular vote in presidential elections since 2004. Should the party keep hiring oddballs and pursuing culture war issues while failing to address substantive issues affecting the country, it's unclear that will change.

☆ Hours from his own arraignment, Trump says Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg should 'INDICT HIMSELF'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Donald Trump said on Monday evening that Alvin Bragg should "INDICT HIMSELF." District Attorney Bragg just illegally LEAKED the various points, and complete information, on the pathetic Indictment against me," Trump wrote on Monday. "Now, if he wants to really clean up his reputation, he will do the honorable thing and, as District Attorney, INDICT HIMSELF," added Trump. It is also unclear what information Trump was referring to when he wrote on Monday about "various points" and "complete information" being leaked. Representatives for Trump and the Manhattan district attorney's office did not immediately respond to Insider's requests for comment sent outside regular business hours.

☆ Trump raised more than $4 million within 24 hours following grand jury indictment, his campaign says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-01 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Trump's campaign said it raised more than $4 million after he was indicted. It said that the influx of grassroots donations demonstrated the American people's support for Trump. "This incredible surge of grassroots contributions confirms that the American people see the indictment of President Trump as a disgraceful weaponization of our justice system by a Soros-funded prosecutor," the statement said. The campaign said the donations further solidified Trump's status as "the clear frontrunner in the Republican primary." Trump and his campaign have repeatedly lashed out at Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and tried to frame the indictment as a political attack.

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