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☆ After another chaotic week on Twitter, some users are nostalgic for the pre-Elon Musk days
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Kahlan-Rosenblatt.Jpg | Kalhan Rosenblatt | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

Twitter is not dead — but some of its users are already mourning what the platform was, before Elon Musk's takeover. As the site descends further into chaos, users are getting nostalgic and sharing their favorite memories of "old school Twitter." On Thursday, she asked her followers to share a “happy Twitter memory,” and said the responses affirmed her appreciation for pre-chaos Twitter. “Somebody said, ‘I used to think that queer people were sinning ... and now I don’t because of Twitter,’” Crozier said. There were users who pointed out that Twitter, pre-Musk, had been referred to as a “hellsite“ where users “doomscrolled“ for hours.

☆ Crypto exchange FTX warns of bankruptcy if it's unable to plug a shortfall of up to $8 billion: report
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried told investors that the exchange faces a shortfall of up to $8 billion, per Bloomberg. FTX needs emergency funding or it will face bankruptcy, Bankman-Fried told investors, per Bloomberg. FTX faces a shortfall of up to $8 billion and was trying to raise $4 billion to stay solvent, Bloomberg reported. "I f---ed up," Bankman-Fried told investors, the media outlet reported. He repeatedly told investors Binance wasn't giving up on the deal, according to Bloomberg.

☆ Trolls are already abusing Elon Musk's new Twitter verification system, impersonating everyone from George Bush to O.J. Simpson
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Twitter's new verification system is already being abused by trolls impersonating public figures. Neither Bush nor Blair have personal Twitter accounts, but are verified through their foundations. Other examples of fake but verified accounts causing trouble soon after the new verification system came in included a user pretending to be O.J. "I'm ngl I did that shit," the verified account "ThaReal0J32" tweeted, attracting over 55,000 likes before it was deleted. The fake Bush account also responded to tweets about fake verified accounts saying: "Jed [Bush's younger brother] is smarter than Elon."

☆ Crypto whizkid Justin Sun says he's working with FTX to find a 'solution' after Binance dumped its rescue deal
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( Zahra Tayeb | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Crypto whizkid Justin Sun said he and FTX are 'putting together a solution' after the Binance deal collapsed. FTX needs $8 billion and bankruptcy is likely without more capital, its CEO Sam Bankman-Fried said. Binance dumped its takeover deal for FTX saying the issues were beyond its ability to help. But he didn't say whether this would rescue FTX as a company or only provide support around the Tron-related tokens on the exchange. Bankman-Fried told FTX employees he was exploring all options for the company after the Binance deal collapsed, Reuters reported Wednesday.

☆ Kathy Griffin suspended from Twitter for impersonating Elon Musk
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( Donie O'Sullivan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

New York CNN Business —Twitter has suspended comedian Kathy Griffin for impersonating the company’s new owner, Elon Musk. Musk has made an $8 Twitter subscription plan his signature bid to bolster the company’s revenue. Comedian Sarah Silverman used her verified account to troll Musk, copying his profile picture, cover image and name. “This will be clearly identified as a condition for signing up to Twitter Blue,” he tweeted. Musk mocked Griffin Sunday, quipping that “she was suspended for impersonating a comedian.” Musk also tweeted that Griffin could get her account back by paying $8 a month for Twitter Blue, although it wasn’t clear whether Musk was serious.

☆ Twitter staffers are sleeping in the office—ex-Apple engineer who worked on the iPhone says it's totally unnecessary
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( Tom Huddleston Jr. | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

For some Twitter employees under Elon Musk, sleeping in the office appears to be an absolute must — the physical embodiment of the tech industry's "hustle culture." It's also totally unnecessary, says Ken Kocienda, a former Apple software engineer and designer who helped build the first iPhone and iPad. "I was on these [Apple] teams from the earliest stages and I never once came close to sleeping at the office. It's not an essential part of doing great work," he wrote in a Twitter post on Sunday. The "hustle porn" trend of tech founders and executives bragging about working around the clock and sleeping in their offices is nothing new.

☆ Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Mark Ruffalo among those criticizing Elon Musk's $8 a month Twitter subscription plan
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-06 | by ( Mirna Alsharif | Mirna Alsharif Is A Breaking News Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a New York Democrat, and actor Mark Ruffalo are among those who have taken to Twitter to criticize Elon Musk's potential plan to charge users $8 a month for identity verification and what it means for free speech. She also shared a screenshot of her Twitter notifications under the "verified" tab appearing blank. Actor Mark Ruffalo retweeted AOC's post, asking Musk to "get off Twitter." The actor also retweeted AOC's tweet last week in which she criticized the $8 a month subscription plan, saying it's bad for advertising. After criticizing the subscription plan Friday, Ruffalo tagged Musk in a retweet of an article on the climate crisis minutes later asking him to focus on "what really matters."

☆ Twitter delays $8 ‘blue check’ verification plan until after the midterms
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-06 | by ( Jennifer Korn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

New York CNN Business —Twitter is delaying the rollout of account verifications for its paid Twitter Blue subscription plan until after the midterm elections, a source with knowledge of the decision confirmed to CNN. A fresh Twitter account created by CNN that opted for the paid feature did not show the checkmark on its public profile. The decision to delay the rollout comes as the entire decision to charge users for verification has faced wide public backlash. Television actress Valerie Bertinelli similarly changed her account name to the Twitter CEO’s, tweeting Friday that “[t]he blue checkmark simply meant your identity was verified. Musk has also said he will limit the company’s content restrictions and require the paid subscription for account verification.

☆ Actress Valerie Bertinelli 'becomes' Elon Musk, trolling the billionaire on Twitter to prove a point about blue check verification system
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-06 | by ( Bethany Biron | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Valerie Bertinelli posed as Elon Musk on Twitter this weekend to show flaws in his newly proposed verification system. After changing her display name, she posted dozens of tweets in support of Democratic candidates. Several celebrities — including Shonda Rhimes and Sara Bareilles — have expressed plans to leave Twitter since Musk took over, citing concern with his leadership. "The blue checkmark simply meant your identity was verified," Bertinelli wrote on Twitter after changing her name. As "Elon Musk," she posted hashtags like #VoteBlueToProtectYourRights and shared tweets supporting gubernatorial contenders Gretchen Whitmore in Michigan and Beto O'Rourke in Texas, among others.

☆ Musk's Twitter updates app to start charging $8 for blue checkmark
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-05 | by ( Rhea Binoy | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File PhotoNov 5 (Reuters) - Twitter on Saturday updated its app in Apple's App Store to begin charging $8 for sought-after blue check verification marks, in Elon Musk’s first major revision of the social media platform. The change comes a week after Musk took over the social media company in a $44 billion deal. It was not immediately clear how or if Twitter planned to verify the identity of the user beyond charging a fee. Twitter Blue will roll out in India in "hopefully less than a month," Musk tweeted in reply to a question from a follower. As of Saturday, the update to Twitter Blue remained at the old price of $4.99.

☆ Twitter launches $8 monthly subscription with blue checkmark
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File PhotoNov 5 (Reuters) - Twitter Inc on Saturday launched a subscription service for its social media platform for $8 a month that includes the blue checkmark "verified" badge, offering an updated version on Apple’s App Store. In an update to Apple iOS devices, Twitter said those who "sign up now" can receive the sought-after blue checkmark next to their user names, "just like the celebrities, companies and politicians you already follow." A blue check mark next to a person's user name means Twitter has confirmed that the account belongs to the person or company claiming it. Twitter's update said the new service with verification will be available in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. However, according to a tweet from Twitter's early stage products executive Esther Crawford on Saturday, the new Twitter Blue service is available but has not yet gone live.

☆ The GOP has Paul Pelosi’s blood on its hands
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( Arick Wierson | Arick Wierson Is A Six-Time Emmy Award-Winning Television Producer | A Former Senior Aide To Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. He Advises Political | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

The whole thing highlights how while the suspect, David DePape, may have invaded the Pelosi home, the GOP also bears its share of responsibility for it. It would be a mistake not to see how DePape was radicalized (at least in part) by a right-wing media that does the bidding of a Republican Party. Although some Republicans, such as Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, did the right thing and publicly condemned the attack on Paul Pelosi, others on the right jumped at the chance to get some digs in. Following the attack on Paul Pelosi, Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.), said it best: “Somebody is going to die.” That’s very well what could have happened last week at the Pelosi residence. I came here to have a little chat with his wife,” DePape said he told Paul Pelosi, according to the memo.

☆ Fact Check-As voter registration mailers trigger claims of ‘dead voters’ in Texas, officials and experts say there are safeguards in place against voter impersonation
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

Allegations that voter registration applications sent to deceased voters in Texas equate to or would lead to voter fraud are circulating on social media ahead of the U.S. midterms. The Texas Secretary of State stressed that there are multiple safeguards in place against voter impersonation. If someone received an application addressed to a deceased voter, to actually commit voter fraud, they would still need to: complete the application, request a mail-in ballot and ultimately, cast that ballot. “It would seem unlikely, but not impossible to acquire these pieces of information and then receive, complete and return a mail ballot for the deceased voter. The use of non-official datasets containing outdated information could result in some mailers being sent to deceased voters.

☆ Fact Check-CNN did not report Trump died on Nov. 1, 2022
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A screenshot of an alleged report attributed to CNN entitled “Donald Trump dead at 76” has duped some social media users. See you in hell, my man,” one Twitter user commented. The earliest iteration of the image Reuters could identify was posted by Twitter user “@mylifeisabiglie” (here) in response to a tweet by Heidecker. Social media claims that former U.S. President Donald Trump died likely originated as satire. Read more about our work to fact-check social media posts here .

☆ Elon Musk might bring back Vine, a predecessor of TikTok shut down by Twitter
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( David Ingram | David Ingram Covers Tech For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

The possible Vine revival shows the breadth of product ideas — including old ones — that Musk is toying with in his first week heading up Twitter. A person who works for Twitter said exploratory discussions are happening within the social network about a possible Vine revival, which was first reported by Axios. Musk also solicited ideas about how to make a revived Vine better than TikTok. But some said it wouldn't necessarily be easy to bring Vine back after Twitter shut it down in 2016. When Vine didn't take off, Twitter shut it down in 2016, prompting Pornhub to make a joke bid and one of Vine's founders to express regret he ever sold it.

☆ How baseless conspiracy theories about the attack on Nancy Pelosi's husband spread into the GOP mainstream
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Conspiracy theories spread fast after Nancy Pelosi's husband was attacked in their home. He also asserted that the motive for the attack was unclear, although the attacker published a blog expressing support for far-right conspiracy theories and told police he wanted to break Nancy Pelosi's knees. Carlson's monologue alluded to conspiracy theories about the attack that spread across social media over the weekend, the goal of which seems to be to absolve Republicans of blame for possibly inspiring the attacker. DePape he said, is "a man who committed political violence because he was consumed by these right-wing conspiracy theories about how depraved the left is, and they're turning it into a new conspiracy theory about how depraved the left is." They also claimed police statements suggested that a third individual had let police into the property to stop the attack.

☆ Donald Trump Jr posts 'Paul Pelosi Halloween costume' image mocking hammer attack on House Speaker's husband
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Donald Trump Jr. shared a joke image mocking the attack on Paul Pelosi. He retweeted an image late Sunday night that shows a hammer lying on top of a pair of white underpants with the comment: "Got my Paul Pelosi Halloween costume ready." Trump Jr. wrote: "The internet remains undefeated … Also if you switch out the hammer for a red feather boa you could be Hunter Biden in an instant." San Francisco Police said Paul Pelosi was "violently assaulted" in the couple's California home early on October 28. Paul Pelosi was hospitalized with a fractured skull and is expected to make a full recovery, Pelosi's office said.

☆ Federal affidavit debunks wild far-right conspiracy theories about the attack on Paul Pelosi amplified by Elon Musk, Ted Cruz and Marjorie Taylor Greene
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( Nicole Gaudiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

A federal affidavit debunks far-right conspiracy theories about the attack on Paul Pelosi. Paul Pelosi was hospitalized with a skull fracture but is expected to fully recover. The attacker entered the bedroom and said he wanted to talk to "Nancy," according to the affidavit. The affidavit, however, explains that Paul Pelosi had said in the call the man who identified himself as David was waiting for Nancy Pelosi, and he didn't know him. Jenkins also said the attacker was looking for Nancy Pelosi and that reports that a third person was at the home were untrue.

Elon Musk set the tone for his first full day as head of Twitter with a response to @catturd2. “I will be digging in more today,” Musk tweeted in response Friday morning. As of Friday morning, Trump’s account was still suspended, and trending topics included everything from the news of the day (Paul Pelosi) to culture (#FridayFeeling, Rihanna). “Elon” was one of the top trending topics of the morning, and many conservative influencers who had been critical of Twitter’s moderation were already celebrating what they saw as a tectonic shift. Those downloads, however, are still less than 5,000 per day, while Twitter often still sees hundreds of thousands of downloads per day, according to Adam Blacker, vice president of insights at Apptopia.

☆ Ye mural in Chicago, where he grew up, covered after antisemitic comments
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( Chantal Da Silva | Chantal Da Silva Is A Breaking News Editor For Nbc News Digital Based In London. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

A Chicago mural celebrating Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, and his roots in the city has been painted over as the artist continues to face backlash over his recent antisemitic comments. Video shared on social media appeared to show the West Loop mural being painted over with black paint. "Very crazy I’m witnessing this right now.. they’re painting over the Kanye mural in Chicago," the Twitter user who posted the video wrote. Later footage captured by NBC Chicago showed the final product, with Ye's image transformed into a silhouette. In addition to the Chicago mural being covered, the Wieners Circle, a local eatery famed for its mean customer service, made clear Ye was not welcome at the establishment.

☆ Twitter staff react to Elon Musk's takeover: 'I am fully expecting him to fire 69% of us on Friday at 4:20 p.m.'
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Twitter employees have expressed fear about their jobs after Elon Musk sealed his takeover deal. Musk has reportedly sacked CEO Parag Agrawal and three other top Twitter executives. The billionaire, who's the world's richest person, has fired at least four top executives including CEO Parag Agrawal, Insider and others reported Thursday. It was during this hour-long coffee meeting with about 40 Twitter employees that Musk denied the 75% layoffs figure, according to Bloomberg. Other Twitter employees used the #OneTeam hashtag to express solidarity.

☆ White House chief of staff Ron Klain warned after Hatch Act violation flagged by former Trump official Stephen Miller
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( Emma Kinery | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain received a warning for violating the Hatch Act after he retweeted a political group's post from his government Twitter account. The Hatch Act prohibits government officials from using government resources for political activities. Miller was not the only member of the Trump administration to violate the Hatch Act during his time in office. Jean-Pierre herself is cautious about running afoul of the Hatch Act. She frequently reminds reporters from the White House briefing room podium that she cannot comment on political issues because of the act.

Since 2013, this is how many people have been killed and injured in school shootings, according to a school shooting tracker that NBC News is making public. The tracker focuses on the segment of school shootings where an active shooter, with intent to harm, injures or kills at least one student or faculty member during school or at a school event. Read the full NBC News criteria for school shootings, including the FBI’s definition of an active shooter, below. The NBC News school shooting tracker includes shootings that meet these criteria:One or more active shooters. Shooting events are recorded and evaluated as new information becomes available, and are added to our published dataset of school shootings when it’s determined an incident meets the NBC News standard for school shootings.

☆ Sen. Ted Cruz brutally mocked at Yankees game and heckled by audience member on 'The View'
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-24 | by ( Nicole Gaudiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

New Yorkers have been greeting Sen. Ted Cruz with a firehose of expletives. Fans at Yankee Stadium delivered insults and middle fingers Sunday as Cruz cheered on the Houston Astros. More heckling followed Monday on "The View," with censors cutting the audio on an audience member who was cheered for yelling "F--- you." The crowd was just as unruly at Yankee Stadium. Cruz is seen in a photo waving as one fan gives him a thumbs down and others give him the middle finger.

☆ Fact Check-No evidence illustration in 1962 Italian magazine aimed to “preview” life in 2022
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Contrary to posts on social media, there is no evidence that the image, published in a 1962 issue of Italian magazine La Domenica del Corriere, aimed to “preview what the world could look like in 2022”. Another recent example is viewable (here)Similar allegations connecting the illustration with the COVID-19 pandemic were addressed by multiple fact-checking organizations in 2020 (here here)La Domenica del Corriere was a weekly supplement to Italian newspaper Corriere Della Serra. The Corriere della Sera Foundation, according to their website, preserves an archive with “all the covers of the magazine”. Corriere della Sera Foundation did not respond to a Reuters request for comment. According to Poeta, the illustration was a back cover issued on Dec. 16, 1962 (here).

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