Vivek Ramaswamy and Elon Musk lament combat 'among old men' in Ukraine

Jenny Goldsberry

July 28, 07:36 PM July 28, 07:36 PM

Vivek Ramaswamy participated in an interview with Elon Musk on Friday to explore the most up-to-date in Ukraine.

The job interview was aired on X, previously recognized as Twitter, by means of its Spaces feature that makes it possible for for dwell discussions equivalent to a radio job interview. Ramaswamy and Musk have been vocal in their respective X posts about their opposition to any U.S. intervention in the war amongst Russia and Ukraine. Billionaire David Sacks was also highlighted as a host for the dialogue, which at 1 level had around 47,000 listeners and 7,000 opinions.

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"The factor that bothers the heck out of me is that I think it was in April of the initial 12 months of the war, in April 2022, Zelensky was completely ready to occur to the table for peace negotiations," Ramaswamy claimed. "And then the U.S. convinces Zelensky to battle on by declaring, 'No, no, we are heading to arm you.' I believe that was in fact the true miscalculation. ... We have created this worse, is my issue actually, relative to the two nations just performing it out amongst them selves."

"We will need to also glance at Ukraine and Russia not as Russia is pure devil and Ukraine is pure angel. There are no angels in war," Musk claimed. "As we discuss, the flower of Ukrainian youth is dying in trenches. So there far better be a damn great reason for that. It basically has to make any difference. Why are these boys battling? For what?"

"Do they really want to be there both? Why are these younger men dying?" Musk would go on to talk to. "Because of disagreements amid previous adult men."

Ramaswamy is going through off in opposition to eleven other Republican candidates for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination. As the youngest candidate, Ramaswamy has certified to appear at the to start with RNC discussion on Aug. 23 with his put together polling quantities and 70,000 particular person donors. Through the Spaces conversation, Ramaswamy uncovered that 40% of his contributors made their initial donation to the Republican Bash in supporting him.

This is the 3rd presidential candidate for 2024 that has participated in a Areas dialogue, right after Democratic prospect Robert F. Kennedy and GOP prospect Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL). Musk uncovered Friday that his platform X has acquired a new regular higher of buyers at over 541,000,000.

New Twitter rules expose election offices to spoof accounts

May 07, 04:55 PM May 07, 04:55 PM

NEW YORK (WHD) — Tracking down accurate information about Philadelphia’s elections on Twitter used to be easy. The account for the city commissioners who run elections, @phillyvotes, was the only one carrying a blue check mark, a sign of authenticity.

But ever since the social media platform overhauled its verification service last month, the check mark has disappeared. That’s made it harder to distinguish @phillyvotes from a list of random accounts not run by the elections office but with very similar names.

The election commission applied weeks ago for a gray check mark — Twitter’s new symbol to help users identify official government accounts – but has yet to hear back from the Twitter, commission spokesman Nick Custodio said. It’s unclear whether @phillyvotes is an eligible government account under Twitter’s new rules.

That’s troubling, Custodio said, because Pennsylvania has a primary election May 16 and the commission uses its account to share important information with voters in real time. If the account remains unverified, it will be easier to impersonate – and harder for voters to trust – heading into Election Day.

Impostor accounts on social media are among many concerns election security experts have heading into next year’s presidential election. Experts have warned that foreign adversaries or others may try to influence the election, either through online disinformation campaigns or by hacking into election infrastructure.

Election administrators across the country have struggled to figure out the best way to respond after Twitter owner Elon Musk threw the platform’s verification service into disarray, given that Twitter has been among their most effective tools for communicating with the public.

Some are taking other steps allowed by Twitter, such as buying check marks for their profiles or applying for a special label reserved for government entities, but success has been mixed. Election and security experts say the inconsistency of Twitter’s new verification system is a misinformation disaster waiting to happen.

“The lack of clear, at-a-glance verification on Twitter is a ticking time bomb for disinformation,” said Rachel Tobac, CEO of the cybersecurity company SocialProof Security. “That will confuse users – especially on important days like election days.”

The blue check marks that Twitter once doled out to notable celebrities, public figures, government entities and journalists began disappearing from the platform in April. To replace them, Musk told users that anyone could pay $8 a month for an individual blue check mark or $1,000 a month for a gold check mark as a “verified organization.”

The policy change quickly opened the door for pranksters to pose convincingly as celebrities, politicians and government entities, which could no longer be identified as authentic. While some impostor accounts were clear jokes, others created confusion.

Fake accounts posing as Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, the city’s Department of Transportation and the Illinois Department of Transportation falsely claimed the city was closing one of its main thoroughfares to private traffic. The fake accounts used the same photos, biographical text and home page links as the real ones. Their posts amassed hundreds of thousands of views before being taken down.

Twitter’s new policy invites government agencies and certain affiliated organizations to apply to be labeled as official with a gray check. But at the state and local level, qualifying agencies are limited to “main executive office accounts and main agency accounts overseeing crisis response, public safety, law enforcement, and regulatory issues,” the policy says.

The rules do not mention agencies that run elections. So while the main Philadelphia city government account quickly received its gray check mark last month, the local election commission has not heard back.

Election offices in four of the country’s five most populous counties — Cook County in Illinois, Harris County in Texas, Maricopa County in Arizona and San Diego County — remain unverified, a Twitter search shows. Maricopa, which includes Phoenix, has been targeted repeatedly by election conspiracy theorists as the most populous and consequential county in one of the most closely divided political battleground states.

Some counties contacted by The said they have minimal concerns about impersonation or plan to apply for a gray check later, but others said they already have applied and have not heard back from Twitter.

Even some state election offices are waiting for government labels. Among them is the office of Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows.

In an April 24 email to Bellows’ communications director reviewed by The , a Twitter representative wrote that there was “nothing to do as we continue to manually process applications from around the world.” The representative added in a later email that Twitter stands “ready to swiftly enforce any impersonation, so please don’t hesitate to flag any problematic accounts.”

An email sent to Twitter’s press office and a company safety officer requesting comment was answered only with an auto-reply of a poop emoji.

“Our job is to reinforce public confidence,” Bellows told the WHD. “Even a minor setback, like no longer being able to ensure that our information on Twitter is verified, contributes to an environment that is less predictable and less safe.”

Some government accounts, including the one representing Pennsylvania’s second-largest county, have purchased blue checks because they were told it was required to continue advertising on the platform.

Allegheny County posts ads for elections and jobs on Twitter, so the blue check mark “was necessary,” said Amie Downs, the county’s communications director.

When anyone can buy verification and when government accounts are not consistently labeled, the check mark loses its meaning, Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold said.

Griswold’s office received a gray check mark to maintain trust with voters, but she told the WHD she would not buy verification for her personal Twitter account because “it doesn’t carry the same weight” it once did.

Custodio, at the Philadelphia elections commission, said his office would not buy verification either, even if it gets denied a gray check.

“The blue or gold check mark just verifies you as a paid subscriber and does not verify identity,” he said.

Experts and advocates tracking election discourse on social media say Twitter’s changes do not just incentivize bad actors to run disinformation campaigns — they also make it harder for well-meaning users to know what’s safe to share.

“Because Twitter is dropping the ball on verification, the burden will fall on voters to double check that the information they are consuming and sharing is legitimate,” said Jill Greene, voting and elections manager for Common Cause Pennsylvania.

That dampens an aspect of Twitter that until now had been seen as one of its strengths – allowing community members to rally together to elevate authoritative information, said Mike Caulfield, a research scientist at the University of Washington’s Center for an Informed Public.

“The first rule of a good online community user interface is to ’help the helpers.′ This is the opposite of that,” Caulfield said. “It takes a community of people who want to help boost good information, and robs them of the tools to make fast, accurate decisions.”

SEE IT: Guy Pearce apologizes for 'insensitive' tweet questioning transgender casting

Julia Johnson

April 02, 06:56 PM April 02, 06:56 PM

Actor Guy Pearce has apologized after recently questioning the standards surrounding the casting of transgender characters in film and television productions.

Pearce initially questioned the logic employed by those who suggest that only transgender-identifying actors should portray transgender characters. After receiving backlash, the Australian actor tweeted out a lengthy apology for the "insensitive" tweet.

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"I posted a tweet yesterday that I shouldn’t have, which to prevent upsetting anyone else I have now deleted. A fuller apology and explanation of the point I was raising is attached," he wrote.

He wrote in the attached statement that, “I see that raising the question of gender identity within the casting process on a platform like Twitter was not a good idea.”

“For that, I apologize, enormously. I acknowledge it has only stirred up and inflamed attitudes and made us all dig our heels in,” he added.

“Our industry is already a cesspool of politics, bums on seats funding, nepotism, and favoritism. It’s clear a great many minority communities are underrepresented onscreen and that so too are actors from those communities. But I don’t believe artists should have to announce their personal identity, sexual preference, political stance, disability, religious beliefs, etc. to attain work," Pearce continued.

However, he didn't cede his point entirely.

"I believe that to suggest 'acting' can only come from our own lived experience annihilates our imagination," he said.

The actors original tweet read: “A question – if the only people allowed to play trans characters r trans folk, then r we also suggesting the only people trans folk can play r trans characters?” he wrote in the since-deleted tweet. “Surely that will limit ur career as an actor? Isn’t the point of an actor to be able play anyone outside ur own world?”

Pearce's career launched after his appearance in the 1994 movie The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert where he, ironically enough, portrayed a drag queen.

The actor said he has been asked on several occasions whether it was appropriate for him to take the role. He further explained that this sparked his curiosity, prompting the tweet.

FTC orders Big Tech to address surge in ads promoting scams and fraudulent products

Christopher Hutton

March 16, 04:02 PM March 16, 04:02 PM

The Federal Trade Commission ordered some of the biggest social media and streaming companies to provide them with information on how scammers and fraudsters use their platforms to sell and trade deceptive goods.

The agency on Thursday issued orders to Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Youtube, Snap, Twitter, Pinterest, and Twitch to provide information about their standards related to ad screening and monitoring. The companies were also told to give information on ad revenue about categories, such as healthcare and fraud, more prone to fraudulent behavior.

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"Social media has been a gold mine for scammers who tout sham products and other scams that have cost consumers enormously in recent years," said Samuel Levine, Director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection, in a statement. "This study will help the FTC ensure that social media and video streaming companies are doing everything they can to keep scammers and deceptive ads off their platforms."

Fraud reports have been on the decline. The Consumer Sentinel Network received 2.4 million fraud reports in 2022, a reduction compared to 2021's 2.9 million reports.

The FTC has been particularly interested in Big Tech companies in the last term. The agency has pressed Twitter to probe whether it is complying with a May 2022 consent order and attempted to block Meta's acquisition of a virtual reality developer — a suit that was shot down by a judge in February.

Alex Berenson, who won legal fight with Twitter, given internal documents by Musk

Christopher Hutton

January 07, 04:36 PM January 07, 04:36 PM

A vaccine skeptic who won a legal battle with Twitter over his suspension has been given access to documents about the Big Tech company's content moderation and censorship practices by its new owner, Elon Musk.

Alex Berenson, an independent journalist and controversial critic of the public health establishment, is releasing the next edition of what Musk and his allies have dubbed the Twitter Files, a series of internal documents that detailed the company's past dealings and business efforts.

Berenson has criticized the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines and the government and academic response to the pandemic, making him popular among vaccine skeptics and some conservatives. Berenson was banned from Twitter but successfully sued to have his account reinstated under allegations that the ban occurred due to pressure from the White House.

"Guess who’s coming to dinner? The first meal is already plated. And it’s delicious…" Berenson tweeted Friday alongside an image teasing details about Twitter's approach to handling COVID-19 misinformation.

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He followed the tease with a post on his Substack, saying he headed to San Francisco for his "first peek" at the files at the invite of Musk to look over "Covid-related documents."

"Beyond that, I agreed to no conditions on how I will use the information from the files. I can write what I like and do not have to preclear anything with Musk or anyone else. I will redact the names of low-level Twitter employees who were not in decision-making roles - I agreed to this condition in my lawsuit discovery too."

Berenson sued Twitter in Dec. 2021 over its decision to suspend his account in August 2021 after it was mentioned directly by White House officials. He was reinstated by Twitter in July 2022 as part of a settlement between the two parties. While other conservatives have sued Twitter over being banned, Berenson's claim was unique due to the pressure by government officials to remove his account.

Previous versions of the Twitter Files noted how both the Trump Administration and Biden Administration made efforts to quell COVID-19 misinformation, including communications with Twitter. They also detailed communications between the FBI and Twitter regarding foreign threats, the company's handling of Hunter Biden's laptop, and the decision to remove former President Donald Trump from the platform.

Twitter sued for not paying rent at San Francisco HQ as workers complain of no toilet paper and body odor

Luke Gentile

January 02, 10:53 AM January 02, 10:54 AM

Twitter is facing a lawsuit after reportedly failing to pay its rent for the company's San Francisco headquarters.

The social media giant owes its landlord $136,260 in unpaid rent, the suit filed Thursday by Columbia Property Trust reads.

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Twitter's San Francisco headquarters has been the site of rampant cost-cutting following Elon Musk's purchase and takeover of the platform, according to a report, and the company's failure to pay rent was first alleged in early December.

Musk had wanted to renegotiate Twitter's lease in the wake of mass layoffs, per reports.

A wide array of staffers, including cleaning and security services, lost their jobs in the San Francisco and New York offices, and, in the former, Musk condensed Twitter's headquarters from four floors to two, the report noted. As a result of the absence of janitorial services, some employees have resorted to bringing their own toilet paper. The newly condensed space has further reportedly caused the smells of food and body odor to settle in.

Similar actions have occurred in the platform's Sacramento office, while the office in Seattle has been closed, and more layoffs are expected by employees.

Musk finalized his $44 billion purchase of Twitter in October.

Twitter Files: White House pushed Twitter to censor COVID-19 'misinformation'

Misty Severi

December 26, 01:31 PM December 26, 01:31 PM

The White House pressured Twitter to suppress tweets that included "misinformation" about the COVID-19 pandemic, even when Twitter users shared information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the latest string of bombshells from the Twitter Files, the current White House "rigged the COVID debate" by censoring information that was "inconvenient to government policy," discrediting doctors and experts who disagreed with the administration's narrative, and by suppressing ordinary users, including those who shared data from the CDC, journalist David Zweig tweeted Monday.

TWITTER FILES: TECH GIANT WAS IN 'CONSTANT AND PERVASIVE' CONTACT WITH FBI

The campaign to suppress misinformation about the pandemic began under former President Donald Trump, Zweig said, but was continued under President Joe Biden. Biden's administration focused on removing the accounts of "anti-vaxxers," including former New York Times reporter Alex Berenson, who was banned in June of 2021.

“It doesn’t stop infection. Or transmission. Don’t think of it as a vaccine,” Berenson tweeted about the COVID-19 vaccine. “Think of it — at best — as a therapeutic with a limited window of efficacy and terrible side effect profile that must be dosed in advance of illness.”

Two doctors were among the experts banned by the platform after one claimed that children or adults who already had the virus did not need the vaccine. The other was banned for claiming that the virus was less dangerous for children than the flu, which Zweig claimed was “legitimate but inconvenient to the public health establishment’s narrative about the risks of flu versus COVID in children.”

The White House shared its discontent with Twitter's lack of "aggressive" action against those who questioned the vaccine and its critics as recently as earlier this month, according to Zweig, who cited Twitter's head of U.S. public policy.

Zweig also determined that Twitter's moderation was largely done by bots or contractors in places such as the Philippines, where their lack of medical expertise contributed to a large number of errors in its censorship. However, high levels of bias among former Twitter leadership also contributed to the censorship, according to Zweig.

The latest report comes after previous revelations showed that the CIA, FBI, and other government agencies had pressured Twitter to cave to political pressure. The report is part of the "Twitter Files," which refers to the investigation from new Twitter CEO Elon Musk into the previous happenings of the social media platform, including Twitter's handling of Hunter Biden's laptop, the blacklisting of certain conservative accounts, and the decision-making process relating to Trump's suspension.

Elon Musk spotted with Jared Kushner at World Cup final

Brady Knox

December 18, 03:56 PM December 18, 04:19 PM

Billionaire Elon Musk was spotted at the World Cup final in Qatar with Trump White House senior adviser Jared Kushner.

Musk announced his presence in a tweet at the start of the highly anticipated match, which he then proceeded to live-tweet coverage of. The Tesla founder and new Twitter CEO was seated next to former President Donald Trump's son-in-law Kushner. Musk did not say whether the two attended the match together. Several Arab spectators were seated around them.

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Musk and Kushner's relationship prior to the match is unknown. Musk famously had a social media spat with his father-in-law earlier this year.

Musk was also spotted interacting with people outside of his immediate vicinity. He reached down from his luxury box to greet other audience members in one video. In another, he was filmed shaking several people's hands.

Musk seemed to have a good time at the final, giving enthusiastic reactions on Twitter to many of the game's soon-to-be legendary plays.

"Duel in the Desert. Couldn’t ask for a better game. Incredible play by [Argentina] and [France]!!!!" he tweeted after the game's conclusion.

Argentina won its third World Cup trophy on Sunday, rocketed by star player Lionel Messi after a nail-biting penalty shootout.

‘People have spoken’: Musk lifts Twitter suspensions on journalists for alleged ‘doxxing'

Ryan King

December 17, 08:43 AM December 17, 08:43 AM

Billionaire mogul Elon Musk restored some of the Twitter accounts of a handful of journalists suspended from the platform he alleged disseminated information about his personal location.

Initially, Musk noted that they would be booted for about seven days, but the newly announced Twitter CEO capitulated after conducting multiple polls to gauge whether the accounts should be freed from Twitter jail and after facing fierce backlash over the suspensions.

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"The people have spoken. Accounts who doxxed my location will have their suspension lifted now," Musk tweeted.

The suspensions came after Musk clamped down and permanently suspended all of the accounts run by a teenager who managed @elonjet, which attempted to track the movements of Musk's private plane. He initially maintained that the main account, @elonjet, would be allowed to operate, but then claimed a "crazy stalker" was following a car transporting his son "Lil X," which prompted the apparent reversal.

Musk alleged the suspended reporters tweeted information about @elonjet that helped spread his location, but some of the suspended individuals appeared to deny that or disputed his characterization of doxxing. The suspensions drew backlash and scrutiny from officials in the European Union and media outlets such as CNN threatened to reassess their relationship with Twitter.

The suspended reporters include Ryan Mac of the New York Times, Donie O'Sullivan of CNN, Drew Harwell of the Washington Post, Matt Binder of Mashable, Micah Lee of the Intercept, Steve Herman of Voice of America, Linette Lopez of Business Insider, as well as independent journalists Aaron Rupar, Keith Olbermann, and Tony Webster.

"I want to thank everyone for all the support and kind words over the past day and some change. I was pretty bummed about getting suspended initially but quickly realized it’d be fine because I’m blessed to have an amazing online community. Seriously, I appreciate it a lot. Cheers," Rupar tweeted after his account was restored.

As of Saturday morning, Olbermann's and Lopez's accounts appeared to remain suspended. Olbermann has used his dog's account to circumvent the suspension. At least eight accounts that had been suspended appeared active, though not all of the reporters tweeted by Saturday morning.

The suspensions drew flack from some of Musk's allies such as journalist Bari Weiss and author Michael Shellenberger, who alongside Matt Taibbi, had been reporting on the so-called Twitter Files detailing internal company deliberations about content moderation and public controversies.

"Rather than rigorously pursuing truth, you are virtue-signaling to show that you are 'good' in the eyes of media elite to keep one foot in both worlds," Musk clapped back to a Weiss tweet critical of the suspension spree.

Critics seek evidence of government involvement in Twitter censorship decisions

Christopher Hutton

December 09, 05:46 PM December 09, 05:46 PM

A major question surrounding Elon Musk's release of internal Twitter documents about content moderation decisions is whether government officials had any role in pushing the platform to censor.

Screenshots released late Thursday of Twitter "blacklisting" conservative accounts and executives directly engaging in content moderation caused an outraged reaction from the Right. A critical question regarding possible repercussions for Twitter and the executives in question, though, is whether government officials encouraged Twitter to take down specific posts or accounts. The information released so far by Musk and his allies does not include evidence of such activity.

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"We already know the federal government had a hand in Twitter censorship, especially of those who articulated perspectives that conflicted with government messaging on Covid," New Civil Liberties Alliance Counsel Jenin Younes told the Washington Examiner in an email statement. "As Elon Musk exposes further information about Twitter's inner workings, we anticipate learning more about the extent of government involvement in blacklisting those who express disfavored views."

The blacklists "could be seen as a free speech concern if any of it is related to requests made by the U.S. government or violated Twitter's own terms of service," Irina Tsukerman, an analyst at the media and strategic advisory firm Scarab Rising, told the Washington Examiner.

The Alliance cited Surgeon General Vivek Murthy's statements in March demanding that Big Tech companies hand over all relevant information related to "COVID-19 misinformation" as evidence of cooperation between Big Tech and the Biden administration.

Conservatives have alleged that the federal government played a role in Twitter's decision to pull down a New York Post story about Hunter Biden's laptop. Journalist Matt Taibbi addressed this in the first edition of the Twitter Files, in which he reported no evidence that government officials had been involved in the decision beyond "vague warnings" provided by the FBI about foreign actors.

While the first two entries in the Twitter Files have not provided evidence of government involvement, conservatives are hopeful since Taibbi and Weiss have promised additional releases in the coming days and weeks.

Twitter had previously spoken with White House officials and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention during the pandemic to discuss "vaccine misinformation," according to communications revealed by an NCLA lawsuit. Twitter was also sued in December 2021 by journalist and vaccine critic Alex Berenson, who alleged that communications between Twitter and the White House led to his permanent suspension on the platform. Berenson settled the suit with Twitter and had his account reinstated in August.

WATCH: Sarah Westwood argues Twitter only gave excuses on Hunter Biden suppression

Steff Thomas

December 08, 02:09 PM December 08, 02:09 PM

The Washington Examiner's Sarah Westwood says Twitter gave “every excuse” about why they suppressed the Hunter Biden story, but it wasn’t enough to keep the truth from coming out.

“They gave every excuse in the book to try to suppress it and eventually they were exposed as being incredibly partisan,” Westwood said Thursday morning on Fox Business's Mornings with Maria Bartiromo.

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Twitter CEO Elon Musk made good on his promise last week to drop new information about the company’s behind-the-scenes machinations about the suppression from 2020.

As House Republicans are preparing to take legal action against former Twitter lawyer James Baker, who was fired on Tuesday for his role in the suppression, Westwood said she wasn’t surprised that material that could be damaging to the social media platform was destroyed.

“Look at the lengths that Twitter executives were willing to go to suppress the Hunter Biden story. It was clear they wanted to take the story off the air,” she told host Maria Bartiromo, adding that it was Baker who was tasked with vetting information.

“This is sort of a sanitized version of the truth that we have so far,” Westwood said.

She also pointed out that Baker was closely allied with President Joe Biden and with Democrats.

They didn’t want any amplification of the story, so they went in search of justification that would allow them to suppress the story and “move the goalpost so many times,” when asked about the New York Post’s story, including making up false stories about the information being stolen, fake, or unable to be verified, Westwood explained.

The actions of Baker, who was also the person who pushed the Russia collusion “lie” during the 2020 election cycle, brought Republicans' fears to light and gave them weight.

“I think that's the frustrating thing for a lot of Republicans [and] conservatives watching this … this confirms what they had suspected all along about Twitter,” Westwood said.

“If you sort of expressed the view that Twitter was … in a partisan manner, suppressing this story to help Biden, that was sort of painted as a conspiracy theory and now we’re seeing hard evidence that that was true,” she added.

Mainstream media outlets lashed out at Musk and journalist Matt Taibbi, who was tasked with going through the so-called Twitter Files and providing analysis. When asked if it was surprising to see reporters attacking each other, Westwood said no.

“I think that a lot of the mainstream media reporters have no problem ‘eating their own’ if they cross the party line. And Matt Taibbi has been the target of that kind of criticism for a while,” she said.

“He’s someone who was a classically liberal writer for years and he sort of stayed in the center of the [liberalism],” Westwood told Fox host Joe Concha, adding that Taibbi has been a champion of freedom of speech and pushing back against the power of corporations.

“The rest of the Democratic Party sort of shifted to back elitism … [and] the consolidation of government power and corporate power in these really concerning ways like we’re seeing with Twitter,” she said.

Westwood gave examples such as Twitter colluding with the FBI and the Biden administration to suppress stories about COVID-19 and even Democrats who were unfavorable, calling the hypocrisy “unsurprising.”

“It’s not surprising to see people who hold themselves up to support free speech squashing [Taibbi’s] actual support of it,” she added.

SEE IT: Twitter erupts after Kanye West claims to love Nazis and Hitler

Julia Johnson

December 01, 05:42 PM December 01, 05:42 PM

The world is reacting to new statements from Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West, revealing a love for both Adolf Hitler and Nazis.

In an appearance on Alex Jones's controversial Infowars, Ye talked for roughly three hours with the host and fellow guest and white nationalist Nick Fuentes. He made several antisemitic remarks, going as far as to say, "I see good things about Hitler."

"Every human being has something of value that they brought to the table, especially Hitler," he said.

Former NFL quarterback and current ESPN analyst Robert Griffin III tweeted, "Somebody tell Kanye to SHUT UP!!!" as news of the broadcast made its way to the social media site.

Meghan McCain did not mince words in her reaction, saying, "F*** Kanye and everyone who keeps giving him a platform."

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Edward Snowden, a former computer intelligence consultant with the National Security Agency who leaked highly classified information in 2013, also spoke up, tweeting, "Turns out kanye is not gonna be president."

Politicians similarly began to react to clips of Ye's remarks, with Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-IA) calling his comments "disgusting." "His pattern of anti-Semitic behavior is unacceptable and I condemn it in the strongest possible terms. We must call out this hateful rhetoric and root out anti-Semitism wherever it rears its ugly head," she added.

"Kanye West is putrid and vile! He has been spewing antisemitic beliefs everywhere & yet he was invited to break bread with the former President & leader of the Republican Party. There is no place in this country for this hate & no place for those who turn a blind eye to it!" said DNC Chairman Jaime Harrison.

Soon after the remarks came to light, the Republican Jewish Coalition released a statement condemning the episode and Ye's antisemitism. The coalition called the trio of Jones, Ye, and Fuentes "a disgusting triumvirate of conspiracy theorists, Holocaust deniers & antisemites," adding that they created a "horrific cesspool of dangerous, bigoted Jew hatred."

Some Democrats noted that the House Judiciary GOP's Twitter account deleted a prior tweet praising Ye.

According to Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D-NY), the House Judiciary GOP "finally couldn't support Kanye after he said, 'I see good things about Hitler also.' I guess they're fine with everything he said before that."

"For 2 months Jim Jordan refused to delete this tweet. Even after Kanye declared war on Jews. As he usually does, Jim looked the other way. Only after Kanye praised Hitler today did Jim delete the tweet. We have the receipts, Jim. And for 2 months you were cool with Jew-bashing," wrote Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA).

A spokesperson for Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) told the Washington Examiner, “Mr. Jordan does not run the JudiciaryGOP account. Maybe Fang Fang told Mr. Swalwell incorrectly.”

Music and entertainment magazine Billboard tweeted early Thursday, recognizing Ye as its "Top Gospel Artist of 2022," but apparently deleted the tweet as he began trending for his appearance on Infowars.

The term "Kanye" was the No. 2 trend on Twitter in the United States hours after the broadcast's conclusion.

Musk threatens to create 'alternative' smartphone if app stores ban Twitter

Jenny Goldsberry

November 26, 01:12 PM November 26, 01:12 PM

Elon Musk is toying with the idea of creating his own smartphone should other phones ban his newest venture Twitter.

Podcaster Liz Wheeler raised a red flag about the possibility that the Apple and Google app stores could remove the social media app from their services. Wheeler suggested in that case, Musk should make his own phone.

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"Half the country would happily ditch the biased, snooping iPhone and Android," Wheeler tweeted Friday. "The man builds rockets to Mars, a silly little smartphone should be easy, right?"

"I certainly hope it does not come to that, but, yes, if there is no other choice, I will make an alternative phone," Musk responded.

A subsequent poll conducted by Wheeler on the platform found that out of the over 120,000 respondents, a slight majority of 51%, would switch to Musk's new phone. Combined, Musk's various companies have produced not only rockets but also electric vehicles and a humanoid robot.

Twitter has lost 50 of its top 100 advertisers in recent weeks. Media Matters produced a report that found these companies previously spent $750 million in advertisements on the platform this year alone but have since disappeared.

A string of controversies has befallen the app since Musk became its CEO in late October. Musk laid off an estimated 3,000 to 4,000 employees while reinstating previously banned Twitter accounts, including that of former President Donald Trump.

Winter in Silicon Valley: The tech companies hit hardest by mass layoffs

Christopher Hutton

November 25, 03:00 AM November 25, 03:00 AM

Tech companies are attempting to ride out an industry downturn through a growing wave of layoffs.

Some of the world's largest companies, from Meta to Amazon, have reported significant decreases in revenue over the last few quarters, leading to mass layoffs. No company has been left unaffected, leading some to describe it as a sign of a probable recession.

Here are the companies most affected by the wave of layoffs in the technology industry.

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Meta: The Facebook parent company saw its revenue decline for the second quarter in a row, a historic first for the company. This, accompanied by Meta warning investors about future losses as it invests in its vision of the metaverse, has led the company to cut 11,000 jobs a few weeks ago, the most extensive series of layoffs to date. The cuts primarily affected Meta's human relations department but did not affect Reality Labs, the department responsible for the company's costly metaverse efforts.

Amazon: The retail giant has begun taking several actions to cut costs and prepare for an anticipated recession. This includes firing over 10,000 employees from its corporate offices and implementing a hiring freeze. The layoffs arrive weeks before the Christmas season, one of the retail giant's busiest periods. The layoffs will not affect its plan for warehouse hiring, which includes employing more than 150,000 people over the holiday season.

Twitter: The social platform's mass wave of layoffs drew national attention after Elon Musk laid off an estimated 50%, or 3,700 employees, in an attempt to cut costs. This was worsened by over 1,000 staffers resigning from the company last week after Musk requested that employees agree to sign a memo stating they want to work at the "hardcore" version of Twitter.

Microsoft: The major software company cut an unknown number of jobs (reported to be less than 1,000) from its workforce in October across multiple divisions.

Snap: Snapchat's parent company Snap announced in late August that it had laid off 20% of its workforce, amounting to over 1,000 employees. The layoffs were part of an attempt to "restructure" the company and account for its financial challenges, according to Snap CEO Evan Spiegel.

Stripe: The payment processing company told employees that it was cutting 14%, or 1,000 jobs, to cut costs. "We were much too optimistic about the internet economy's near-term growth in 2022 and 2023 and underestimated both the likelihood and impact of a broader slowdown," wrote Stripe co-founders Patrick and John Collison in a Thursday letter.

Lyft: Executives from the ride-sharing company announced in an email that it was cutting 13% of its workforce, or 700 jobs, due to "a probable recession sometime in the next year," as well as rising ride-share insurance prices.

Opendoor: The real estate tech company announced in a blog post that it was laying off 550 employees, or 18% of the company. "We did not decide to downsize the team today lightly but did so to ensure we can accomplish our mission for years to come," said Opendoor CEO Eric Wu.

The future: While the layoffs appear concerning for the industry, analysts claim that it is not evidence of a future recession. The layoffs may act as a precursor to white-collar workers being hit harder than their blue-collar co-workers in the future, according to economists from the Milken Institute.

Mike Lindell commits to 'do whatever it takes' to get his Twitter account back

Jenny Goldsberry

November 23, 10:16 AM November 23, 10:16 AM

MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell went on the record Tuesday to promise to do "whatever it takes" to reclaim his Twitter account.

Lindell appeared on Steve Bannon's podcast War Room to discuss his ban from the platform. He was permanently banned in January 2021 for his tweets claiming election fraud. When he attempted to create a second account in May, it was also subsequently banned. Bannon recommended Lindell go live with the new Twitter CEO Elon Musk and answer any and all of his questions "mano a mano."

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"Absolutely. I'd fly to him, do whatever it takes, I would hand it to him on a silver platter," Lindell said. "I would do that any day, anytime, any time of day or night, and I'll drop everything I have to do that, Steve, because I believe it's very important to our country."

Lindell pointed to others who "got their Twitters back" as evidence that he deserved his own ban reversed. These reinstated accounts include former President Donald Trump, Juanita Broaddrick, who accused former President Bill Clinton of rape, and rapper Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, who was banned twice in recent months over anti-Semitic tweets. The MyPillow CEO claimed he has not heard from Twitter or Musk about his account.

"And if you're gonna have a platform of free speech now and without this cancel culture, you can't just say anybody that talked about machines can't be on it," Lindell said. He went on to say in a later statement to Business Insider that his messaging surrounding the election was evidence that he wants "to help save the USA from a communist takeover."

The businessman is a prominent supporter of former President Donald Trump and has boosted claims of election fraud in the 2020 election, which has gotten him sued by voting machine companies along with his products banned in some states.

Trump snubbing Twitter in bid to save Truth Social, but insiders think he'll cave

Christian Datoc

November 23, 07:00 AM November 23, 07:00 AM

Former President Donald Trump has yet to tweet following the weekend restoration of his Twitter account, but sources close to Trump suggest his now optional boycott of the platform won't last long.

Multiple Trumpworld figures familiar with the former president's thinking on the topic told the Washington Examiner that his initial hesitation about tweeting is only a ploy to save his own struggling social media company, Truth Social.

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New Twitter owner Elon Musk restored Trump's access over the weekend after publicly toying with the idea since purchasing the company. Musk has also brought back Twitter privileges for Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), Kanye West, comedian Kathy Griffin, Jordan Peterson, and Andrew Tate in recent days, though he refused to allow conspiracy theorist Alex Jones back onto the platform.

Trump first reacted to the news Saturday, during a virtual appearance before the Republican Jewish Coalition meeting in Las Vegas, but said he sees "a lot of problems" with his once-preferred messaging tool.

"I hear we’re getting a big vote to also go back on Twitter. I don’t see it because I don’t see any reason for it," Trump said during his remarks. "It may make it; it may not make it."

He additionally suggested that Truth Social "has taken the place for a lot of people, and I don't see them going back onto Twitter."

"Truth Social has been very, very powerful, very, very strong, and I'll be staying there," Trump concluded.

Despite Trump's claims about Truth, sources note the company's precarious legal and financial footing.

Truth launched in February, and it was reported in August that the company has missed nearly $2 million in payments to vendors. Furthermore, the Securities and Exchange Commission is reportedly investigating Digital World Acquisition Corp., the special purpose acquisition company Trump hopes to merge Truth's parent company with to go public, for illegally negotiating that potential merger.

DWAC stockholders voted Tuesday morning to delay the merger with Trump Media and Technology Group, Truth's parent company, until September 2023.

One Trumpworld source said shareholders would "for sure" vote to delay the merger, as it "isn't a serious thing." That person insinuated Truth is "flirting" with even larger legal problems in the near future.

Currently, Trump serves as chairman of the board at TMTG, and his stake in the company requires him to make any social media posts on Truth first, though he is not prevented from posting elsewhere. Facebook and Instagram, like Twitter, both banned the former president from their platform following the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021.

Putting Truth's tenuous future aside, the significantly larger reach Trump would have on Twitter compared to his own company will likely lure him back to the blue bird. As of Tuesday, Trump had nearly 4 million followers on Truth but more than 87 million on Twitter.

"I think he has to," one former Trump administration official said of a return to Twitter. "But he’s gonna destroy his own platform in the process."

Two former Trump administration officials claimed that, while a small section of diehard Trump supporters migrated to Truth, most conservative influencers did not. They suggested that Trump would need those large accounts to amplify his messaging if he wants to successfully win the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.

"If he doesn't get on Twitter, that's a whole audience and a bunch of ground he's ceding," one person concluded.

Finally, one of Trump's top out-of-government advisers predicted Trump resuming tweeting because he "just wants somewhere to word vomit."

'Shame on you': Journalists and celebrities revolt at Trump's reinstatement to Twitter

Cami Mondeaux

November 21, 08:55 AM November 21, 08:55 AM

Several celebrities and prominent journalists are hitting out against billionaire Elon Musk for his decision to reinstate former President Donald Trump’s Twitter account, with many leaving the platform in protest.

Musk restored access to Trump’s account on Saturday after a Twitter poll overwhelmingly voted in favor of doing so, resurrecting the page after nearly two years of inactivity after the former president was banned in the fallout of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. The decision was met with mixed reactions as some praised the return and others denounced it. Meanwhile, Trump said he has no plans to sign back on.

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“I don’t see any reason for it,” Trump said. “Truth Social has taken the place for a lot of people, and I don’t see them going back onto Twitter.”

Trump’s account was suspended in January 2021 during the fallout of the Capitol riot, prompting criticism from many on the platform once his account was revived.

"Idk man, last time he was here this platform was used to incite an insurrection, multiple people died, the Vice President of the United States was nearly assassinated, and hundreds were injured but I guess that's not enough for you to answer the question. Twitter poll it is," said Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) in a tweet.

The decision also drew criticism from the NAACP, who called on advertisers to pull their support from the platform in response to the decision.

“In Elon Musk’s Twittersphere, you can incite an insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, which led to the deaths of multiple people, and still be allowed to spew hate speech and violent conspiracies on his platform,” the organization said in a statement. “If Elon Musk continues to run Twitter like this, using garbage polls that do not represent the American people and the needs of our democracy, God help us all.”

Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY), who serves as the vice chairwoman of the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack, also responded to Trump’s reinstatement, encouraging her followers to remember the former president’s conduct during the Capitol riot.

"With Trump back on Twitter, it’s a good time to watch this Jan 6 hearing,” she said in a tweet. “It covers each of Trump’s tweets that day, including those that have been deleted, and features multiple Trump WH staff describing his inexcusable conduct during the violence."

Some prominent journalists also reacted to the news, criticizing Musk’s decision as “meaningless” and potentially affected by foreign agents.

"I think these polls are mostly a gimmick, and I would argue the people haven’t spoken, the GRU has spoken," said Scott Galloway, an author and public speaker, on CBS News’s Face the Nation, referring to a Russian military intelligence service. "Twitter has become a playground for bad actors and fake bots, this poll is meaningless, this decision is meaningless."

Others who were fed up with the reinstatement decided to leave the platform altogether, announcing they would be deleting their accounts in response.

"Shame on you for giving [Trump] and other professional liars the platform you are now in control of, and shame on anyone who does," musician Jack White wrote in an Instagram post on Sunday, announcing he would deactivate the Twitter account of his record label Third Man Records. "And shame on you if you think it's no big deal. It is."

Twitter explodes as Musk's poll tops 12 million, favoring Trump's return

Ryan King

November 19, 01:31 PM November 19, 01:32 PM

Former President Donald Trump may be on his way out of the Twitter doghouse as favor for his return to the platform is leading the self-proclaimed Chief Twit's poll on whether he should be reinstated.

As of Saturday afternoon, over 12 million users chimed in, backing Trump's return by roughly 52.3% to 47.7% with seven hours left for voting. Twitter CEO Elon Musk tweeted the poll after stating a decision on Trump's suspension had not been made. The move proved divisive among many of its most prominent users.

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"Vox Populi, Vox Dei," the billionaire tycoon tweeted, using the Latin phrase meaning “the voice of the people is the voice of God."

"Fascinating to watch Twitter Trump poll," Musk later wrote.

Trump had been permanently booted off the platform during the fallout from the Jan. 6 Capitol riot and had been similarly suspended from Facebook as well. Detractors were quick to highlight the potential pitfalls of uncaging Trump's Twitter account, while supporters were giddy or disgruntled with Musk being indecisive on the matter.

"Idk man, last time he was here this platform was used to incite an insurrection, multiple people died, the Vice President of the United States was nearly assassinated, and hundreds were injured but I guess that’s not enough for you to answer the question. Twitter poll it is," Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) tweeted.

"Elon Musk is holding a poll on whether to bring Trump back to twitter prior to cleaning up what he claimed was a widespread bot/automation problem on Twitter. Makes sense he would do this prior to fixing the problem he claimed existed," Democratic strategist Adam Parkhomenko tweeted.

Others felt that Trump's ban from the social media platform was "inconsistent" with how the website treats other political officials' accounts.

"I don’t like permanent bans at all. But specific to Donald Trump, his ban is inconsistent with the treatment of other political figures in the United States and around the world. There are authoritarian regimes with active Twitter accounts. Create a clear standard and follow it," former Rep. Justin Amash, a speaker of the House contender, tweeted.

Musk previously said earlier this year he would "reverse" the ban on Trump's account when billing himself as a "free speech absolutist."

“I would reverse the permanent ban,” Musk declared earlier this year, per CNBC. “I don’t own Twitter yet. So this is not like a thing that will definitely happen, because what if I don’t own Twitter?”

Musk has since appeared to waver after taking the reins of the social media behemoth. Last month, he unveiled plans to form a "content moderation council" and stressed that "no major content decisions or account reinstatement" will take place before it convenes.

Then, on Friday, the space and electric car guru posted the poll after freeing the Babylon Bee, Jordan Peterson, and Kathy Griffin from Twitter jail. He also told a user, "No," when asked about restoring conspiracy theorist Alex Jones's account.

Trump, once one of Twitter's most prolific users, has indicated he won't return to the platform, even if he was allowed to do so. Instead, he has turned to his own social media platform, Truth Social. He launched his 2024 campaign Tuesday.

Musk's $44 billion takeover has been turbulent for Twitter as he steers the company through mass layoffs and demands his workers to go "hardcore." Earlier this week, many users speculated the platform could soon fall by the wayside amid an exodus of engineers.

Musk orders staff to commit to 'hardcore' Twitter or accept severance

Christopher Hutton

November 16, 09:55 AM November 16, 09:55 AM

Elon Musk has amped up his pressure on Twitter employees by demanding they agree to adhere to new standards or resign.

Twitter's owner issued a memo late Tuesday informing employees that they had to sign a pledge to stay with the company, according to the Washington Post. If they did not sign by Thursday evening, they would be dismissed and receive three months of severance pay. The memo reflects Musk's desire to cut costs at the company as he prepares to cover the costs of acquiring Twitter for $44 billion.

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Twitter would now be "extremely hardcore," according to Musk. "This will mean working long hours at high intensity. Only exceptional performance will constitute a passing grade."

The ultimatum comes less than a week after Musk reversed the company's remote-work policy and demanded that staff work in the office or face being laid off. Musk already laid off approximately half of the company's staff and continues to claim that the company is still bloated. Musk is expected to pay $1 billion in interest a year to pay off the loans he received to acquire the company.

Musk also delayed one of the company's most anticipated updates to its premium service. Musk unveiled that he would allow users to get verified for $7.99 a month via Twitter Blue and had intended to release the product after the midterm elections. The billionaire later announced that he was "punting" the launch of Blue to Nov. 29 to ensure the product was top-quality.

Twitter is facing increased pressure from advertisers who have begun to pull their campaigns from Twitter as they worry about how Musk could change the company's content moderation policy.