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How Elon Musk upended Twitter and his own reputation in 6 months as CEO

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:48:43 GMT

By Clare Duffy | CNNWhen Elon Musk first agreed to buy Twitter, he promised to make the company “better than ever,” with greater transparency, fewer bots, a stronger business and more of what he called “free speech.”But six months after Musk took control of Twitter, the future of the company and the platform have never been less certain.After acquiring the social media platform for $44 billion in late October, Musk reportedly now values Twitter at around $20 billion — and some who track the company believe even that estimate is likely high. Musk repeatedly warned that Twitter could be at risk of filing for bankruptcy only to claim he had brought it back from the brink thanks to his slashing costs, both by laying off 80% of Twitter’s staff and allegedly by failing to pay some of its bills, according to multiple lawsuits. But it’s not clear just how and when Musk might return Twitter to growth.RELATED: How Elon Musk transformed Twitter’s blue check ...

Sam Bankman-Fried dined with Mohammed bin Salman and Jared Kushner to get Saudi money: report

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:48:43 GMT

Some two weeks before Sam Bankman-Fried resigned from FTX and his cryptocurrency firm collapsed into bankruptcy and scandal, the mop-haired, Stanford-based entrepreneur was in the Middle East, desperately trying to raise $1 billion from some of the region’s most ruthless but wealthy leaders.During Bankman-Fried’s “Arabian nights,” he was invited to dine at the palace in Riyadh with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, according to a report by Puck. The crown prince’s American friend, Jared Kushner, also was there, as were billionaire hedge fund manager Ray Dalio and Blackstone Group CEO Steve Schwarzman.White House Chief of Staff John Kelly  and White House Advisor Jared Kushner stand alongside members of the Saudi Delegation as they attend a meeting with President Donald Trump and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the Oval Office at the White House on March 20, 2018 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch-Pool/Getty Images) “It was quite...

Stanford cold case: Man given second life sentence for 1973 murder near campus

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:48:43 GMT

SAN JOSE — A man convicted of two murders near Stanford University in the 1970s was handed his second sentence of life in prison Thursday morning in a Santa Clara County courtroom, closing a prolonged pursuit of justice 50 years after the initial slaying took place.John Arthur Getreu, 74, of Hayward, was arrested Nov. 20, 2018 in connection with the 1973 murder of Leslie Marie Perlov, whose body was found in the Palo Alto hills west of Stanford and whose killing had gone unsolved until this year when DNA genealogical analysis helped detectives pinpoint Getreu as a suspect. (Santa Clara Co. Sheriff’s Office) John Arthur Getreu, 78, was convicted in January for the 1973 killing of 21-year-old Stanford graduate Leslie Marie Perlov after he formally confessed to the murder in Santa Clara County Superior Court.Getreu was sentenced for the murder as he appeared in court virtually from California Health Care Facility, Stockton because of medical issues, his attorney said.During ...

Silenced Montana lawmaker fights on during 1st day of exile

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:48:43 GMT

By Amy Beth Hanson, Brittany Peterson and Sam Metz | Associated PressHELENA, Mont. (AP) — Montana’s Zooey Zephyr spent her first day in legislative exile Thursday on a bench just outside the House chambers from which Republicans voted to banish her a day earlier.Zephyr, a transgender lawmaker from Missoula, defiantly stayed put even after Republicans said she couldn’t be there and a Capitol police officer threatened to move the bench, where she had set up her laptop to vote remotely.As cameras snapped and espresso beans churned in a machine behind a nearby snack bar, Zephyr and Democratic leaders said she would remain in the public eye unless Republicans elected to further restrict where she could go in the Capitol.“There are many more eyes on Montana now,” Zephyr said in an interview with The Associated Press. “But you do the same thing you’ve always done. You stand up in defense of your community and you … stand for the principles that the...

Best Online Casinos Australia Travellers Can Join: Updated List of the Top 10 Australian Casino Sites

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:48:43 GMT

10 Best Online Casinos for Australia Travellers Abroad in 2022Finding reputable online casinos that you can access from abroad isn’t easy, but we know how cool it is to play some classic pokes and Australian casino games remotely from your phone or laptop.We’ve updated our list of the best Australian online casino sites for players living abroad, which offer you the chance to play classic online pokies and table games alongside fellow Aussie players.All of the casinos on this list have been independently tested by our experts for the quality of their games and casino bonuses, and they’re all fully licensed.CasinoNic secured its place at the top of our list this time around – but read on for a full breakdown.Best Online Casinos AustraliaCasinoNic: Best overallJoe Fortune: Top pick for jackpotsBitStarz: Best Bitcoin casinoIgnition: Best for pokerRed Dog Casino: Best new online casino7Bit Casino: Best for online pokiesPlayAmo: Best for live dealer gamesNational Casino: Exci...

Gap cuts 1,800 corporate jobs in latest round of layoffs

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:48:43 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- San Francisco-based retail chain Gap Inc. cut 1,800 corporate jobs on Thursday, amid an ongoing sales slump. Earlier this week, it was reported that the company was preparing to eliminate hundreds of corporate jobs from its global workforce in the Wall Street Journal. The job cuts are part of a restructuring aimed at making the company more nimble and "less bureaucratic," the Journal reports. Dropbox laying off 500 employees as tech layoffs continue The last time that Gap made significant cuts to its workforce was back in September when it cut 500 corporate jobs in an effort to reduce expenses amid languishing sales. September's cuts were primarily at its headquarters in San Francisco and in New York. Thursdays cuts are roughly three times that number.The current round of cuts will be larger, according to the WSJ. Layoff notifications began going out on April 18, the Journal said. Employees at the SF headquarters are expected to start being notified this w...

Colma police recover 3 pounds meth, weapons, stolen vehicles

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:48:43 GMT

(KRON) -- An apparent road rage crash in the Colma Police Department's front parking lot Monday led to several arrests and the recovery of about three pounds of methamphetamine, various weapons and several stolen vehicles, Colma police officials said. Police said the crash involved three vehicles: a Dodge Challenger, a BMW 328i and a Chevy Silverado.The Challenger and the BMW appeared to have been chasing the Silverado, police said. Around 5:50 p.m., the three vehicles got into an accident in the front parking lot of the police department. Ex-SF fire commissioner is no-show in court, suspect in attack released Police found that the Challenger was an outstanding stolen vehicle with false license plates and arrested the driver, a 29-year-old man from San Jose. He was charged with assault with a deadly weapon, possession of a stolen vehicle and conspiracy to commit and felony.The driver of the BMW, a 43-year-old man from San Jose, was also arrested and charged with possession of nar...

Rep. Matt Gaetz, Progressives Jointly Call for U.S. Military to Leave Somalia

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:48:43 GMT

A measure to withdraw most U.S. troops from Somalia, just months after the Biden administration sent them back there, is expected to garner support from far-right Republicans and members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus when it comes up for a scheduled vote on Thursday.The author of the War Powers Resolution, Florida Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz, tweeted this week that Somalia, in the horn of Africa, “is not a vital national security concern.” Reps. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., and Ilhan Omar, D-Minn. — the chair and deputy chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, which is comprised of more than 100 members of Congress — have confirmed they will vote yes on the measure, according to sources familiar with their thinking. “Members of Progressive Caucus leadership will all vote for the Somalia war powers resolution,” said a congressional staffer. “House progressives remain principled in their commitment to upholding the constitutional authority of Congress’s sole powers o...

‘Blood on your hands’: Montana lawmaker’s words not unusual

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:48:43 GMT

HELENA, Mont. (AP) — The swift punishment brought down on Zooey Zephyr, a transgender lawmaker in Montana, began over words that others in American politics have used without hesitation or consequence: saying opponents have “blood” on their hands. The governor of Texas. A GOP congressman in Florida. A city councilwoman in Denver. Just in the past few years, they are among the elected officials who have chastised colleagues in government with the same pointed rhetoric almost word for word — accusing them of bearing responsibility for deaths — over everything from immigration policy to gun laws. None faced blowback, let alone retribution. But not Zephyr, who on Thursday began legislative exile after Montana Republicans barred her from the state House floor a week after saying those who voted to support a ban on gender-affirming care would have blood on their hands.“I don’t remember until now that there’s been a controversy over that cliche,” said Republican Lou Barletta, a...

Mexico has “unprecedented appetite for baseball” after WBC

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:48:43 GMT

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Major League Baseball is heading south of the border again to play a regular season series. After previous stops in Monterrey, Mexico City will be the host this time, and the timing seems perfect.The San Diego Padres will play against the San Francisco Giants next weekend at the Alfredo Harp Helu (AHH) Stadium in the country’s capital, where fans are eager to watch more baseball after Mexico’s deep run at the World Baseball Classic.Bolstered by Cuban defector Randy Arozarena and Mexican-born big leaguers like Julio Urías and Jose Urquidy, Mexico made it to the semifinals before losing to eventual champion Japan. The journey included a stunning victory over the United States in Phoenix with tens of thousands of Team Mexico fans on hand.“Those two weeks of the World Baseball Classic are probably the ones where everybody was talking about baseball across the country more than ever before,” said Horacio De la Vega, the president of the Mexican Baseball League. “Clearl...