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Media companies remain in codependent relationship with Twitter

Media companies remain in codependent relationship with Twitter

The Washington Post reports: When Twitter abruptly suspended the accounts of several prominent journalists Thursday night — in response to a baffling claim from new owner Elon Musk that they had endangered his safety — media bosses were quick to speak out in protest. The New York Times called the suspensions “questionable.” CNN said it would “reevaluate” its relationship with Twitter. The Washington Post demanded that Twitter reinstate the account of one of its technology reporters “immediately,” noting that he…

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Life in Fukushima offers a glimpse into our contaminated future

Life in Fukushima offers a glimpse into our contaminated future

Maxime Polleri writes: As a farmer, Atsuo Tanizaki did not care much for the state’s maps of radioactive contamination. Colour-coded zoning restrictions might make sense for government workers, he told me, but ‘real’ people did not experience their environment through shades of red, orange and green. Instead, they navigated the landscape one field, one tree, one measurement at a time. ‘Case by case,’ he said, grimly, as he guided me along the narrow paths that separated his rice fields, on…

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Trump’s need for attention hasn’t dwindled since he left office

Trump’s need for attention hasn’t dwindled since he left office

The Washington Post reports: On a typical day since leaving office, advisers said, Trump gets up early, makes phone calls, watches television and reads some newspapers. Then, six days a week, he plays 18 or sometimes 27 holes of golf at one of his courses. After lunch, he changes into a suit from his golf shirt and slacks and shows up in the office above the Mar-a-Lago ballroom or, when he is in New Jersey, a similar office in a…

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‘This isn’t war,’ the Russian soldier said. ‘It’s the destruction of the Russian people by their own commanders’

‘This isn’t war,’ the Russian soldier said. ‘It’s the destruction of the Russian people by their own commanders’

The New York Times reports: They never had a chance. Fumbling blindly through cratered farms, the troops from Russia’s 155th Naval Infantry Brigade had no maps, medical kits or working walkie-talkies, they said. Just a few weeks earlier, they had been factory workers and truck drivers, watching an endless showcase of supposed Russian military victories at home on state television before being drafted in September. One medic was a former barista who had never had any medical training. Now, they…

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Ramzan Kadyrov: The Chechen warlord who does Putin’s dirty work in Ukraine

Ramzan Kadyrov: The Chechen warlord who does Putin’s dirty work in Ukraine

The Wall Street Journal reports: At the start of the war in Ukraine, President Vladimir Putin ordered Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov to occupy Kyiv’s government quarters and assassinate the Ukrainian president, Ukrainian intelligence and security officials allege. When Mr. Putin needed more soldiers on fast-crumbling front lines, the warlord rounded up thousands of men, sometimes forcibly, and sent them in, according to Chechen residents. Now, following successive Russian retreats, Mr. Kadyrov’s men are disciplining dejected Russian troops at the front…

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Degrowth can work — here’s how science can help

Degrowth can work — here’s how science can help

Jason Hickel et al, write: The global economy is structured around growth — the idea that firms, industries and nations must increase production every year, regardless of whether it is needed. This dynamic is driving climate change and ecological breakdown. High-income economies, and the corporations and wealthy classes that dominate them, are mainly responsible for this problem and consume energy and materials at unsustainable rates. Yet many industrialized countries are now struggling to grow their economies, given economic convulsions caused…

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How to make a Mastodon account and join the fediverse

How to make a Mastodon account and join the fediverse

Electronic Frontier Foundation: The recent chaos at Twitter is a reminder that when you rely on a social media platform, you’re putting your voice, your privacy, and your safety in the hands of the people who run that system. Many people are looking to Mastodon as a backup or replacement for Twitter, and this guide will walk you through making that switch. Note this guide is current as of December 2022, and the software and services discussed are going through…

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As stock drops 61% from its peak, a major Tesla shareholder calls for Elon Musk’s ouster

As stock drops 61% from its peak, a major Tesla shareholder calls for Elon Musk’s ouster

Fortune reports: Tesla investors are starting to wonder if CEO Elon Musk is still the right man to lead the company. With much of Musk’s attention focused on Twitter, which he’s shaking up following his $44 billion takeover in late October, doubts are increasing about his ability to effectively lead the electric-vehicle maker. It doesn’t help that he’s sold vast quantities of his personal Tesla shares this year as the carmaker’s stock has plunged about 61% from its peak late…

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Why Elon Musk is admired by lots of Silicon Valley bosses

Why Elon Musk is admired by lots of Silicon Valley bosses

Kevin Roose writes: It may seem obvious, to most people outside Silicon Valley, that Elon Musk’s ownership of Twitter has been an unmitigated disaster. In less than two months since taking over, Mr. Musk has fired more than half of Twitter’s staff, scared away many of its major advertisers, made (and unmade) a series of ill-advised changes to its verification program, angered regulators and politicians with erratic and offensive tweets, declared a short-lived war on Apple, greenlit a bizarre “Twitter…

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Kremlin TV stars combust as Russians admit war is aimless

Kremlin TV stars combust as Russians admit war is aimless

Julia Davis reports: Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continues to stall—along with the Kremlin propaganda blitz meant to convince the Russians that supporting the war is their sacred duty. Pro-Kremlin propagandists unanimously agree that Vladimir Putin’s war is here for the long haul, but bristle at the fact that no one seems to know the end goal of the so-called “special operation.” During Wednesday’s broadcast of NTV’s show Meeting Place, hosts Andrey Norkin and Ivan Trushkin spearheaded a discussion about the…

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‘Wiped out’: War in Ukraine has decimated a once feared Russian brigade

‘Wiped out’: War in Ukraine has decimated a once feared Russian brigade

The Washington Post reports: Nuclear-armed submarines slip in and out of the frigid waters along the coast of Russia’s Kola Peninsula at the northern edge of Europe. Missiles capable of destroying cities are stored by the dozens in bunkers burrowed into the inland hills. Since the Cold War, this Arctic arsenal has been protected by a combat unit considered one of Russia’s most formidable — the 200th Separate Motor Rifle Brigade — until it sent its best fighters and weapons…

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Ukraine has the military capability to take back Crimea, Biden admin official told Congress members

Ukraine has the military capability to take back Crimea, Biden admin official told Congress members

NBC News reports: A Biden administration official recently told members of Congress that Ukraine has the military capability to retake Crimea, but some officials are concerned any large-scale offensive that threatens Russia’s hold on the peninsula could push Vladimir Putin to use nuclear weapons, say two U.S. officials familiar with the matter. The late November Ukraine briefing to some members of Congress included discussion of the reasons Ukraine will continue to need U.S. weapons and equipment for the foreseeable future….

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Jan. 6 panel to vote on urging DOJ to prosecute Trump on at least three criminal charges

Jan. 6 panel to vote on urging DOJ to prosecute Trump on at least three criminal charges

Politico reports: The Jan. 6 select committee is preparing to vote on urging the Justice Department to pursue at least three criminal charges against former President Donald Trump, including insurrection. The report that the select panel is expected to consider on Monday afternoon, described to POLITICO by two people familiar with its contents, reflects some recommendations from a subcommittee that evaluated potential criminal referrals. Among the charges that subcommittee proposes for Trump: 18 U.S.C. 2383, insurrection; 18 U.S.C. 1512(c), obstruction…

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Musk’s suspension of journalists on Twitter spurs U.S., international condemnation

Musk’s suspension of journalists on Twitter spurs U.S., international condemnation

The Washington Post reports: U.S. and international officials condemned Twitter and Elon Musk on Friday after the social media company abruptly suspended several U.S. journalists, expressing concern about retaliation and the potentially chilling effect on free speech. The moves invited sharp rebuke from public officials at the European Commission and the United Nations, as well as criticism from a U.S. senator. Even some of Musk’s own supporters, who advocate a broad interpretation of free speech, appeared taken aback by the…

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