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Elon Musk fires prime Twitter executives, declares the ‘hen is freed’

Sat, 28 Jan 2023 20:58:02 +0000

Elon Musk has taken ownership of Twitter Inc TWTR-N with brutal efficiency, firing top executives but providing little clarity over how he will achieve the ambitions he has outlined for the influential social media platform.

“The bird is freed,” he tweeted after he completed his $44-billion acquisition on Thursday, referencing Twitter’s bird logo in an apparent nod to his desire to see the company have fewer limits on content that can be posted.

The CEO of electric car maker Tesla Inc and self-described free speech absolutist has, however, also said he wants to prevent the platform from becoming an echo chamber for hate and division.

Other goals include wanting to “defeat” spam bots on Twitter and make the algorithms that determine how content is presented to its users publicly available.

Yet Musk has not offered details on how he will achieve all this and who will run the company. He has said he plans to cut jobs, leaving Twitter’s 7,500 employees fretting about their future. He also said on Thursday he did not buy Twitter to make more money but “to try to help humanity whom I love.”

Less that 10 per cent of 266 Twitter employees who participated in a poll on messaging app Blindly expected to still have their jobs in three months. Blind allows employees to air grievances anonymously after they sign up with corporate emails.

Elon Musk’s Twitter takeover: a timeline

Musk fired Twitter Chief Executive Parag Agrawal, Chief Financial Officer Ned Segal and legal affairs and policy chief Vijaya Gadde, according to people familiar with the matter. He had accused them of misleading him and Twitter investors over the number of fake accounts on the platform.

Agrawal and Segal were in Twitter’s San Francisco headquarters when the deal closed and were escorted out, the sources added.

Musk, who also runs rocket company SpaceX, plans to become Twitter’s interim CEO according to a person familiar with the matter and following an earlier report by Reuters. Musk also plans to scrap permanent bans on users, Bloomberg said, citing a person familiar with the matter.

Twitter, Musk and the executives did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Before closing the deal, Musk walked into Twitter’s headquarters on Wednesday with a big grin and a porcelain sink, subsequently tweeting “let that sink in.” He changed his Twitter profile description to “Chief Twit.”

Musk said in May he would reverse Twitter’s ban on Donald Trump, who’s account was removed after the attack on the US Capitol. A representative for Trump did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment, but the former US president previously said he won’t return to the platform and has instead launched his own social media app, Truth Social.

Musk tried to calm Twitter employee fears that major layoffs are coming and assured advertisers that his past criticism of Twitter’s content moderation rules would not harm its appeal.

“Twitter obviously cannot become a free-for-all hellscape, where anything can be said with no consequences!” Musk said in an open letter to advertisers on Thursday.

As news of the deal spread, some Twitter users were quick to flag their willingness to walk away.

“I will be happy to leave in a heartbeat if Musk, well, acts as we all expect him to,” said a user with the @mustlovedogsxo account.

European regulators also reiterated past warnings that, under Musk’s leadership, Twitter must still abide by the region’s Digital Services Act, which levies hefty fines on companies if they do not control illegal content.

“In Europe, the bird will fly by our EU rules,” EU industry chief Thierry Breton tweeted on Friday morning.

European Parliament lawmaker and civil rights proponent Patrick Breyer suggested people look for alternatives where privacy is a priority.

“Twitter already knows our personalities dangerously well due to its pervasive surveillance of our every click. Now this knowledge will be falling into Musk’s hands.”

Musk has indicated he sees Twitter as a foundation for creating a “super app” that offers everything from money transfers to shopping and ride-hailing.

But Twitter is struggling to engage its most active users who are vital to the business. These “heavy tweeters” account for less than 10 per cent of monthly overall users but generate 90 per cent of all tweets and half of global revenue.

Musk will face a challenge building revenue “given that the controversial opinions he appears to want to give more of a free rein to are often unpalatable to advertisers,” said Hargreaves Lansdown analyst Susannah Streeter.

The deal’s road to fruition was full of twists and turns that sowed doubt over whether it would happen at all. It began on April 4, when Musk disclosed a 9.2 per cent Twitter stake, becoming the company’s largest shareholder.

The world’s richest person then agreed to join Twitter’s board, only to balk at the last minute and offer to buy the company instead for $54.20 per share.

Over the course of just one weekend later in April, the two sides reached a deal without Musk carrying out any due diligence on the company’s confidential information.

In the weeks that followed, Musk had second thoughts. He complained publicly about Twitter’s spam accounts and his lawyers then accused Twitter of not complying with his requests for information on the subject.

The acrimony resulted in Musk telling Twitter on July 8 he was terminating the deal. Four days later, Twitter sued Musk to force him to complete the acquisition.

By then, the stock market had plunged on concerns about a potential recession. Twitter accused Musk of buyer’s remorse, arguing he wanted out of the deal because he thought he was overpaid. Most legal analysts thought Twitter would likely prevail in court.

On Oct. 4, Musk performs another U-turn, offering to complete the deal as promised. He managed to do that, just one day ahead of a deadline to avoid going to trial.

Twitter shares ended trade on Thursday up 0.3 per cent at $53.86, just under the agreed price. The stock will be delisted from the New York Stock Exchange on Friday.

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Two weekend fires reinforce significance of chimney upkeep – Motion Information Jax

Mon, 18 Apr 2022 05:49:19 +0000

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Two homes caught fire due to fireplace chimneys this past Saturday.

Fortunately, no one was hurt in either fire, but these fires serve as a reminder to properly maintain your chimney.

Some Jacksonville residents decided to keep warm by using fireplaces, but once their chimney fires started, they quickly spread.

“Both of them were the result of cracks in the mortar which then get inside and burn the wood,” JFRD spokesperson Eric Prosswimmer said.

RELATED >>> Red Cross called for 3 adults, 1 child after chimney fire

JFRD is reminding folks that even though we may only use our chimneys once or twice a year – they still need to be properly taken care of.

“It’s really important to have your chimney checked regularly, maintained and cleaned,” Prosswimmer said.

It’s not only about your chimney structure, but what you burn at the bottom. Officials told us fires can start from a buildup of creosote or from cracks and loose bricks.

“Make sure you’re burning seasoned firewood. Seasoned firewood is a lot dryer, burns hotter,” Prosswimmer said.

Firefighters said to make sure you have a cap on top of your chimney so no debris or wild animals get inside.

They said it’s also important the flue is open for proper ventilation.

RELATED >>> Apartment fire in Jacksonville’s New Town neighborhood

Even if you live in Florida, remember:

Make sure your chimney is inspected annually by a professional.
Do not use flammable liquids.
Never leave a fire unattended.
If you have normal chimney soot, head to your local hardware store for a chimney sweep. However, if there is serious buildup inside your chimney, JFRD urges you to let a professional handle it.

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Sen. Dianne Feinstein Fires Again; ‘Report Reveals That I Am’ Succesful Of Representing California – CBS San Francisco

Fri, 15 Apr 2022 18:14:46 +0000

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF/CNN) — A day after a San Francisco Chronicle article questioned her leadership abilities, Sen. Dianne Feinstein issued a strong statement Friday, proclaiming that she is “an effective representative for 40 million Californians, and the record shows that I am.”

Her statement comes after the Chronicle reported that four unnamed senators, including three Democrats, as well as three former Feinstein aides and a California Democratic member of Congress spoke with the newspaper saying Feinstein’s mental health has gotten worse recently.

READ MORE: Vallejo Council Pivots Towards Moving Police Headquarters To Library Site Instead Of Waterfront

“The real question is whether I’m still an effective representative for 40 million Californians, and the record shows that I am,” the 88-year-old, longstanding member of the Senate said in her Friday statement.

“I remain committed to do what I said I would when I was reelected in 2018: fight for Californians, especially on the economy and the key issues for California of water and fire,” she continued. “While I have focused for much of the past year on my husband’s health and ultimate passing, I have remained committed to achieving results and I’d put my record up against anyone’s.”

The newspaper noted that the comments came before Feinstein’s husband, Richard Blum, died in February following “a long battle with cancer.”

READ MORE: Twitter Adopts ‘Poison Pill’ Defense To Block Elon Musk Takeover Bid

After the report, Feinstein called the newspaper’s editorial board and defended her capacity as senator.

“I meet regularly with leaders,” Feinstein said in the Thursday call. “I’m not isolated. I see people. My attendance is good. I put in the hours. We represent a huge state. And so I’m rather puzzled by all of this.”

Feinstein, who was first elected to the Senate in 1992, faced questions about her ability to serve for a few years.

MORE NEWS: San Francisco Man Sentenced To Prison For Attempting To Flee To Europe With Underage Girl

CNN reported in 2021 she faced growing questions about her ability to do her job, losing her post as the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee after her Democratic colleagues privately complained about her performance during the confirmation hearings for Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination to the Supreme Court .

The post Sen. Dianne Feinstein Fires Again; ‘Report Reveals That I Am’ Succesful Of Representing California – CBS San Francisco appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

Little fires all over the place: Fires rose by 26 % in San Francisco final yr

Tue, 21 Dec 2021 10:39:13 +0000

Throughout 2020, an average of 12 fires burned the mission each week.

Things didn’t look much better in the neighboring communities. There were roughly three fires a week in the Castro / Upper Market area, seven in SoMa and eight in the Tenderloin.

This was not a typical year. Between 2019 and 2020 there was a dramatic increase in fires in many parts of the city. They rose by 43 percent in the tenderloin, 50 percent in the mission, 63 percent in the Castro / Upper Market area and over 70 percent in SoMa. Overall, the fires in San Francisco increased by more than a quarter in one year.

The situation does not seem to have improved in 2021 either. According to public data from the San Francisco Fire Department (SFFD), the city suffered more fires in the first 10 months of this year than in all of 2019.

Mission residents have long realized that fires are a problem in their neighborhood, but the pandemic has dramatically made the situation worse. With shelters closing their doors to prevent the spread of Covid-19, many San Franciscans only had camp sites. These are often extremely unsafe and the combination of flammable materials and open fire can turn tents into tinder boxes.

In the mission the fires jumped over 50%

in 2020. Garbage fires have almost doubled.

The number of incidents of fire

specially recorded as a tent

or campfires more

than tripled in 2020.

Fires jumped in the mission

over 50% in the last year. garbage

Fires almost doubled.

The number of

Fire incidents

special

recorded as a tent

or warehouse

fires more than

tripled in 2020.

SFFD data shows that the increase in fires in San Francisco was mainly driven by so-called “garbage fires”. This is a broad label used by SFFD that covers many different scenarios, but in general it means that the fires happened outdoors and garbage was involved.

Lt. Jonathan Baxter, a fire department spokesman, said frontline firefighters were putting many of these fires back into camps. Although they are generally small, their impact should not be underestimated, he said: “Any fire is dangerous – especially in San Francisco, where we have such a dense city.”

The department’s data did not show an increase in the number of injuries or fatalities from fires in 2020, but there was considerable damage to property. Records state that there was combined property and content damage estimated at $ 80 million throughout the year.

Baxter said many of the recent fires were caused by people in and around tents using open flames for cooking and keeping warm. Drug paraphernalia found on the site of some of the fires suggests some began making drugs, he added.

So far this year, SFFD has counted 245 cases of deliberately started fires, and some believe the real number is higher. Christin Evans, a local business owner and Coalition for Homelessness volunteer, said she saw cases of alleged arson in tents that were not registered as deliberate.

In July 2021, at around 10:30 p.m., three tents near 750 Florida Street went on fire. The inmates survived, although one of them burned his hands from extinguishing the fire. Evans said the tent residents insisted they didn’t use open flames at the time. They believe that a house neighbor set their tents on fire after they refused to move.

The incident was reported by Evans and a report is pending from fire investigators. It was recorded in the SFFD data as an “outdoor garbage, garbage or trash fire”.

“Arson isn’t exactly common,” said Evans, “but it wasn’t an isolated incident either.”

Most of the neighborhoods in San Francisco saw an increase

in case of fire. The rise in mission was greater than most.

Financial District / South Beach

Change in fire events from 2019 to 2020 (%)

Most of the neighborhoods in San Francisco

saw an increase in fires. The rise in

the mission was bigger than most.

Financial District / South Beach

Change in fire events from 2019 to 2020 (%)

Please note: Districts with fewer than 50 fires in 2019 have been excluded from this graph.

Kelley Cutler, a Coalition Organizer for Homelessness, said the rise in camps – and fires – was due to a lack of resources made available to the homeless.

“The number of tents has risen sharply because nothing else was available,” says Cutler. “There were no alternatives”

As the pandemic began, the city’s municipal housing (which, according to the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing, can accommodate 2,000 to 3,000 people) began at significantly reduced capacity to reduce the transmission of Covid-19. They also saw frequent closings as positive tests meant closure. Service 311 to get on a shelters waiting list has been discontinued and has not yet returned.

The city has made some alternatives available. Safe sleeping areas were established in several locations where homeless people could use tents and have access to basic amenities such as showers and food. Fire extinguishers were even available at these locations in the event of a fire. But all together they could only accommodate a few hundred people.

In addition, around 2,000 hotel rooms were made available. However, entry was generally restricted to people over the age of 60 or to people with previous illnesses.

Comparing the availability of temporary shelters, safe sleeping and hotel rooms to the city’s 8,000+ homeless residents in 2019 suggests that thousands of unhoused residents had few options other than tents.

The latest August 2021 estimate by the Healthy Streets Operations Center in San Francisco found over 500 tents and 1,000 vehicles used by homeless people across the city.

In an effort to contain tent fires, Baxter said the fire department went beyond their traditional scope by distributing leaflets and talking to people without shelter about the dangers of open flames. After a year of public relations, he said the number of fires did not seem to be increasing or decreasing, but had reached a new plateau.

Cutler said the best way to reduce fires is to add more living space. “It’s not about building trust,” she said. “This is nonsense. When good resources are available, people take advantage of the opportunity.”

After $ 1 billion of Proposition C funding finally poured into homeless services – some of which have already been used to buy hotels for lodging – Cutler and Evans are cautiously optimistic that better days may be ahead. But they said they shouldn’t expect changes to happen immediately.

“This situation was made worse by Covid, but it took 40 years to get that far,” said Evans. “It won’t be resolved overnight.”

That year there were over 3,500 fires in the city by the end of October

Contains fires from January 1, 2021 through October 31, 2021. You can see the full screen map here.

methodology

The data for this story comes from the SFFD’s public fire incident data set. The analysis was completed with Python. Here you get to our notebook.

Jesus Mora, a manager at SFFD who organizes the department’s data, said the number of fires included in our analysis could actually be underestimated. Not every fire alarm is recorded as a fire event, he explained. Some may be recorded as medical incidents and some minor incidents may not be recorded at all.

The categorization of the fires in our analysis is slightly different from the categorization used internally by SFFD. Many of the incidents listed as “garbage fires” in the public record are reclassified as “outdoor fires” or “campfires” in SFFD’s internal data.

Mora explained that there are many gray areas around so-called outdoor, garbage or campfires, and changes are sometimes made based on the attributions of the incident that are not available in the public record.

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Neosho Hearth Division advises residents with fireplaces to get their chimney inspected to forestall fires | KSNF/KODE

Mon, 13 Dec 2021 21:00:52 +0000

NEOSHO, Missouri – Many of the four states are expected to freeze Thursday morning – and local fire officials are encouraging people to play it safe.

Neosho Fire Marshal Scott Maness says it’s important to make sure your chimney is inspected and cleaned once a year. He recommends using wood that is at least six months old.

He also estimates his department deals with nearly 10 chimney fires a year.

“A chimney sweep comes and if there is creosote or soot in the chimney, it is cleaned. Creosote is something made by burning wood and the like that is also flammable, so you can set the chimney on fire, ”said Scott Maness, Neosho Fire Marshal.

A chimney sweep will also check for cracks and look for things like a bird’s nest or other types of obstructions. It is also important to take extra precautions when using space heaters.

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Individual With Slingshot Fires Object at Window of San Francisco Restaurant – NBC Bay Space

Wed, 29 Sep 2021 10:03:33 +0000

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Know the information about chimney fires

Sat, 25 Sep 2021 12:10:18 +0000

RICHMOND, Ky. (WTVQ) – The Madison Co. Fire Department is reminding everyone to play it safe when using your chimney to heat your home in cooler weather.

Your chimney – and the smoke outlet around it – add an architectural interest to your home, but its real function is to safely move dangerous smoke gases from your fireplace, wood stove or stove out of your home. A chimney helps keep your household air breathable … just like your windows and your bathroom, attic and kitchen hoods. In contrast to other exhaust air points in your home, wood-burning stoves require special care.

Cuddle up in front of a cozy fire or sunbathe in the warmth of your wood-burning stove, take part in a ritual of comfort and enjoyment that has been handed down through the centuries. The last thing you probably think about is the condition of your chimney. However, if you don’t think about it before lighting these winter fires, your enjoyment may be short-lived. Why? Dirty chimneys can cause chimney fires, damage structures, destroy houses, and injure or kill people.

Nobody greets a log fire

A chimney fire in action can be impressive. The following signs of a chimney fire have been described:

Loud cracking and cracking
Lots of thick smoke and
An intense, hot smell

Chimney fires can burn explosively – loud and dramatic enough to be spotted by neighbors or passers-by. Flames or thick smoke can shoot out of the chimney. Homeowners report being startled by a low rumble that reminds them of a freight train or a low-flying airplane. However, these are just the chimney fires you know. Slow-burning chimney fires don’t get enough air or fuel to be dramatic or visible. But the temperatures they reach are very high and can damage the chimney structure – and nearby combustible parts of the house – just as badly as their more spectacular cousins. With the right care of the chimney system, chimney fires can be completely avoided.

Creosote And Chimney Fires: What You Need To Know

Fireplaces and wood stoves are designed to safely contain wood fires while providing warmth for a home. The chimneys that serve them have the task of removing the combustion by-products – the substances that arise when wood is burned. These include smoke, water vapor, gases, unburned wood particles, hydrocarbons, tar mist and various minerals. When these substances leave the fireplace or wood stove and flow into the relatively cooler chimney, condensation occurs. The resulting residue, which sticks to the inner walls of the chimney, is known as creosote.

Creosote has a black or brown appearance. It can be crispy and flaky … tarry, dripping, and sticky … or shiny and hard. Often all forms appear in a chimney system. Creosote is easily flammable in any form. If it collects in sufficient quantities – and the internal flue gas temperature is high enough – a chimney fire can result. Certain conditions promote the build-up of creosote. Restricted air supply, unseasoned wood, and chimney temperatures that are cooler than normal chimney temperatures are all factors that can accelerate the build-up of creosote on the chimney walls. The air supply can be restricted by closing the glass doors, by not opening the flap wide enough and by the lack of sufficient fresh air to quickly convey the heated smoke into the chimney (the longer the smoke “dwell time” in the chimney, the more likely it is it is that creosote forms). The air supply to a stove can be restricted by closing the stove flap or the air inlets too early or too tightly. Burning unseasoned wood – since so much energy is initially used to drive away the water trapped in the cells of the logs – keeps the smoke that arises cooler than when using seasoned wood. In the case of wood-burning stoves, overloading the firebox with wood in order to achieve a longer burning time also contributes to the formation of creosote.

How chimney fires hurt chimneys

If a chimney fire occurs in a masonry chimney – whether it is an older, unlined or tiled chimney, in order to comply with current safety regulations – the high temperatures at which they burn can (approx. Collapse and damage the external masonry ”. Most of the time there will be thermal shock and tile cracking and grout dislodging, providing a path for the flames to reach the combustible wooden frame of the house.This event is extremely dangerous, call 911 immediately.

Nine signs of a chimney fire

Because a chimney that has been damaged by a chimney fire can endanger a house and its residents, and a chimney fire can start without anyone noticing, it’s important to have your chimney regularly inspected by a CSIA-certified chimney sweep. Here are the signs a professional chimney sweep should look out for:

“Bloated” or “honey-combed” creosote
Warped metal of the flap, smoke chamber connection pipe made of metal or factory-made metal chimney
Broken or collapsed chimney tiles or tiles with missing large chunks
Discolored and / or distorted rain cap
Heat damaged TV antenna attached to the chimney
Creosote flakes and pieces found on the roof or floor
Roofing material damaged by hot creosote
Cracks in the exterior masonry
Evidence of smoke escaping through mortar joints in masonry or tile covering

If you suspect a chimney fire has occurred, call a CSIA-certified Chimney Sweep® for a professional assessment. If your suspicions are confirmed, a certified sweep can make recommendations on how the system can be brought back into compliance with safety standards. Depending on the situation, some mantels may have to be replaced, a new liner system installed or an entire chimney converted. Every situation is unique and dictates its own solution.

Proper maintenance

Clean chimneys don’t catch fire. Make sure a CSIA certified chimney sweep inspects your solid fuel ventilation system annually and cleans and repairs it if necessary. Depending on how you use your fireplace or stove, your debris may have different maintenance recommendations. CSIA recommends that you consult with CSIA-certified chimney sweeps as they are regularly tested for their understanding of the complexities of chimneys and ventilation systems.

More information can be found at: http://www.csia.org/hom…/the_facts_about_chimney_fires.aspx

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