With deal for Twitter, Musk lands a prize and pledges fewer limits
Elon Musk struck a deal on Monday to buy Twitter for roughly $44 billion, in a victory by the world’s richest man to take over the influential social network frequented by world leaders, celebrities and cultural trendsetters. Twitter agreed to sell itself to Musk for $54.20 a share, a 38% premium over the company’s share price this month before he revealed he was the firm’s single largest shareholder. The blockbuster agreement caps what seemed an improbable attempt by the famously mercurial Musk, 50, to buy Twitter — and immediately raises questions about what he will do with the platform and how his actions will affect online speech globally.
Judge holds Trump in contempt over documents in New York AG’s inquiry
A New York state judge on Monday held Donald Trump in contempt of court for failing to comply with a subpoena from the state attorney general’s office, an extraordinary rebuke of the former president that came as that office suggested it might soon file a long-threatened lawsuit against him. Judge Arthur Engoron ordered Trump to fully respond to the subpoena from Attorney General Letitia James and assessed a fine of $10,000 per day until Trump satisfied the court’s requirements. The contempt order amounted to a judicial condemnation of Trump’s signature tactic — stonewalling litigation and law enforcement investigations that he has derided as politically motivated, sometimes for years.
Texas court halts execution of mother convicted of killing child
The highest criminal court in Texas on Monday ordered a halt to the execution of a Hispanic mother of 14 convicted of killing her 2-year-old child over a decade ago in a case drawing bipartisan outrage. Melissa Lucio has long maintained her innocence, and calls for leniency have become widespread in Texas, including among dozens of Democratic and Republican state legislators, as new evidence and expert testimony cast strong doubt on her guilt. In a decision ordering a stay to the execution, the Court of Criminal Appeals found that several of the claims raised by her lawyers needed to be considered by a trial court.
Parents sue after death of teen from Florida drop-tower ride
The parents of a 14-year-old boy who fell to his death from a 430-foot drop-tower ride in central Florida’s tourist district have sued its owner, manufacturer and landlord, claiming they were negligent and failed to provide a safe amusement ride. The lawsuit was filed Monday by the parents of Tyre Sampson in state court in Orlando. It says that the defendants failed to warn their 6-foot-2-inch, 380-pound son about the risks of going on the ride and didn’t provide an appropriate restraint system on the ride. An initial report said ride sensors had been adjusted to double the size of restraint openings on two seats.
COVID outbreak in Beijing prompts order for nearly citywide testing
Families in Beijing rushed to stock up on food. Supermarkets stayed open late. Residents endured long lines for mandatory testing. China’s stock markets plunged. A fresh coronavirus outbreak in China’s capital has raised concerns that Beijing could become, after Shanghai, the next Chinese megacity to put life on hold to contain the spread of the omicron variant. The Beijing municipal government ordered late Monday night that almost everyone in the city would have to take three PCR tests for the coronavirus over five days. The order came after 70 coronavirus cases had been found in the city since Friday.
By wire sources