Elon Musk and Twitter Reach Deal for Sale (1 Viewer)

[SaintForLife]

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 Mr. Musk for $54.20 a share, a 38 percent premium over the company’s share price this month before he revealed he was the firm’s single largest shareholder. It would be the largest deal to take a company private — something Mr. Musk has said he will do with Twitter — in at least two decades, according to data compiled by Dealogic.

“Free speech is the bedrock of a functioning democracy, and Twitter is the digital town square where matters vital to the future of humanity are debated,” Mr. Musk said in a statement announcing the deal. “Twitter has tremendous potential — I look forward to working with the company and the community of users to unlock it.”

The deal, which has been unanimously approved by Twitter’s board, is expected to close this year, subject to a vote of Twitter shareholders and certain regulatory approvals.

The blockbuster agreement caps what had seemed an improbable attempt by the famously mercurial Mr. Musk, 50, to buy the social media company — and immediately raises questions about what he will do with the platform and how his actions will affect online speech globally.

Elon Musk and Twitter Reach Deal for Sale

Twitter agreed to be taken over at $54.20 a share, a 38 percent premium over the share price before it was revealed that Mr. Musk had been buying up the company’s stock.

www-nytimes-com.cdn.ampproject.org

If Musk does what he claims he wants to do it will be a big improvement and good for free speech.

 

[Texan1211]

Electing him was a massive blunder, it’s tbd if we will emerge from it unscathed or a broken nation.

I would have preferred a different outcome in the election, but no need or sense in getting melodramatic about.
We have survived bad Presidents before and will continue to do so in the future.
To be honest, no President has ever done anything in my lifetime that changed my life in any significant way.

 

[MT15]

I would have preferred a different outcome in the election, but no need or sense in getting melodramatic about.
We have survived bad Presidents before and will continue to do so in the future.
To be honest, no President has ever done anything in my lifetime that changed my life in any significant way.

Well, that little streak could be about to end. I don’t recall having incredibly powerful billionaires moving to change everything this rapidly before in my lifetime.

They don’t want what’s best for us, I’m positive about that. Trump will offer no resistance at all, IMO. Congress is feckless and cowardly.

The billionaires want to transform the US into a straight up oligarchy. They don’t want us to have upward mobility - they want us to be good little worker bees and keep enriching them. I read a quote - the reason they want to slash social security and Medicare is to drive the retired population back into the workforce. I cannot remember who said this, it was a few weeks ago. But it wasn’t from someone on the left - IIRC. It was said approvingly by someone on that side.

 

[Texan1211]

Well, that little streak could be about to end.

Sure it COULD--it is actually a possibility.
Are the chances high? Of course not.

I don’t recall having incredibly powerful billionaires moving to change everything this rapidly before in my lifetime.

Change can be frightening to people.
What exactly do you think will change and have an actual effect on your life?

The billionaires want to transform the US into a straight up oligarchy.

Oh, jeeze, you bought into the bs being spewed.

 

[MT15]

Is it your contention that if I am not inconvenienced, then I shouldn’t care what happens to others?

Dept of Education - responsible for almost all of the funds for special education in this country. If it is eliminated, what happens to these students? Especially since the GOP wants to defund public schools by giving taxpayer money to private schools who have no mandate to help special needs kids and refuse to take them. Nobody is planning or caring for these kids in the Trump orbit.

Do you know how many seniors rely on social security to live? And Medicare to get medical needs taken care of? Serious cuts in these programs will cause undue hardship for millions.

None of this is good for America.

Do you seriously think any of these billionaires give a rat’s arse about what’s good for the US? Or do they care about enhancing their own situations?

 

[superchuck500]

 

[Neworleansfan]

Is it your contention that if I am not inconvenienced, then I shouldn’t care what happens to others?

Dept of Education - responsible for almost all of the funds for special education in this country. If it is eliminated, what happens to these students? Especially since the GOP wants to defund public schools by giving taxpayer money to private schools who have no mandate to help special needs kids and refuse to take them. Nobody is planning or caring for these kids in the Trump orbit.

Do you know how many seniors rely on social security to live? And Medicare to get medical needs taken care of? Serious cuts in these programs will cause undue hardship for millions.

None of this is good for America.

Do you seriously think any of these billionaires give a rat’s arse about what’s good for the US? Or do they care about enhancing their own situations?

Just hope what they are proposing doesn’t pass the Senate.

 

[Sendai]

Is it your contention that if I am not inconvenienced, then I shouldn’t care what happens to others?

Dept of Education - responsible for almost all of the funds for special education in this country. If it is eliminated, what happens to these students? Especially since the GOP wants to defund public schools by giving taxpayer money to private schools who have no mandate to help special needs kids and refuse to take them. Nobody is planning or caring for these kids in the Trump orbit.

“The federal share of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act has fallen to less than 16 percent.”

Special Education | NEA

All students deserve an education that sparks their curiosity and desire to learn. Special education fits our most vulnerable students’ unique needs.

www.nea.org

“In the 2019-2020 school year, 47.5% of funding came from state governments, 44.9% came from local governments, and the federal government provided about 7.6% of school funding.”

How are public schools funded? | USAFacts

Public school funds come primarily from local and state governments, while the federal government provides about 8% of local school funding.

usafacts.org

We don’t need the Department of Education to fund state education. Congress can directly provide those funds.

 

[Dragon]

“The federal share of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act has fallen to less than 16 percent.”

Special Education | NEA

All students deserve an education that sparks their curiosity and desire to learn. Special education fits our most vulnerable students’ unique needs.

www.nea.org

“In the 2019-2020 school year, 47.5% of funding came from state governments, 44.9% came from local governments, and the federal government provided about 7.6% of school funding.”

How are public schools funded? | USAFacts

Public school funds come primarily from local and state governments, while the federal government provides about 8% of local school funding.

usafacts.org

We don’t need the Department of Education to fund state education. Congress can directly provide those funds.

Who will ensure that special needs students receive the education they deserve? The states? I highly doubt it. Without proper oversight to guarantee they are not discriminated against, these students will inevitably be the ones who lose the most.

 

[Texan1211]

Who will ensure that special needs students receive the education they deserve? The states? I highly doubt it.

States already do it.
Why wouldn't they?

Without proper oversight to guarantee they are not discriminated against, these students will inevitably be the ones who lose the most.

All anti-discrimination laws will still apply as usual.

 

[Neworleansfan]

Who will ensure that special needs students receive the education they deserve? The states?

The states are responsible for their special education programs and some states are much better at it than others. Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama are notariously bad while Massachusetts, Minnesota, and those states in the North and North East are really good. States with better education systems are also better at running their special education programs.
Anecdotally, I personally know 3 families that relocated from the south to the northeast because of their special education programs.

 

[Dragon]

The states are responsible for their special education programs and some states are much better at it than others. Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama are notariously bad while Massachusetts, Minnesota, and those states in the North and North East are really good. States with better education systems are also better at running their special education programs.
Anecdotally, I personally know 3 families that relocated from the south to the northeast because of their special education programs.

The U.S. Department of Education plays a vital role in ensuring states comply with federal laws that safeguard the educational rights of students with disabilities. This responsibility is primarily fulfilled through the enforcement of key legislation, including the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

Without the Department’s oversight, there would be no mechanism to hold states accountable for upholding these rights, leaving students with disabilities vulnerable to neglect and discrimination.

 

[MT15]

States already do it.
Why wouldn't they?

All anti-discrimination laws will still apply as usual.

As can be easily seen, some states do and others not so much. Losing any federal oversight will just make a bad situation worse.

Some states are notoriously lax about anti-discrimination laws, otherwise why would so many GOP controlled state legislatures be diverting state tax money from public schools to private schools?

 

[Texan1211]

many GOP controlled state legislatures be diverting state tax money from public schools to private schools?

Most folks understand it is more of a school-choice thing but not everyone gets it.

 

[DaveXA]

Most folks understand it is more of a school-choice thing but not everyone gets it.

Well, you see, if I don't want tax dollars going to private schools who don't need it, that's not much of a choice is it?

 

[Neworleansfan]

Most folks understand it is more of a school-choice thing but not everyone gets it.

Private schools and public schools are not on an even level playing field though.
Make private schools offer IEP program, free or reduced lunch and require their students to take and pass state standardized exams among other things that public schools are required to do.

 

[Texan1211]

Well, you see, if I don't want tax dollars going to private schools who don't need it, that's not much of a choice is it?

Well, you will just have to learn to accept that your tax dollars may very well be going to things you don't support or like.
As most everyone knows, school choice refers to the ability of parents to be able to send their kids to different schools, especially helpful if their kids are in a district that underperforms.
You would actually prefer for kids not to get the best education available?

 

[Texan1211]

Make private schools offer IEP program, free or reduced lunch and require their students to take and pass state standardized exams among other things that public schools are required to do.

Hmm.
Are those the things that make public schools better to you?

 

[Neworleansfan]

Hmm.
Are those the things that make public schools better to you?

Either I don’t understand your question or you are not asking the right question. Public schools are at a disadvantage because they have to spend money and resources on those additional requirements while private schools don’t have to.
No, those don’t make public schools better. So my question to you is should schools just stop offering those resources?