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German soccer club St. Pauli quits X ahead of snap elections, calls platform a “hate machine”
A German soccer club is leaving X because of the increase in hate speech and disinformation on the social media platform that it claims could undermine the snap elections in the country.
FC St. Pauli announced the decision on Thursday, saying billionaire owner Elon Musk has turned the platform into a “hate machine” since he took over the company in 2022.
“Racism and conspiracy theories are allowed to spread unchecked and even curated,” St. Pauli said in a statement. “Insults and threats are seldom sanctioned and are sold as freedom of speech.”
The club said it had already limited posts on X and increased “political statements in support of diversity and inclusion to make a stand against hate.”
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Named after Hamburg’s St. Pauli district, the club, which plays in the Bundesliga, is known among soccer fans for its left-leaning supporter base. Fan groups often chant anti-racist slogans and promote diversity within the club.
St. Pauli also underlined Musk’s role in last week’s U.S. presidential election, and alleged his platform could affect the outcome of the snap elections in Germany, which are scheduled to take place next February, by “manipulating the public discourse.”
“Musk was a major backer of the Trump campaign and also used X for this purpose,” the club said. “It is to be assumed that X will also promote authoritarian, misanthropic and far-right content during the forthcoming German election campaign.”
St. Pauli said it would no longer share content on X but it will not deactivate the account. The club urged supporters to follow its updates on Bluesky, an alternative social media platform that has observed a surge of new members after President-elect Donald Trump’s election victory last week.
Musk was a key figure in Trump’s third election campaign, donating millions of dollars and promoting content for his message on X. Trump announced this week that he will be part of the cost-cutting Department of Government Efficiency alongside fellow billionaire Vivek Ramaswamy, an entrepreneur who sought the Republican Party’s nomination.
On Nov. 6, the German coalition government collapsed after Chancellor Olaf Scholz dismissed the finance minister, who represented the pro-business Free Democratic Party. The chancellor will seek a vote of confidence at the German Bundestag in December.
St. Pauli aims to migrate its nearly 250,000 followers ahead of February’s snap elections in Germany in which the center-right opposition Christian Democratic Union is expected to make significant gains.
The far-right Alternative for Germany party has also gained popularity. With 76 seats, it is the fifth largest party in the Bundestag. In September’s Thuringian state election, the AfD became the first far-right party in Germany to have won an election since World War II.
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Carjacking suspect in Beverly Hills crashes into building near Rodeo Drive holiday lights show
The Beverly Hills Police Department responded to the Rodeo Drive area after an SUV crashed into a building near the city’s holiday light show Thursday night.
Detectives said 22-year-old Pittsburgh resident James Portul allegedly carjacked a woman’s black BMW X3 at around 7:05 p.m. in the 400 block of North Bedford Drive and drove towards the light show. Portul made it a couple of blocks until he lost control of the SUV and crashed into a pillar outside an office building near the Wilshire Boulevard and Camden Avenue intersection.
A witness said he was speeding and skidding around the road before slamming into the corner of the building.
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Before striking the building, Portul allegedly ran over two men, one woman and a boy. The Beverly Hills Fire Department took all of the victims to the hospital in an unknown condition. Police said one of the victims was a vendor.
Portul allegedly ran away from the crash site but officers assigned to a city event quickly detained him in the 200 block of South Beverly Drive. The Rodeo Drive holiday light show was a block away from the crash.
It’s unclear if the victims attended the event.
Portul was arrested on two charges, carjacking and hit-and-run with injury.
An Alaska Airlines flight made an emergency landing at LAX after blowing out a tire during its takeoff at Dulles International Airport near Washington D.C.
The aircraft landed at LAX at about 8:10 p.m. without incident. First responders were standing by on the runway as a precaution.
Out of the 175 passengers and six crew members aboard Flight 309, no one was injured.
“While this incident is a rare occurrence, our flight crews train extensively to safely manage through many scenarios,” the airliner stated.
Alaska stated that the pilot declared the emergency landing as a precaution to ensure the flight had extra support if needed.
The company said it would investigate what caused the Boeing 737-900 to malfunction. The aircraft will not be in service during the investigation.
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Trump meets with Argentina’s president, the first foreign leader he’s met with since election
Donald Trump met Thursday at his Mar-a-Lago club with Argentine President Javier Milei, the first foreign leader to meet with the president-elect since his victory in last week’s election.
The meeting was confirmed by a person who insisted on anonymity to discuss an event that hadn’t yet been announced publicly. The person said the meeting went well and said Milei also met with investors.
A short time later, Milei, a self-described “anarcho-capitalist” and frequent recipient of Trump praise, addressed the America First Policy Institute gala at Mar-a-Lago. He slammed left-wing ideologies and saluted Elon Musk, the owner of X, saying his social media site is helping to “save humanity.”
Trump also spoke to the gala crowd, congratulating Milei “for the job you’ve done for Argentina” and saying it was an “honor” to have Argentina’s president at Mar-a-Lago.
“The job you’ve done is incredible. Make Argentina Great Again, you know, MAGA. He’s a MAGA person,” Trump said to applause. “And you know, he’s doing that.”
Shortly after Milei’s election in November 2023, Trump posted on social media, “You will turn your country around and truly Make Argentina Great Again!”
Milei first met Trump in February at the Conservative Political Action Conference, or CPAC, in the Washington area. He has openly declared his admiration for Trump and when he saw him, he rushed to him screaming “president!” and gave him a close hug before they posed for pictures.
The Argentine president is known for his eccentric personality and first made a name for himself by shouting against Argentina’s “political caste” on television. The right-wing populist campaigned with a chainsaw as his prop to symbolize his plans to slash public spending and scrap government ministries.
Carjacking suspect in Beverly Hills crashes into building near Rodeo Drive holiday lights show
Alaska Airlines flight from Dulles makes emergency landing at LAX
German soccer club St. Pauli quits X ahead of snap elections, calls platform a “hate machine”
Carjacking suspect in Beverly Hills crashes into building near Rodeo Drive holiday lights show
Alaska Airlines flight from Dulles makes emergency landing at LAX