Monday, April 25, 2022

Elon Musk's Twitter takeover

The world's richest man is buying Twitter after all. And a plane swap stunt went wrong in the skies over Arizona. It's Monday's news. ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ 
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Monday, April 25
A phone screen displays the Twitter account of Elon Musk with a photo of him shown in the background
Elon Musk's Twitter takeover
The world's richest man is buying Twitter after all. And a plane swap stunt went wrong in the skies over Arizona. It's Monday's news.

It looks like Elon Musk will buy Twitter after all. Judge finds Donald Trump in contempt in New York legal fight. And a "plane swap" stunt went wrong in the skies over Arizona.

👋 Heyo! It's Laura, it's Monday, and I've got a whole lot of news for you.

But first, waddle on over and check this out. 🐧 Celebrated annually on April 25, World Penguin Day recognizes one of the most interesting birds on the planet. Take a look at these penguins across the globe.

The Short List is a snappy USA TODAY news roundup. Subscribe to the newsletter here or text messages here.

🚨 Read this: Marlin Dixon went to prison as a teen, locked up for a killing that made national headlines and stunned his city of Milwaukee. Since his release at 32, he said he's already achieved things he dreamed about: getting his own living space, finding a good job and separating himself from violence. "I've been through the fire. Now people need to see my value." 

It's official: Elon Musk is set to buy Twitter

The social media giant confirmed Monday that Musk, Tesla's CEO and a billionaire, will acquire the company in a deal worth $44 billion.  Once the deal is complete, which is expected this year, Twitter will become a privately held company. Shares of Twitter rose more than 5% in afternoon trading Monday. Musk has criticized how strictly Twitter moderates content on its platform. "Free speech is essential to a functioning democracy. Do you believe Twitter rigorously adheres to this principle?" he tweeted this month. Despite its cultural influence and with 416 million weekly users as of April 16, the platform has lagged social media rivals including the Meta-owned Facebook and Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok. 

'Did we just lose?': Twitter users react to Musk buying the social media platform.

Texas appeals court issues stay of execution for Melissa Lucio

The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals on Monday issued a stay of execution for Melissa Lucio,  on death row for the murder of her 2-year-old daughter in 2007. Lucio, 53, was scheduled to be executed Wednesday. The court ordered the 138th Judicial District Court of Cameron County to consider the new evidence presented by Lucio's legal team and issued a stay "pending resolution of the remanded claims" in her habeas application. Lucio was convicted in 2008 for the murder of her daughter Mariah, who prosecutors said suffered physical abuse leading to her death. But Lucio's legal team has claimed new evidence shows the toddler's death was an accident caused by an undiagnosed injury sustained after falling down the stairs two days before.

Opinion: The Texas courts have spared Melissa Lucio's life. Good.
What's next for the death penalty? Lucio's case deepens questions about capital punishment.
Melissa Lucio spends time with her daughters Mariah and Adriana in this undated family photo.
Melissa Lucio spends time with her daughters Mariah and Adriana in this undated family photo.
Courtesy of Lucio family via Innocence Project

What everyone's talking about

Man stacks 7 M&Ms to break previous Guinness World record of 6.
Japan's Kane Tanaka, world's oldest person, dies at 119.
Child dies of mysterious liver disease spreading across US, Europe
Family sues over death of boy who fell from Florida amusement park ride.
Why Asian women are shut out of leadership at America's top companies.

The Short List is free, but several stories we link to are subscriber-only. Consider supporting our journalism and become a USA TODAY digital subscriber today.

Trump found in contempt of court

A New York judge found former President Donald Trump in contempt of court Monday for failing to adequately respond to a subpoena issued by the state's attorney general as part of a civil investigation into his business dealings.  Judge Arthur Engoron ordered Trump to pay a fine of $10,000 per day. New York Attorney General Letitia James, a Democrat, had asked the court to hold Trump in contempt after he missed a March 31 court-imposed deadline to turn over documents. James has been conducting a lengthy investigation into the Trump Organization, the former president's family company, centering on what she has claimed is a pattern of misleading banks and tax authorities about the value of his properties. Trump, a Republican, has been fighting James in court over the investigation, which he has called a politically motivated "witch hunt."

Where the inquiries stand: Trump investigations accelerate in coming weeks.
Former President Donald Trump addresses the Conservative Political Action Conference on Feb. 26, 2022, in Orlando, Fla.
Former President Donald Trump addresses the Conservative Political Action Conference on Feb. 26, 2022, in Orlando, Fla.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Top US officials pledge more aid for Ukraine

The Biden administration upped its financial pledge and nominated a new ambassador for Ukraine following a quasi-clandestine meeting in Kyiv between two top U.S. Cabinet officials – Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin – and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Blinken and Austin told Zelenskyy and his advisers that the United States would provide an additional $300 million in foreign military financing and had approved a $165 million sale of ammunition. On Monday, President Joe Biden announced he would appoint Bridget Brink as the U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, filling a position that has been vacant for three years. If confirmed by the Senate, she would be the first U.S. ambassador to Ukraine since Donald Trump removed Marie Yovanovitch from the post in 2019.

👉 More news: Sweden, Finland reportedly to apply to NATO; Britain estimates that 15,000 Russians have been killed. Monday's updates.

Potemkin villages: What the true story says about Putin and Ukraine.
From the frontlines of the Ukraine invasion, a mad dash to rescue refugees.
A Ukrainian serviceman walks amid the rubble of a building heavily damaged by multiple Russian bombardments near a frontline in Kharkiv, Ukraine, Monday, April 25, 2022.
A Ukrainian serviceman walks amid the rubble of a building heavily damaged by multiple Russian bombardments near a frontline in Kharkiv, Ukraine, Monday, April 25, 2022.
Felipe Dana, AP

Real quick

GM confirms it will offer an all-electric Corvette sports car.
Congress returns to big fights over Ukraine aid, Title 42, COVID-19 relief.
How did this woman survive trapped in a forest? Yogurt and snow.
Bugs for breakfast? OK, but there are easier ways to fight climate change.
'In she went': Woman rescued after falling into toilet trying to get her phone.
Supreme Court hears case of coach who lost job after praying on field.
Shanghai installs metal barriers to seal off streets, residential buildings to contain COVID outbreak.

Plane swap gone wrong

Aviation history will have to wait – but disaster was avoided.  Two cousins, Luke Aikins and Andy Farrington, were unsuccessful in completing the first "plane swap" Sunday night in the skies over Arizona when one plane spiraled out of control as the two pilots were thousands of feet in the air. Both pilots were safe with no reported injuries, according to Red Bull, which sponsored the event. With the airbrake system engaged on both planes, the two men jumped out at 12,100 feet. Aikins was able to successfully get into the other plane, but Farrington was unable to, and was forced to deploy his parachute before landing safely on the ground. The plane spiraled out of control, deploying its own parachute before touching down. The Federal Aviation Administration said Monday that the agency would investigate.

Pilots Luke Aikins & Andy Farrington are seen skydiving during Plane Swap in Eloy, Arizona, USA, on April 24, 2022. The plane on the right was the one that spiraled out of control as Farrington was unable to enter the aircraft.
Pilots Luke Aikins & Andy Farrington are seen skydiving during Plane Swap in Eloy, Arizona, USA, on April 24, 2022. The plane on the right was the one that spiraled out of control as Farrington was unable to enter the aircraft.
Keith Ladzinski / Red Bull Content Pool

A break from the news

🤷‍♀️ My husband wants me to stay home and 'cocoon.' Is this normal?
☎️ Boost your bars: Need to connect from a cabin? Here's what to do.
🚴‍♀️ Our Reviewed product experts say these 11 bike commute upgrades will help make your ride to work smoother.

This is a compilation of stories from across the USA TODAY Network. Want this news roundup in your inbox every night? Sign up for The Short List newsletter here.

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