memeorandum: Officials: 120 dead after Halloween crowd surge in Seoul (Associated Press)

7:20 PM ET, October 29, 2022

Top Items:

Elon Musk Is Said to Have Ordered Job Cuts Across Twitter — The billionaire planned to begin layoffs as soon as Saturday, people with knowledge of the matter said. — SAN FRANCISCO — Elon Musk planned to begin laying off workers at Twitter as soon as Saturday, four people with knowledge …

Discussion: ZeroHedge, Daring Fireball, Bloomberg, New York Post, The Information, The Verge, Breitbart, Vox, Al Jazeera, Washington Examiner, TMZ.com and Vanity Fair, more at Techmeme »

Insider:

Use of N-word on Twitter jumped by almost 500% after Elon Musk's takeover as trolls test limits on free speech, report says — Elon Musk's Twitter takeover sparked a surge in the use of the N-word on the social media platform. — A social media research group told The Washington Post the use of the slur increased by nearly 500%.

Discussion: The Guardian, The Hill, The Wrap, TheBlaze, Twitchy, RedState, Gizmodo, Observations In Blackness, Metro.co.uk, Blogs of War and Associated Press, more at Techmeme »

Davey Alba / Bloomberg:

Musk's Twitter Roils With Hate Speech as Trolls Test New Limits — In the wake of Elon Musk buying Twitter Inc., a tide of slurs and racist memes swelled on the platform, sparking concern that the site is entering an era of hateful speech. — Twitter has long wrestled …

Stuart A. Thompson / New York Times:
Antisemitic campaign tries to capitalize on Elon Musk's Twitter takeover.

Discussion: The Wrap, New York Post, Wired, Robert Reich, Killer NewsTv, One America News Network, BuzzFeed News, Boing Boing and Bloomberg, more at Techmeme »

Washington Post:

Attack on Nancy Pelosi's husband follows years of GOP demonizing her — A man with right-wing views who broke into the House speaker's home yelled “Where is Nancy?” before assaulting Paul Pelosi with a hammer, police say. — In 2010, Republicans launched a “Fire Pelosi” project …

Karen Tumulty / Washington Post:

I'm sorry I said nice things about Glenn Youngkin — I'd like to take this opportunity to retract the nice things I said about Glenn Youngkin a few months ago. — In July, I wrote a column when reports began to surface that Virginia's Republican governor, a fresh and sunny political newcomer …

Discussion: NewsNation, Blue Virginia and Insider

Associated Press:
Pelosi attack shocks country on edge about democracy threats

Discussion: The Hill, Axios, The Guardian, Politico, Washington Examiner, CBS News, Washington Post, Mother Jones, Honolulu Star-Advertiser and Roll Call

Politico:
Police offer new details in Paul Pelosi assault

Politico:
Pelosi's status as GOP campaign-ad villain faces new scrutiny after violent home invasion

Discussion: Vox, The Gateway Pundit and Twitchy

Catie Edmondson / New York Times:
Pelosi Attack Highlights Rising Fears of Political Violence

Discussion: Politico, Los Angeles Times, HuffPost, ABC7, ABC News, The Hill, CNN, Bloomberg and Washington Post

Anita Chabria / Los Angeles Times:
'It's getting worse.' The sad part of the Pelosi attack is it doesn't surprise us

Discussion: Insider and Raw Story

BBC:

‘Massive’ drone attack on Black Sea Fleet - Russia — Ukraine has carried out a “massive” drone attack on the Black Sea Fleet in the Crimean port city of Sevastopol, damaging one warship, Russia says. — Nine drones were used, a top official said. Ukraine has not commented.

Discussion: TASS, New York Times, The Daily Wire, RedState, Task & Purpose and IJR

Neil MacFarquhar / New York Times:

Russia accuses Ukraine of launching a drone attack on the Black Sea Fleet in Crimea. … Russia's decision upends a deal designed to ease the global food crisis. — Russia on Saturday said that it was suspending its participation in an agreement to export grain and other agricultural products …

Discussion: Semafor, CBS News, The Bona Fide, Reuters, Bloomberg, Inquirer News, UPI, Politico, NPR, Fox News, Agri-Pulse Communications … and TASS

Washington Post:
Ukraine live briefing: Russia pauses grain deal after Ukraine strikes warships in Sevastopol

Discussion: Telegraph, The Post Millennial, The Times of Israel, Breitbart, Al Jazeera, The Guardian, TASS, The Hill and Bloomberg

Michael Shellenberger:

Pelosi Attack Suspect Was A Psychotic Homeless Addict Estranged From His Pedophile Lover & Their Children — Berkeley resident David DePape was more in the grip of drug-induced psychosis than ideology-induced fanaticism. — Leading politicians yesterday blamed the political Right …

Discussion: HuffPost, The Post Millennial, New York Post, The Gateway Pundit, The Western Journal, Twitchy, Lawyers, Guns & Money, The Daily Wire, Lucianne, Insider, Washington Post, Fox News, Althouse, IJR and FOX40

Associated Press:

Officials: 120 dead after Halloween crowd surge in Seoul — At least 120 people were killed and 100 more were injured as they were crushed by a large crowd pushing forward on a narrow street during Halloween festivities in the capital of Seoul, South Korean officials said.

Jessica Huseman / Votebeat Texas:

In chaotic court hearing, True the Vote leaders found in contempt — Testimony from Gregg Phillips and Catherine Engelbrecht muddies explanation of how they acquired evidence used to target election vendor Konnech — and who helped. — After a chaotic day of testimony on Thursday …

Discussion: Reuters and Arizona Mirror

Dana Milbank / Washington Post:

American Jews start to think the unthinkable — On the holiest night of the Jewish year earlier this month, my rabbi looked up from his Kol Nidre sermon — a homily about protecting America's liberal democracy — and posed a question that wasn't in his prepared text: “How many people …

Discussion: American Prospect

Andrew Kaczynski / CNN:

GOP New Hampshire Senate nominee repeats hoax that kids are using litter boxes in schools — The Republican Senate nominee in New Hampshire shared at a Thursday event the hoax claim that children are being told they can identify as anthropomorphic cats and use litter boxes in schools.

Discussion: Boing Boing and The American Independent

Dan Lamothe / Washington Post:

White House rejects promoting general involved in Capitol riot response — The Pentagon backed Lt. Gen. Walter E. Piatt, the director of the Army staff, to become a four-star general. But the Biden administration nixed his promotion. — The White House rejected a recommendation …

Discussion: Raw Story and Political Wire

Christina Caron / New York Times:

Teens Turn to TikTok in Search of a Mental Health Diagnosis — While social media can help people feel less alone, using it to evaluate symptoms has several downsides. — About a year into the pandemic, Kianna, a high school student in Baltimore, was feeling increasingly isolated.

Discussion: Althouse

New York Times:

Biden's Agenda Hangs in the Balance if Republicans Take Congress — On a wide array of issues like abortion, taxes, race and judges, President Biden's opportunities would shrink as Republicans vow to dismantle much of his legislative accomplishments. — WASHINGTON — For President Biden …

Discussion: Fox News, Townhall, CNN, Raw Story, The Hill and Washington Examiner

Carol Rosenberg / New York Times:

U.S. Releases Guantánamo's Oldest Prisoner — Saifullah Paracha, 75, was accused of being a Qaeda sympathizer and was held for two decades. But he was never charged with a crime. — GUANTÁNAMO BAY, Cuba — The United States has released the U.S. military's oldest prisoner …

Discussion: Fox News, Associated Press, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, The Mourning, Mother Jones and Al Jazeera

U.S. Department of Defense:
Guantanamo Bay Detainee Transfer Announced

Discussion: Honolulu Star-Advertiser, UPI, Just The News, NPR and CNN

Herb Scribner / Axios:

U.S. faces “environment of fascism” ahead of 2022 midterms, AOC says — Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) said in an interview with MSNBC Friday that the United States is “facing an environment of fascism” similar to the days of Jim Crow in the leadup to the 2022 midterms.

Discussion: Insider, MSNBC and CNN

Nicole Sganga / CBS News:
Government warns of “heightened threat” to 2022 elections, fueled by rise in domestic violent extremism

Discussion: NPR and Washington Examiner

Ron Kampeas / The Times of Israel:

Man accused of attacking Pelosi's husband had spread conspiracy theories about Jews — David DePape allegedly propagates online both Holocaust denial and the claim that Jews are to blame for the war in Ukraine — JTA — The man arrested for beating US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband …

Discussion: CBS News, New York Post, Slate, NBC News, Fox News, ABC7, Rolling Stone, Sacramento Bee, Los Angeles Times, Fox 8 Cleveland WJW, The Daily Beast, Just The News and CNN

Tess Owen / VICE:
Man Accused of Attacking Nancy Pelosi's Husband Left Trail of Far-Right Hate

Discussion: TheBlaze, The Daily Beast, New York Times, Bloomberg, Outside the Beltway, NBC News, The Daily Dot, Los Angeles Times and New York Post

Blake Hounshell / New York Times:

It's 2024. Trump Backers Won't Certify the Election. What Next, Legally? — The question is most urgent in Arizona, where two of the former president's loyalists may well become governor and secretary of state. — It's a nightmare scenario for American democracy …

Discussion: Outside the Beltway, Washington Times, ABC News, Bloomberg and NBC News