Journey of Brian Mark: From a drug addict to fitness champion

Claire Peterson on November 28, 2022

Many athletes have been open about their drug and alcohol use and getting sober. The story of Brian Mark is no exception. From hitting rock bottom to establishing a million-dollar business, this thirty-year-old entrepreneur’s life was no less than a bumpy ride. Born in Calgary, Alberta, Brian’s mother had him at the age of 17, and they had to move a lot because of money problems. At the age of 16, Brian Mark got addicted to drinking, drugs and partying. It seemed that there was no way out, but he knew how to overcome extreme obstacles.

Brian’s intense fitness and entrepreneurial journey may not have happened if he hadn’t tackled his drug and alcohol addiction first. He says he fell into partying, drugs and alcohol from age 16 to 24, destroying his personal and professional life. Like every addict, Brian Mark’s addiction started with occasional use and soon became an inseparable part of his life. When he realized his serious drug addiction, Brian decided to turn his life around. Quitted cold turkey and began replacing substance abuse with fitness competitions. Brian won first place and became the overall champion at the Leigh Brandt Muscle Classic and had notable performances in many contests he participated in.

Giving up the addiction was the most difficult part for Brian. He was overweight as a youngster but to achieve something big, one has to make strong calls. Despite not having an official college degree, Brian crossed the million mark before he turned 29 and made over 10 million dollars in revenue before turning 30. All of this happened with sheer dedication, focus and an ambition to help others. As Brian said, “Once I turned my life around, I developed a newfound sense of confidence and wanted to share that with others. I became a coach for others, and I was very good at it. So good that my business scaled to $54,000 a month.”

Being associated with the fitness industry for nine years, Brian knew about the struggles that rookie fitness trainers have to face when they begin their careers. Making money as a fitness coach is not an easy task, especially if you don’t know how to get new clients. Brian decided to help such fitness coaches to scale their businesses and make money as he does. For the ones who are tired of doing their daily 8-12 hour work shift, making just enough, Change Lives Academy is the best place. The goal of this ultimate academy is to help people break free from the system and assist them in making $10,000 a month as an online fitness coach.

Starting his business in 2018, Brian Mark is impacting fitness coaches and his clients from all over the world. He has become one of the leading names in the online coaching and fitness industry as he guides fitness enthusiasts and trainers from all over the world to be their own bosses. With PT Domination, Brian has provided his clients with an online trainer escape plan. Now, these people can get paid what they are worth and keep all of the money by themselves. Brian has shown them a way to unchain themselves from the shackles of the 9-5 life and make $10,000 a month by helping people completely transform their lives through health and fitness.

In its short tenure, the academy has helped some students break $10,000 in their first 30 days of the program. For online trainers struggling to attract new prospects and clients to enroll in their program, Change Lives Academy is here to help. The program is designed to help these trainers to get to 5k in their first 90 days working with the academy. Change Lives Academy has helped over 200 students break the $10,000-month mark. And you can be next. With a motto to provide the students with more freedom, more money and complete control over their lives, Change Lives Academy aims to change lives with their proven step-by-step process. The simplified, easy to understand business blueprint, outstanding customer service, and coaches that truly care about your goals provide the academy with a competitive edge over its counterparts. Change Lives Academy has helped students break $10,000 in their first 30 days of the program. However, typical results usually land clients around the 5k a month mark by 90 days in the program.

The Boss Briefcase Coaching Kit: A Treasure Trove Of High-Demand Training Modules And Coaching Content

Claire Peterson on November 28, 2022

If you’re like most coaches, you spend a lot of time researching what to teach and how to teach it. Then when it comes to actually creating the course content, the process becomes overwhelming and time-consuming. What if you could simplify this process with an all-in-one content kit that gives you everything you need to put together professional training courses for your clients? That’s exactly what The Boss Briefcase’s Coaches Content Kit is designed to help you accomplish.

The Boss Briefcase’s Coaching Kit provides you with all of the essential tools and materials that you need to provide high-quality training for your customers. This is what’s included in the package:

Article Library

You get access to over one hundred high-quality articles that you may use to generate material for your courses or blog entries. These articles are written by some of the most respected professionals in their fields, and they cover a broad range of themes, such as personal development, business, health, and fitness.

Complete Course Kits

Over 30 comprehensive course packages covering a broad range of topics, such as health and fitness, business, wellness, entrepreneurship, digital marketing, social media, and personal development, amongst others. Each kit provides a selection of digital information that can be simply incorporated into your own personalized training programs.

Social Media Content

What if you get all the work done, but you still aren’t generating leads for your business? One of the biggest mistakes that coaches make is not using social media to attract potential clients. The Boss Briefcase’s coaching kit contains months’ worth of social media material, in the form of predesigned templates that can be used and posted on different social media platforms.

High-Ticket Authority Guide & Checklist

Step-by-step instructions will be provided to assist you in choosing your most lucrative offering and packaging it into a lucrative online course. With the included packaging and sales copy, make your first online course quick and easy.

Exclusive Facebook & Google Ads Masterclass

Learn how to promote yourself more successfully on Facebook and Google Ads with the help of The Boss Briefcase’s social media masterclass, and move from being a beginner to a pro in no time. It will provide you with all of the information that you need to construct a successful advertising campaign on Facebook and Google ads to generate more leads for your coaching company.

Brandable Templates For Course Workbooks

Workbooks that have been completed for you that you may use as a model for creating your own workbooks. These workbooks provide you with activities and checklists that you can use to establish the ideal coaching practice that you’ve always wanted. You just need to upload your company’s logo, and then you’re good to go.

The Boss Briefcase’s Coaches Content Kit is an excellent resource for business and success coaches, life and wellness coaches, and health and fitness coaches. Your coaching company will reach new heights you never thought possible, regardless of whether you’re a seasoned coach or a complete newbie.

Iren Cara, iconic 80s singer, passed away

Claire Peterson on November 28, 2022

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Irene Cara, the “Fame” and “Flashdance” singer and actress, died this weekend at the age of 63.

Judith A. Moose, her publicist, confirmed Cara’s death, revealing the singer died at her home in Florida.

The news

Moose announced Irene Cara’s death on Twitter, writing:

“Please share your thoughts and memories of Irene. I’ll be reading each and every one of them and know she’ll be smiling from Heaven.”

“She adored her fans. She was a beautifully gifted soul whose legacy will live forever through her music and films.”

In addition, Irene Cara’s publicist shared a statement online, giving more details.

“It is with profound sadness that on behalf of the family I announce the passing of Irene Cara,” Moose wrote.

“The Academy Award-winning actress, singer, songwriter and producer passed away in her Florida home.”

“Her cause of death is currently unknown and will be released when information is available.”

“Irene’s family has requested privacy as they process their grief. She was a beautifully gifted soul whose legacy will live forever through her music and films.”

“Funeral services are pending and a memorial for her fans will be planned at a future date,” the statement continued.

“We were working on amazing projects that would have made her and her fans incredibly happy.”

“Her manager and I will finish them. She’d want that.”

Cara’s career

When she was younger, Irene Cara first appeared on the television series Electric Company.

As a teenager, Cara starred in several movies, including “Aaron Loves Angela” and “Sparkle.”

However, Irene Cara made a name for herself in the 1980 musical Fame.

In the film, she played Coco Hernandez, who attends the New York High School of Performing Arts.

In addition, Irene Cara produced a hit with the film’s theme song and a second with the ballad “Out Here on My Own.”

As a result, she was nominated for two Grammys and a Golden Globe that year.

In 1983, Irene Cara produced another classic hit when she co-wrote the lyrics to “Flashdance…What a Feeling”.

“Flashdance…What a Feeling” became a radio hit and won her an Academy Award for Best Original Song.

Irene Cara also earned a Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Performance in the Female Category.

References:

Iren Cara, ‘80s pop star behind ‘Fame’ and ‘Flashdance’ theme songs, dies at 63

Oscar-winning actor and singer Irene Cara dies aged 63

Break-ins in Portland force store to close for good

Claire Peterson on November 28, 2022

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Break-ins have become a persistent problem in Portland, Oregon, and a clothing store was recently closed for good due to the thefts.

This month, a series of break-ins have left the store in financial ruin.

They then posted a note on the front of the store to announce their closure.

The note

The notice from the clothing store referred to criminal behavior and employee safety concerns as reasons for the closure.

“Our city is in peril,” the Rains PDX store note reads. “Small businesses (and large) cannot sustain doing business in our city’s current state.”

“We have no protection, or recourse, against the criminal behavior that goes unpunished. Do not be fooled into thinking that insurance companies cover losses.”

“We have sustained 15 break-ins,” it continued. “We have not received any financial reimbursement since the 3rd.”

The problem

Marcy Landolfo, the store owner, said she had suffered 14 thefts in the past year and a half.

As a result, the business can no longer survive the financial strain it costs the store.

“The problem is, as small businesses, we cannot sustain those types of losses and stay in business,” said Landolfo.

“I won’t even go into the numbers of how much has been out of pocket.”

“The products that are being targeted are the very expensive winter products and I just felt like the minute I get those in the store, they’re going to get stolen.”

Solutions

Last month, Rains PDX faced another break-in.

Meanwhile, Mayor Ted Wheeler’s office is developing a plan to help business owners financially repair their stores.

Marcy Landolfo, however, said tackling crime in Portland isn’t enough.

“Paying for glass, that’s great; but that is so surface and does nothing for the root cause of the problem, so it’s never going to change,” she said.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the mayor’s office said Mayor Wheeler and his team understand the plight of local businesses.

They said companies should pay out of pocket or file a claim with their insurance company.

On Sunday, the spokesperson said:

“For this reason, we’ve worked to increase funding for Business Repair Grants through Prosper Portland, and recently held a Retail Safety Summit to strategize with local business leaders and loss prevention specialists on the retail theft crisis.”

“We are also working with interested property owners to streamline the permitting process to add enhanced lighting to storefronts, which can help deter nighttime break-ins.”

Theft

In recent years, retail chains across the country have been plagued by break-ins.

The National Retail Federation conducted a study that showed organized retail crime grew 26.5% in 2021, leaving businesses with a multibillion-dollar problem.

Meanwhile, Portland has seen a rise in violent crime in recent years.

A recent 2020 survey found that the city experienced overnight protests and grievances following the death of George Floyd.

2020 also saw a 58% increase in homicides, while 2021 will see a 54% increase.

Reference:

Portland store shuts down, posts blistering note on front door slamming rampant crime: ‘city is in peril’

The Chicago Police prepares new database policy

Claire Peterson on November 28, 2022

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The Chicago Police Department will roll out a new system that tracks and identifies citizens if they are gang members.

The system comes after more than three years after a city watchdog warned the records were riddled with errors, ripe for abuse and racially profiled Blacks and Latinos.

Meetings for the plan

The plan is expected to go ahead despite opposition from the Interim Community Commission on Public Safety and Accountability.

They are due to meet virtually on late November 28 to discuss the new draft policy for the new gang database.

The database is called Criminal Enterprise Information System or CEIS.

Commission Chairman Anthony Driver said the department informed the Commission early last month that they would roll out the new system on October 28.

Mayor Mori Lightfoot has appointed Driver in his position.

The initial meeting between commissioners and department officials left Driver with more questions than answers.

Additionally, Driver said the Commission asked to delay the launch of the system.

Efforts to schedule more meetings were unsuccessful.

As a result, on November 7, the new draft policy for the Gang Database Policy was posted on the Chicago Police Department website.

Reception

Citizens of Chicago have until next week, on December 7, to weigh the rules.

However, the rules appear to be the same as the draft policy published in November last year due to the policy never being finalized.

“The public has a right to be informed,” said Anthony Driver.

He added that while Inspector General Deborah Witzburg’s office plans to attend Monday’s meeting, Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown did not respond to the invitation.

“The city and the police department got it wrong the first time and multiple times since,” said Driver.

“We cannot afford to get it wrong again.”

Chicago Police Department spokesman Tom Ahern said department heads had conducted a comprehensive review of past gang data.

The evaluation should ensure that the information contained in the CEIS is correct based on the new criteria, nor do they rule out meetings with the Commission.

“It’s important that this system is built on fair and constitutional policing and that the appropriate amount of time is taken to ensure it is aligned with CPD’s commitment to reform,” said Ahern.

The draft policy

Under the policy, agents must have “specific, documented and reliable information” within five years before adding anyone to the database.

However, the policy does not require those already on the list to be notified of their inclusion or told how to appeal their designation as Chicago gang members.

The draft policy lets users know they have been added to the database by going to the following:

Police headquarters
One of the county’s five police stations
The offices of Chicago city clerks.

In addition, parents of teenagers registered in the database can appeal on their behalf.

The Chicago Police Department would then have 90 days to respond.

They can still add people to the database if two or more criteria are met, including:

Wearing clothing with gang emblems
Tattoos of gang insignia
Being identified as a gang member in the court record of a criminal charge

However, those in the database must be delisted from the policy after five years.

It is implemented when they are no longer eligible for inclusion in the system.

Reference:

More than 3 years after watchdog warned Chicago Police gang databases were ‘deeply flawed,’ new system poised to launch despite objections

Jobless claims exceed analyst’s expectations

Leah Cooper on November 28, 2022

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Jobless claims for the week ending Nov. 19 were up 240,000, a massive increase in jobless claims from the previous week.

There was a sharp increase of 17,000 from last week’s revised figure of 222,000, according to the Labor Department on Wednesday.

The numbers

The latest jobless claims went beyond economists’ expectations of 225,000.

Current claims hit an eight-month high in the week ended Nov. 12 when it reached 1.55 million.

The claims also include people who have applied for unemployment benefits for more than two consecutive weeks.

Unemployment claims lingered around a historic low due to a tight labor market.

Layoffs

Jobless claims continued to increase even as workers returned after lockdowns ended during the pandemic.

However, things can change.

Big companies, especially in the technology sector, have initiated mass layoffs.

However, the layoffs aren’t necessarily reflected in last week’s jobless claims.

Eugenio Alemán, the chief economist at Raymond James, says many tech workers are safe with their severance pay.

Additionally, Alemán is looking for signs of a broad increase in claims from other industries that are not typically covered by severance packages.

“And that’s still not happening today,” he said.

Claims

Economists from Oxford Economics wrote on Wednesday that weekly jobless claims are volatile and subject to revisions, particularly during the holiday season.

“Therefore, we don’t read too much into the larger-than-anticipated drop in claims,” the economists wrote.

Initial weekly jobless claims have averaged less than 215,000 this year.

Although the 240,000 claims represent a new surge, they are still below the 250,000 weekly requests consistent with a good economy, according to Mark Zandi.

Zandi is the chief economist at Moody’s Analytics.

He also said unemployment claims were below 300,000, in line with the recession.

“I view the increase in layoffs from the prism of ‘good news is bad news,'” wrote Zandi.

“That is, layoffs are awful for those losing their jobs, but it does mean the job market is cooling off, which is critical to getting inflation back and forestalling more aggressive interest rate hikes by the Federal Reserve.”

Mark Zandi admits he expects more layoffs heading into the new year as major companies across other industries begin cutting wages.

Reference:

Latest weekly jobless claims jump to 240,000

Student loan blocked by Republicans

Leah Cooper on November 28, 2022

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Student loan debt is a problem many American citizens face, but President Joe Biden has offered a policy of forgiveness.

However, a group of Republican-led states argued on Wednesday that the policy should be put on hold while related lawsuits unfold.

Additionally, they noted that the Biden administration had extended the pause in student loan repayments.

The argument

Republican states received an appeals court order blocking the implementation of the program.

They said the extension showed the court order in place would do no harm.

In a new filing, Republicans wrote:

“The Department [of Education] can point to no emergency or imminent harm because, just yesterday, the agency extended the payment pause on student loans until the summer of 2023.”

Payments pause

Federal student loan payments were due to resume in January after a year-long pandemic hiatus.

On Tuesday, however, the Biden administration said the hiatus would extend to 60 days.

The extension will take place when the pending litigation of the forgiveness program is resolved.

If the program is not implemented and the dispute is not resolved by June 30, payments will resume after 60 days.

The filing

Wednesday’s filing comes in response to a request from the Biden administration asking the Supreme Court to lift the hold on the student loan forgiveness program.

The program would cancel up to $20,000 of credit to individual borrowers who earned less than $125,000 in 2020 and 2021.

Republican states also blamed the government’s reliance on the pandemic as an excuse to obscure Biden’s goal of fulfilling his campaign promise to pay off student loan debt.

Biden’s student loan policy was going to go in effect this fall.

However, the United States Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit blocked it in a lawsuit raised by the following:

Nebraska
Missouri
Arkansas
Iowa
Kansas
South Carolina

Ruling

The Circuit alleges that Miguel Cardona, Secretary of the Department of Education, overstepped his authority.

Cardona canceled individual debts while implementing the program.

They also allege that the department violated administrative law by launching the policy.

Additionally, the states point to a Texas federal judge’s ruling in a separate case that overturned student loan policies.

The administration, in turn, filed an appeal with the US 5th Circuit Court of Appeals.

According to Wednesday’s filing, the ruling will remain even if the Supreme Court decides to lift the suspension.

Meanwhile, the Biden administration suggests bringing the case to the Supreme Court if the 5th Circuit allows the verdict to be overturned.

The student loan program

US Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar argued in the Supreme Court petition that suspending the program would leave millions of economically vulnerable borrowers in limbo.

Additionally, people won’t know how much they owe and may be unable to make financial decisions without knowing their future repayment obligations.

Prelogar also explained that the program is a legal effort to ensure borrowers affected by a national emergency are not worse off with their student loans.

Reference:

GOP-led states press Supreme Court to keep Biden student debt forgiveness on hold

Mariah Carey allegedly lip-synced on Thanksgiving

Nicholas Alexander on November 28, 2022

Mariah Carey was one of the performers who performed at Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade, performing her most iconic song at the NYC event.

However, people accused the superstar of lip-syncing.

The performance

As with the annual American Thanksgiving tradition, the inflatables towered over the streets of New York.

The crowd watched, cheered and cheered as the floats passed by.

The Queen of Christmas was introduced earlier than usual for her Thanksgiving performance.

Despite the early performance, Mariah Carey lived up to her title when she performed “All I Want for Christmas is You.”

The dancers were dressed in ballet outfits and nutcrackers and leaped around the singer, who stood in the middle.

Mariah Carey wore a red dress under a huge umbrella. But, as usual, her singing was flawless.

However, people online are questioning the singer’s performance.

Reaction

Many on Twitter wondered if Mariah Carey was actually singing or letting the backing track do most of the singing.

“People gotta [sic] stop having Mariah Carey lip sync,” one person tweeted. “She’s so bad at it.”

“Well, yet another ‘interesting’ performance from @MariahCarey at the Thanksgiving Day parade,” followed another.

“Not quite in sync with the lip sync all the time and was she bolted to the float?”

A third chimed in, saying, “Honestly gotta respect that Mariah just had to stand there and lip sync for the whole country to love her today.”

Other celebrities

Mariah Carey wasn’t alone, as Rita Ora faced the same allegations four years ago.

With lip-syncing debates prominent on social media, fellow singer John Legend decided to shed more light on the situation.

“Fun fact. We all have to lip sync on this parade because the floats don’t have the capacity to handle the sound requirements for a live performance,” Legend tweeted.

“Hope y’all enjoyed it anyway. Know that if you come to my shows, the vocals are 100% live!”

Whether or not Mariah Carey was lip-syncing, her performance continued a trend seen this time of year for 28 years.

“All I Want for Christmas is You” began to climb the charts upon the conclusion of Halloween.

Billboard claims the 1994 song entered the Hot 100 at number 25 this year.

Reference:

Mariah Carey accused of lip-syncing iconic song at Thanksgiving Day parade

Russia threatens Europe, says it may cut gas

Leah Cooper on November 28, 2022

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Russia now threatens to cut gas supplies to Moldova, a country on the southwestern border of Ukraine.

As a result, Europe is bracing for potential cuts in its gas supplies from Russia.

The news

On Tuesday, Gazprom, a state-owned Russian gas giant, announced it would halt deliveries to the country on Monday.

They cited claims that Ukraine is holding back some of the gas flowing through its territory.

The company said it would cut gas flows through the Sudzha transit point equal to claims Ukraine is blocking it from reaching Moldova.

Gazprom shared the news through its Telegram account, saying:

“The volume of gas supplied by Gazprom to the GIS Sudzha for transit to Moldova through the territory of Ukraine exceeds the physical volume transmitted at the border of Ukraine with Moldova.”

Ukraine responds

Despite Russia’s allegations, Ukraine denied withholding gas supplies from its neighbor.

Ukrainian state-owned energy company Naftogaz responded to the claims on Tuesday with a tweet:

“Gazprom accused Ukraine of stealing gas. Once again. In short: this is not true.”

GTSOU

The Gas Transmission System Operator of Ukraine (GTSOU) also issued a statement on the matter.

They said the Russian gas received at the Sudzha entry point for transport to Moldova was routed to exit points along their shared border.

According to the operator, Moldova has initiated a “virtual reverse” of some Russian gas imports to Ukraine.

However, they did not give a reason.

Analysts said the opposite is a joint trade agreement, in which some of the gas destined for one site is diverted to be stored or sold to another buyer.

Olga Bielkova, Director of Government and International Affairs at GTSOU said:

“This is not the first time Russia has resorted to using gas as an instrument of political pressure.”

“It manipulates facts to justify its decision to limit further the volume of gas supplies to European countries.”

Meanwhile, Hennig Gloystein, director of energy, climate and resources at Eurasia Group, says that Moldova has traditionally stored some of its gas in Ukraine.

“So the argument that it is being held in Ukraine by Ukraine is moot,” said Gloystein.

Europe

Although Moldova is not a member of the European Union, it is applying to join the Union.

Russia supplies the country with over 5 million cubic meters of gas a day, a small fraction of the gas that the Union uses every day for its homes and businesses.

However, the move raises the specter of a further reduction in gas supplies to the European Union via Ukraine.

Russia also sends gas to Europe via the TurkStream pipeline from Turkey to Bulgaria.

Natural gas prices in Europe rose 4% on Wednesday.

However, at $128 per megawatt-hour, gas remains 64% below record highs at the start of 2022.

If Russia stops exporting via Ukraine, Europe will lose more than 4 billion cubic meters of gas between December and March.

Even if that happens, Europe probably has the resources to endure in the short term.

Reference:

Russia threatens to cut supply of gas through Ukraine

Alex Jones remains unwelcome on Twitter

Edward Anderson on November 28, 2022

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Alex Jones is one of the banned names on the popular social media platform Twitter for constantly spewing lies.

While new owner Elon Musk lifted the ban on many suspended users, Jones remains on Twitter’s blacklist.

Musk

Last week, Elon Musk said that Alex Jones would not return to Twitter despite some users requesting his return.

Twitter’s new owner this weekend defended his attempt to reinstate several suspended accounts, one of which is former US President Donald Trump.

When a user asked about Jones returning, Musk said, “No.”

Since he lied about the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, Alex Jones has been in trouble for saying the tragedy was a hoax.

As a result, he must pay hundreds of millions of dollars in damages to the victims’ families.

The Twitter owner explained on Sunday, citing the Bible and his personal experience with Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.

“My firstborn child died in my arms. I felt his heartbeat,” Musk tweeted.

“I have no mercy for anyone who would use the deaths of children for gain, politics or fame.”

The response

The news of Alex Jones’ continued ban has caused a wave of reactions.

Some Twitter users praised Musk’s decision, while Jones’ staunch supporters denounced the Twitter owner for his inconsistent support of free speech principles.

Meanwhile, Alex Jones said he is okay with not returning to Twitter and listed other platforms he could use instead.

“Don’t blame Musk at the end of the day because he didn’t bring me back,” Jones told his supporters.

“I’m the most controversial figure in the world because I’m the most threatening to the new world order. So don’t expect him to bring me back on day one.”

Musk’s decisions

Twitter’s new owner’s decision regarding Jones was announced abruptly, leaving no room for debate.

However, this contradicted his actions toward Trump.

Musk’s decision was based on an unscientific poll on the platform; the results, he said, are the people’s will.

He also suggested that anti-Trump bots manipulated the poll during the voting period.

Additionally, his stance on Alex Jones strays from his pledge to wait to make any major decisions or restore accounts until a new Content Moderation Council is in place.

Elon Musk told a Twitter Spaces event that it could be months before the council meets for the first time.

Additionally, Musk’s new approach has raised questions about the rubric he will use to determine the future of a suspended account.

Users say it will be a decision matrix based on Musk’s personal beliefs rather than objective free speech principles or clear terms of service.

Reference:

Twitter won’t restore Alex Jones’ account, Elon Musk says