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[1/5] Residents use a boat to navigate through flood water after heavy rains hit Italy's Emilia Romagna region, in San Pancrazio near Ravenna, Italy, May 18, 2023. REUTERS/Antonio Denti

MILAN, May 20 (Reuters) - Elon Musk's SpaceX and Unipol Gruppo (UNPI.MI) agreed to join forces to help people hit by flooding in northern Italy connect to the Internet, facilitating rescue operations, the Italian insurer said on Saturday.

Torrential rains devastated the eastern side of the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna, killing 14 people, causing billions of euros worth of damage and hitting agriculture particularly hard.

Around 36,000 people were forced to leave their homes and many of those who remained in flooded areas were left with no electricity. Rescue efforts are hampered by persistent bad weather and disruptions on phone lines

Under the agreement, Unipol acquired SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet terminals and will make them available for rescuers, hospitals and the public. SpaceX is positioning its satellites to prioritise the Emilia-Romagna region and provide improved coverage.

"SpaceX, Starlink and Tesla are happy to be of use in any way to help Italy and the people affected by the flooding", Musk said in a statement.

Reporting by Gianluca Semeraro, Editing by Louise Heavens

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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Elon Musk's SpaceX and Italy's Unipol join forces to help Italians hit by flooding - Reuters

Elon Musk told CNBC's David Faber on Tuesday that he doesn't care if his inflammatory tweets scare away potential Tesla buyers or Twitter advertisers.

"I'll say what I want, and if the consequence of that is losing money, so be it," said Musk, who owns Twitter.

Musk has for years tweeted controversial items, including conspiracy theories and comments his critics have called broadly discriminatory.

His defense came after Musk caught renewed criticism for a tweet in which he likened liberal billionaire and Democratic donor George Soros to X-Men villain Magneto, a Jewish Holocaust survivor.

"He wants to erode the very fabric of civilization. Soros hates humanity," Musk tweeted Monday.

Musk has previously criticized Soros, whose family office, Soros Fund Management, recently cut its stake in Tesla. Soros, who is also Jewish, is a favorite target of right wing pundits and politicians and often the subject of anti-Semitic attacks. Soros and his family escaped the Nazis during World War II.

Critics said Musk's tweets about Soros fit a larger pattern of attacks on the 92-year-old investor and Democratic donor. "Musk's likening Soros to Magneto isn't casual; it's a nod to harmful antisemitic tropes of Jewish global control," tweeted Alex Goldenberg, an analyst at the Network Contagion Research Institute. Israel's Foreign Ministry, likewise, said Musk's tweets had "anti-Semitic overtones."

Musk on Tuesday denied he's an anti-Semite. "I'm a pro-Semite, if anything," he said when Faber asked him about the criticism. Musk has also previously tweeted and removed memes using Hitler.

Faber on Tuesday also asked Musk why he tweeted a link to someone who said a mass shooting at a Texas mall earlier this month might be part of "a bad psyop," or "psychological operation."

Investigators have probed whether the shooter, whom police killed, had expressed white supremacist views since he wore a "RWDS" patch, a reference to the phrase "Right Wing Death Squad," which is used by extremists. He also had Nazi tattoos, including a swastika.

"I thought this ascribing it to white supremacy was bulls---," Musk said, adding that he thinks there's no proof the shooter was a white supremacist. "We should not be ascribing things to white supremacy if they're if it's false."

Since Musk took over Twitter last fall, the social media network has experienced a sharp decline in advertising revenue as brands and companies assessed changes to the platform and some called out its outspoken new owner.

Last week, Musk hired former NBCUniversal advertising chief Linda Yaccarino to replace him as Twitter's CEO, a move widely seen as a way to jumpstart Twitter's ad business. She started Sunday.

Disclosure: NBCUniversal is the parent company of CNBC.

CNBC's Lora Kolodny contributed to this report.

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Elon Musk: 'I'll say what I want, and if the consequence of that is losing money, so be it' - CNBC

Elon Musk weighed in this week on Taiwanwhere his comments did not go over well.

The official policy of China is that Taiwan should be integrated, Musk said in an interview with CNBCs David Faber. One does not need to read between the lines. One can simply read the lines. Theres a certain inevitability to the situation.

On Friday in Taiwan, foreign minister Joseph Wu responded to the Tesla CEO, tweeting that the Chinese Communist Partys bullying & threats are a concern, especially for those who would rather stay free & democratic.

In China, meanwhile, the state-controlled China Daily ran with the headline Elon Musk: Taiwan should be integrated.China considers Taiwan to be its territorydespite the fact that Taiwan is democratic and self-governedand has threatened to use force if necessary to gain control of it.

A Chinese takeover could have far-reaching economic consequences. Taiwan is home to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), the worlds largest maker of computer chips by volume.

Last November, Citadel CEO Ken Griffin said America was utterly and totally dependent on the Taiwanese for modern semiconductors. The billionaire hedge fund chief added, If we lose access to Taiwanese semiconductors, the hit to U.S. GDP is probably in the order of magnitude of 5% to 10%. Its an immediate Great Depression.

Legendary investor Warren Buffett this week dumped the rest of Berkshire Hathaways $4 billion stake in TSMC. He told Japans Nikkei last month that the threat of war was a consideration in dumping the bulk of the stake.

Last October, Musk told the Financial Times that a conflict over Taiwan is inevitable. His recommendation, he said, would be to figure out a special administrative zone for Taiwan that is reasonably palatablethey could have an arrangement thats more lenient than Hong Kong.

Chinas foreign ministry responded to his statements by reiterating that China would resolutely crush Taiwan independence secessionist attempts, resolutely stop interference by external forces, and resolutely defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Musk this week compared China and the rest of the global economy to conjoined twins and warned of severe consequences from any attempt to separate them. Tesla has a gigafactory in Shanghai and China is a key market, but he said that the situation is actually a lot worse for a lot of other companiesIm not sure where you will get an iPhone.

In Taiwan, however, foreign minister Wu added that Chinas expansionist policy violates rules-based international order & the status quo. Mr. @ElonMusk, other than money, there is something we call VALUES.

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Elon Musk gets blowback from Taiwan after saying theres a certain inevitability China will integrate it - Fortune

Investors and analysts responded well to Elon Musks decision to step down as head of Twitter, with shares briefly popping higher on the news.

For some time, shareholders have been calling on Musk to pay more attention to Tesla. Last month, 17 large shareholders penned an open letter accusing Musk of being overcommitted and distracted. Accordingly, the appointment of a new boss at Twitter was greeted enthusiastically by analysts, with Wedbush saying Musk was finally reading the room.

That assessment may be unduly optimistic. Musk will still be heavily involved at Twitter. Perhaps more importantly, he will continue tweeting. Ill say what I want, and if the consequence of that is losing money, so be it, he said last week.

That sounds noble, but theres nothing noble about Musks increasingly poisonous utterings. Last week, he sparked outrage after tweeting that George Soros, a frequent target of anti-Semitic conspiracy theorists, wants to erode the very fabric of civilisation and hates humanity. Musk has also been arguing against the claim that a gunman in a Texas mass shooting is a white supremacist, despite his Nazi tattoos and other evidence.

[Tesla will 'try a little advertising', Musk says]

[Elon Musk and Donald Trump jnr criticise proposed Irish hate crime legislation]

Musks attention-seeking antics have hurt Teslas brand over the past year. He may be stepping down at Twitter, but last weeks carry-on suggests Musk will continue testing the patience of exasperated shareholders.

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Elon Musk is still not 'reading the room' - The Irish Times

May 21, 2023

By Kevin Armstrong

Award-winning author Walter Isaacson is set to give us an intimate look into the life of one of the era's most defining innovators, Elon Musk with his latest biography now available for pre-order on Amazon.

Elon Musk, a figure synonymous with audacious innovation and the technological revolution of our time, will be featured in Isaacson's in-depth biography, exploring the aspects of his life that shaped him into the revolutionary figure he is today. Isaacson, renowned for his bestselling biographies, including the iconic Steve Jobs, promises an "astonishingly intimate story of the most fascinating and controversial innovator of our era."

The book is available in a hard cover for $35 or Kindle format for $16.99.

Musk took to Twitter to react to the upcoming release, stating, "Theres probably some really embarrassing stuff in the book." However, he added a note of endorsement, praising Isaacson's thoroughness and recommending his other works.

The pre-order page gives a revealing glimpse into the depth of Isaacson's exploration. It details Musk's early struggles, from facing bullies as a child in South Africa, to the lingering psychological scars from his father to his tumultuous journey as an entrepreneur. The narrative promises to examine Musk's unique character traits, his "high tolerance for risk, a craving for drama, an epic sense of mission, and a maniacal intensity."

The biography will not only recount Musk's noteworthy accomplishments, such as launching thirty-one rockets into orbit with SpaceX, selling a million cars with Tesla, and becoming the richest man on Earth, but also delve into his personal struggles and the mental toll of a perpetually crisis-driven mindset.

Isaacson's meticulous research entailed shadowing Musk for two years, attending his meetings, and interviewing family, friends, co-workers, and even adversaries to create an all-encompassing portrayal of this contemporary figure. The narrative will explore the paradoxical question: Are the very demons that drive Musk integral to his unique capacity to drive innovation and progress?

As readers, we will be given a seat in the front row of Musk's life, observing as he evolves from the bullied kid on the playground to the owner of the world's ultimate playground, Twitter. It will examine the intricate layers of Musk's persona, offering insights into the man who has helped lead the world into the era of electric vehicles, private space exploration, and artificial intelligence.

With the same lucidity and empathetic storytelling that marked his previous works, Isaacson's biography of Elon Musk is shaping up to be an unmissable read for those curious about the man behind the headlines and the inner machinations of one of today's most influential innovators.

To hold you over until September, I recommend Ashlee Vance's "Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future." It provides a compelling examination of the entrepreneur's life and his audacious vision to change the world with his revolutionary ideas. It's available for free with Kindle Unlimited.

This article includes affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission that helps support the site.

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By Not a Tesla App Staff

Excitement is brewing among Tesla enthusiasts as the EV manufacturer prepares to roll out an updated version of its FSD Beta software.

In a recent tweet, Tesla CEO Elon Musk revealed that FSD Beta 11.4.2 is expected to be released this weekend, with a focus on addressing some easily fixable bugs that had been identified. This release likely refers to Tesla employees receiving the latest beta, however, we've seen instances where Tesla rolls it out to public testers, just a day after the employee release.

As usual, the journey towards a wide release of the latest major FSD Beta is an iterative process. About a month ago, Tesla released beta 11.4 to Tesla employees. While it showed promise, version 11.4 did not extend beyond Tesla's employee base. However, the subsequent release, v11.4.1 was finally made available to a small group of public testers, comprising approximately 4% of the total tester pool.

Elon Musk's tweet shed light on the specific improvements coming with version 11.4.2. In his tweet, Musk highlighted the software's focus on addressing excess conservatism related to narrow roads and lane changes in heavy traffic. By fine-tuning these aspects, Tesla aims to optimize the system's efficiency, and ensure greater accuracy and reliability.

FSD Beta 11.4.1 is version 2023.7.5, but appears to be based on update 2023.6, as it includes all of the Tesla features in update 2023.2 and 2023.6. FSD Beta 11.4.2 is expected to be a minor revision and will likely remain based on the same code branch.

This will, unfortunately, mean that owners on update 2023.12 or higher will likely remain ineligible for this latest beta when it finally goes into wide release.

As FSD Beta version 11.4.2 begins its rollout, Tesla enthusiasts and public testers eagerly await the opportunity to provide feedback and experience the latest advancements. Tesla's iterative approach, gathering real-world user feedback, has proven valuable in refining their self-driving technology. While debate surrounding Tesla's deployment strategy persists, the gradual expansion of the FSD Beta program signifies Tesla's confidence in the progress made thus far.

By Kevin Armstrong

Tesla's Model X Plaid has long been celebrated for its unrivaled speed and innovation. Boasting a breathtaking 0-60 mph time of just 2.5 seconds, it is a testament to the extraordinary power of electric technology. This seven-seater SUV not only holds its own against the fastest of sports cars but even outperforms many on the quarter-mile drag strip.

Yet, there's been something missing from the Model X Plaid's toolkit: Track Mode. Track Mode takes the electric racing experience to an all-new level, enabling EVs to withstand the rigors of high-intensity track driving. Following its successful rollout on the Model 3 Performance and then the Model S Plaid, and more recently the Model Y Performance, the question was inevitable: when would the Model X Plaid get its turn?

During the recent 2023 Annual Shareholder Meeting, Tesla CEO Elon Musk gave a definitive answer to this question, confirming that Track Mode would indeed be coming to the Model X Plaid. Responding to a shareholder's query, Musk commented, "Yeah, we could probably add that, sure. No problem." This candid statement was met with enthusiastic approval from the audience.

Tesla recently made big improvements to Track Mode for the Model S Plaid, showing more information and making critical information front and center.

The speedometer is now large and centered on the instrument cluster, and the battery and motor temperatures are now more detailed and have moved over to the center display. In addition to those changes, Tesla is now displaying additional information such as front and rear brake temperatures, as well as tire PSI.

These updates were added in the recent 2023.12.8 software update.

Yet, the implementation of Track Mode in the Model X Plaid is unlikely to be straightforward. As Musk has noted in the past, developing and tuning this mode for specific models can be challenging, given the need to ensure seamless performance under demanding driving conditions. Despite this, the announcement has electrified the Tesla community, sparking anticipation for what the future holds for Model X Plaid owners.

So, gear up and get ready. As Tesla continues to push the boundaries of EV performance, the advent of Track Mode on the Model X Plaid promises to unlock an even more thrilling driving experience.

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Elon Musk in the Spotlight: Pre-orders Begin for Walter Isaacson's ... - Not a Tesla App