Some early morning Musk and marijuana news at your service!

Happening in the World: In a speech aimed to US conservatives, President Vladimir Putin has claimed that Russia’s battle is with Western elites, and not against the West itself. In his address to an annual foreign policy conference outside Moscow, Putin spoke of the dichotomy of the West: one with traditional Christian values that maintained a kinship with Russia, and one marked by aggression and neocolonialism. At the same time, he put down rumours that the country was preparing to use nuclear weapons in its war against Ukraine, arguing that “There’s no sense for us, neither political nor military.” (NYT)

Happening in the US: The New York Stock Exchange has confirmed that Elon Musk has completed his $44 billion takeover of Twitter. Following this development, several top executives have reportedly been fired, including chief executive officer Parag Agrawal. Musk has previously been critical of Twitter’s moderation policies, celebrating his takeover with a tweet: “the bird is freed.” In response to Musk, EU commissioner for the internal market Thierry Breton tweeted “In Europe, the bird will fly by our EU rules,” suggesting that the relaxation on Twitter’s policies may not be accepted in other parts of the world. As a result, this takeover has led to emerging concerns over what the platform will look like under Musk, and how government regulations will impact his new policies. (BBC)

Happening in NYC: Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is facing pressure from cannabis entrepreneurs, who sent a letter urging him to bring a bill known as the SAFE Banking Act up for voting before the end of the year. The bill, which has already been passed by the House of Representatives seven times since first being introduced in 2013, is aimed at addressing the barriers that cannabis businesses face when accessing banking services. Most large banks and credit companies refuse to work with marijuana sellers because the plant is still illegal under federal law, while the review process under the Controlled Substances Act is still unclear. (Gothamist)

Happening in Our Community: From October 28 to 29, the Columbia Climate School will be holding a conference titled “Sandy + 10: Resilience, Equity, Climate Justice,” from 8 am to 6 pm at the Forum. This event will create a space for reflection and calls to action amongst a community of survivors, activists, public servants, and academics who aided in the challenges of Hurricane Sandy recovery.

Elon Musk via Wikimedia Commons