Elon Musk closes Twitter offices after wave of resignations | First Thing

The social media firm is struggling to retain workers after Musk demanded they sign a pledge committing to being extremely hardcore'. Plus, lab-grown meat officially safe to eat in the US

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Good morning.

The chaos at Twitter has escalated today and speculation of the platform's imminent collapse is swirling as hundreds of employees were reported to have rejected Elon Musk's ultimatum to keep working for the business, threatening its ability to keep operating.

How many people have decided to leave? It's unclear but it could be as many as 50% of the company. The numbers highlight the reluctance of some staffers to remain at a company where Musk has hastened to fire employees including top management, and is ruthlessly changing the culture to emphasise long hours and an intense pace.

What actions should Twitter users take? Researchers are urging users to download their tweets in case Twitter implodes completely and many users have tweeted in recent days that they are seeking to archive tweets from loved ones who have died.

What will happen now? Legal experts say the US government's position, which was filed to a US district court, will probably lead judge John Bates to dismiss a civil case brought against Prince Mohammed and his alleged accomplices by Hatice Cengiz, the outspoken fiancee of Khashoggi.