Entertainment
I read all the community notes on Elon Musk's X account. Here's what I learned.
The first thing to know about Community Notes on Elon Musk‘s tweets: there ought to be a lot more of them.
Community Notes, the Twitter/X fact-checks formerly known as Birdwatch, are often touted as one of the few good things to have survived the first chaotic year of Musk’s ownership. These notes are user-generated, usually including links to high-quality sources. Like Reddit posts they live or die on upvotes (“helpful”) and downvotes (“not helpful”) — enough of the latter and they disappear. Anyone can sign up to contribute, if they don’t have strikes against their account. Contributors are the only ones who get to see or vote on proposed notes before they’re officially stamped on tweets.
Musk will often tout Community Notes as a sign that he cares about the quality of information on a service that is crawling with deliberate disinformation. He’s smart to do so: one study has found that Community Notes increase trust in social media, and so could help bring X’s fleeing users back. But he doesn’t even need to put his thumb on the scale of the X algorithm to avoid them himself.
With nearly 200 million people following him, if even a small percentage of his adoring fans are signed up to rate proposed Community Notes, they can swarm the system, intercept and rate any proposed note on Musk’s account as “not helpful” before he gets another badge of fact-checking shame. As in this instance, where retweeting a false story about a bomb at a Trump rally was a step too far even for his fans (the original tweet Musk quotes was deleted; the Note remains).
This helps Musk significantly. Because as any study of his tweets confirms, the bomb story isn’t too much of an outlier: Musk is spreading misinformation constantly. The New York Times looked at one weeks’ worth in September, and found one-third to be “false, misleading or missing vital context.”
In July, the month Musk endorsed Trump, the Center for Countering Digital Hate identified 50 Musk tweets that had been debunked by independent fact-checkers. Not one of them got Community Noted, and they were viewed a total of 1.2 billion times.
As things stand on the unofficial Community Notes leaderboard, Musk is at #55, with 70 Community Notes so far. Several accounts that he frequently replies to and retweets are ranked in the top 10. The top account has more than 800 notes — but at a rate of 50 falsehoods a month, Musk would easily have outpaced them if oversight was equal.
So what can we learn from the 70 fact-checks that did actually get added to Musk’s account? Here’s your TL;DR.
Musk’s early fibs weren’t that big a deal.
A mere three of the 70 Community Notes on Musk tweets were before the date he brought that sink in to Twitter in October 2022. That doesn’t tell us too much, since the Birdwatch service was soft-launched in January 2021 and only fully rolled out weeks before Musk arrived.
Still, we can see how minor the corrections were at first. In his first post with a Community Note, Musk claimed his Tesla Roadster was orbiting Mars; it’s actually orbiting the sun somewhere out towards the asteroid belt (which is still quite a flex). The other two pre-Twitter Notes concern EV tax credits and Hyperloop tunnels, which he claims can’t flood. Concerning, to use one of Musk’s favorite words, but not a huge deal.
In Musk’s first week at Twitter, he racked up four more Notes. But they’re harmless, even helpful. A couple point out when Musk is joking, in case it isn’t clear. He calls Community Notes “awesome”; a Note provides further information on how to join.
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Then on Nov 4, 2022, Musk claimed advertisers are “trying to destroy free speech in America” by fleeing the service. Community Notes stepped in to point out that advertisers were concerned about Musk’s lax approach to security and misinformation as he gutted those teams. And a new more adversarial kind of Musk note was born.
There are more Community Notes on his tech posts than his political posts.
In 2023, Musk would receive 31 Notes. It’s still his most fact-checked year. May 2023 — when Musk launched Ron DeSantis’ campaign on X, and incorrectly claimed DeSantis had set “an all time record for fundraising” — is still his most fact-checked month.
But that doesn’t mean he’s getting fact-checked on his political statements. More Community Notes appear on his claims about the tech and media world, including a number of bizarre attacks on nonprofits (see notes on his tweets about the Wikimedia Foundation, the Internet Archive, and NPR).
Musk is more vulnerable in the replies.
Of the 70 Community Notes on Musk tweets, a clear majority — 40 — are on tweets where Musk is replying to someone. That makes sense. The X algorithm artificially boosts Musk’s regular posts, making sure that he shows up in your “For You” tab even if you don’t follow him. But the algorithm doesn’t push his replies, so falsehoods there are more likely to receive upvotes from Community Note volunteers acting in good faith.
And what falsehoods they’ve been! In a reply to his mother, Musk disavowed knowledge of his father’s emerald mine; Community Notes simply used his own words against him, digging up a quote acknowledging that his father co-owned the mine. In a reply to a former employee, Musk claims there’s no proof that plastics in the environment harm us; turns out there is. “Why would we have your home address?” he asks a verified user concerned about X potentially doxxing him to the IDF; a Note points out that verification requires ID with an address.
And he can’t let well enough alone. When one supportive account posts a screenshot proudly proving that X is fair because “even Elon Musk can be Community Noted,” Musk replies that the Note in the screenshot “is incorrect and the community already voted it away.” That earns him another Community Note: nope, it’s still there.
Musk loves Community Notes, except when he doesn’t.
On seven out of the 70 posts, Musk invited the fact-check himself. Invariably he tags @CommunityNotes on a tweet he wanted to quote, and clearly already believed. On the stark statement he’s pushing, he’ll add a fig leaf by asking “is this true” or “is this accurate?” Nearly every time, the note that results provides context that Musk has missed.
Yet Musk rarely responds to the fact-check he’s invited. The one time he did, he dug in his heels. “Community Notes is failing here,” Musk wrote in February after claiming that it was impossible to sign into a Windows PC without a Microsoft account. No, the Note on this reply stated, you can do it — it just requires a workaround that “the average Andy” might not know about.
The implication: A tech billionaire who’s been logging into Windows machines for decades is not the average Andy.
Nor does this particular tech billionaire get Community Noted like the Average Andy would, at least so far. And it doesn’t seem the service will do anything whatsoever to rein in “Dark MAGA” Musk during the last month before the U.S. elections.
Why? Because, like a good Community Note, we ought to note the limit of Community Notes — using clear language and high-quality sources.
Here’s a thorough debunk of Musk’s repeated claim that “illegal” immigrants are voting in U.S. elections; none of his posts on this subject have been noted. (Ironically, Musk himself may have been at one time an “illegal” immigrant — you’d think the writers of sassy notes would enjoy pointing this out.)
Here’s a debunk of his “you have said the actual truth” reply to an antisemitic screed last year. A tweet so infamous, advertisers fled, and yet it was not noted.
Here’s a debunk of his “voter fraud in Virginia” post from the last week, also not noted.
We could go on, but you get the point. If volunteers cannot overcome the Musk downvoters to append correctives on this kind of nonsense, there’s very little he can say before election day that will be fact-checked.
Noted.
Entertainment
NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for March 1, 2026
The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult to solve if you’re a frequent flyer.
Connections is the one of the most popular New York Times word games that’s captured the public’s attention. The game is all about finding the “common threads between words.” And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we’ve served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.
If you just want to be told today’s puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for today’s Connections solution. But if you’d rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
What is Connections?
The NYT‘s latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications’ Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.
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Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there’s only one correct answer.
If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.
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Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.
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Here’s a hint for today’s Connections categories
Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:
Here are today’s Connections categories
Need a little extra help? Today’s connections fall into the following categories:
Looking for Wordle today? Here’s the answer to today’s Wordle.
Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today’s puzzle before we reveal the solutions.
Drumroll, please!
The solution to today’s Connections #994 is…
What is the answer to Connections today
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Little bite: CANAPÉ, FINGER FOOD, HORS D’OEUVRE, TAPA
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Construction equipment: HARD HAT, LADDER, NAIL GUN, TOOL BELT
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Vacation emoji: AIRPLANE, LUGGAGE, PALM TREE, SMILING FACE WITH SUNGLASSES
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Things you don’t eat that end in foods: COPYPASTA, JOHANNESBURGER, KNUCKLE SANDWICH, LICORICE PIZZA
Don’t feel down if you didn’t manage to guess it this time. There will be new Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we’ll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.
Are you also playing NYT Strands? Get all the Strands hints you need for today’s puzzle.
If you’re looking for more puzzles, Mashable’s got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you’re after? Here’s the solution to yesterday’s Connections.
Entertainment
NYT Strands hints, answers for March 1, 2026
Today’s NYT Strands hints are easy if you’re not on. your best behavior.
Strands, the New York Times‘ elevated word-search game, requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns. Every single letter in the grid will be part of an answer. There’s always a theme linking every solution, along with the “spangram,” a special, word or phrase that sums up that day’s theme, and spans the entire grid horizontally or vertically.
By providing an opaque hint and not providing the word list, Strands creates a brain-teasing game that takes a little longer to play than its other games, like Wordle and Connections.
If you’re feeling stuck or just don’t have 10 or more minutes to figure out today’s puzzle, we’ve got all the NYT Strands hints for today’s puzzle you need to progress at your preferred pace.
NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Dressing down
The words are related to discipline.
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Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained
These words describe ways to chastise.
NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?
Today’s NYT Strands spangram is vertical.
NYT Strands spangram answer today
Today’s spangram is The Riot Act.
NYT Strands word list for March 1
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Braidup
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The Riot Act
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Scold
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Castigate
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Reprimand
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Admonish
Looking for other daily online games? Mashable’s Games page has more hints, and if you’re looking for more puzzles, Mashable’s got games now!
Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you’re after? Here’s the solution to yesterday’s Strands.
Entertainment
New Scream Movie Is Only For Diehard Fans
By Chris Snellgrove
| Published
In 1996, iconic director Wes Craven rejuvenated the slasher genre with Scream, a film that served as the perfect deconstruction of horror movies. Scream was ahead of its time in many ways, predicting modern phenomena like true crime obsession and paradoxical relationships. At the same time, it worked as a perfect scary movie, one that transformed the entire genre for the better.
However, Scream was delivering diminishing returns even before Wes Craven died, and the franchise later re-oriented itself around a new pair of leads with Scream (2022). Unfortunately, the studio lost both Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega, which necessitated the return of original franchise icon Neve Campbell for Scream 7. The new movie is directed by original Scream scribe Kevin Williamson, and while it provides competent kills and fun moments for returning cast members, the sloppy plotting results in a film that only diehard fans will really enjoy.
Sydney’s Coming, And Hell Is Coming With Her
The basic premise of Scream 7 is that a new killer (or is it killers?) is gunning for Sydney Prescott, and they are claiming to be the original Scream villain, Stu Macher. Syd is skeptical and thinks Stu’s taunting video calls are just an AI fabrication, but the danger is all too real when her daughter and her daughter’s friends become targets for the attacker. Now, Sydney must team up with Gale Weathers and other returning allies, but even their combined strength may not be enough to defeat the one type of foe they have never fought before: one who refuses to follow any kind of rules.
The Stu Macher stuff is mostly an excuse to bring fan-favorite actor Matthew Lillard back into the fold, and his taunting video calls to Syd are easily one of the best parts of the film. Unfortunately, his presence is also evidence of the worst part of the film: namely, that Scream 7 is much more interested in wallowing in nostalgia than really building anything new. This is a franchise that once deconstructed the entire horror genre, and every movie was fair game. Now, the latest Scream is only interested in its own lore, and with nothing left to really deconstruct, all director Kevin Williamson can really do is play the hits of yesteryear.
Like Mother, Like Daughter
On paper, that happens through a loose reconstruction of the first film: Sydney now has a daughter of her own, one who is the exact age that Syd was when the Woodsboro murders went down. She’s got a slightly creepy boyfriend who likes to climb in her window for surprise snuggles and a group of hapless friends that soon become cannon fodder for a marauding masked killer. The police (including her dad, the chief) are helpless to stop the carnage, forcing these plucky teens to take matters into their own hands lest they get picked off one by one.
A remake (or requel, or whatever we’re calling all this crap now) of the first film works well on paper, but the essential problem of Scream 7 is that it can’t decide which characters to focus on. We start out with an uneasy balance of newer and older actors, but the film soon focuses almost exclusively on legacy characters like Sydney Prescott, Gale Weathers, and even Scream 5 and 6 veterans Chad and Mindy. While that leads to some great fan service for returning audiences, it creates one of the film’s biggest problems: we don’t really get to know almost any of these younger characters before Ghostface is picking them off.
Ghostface Is Back For More Blood Than Ever Before
Fortunately, the kills in this movie are some of the nastiest and most memorable in the entire franchise, and Ghostface is as viscerally scary as ever as he dispatches victims in increasingly grotesque ways. Accordingly, your enjoyment of Scream 7 will largely hinge on your primary motivation for watching slasher movies. If you’re here for killers looking cool (the kids call it aura farming) and pretty faces dying ugly deaths, this latest franchise entry delivers all that and a bloody bag of chips. If you prefer to get to know the virtual victims before they are transformed into raw meat, you’ll likely find Scream 7 to be the weakest movie in the entire series.
Speaking of weak, the reveal of the killer (or is it killers? Don’t worry, I’m keeping this spoiler-free) is particularly disappointing because the motivation for stalking Sydney comes out of nowhere. In the first movie, Stu Macher and particularly Billy Loomis had tangible reasons for stalking Syd, and discovering who the killers were felt a bit like solving the puzzle of a whodunnit. Like Scream 6 before it, Scream 7 tries too hard to surprise fans with the reveal, and this came at a cost: namely, the killer’s motivation makes no real sense, and it comes in the form of an exposition chunk so thick it threatens to choke the climax of the movie.
Killer Performances From Actors Old And New
Aside from the cool kills, Scream 7 does a few other things very well. The new additions to the cast are awesome: Community’s Joel McHale is weirdly perfect as Sydney’s top cop husband, and the character steals his handful of scenes with McHale’s trademark rogueish charisma. But I was even more pleasantly surprised by Isabel May, who convincingly gives Sydney Prescott’s daughter an aching vulnerability whose pain masks ice-cold reserves of hidden strength.
As you might imagine, the returning actors all do a great job, starting with Courtney Cox: her Gale Weathers is as fierce and funny as ever, and she has taken the characters played by returning actors Mason Gooding and Jasmin Savoy Brown under her wing as journalistic interns. Those younger characters continue to provide humorous, Randy-like commentary on the violent proceedings around them. But the actor truly giving it her all is Neve Campbell, whose Sydney reluctantly saddles up for one last fight with the ghostly demons of her past.
When You Stare At The Past, It Stares Right Back
Ultimately, how much you like Scream 7 will depend on how much you enjoy the franchise as a whole. As for myself, I’m a superfan: I saw the original in theaters, I’ve listened to the cast speak at multiple conventions, and I’ve got a house filled with way too much Ghostface merchandise. From the perspective of a superfan, the film is decent (good, not great) in bringing back our favorite characters and wrapping up its derivative story in the bloody packaging of some truly innovative kills.
If you’re not a Scream fanboy, though, it’s worth waiting to catch this on streaming, assuming that you catch it at all. Kevin Williamson wrote the legendary first film in this franchise, but now that he’s in the director’s chair, he created a movie that only complete franchise diehards will really enjoy. As for everyone else, let’s just say that if Ghostface calls, Scream 7 will never be the answer to this franchise’s age-old question: “what’s your favorite scary movie?”
After capturing gold, Wild trio focused on Blues
NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for March 1, 2026
