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Tech

Twitter Is Dying, Meeting Martin Shkreli, and Other Stories You May Have Missed

Grab a coffee and dig into Motherboard's roundup of headlines from the week past.

If you're still lounging around at home, maybe thinking about getting coffee but not quite there yet, good for you. You're doing Sunday right. Now, go grab that coffee and make your day a little more productive by brushing up on the big stories you might've missed this week. We've created a handy primer on the week's headlines, so you can chat knowledgeably about them at work tomorrow.

Twitter is totally falling apart. Maybe. The company lost several top employees last week and its stock isn't doing so hot, either. Is Twitter dying? The New Yorker says, "Yes, definitely," The Verge has a polite difference of opinion, and Gawker has had enough, goddamnit. Or, if you're an optimist, you could argue that the little blue bird is still a fountain of conversations/clicks/cash, and move into the apartment in San Francisco where it all started in an attempt to keep the magic alive.

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Ecuador is in trouble, too. Depending on an unstable commodity to fund an entire country's needs is like investing heavily in Twitter—it might blow up in your face. Add a suddenly active volcano into the mix, and you have the difficult situation currently unfolding in Ecuador. Motherboard writer Frederick Bernas' feature on the country's woes portrays a pretty sad mix of displacement, poverty, and addiction, but it's an interesting read if you're looking for an uplifting tale to gear you up for the week.

Cocktail party hot take: Maybe Martin Shkreli isn't that bad after all. Vice sat down with the notorious pharmabro and although he exhibits all the hallmarks of a horrible douche—riding around his apartment on a hoverboard, acting unbearably snobby about wine, and talking about smashing the one-of-a-kind Wu Tang Clan album he bought for $2 million—he still manages to come across like a thoughtful, misunderstood guy. If getting tipsy and playing devil's advocate is your move, take up Shkreli's defense. He's going to need it.

The New York Times endorsed Hillary Clinton and also a guy named John Kasich, who, as it turns out, is still running for president. Even the paper endorsing him seems to have forgotten he's running; most of the endorsement is spent describing how much Donald Trump and Ted Cruz suck rather than focusing on Kasich's qualifications. Rectify this mistake by sharing a little Kasich trivia with your friends: Kasich has run for president before (in 2000, he had a brief campaign before dropping out and supporting George W. Bush). He's been called a "biological Democrat," but refers to himself as biologically Czech and Croatian. He also wrote a book about a bi-weekly Bible study that meets in an Ohio diner, which sounds like it'd make a great Wes Anderson movie.

Finally, scams! This drone company ripped off its Kickstarter backers, locksmiths are tricking Google Maps into recommending them and then extorting their customers, and online psychics are more legit than you think.

There you have it! Go into your week a little wiser about the world and try not to scam anyone. (Or do! We'll write about it.) We'll see you back here next weekend.