Facebook is reportedly in ongoing discussions with government officials and wireless carriers about the prospect of bringing its Free Basics service to U.S. consumers. As sources tell The Washington Post: “The social media giant is trying to determine how to roll out its program … in the United States without triggering the regulatory scrutiny that effectively killed a version of the app in India earlier this year.”

Twitter is telling potential buyers that it wants to settle any and all negotiations by October 27 -- when it is scheduled to report third-quarter earnings -- Reuters reports. “The timeline is hugely ambitious in the context of most mergers and acquisitions, given that Twitter began mulling a sale only last month,” Reuters writes.

Google, Apple, and Disney have each reportedly decided against pursuing a Twitter acquisition. Regarding Google, Recode reports: “While the search giant has been among the buyers considered most likely to be a contender for the social communications company, those familiar with the deal said that the company was not moving forward with an effort to buy it at this time.”

Twitter executives are reportedly divided over the social network’s future direction. At a recent board meeting, “Jack Dorsey, Twitter’s chief executive officer, argued that the 10-year-old company should remain on its current course and work to capitalize on recent product improvements,” Bloomberg reports. Yet, “Ev Williams, a former CEO … was in favor of exploring a sale.” The board has since decided to consider a sale.

As Twitter continues to struggle, The New York Times highlights one of the company’s biggest problems: trolls. At The Times writes, “You have to wonder whether the cap on Twitter’s growth is tied more to that most basic -- and base -- of human emotions: hatred.” Indeed, “It courses through Twitter at an alarming rate, turbocharged by this year’s political campaigns and the rise of anti-immigration movements that dabble in racist, sexist and anti-Semitic tropes across the globe.”