Tag Archives: Tesla

MSNBC: Musk’s influence won’t fade just because he says he’s pulling back on political spending

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He’s still the world’s richest person, he still has a relationship with the world’s most powerful man, and he can still do a lot more damage.

Not too long ago, Musk was working to position himself as the kingmaker of the Republican Party. Members of Congress were terrified of his money and influence — and the possibility of a primary challenge. For now, that fear may be over, or at least diminished, but don’t underestimate the damage that Musk has done and will continue to do behind the scenes.

While Musk’s efforts to eliminate waste and fraud in the federal government have been nothing short of a disaster, he has still managed to bank some big wins during the first few months of the Trump administration — at least for himself.

As NBC News reports, Musk’s “regulatory problems have started to fade into the past.” At the Agriculture Department, Trump fired the person who had been investigating Musk’s company Neuralink. At the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, DOGE cuts have potentially hobbled regulators’ ability to enforce the law against Tesla and X. Trump’s Justice Department has also dropped a case against Musk’s rocket company, SpaceX.

Musk also appears to have succeeded in using his clout and government access to get his companies more business. His ventures are set to rake in billions in new government contracts.

So, while Musk says he is taking a step back from political spending, that does not mean we’ve seen the last of his influence in government. It’s too late for that. He’s still the world’s richest man, he still has a relationship with the world’s most powerful man, and he can still do a lot more damage.

Charlie Sykes: Musk’s influence won’t fade just because he says he’s pulling back on political spending
He’s still the world’s richest person, he still has a relationship with the world’s most powerful man, and he can still do a lot more damage.

https://www.msnbc.com/top-stories/latest/elon-musk-political-spending-trump-influence-rcna208261

The Street: Elon Musk faces growing legal Twitter/X problem

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A lawsuit he previously filed is facing a major challenge.

With all the problems Tesla is facing, it can be easy to forget that Elon Musk is fighting other battles. He’s currently in the throes of a vicious lawsuit involving one of his other companies.

When Musk finalized his acquisition of Twitter, now called X, in October 2022, it sparked a backlash that extended beyond the platform’s users. Many people deleted their accounts in protest of Musk’s beliefs on certain topics, but some companies also took a stand against him.

In the months that followed his takeover, a large number of companies halted advertising on X amid reports of offensive content and declining user activity. This included prominent companies such as Lego, Shell, and Nestlé, to name just a few.

Musk responded with a lawsuit against these former clients, alleging that they had illegally boycotted his platform.

No, F’Elon, it’s not a boycott. Advertisers choose what platforms they advertise on based on the size, quality, characteristics of a site’s users. If the real user count drops, if the users become hostile, if the content becomes questionable, etc., advertisers may choose no longer to advertise there and seek more appropriate venues for their advertising dollars.

If you lost advertising dollars, it’s because you weren’t serving their wants and needs.

thestreet.com

https://www.thestreet.com/technology/elon-musk-hit-with-scathing-words-from-former-x-clients

Futurism: Tesla’s Robotaxi Launch Is Already an Enormous Mess

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As Tesla prepares for the slated June launch of its robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, there’s a pretty big elephant in the room: that its autonomous driving services leave a lot to be desired.

As Forbes reports, the serious safety concerns surrounding Tesla’s so-called “Full Self-Driving” may result in CEO Elon Musk’s robotaxi service being dead on arrival.

“It’s going to fail for sure,” billionaire and longtime Tesla critic Dan O’Dowd told Forbes.

Atta boy F’Elon!

Tesla’s Robotaxi Launch Is Already an Enormous Mess
As Tesla prepares the slated June launch of its Robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, there’s a pretty big elephant in the room.

https://futurism.com/the-byte/tesla-robotaxi-launch-mess

Alternet: ‘Gross usurpation of power’: Judge rips Trump in ruling striking down agency takeover

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In a strongly worded ruling against Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and its takeover of the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP), U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell said that the move “represented a gross usurpation of power.”

According to the Hill, the judge also issued an injunction barring officials from DOGE and other Trump administration representatives from accessing USIP’s facilities or systems, effectively halting their involvement with the institute.

The order nullified the administration’s decision to dismiss the USIP board members and its president, confirming that they continue to hold their official roles. The appointment of individuals by DOGE was also overturned, requiring their removal from the board.

The judge said President Donald Trump and his subordinates used “acts of force” and threatened officers.

“The President’s efforts here to take over an organization outside of those bounds, contrary to statute established by Congress and by acts of force and threat using local and federal law enforcement officers, represented a gross usurpation of power and a way of conducting government affairs that unnecessarily traumatized the committed leadership and employees of USIP, who deserved better,” Howell said in the ruling.

https://www.alternet.org/usip-takeover-doge

New York Times: As White House Steers Justice Dept., Bondi [Bimbo #3] Embraces Role of TV Messenger

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Attorney General Pam Bondi [Bimbo #3] has adopted a conspicuously performative approach, willing to execute White House directives with little fuss.

Pam Bondi [Bimbo #3], the attorney general of the United States, circled the Roosevelt Room in late February, handing out bulky white binders labeled “Epstein Files: Phase 1” to a conclave of Trump-allied influencers summoned to the White House for their first visit.

That Ms. Bondi [Bimbo #3], the nation’s top law enforcement official, would prioritize a case of importance primarily to conspiracy theorists was telling. Anxious to appease the restive MAGA base, she hyped the disclosure as “breaking news” on Fox the night before, part of an effort to fulfill President Trump’s campaign promise to reveal new details on the financier Jeffrey Epstein’s misdeeds and death.

It was a dud. There were “no bombshells,” she said, according to one of those invited.

Later, activists on the right lashed out at Ms. Bondi [Bimbo #3]. She responded by blaming others, and then dispatched F.B.I. agents and prosecutors from the Justice Department’s national security division to scour the archives, officials familiar with the situation said. They found little. No one knows when Phase 2 is coming. But it is not likely to amount to much, those people said.

…

Since taking office as U.S. attorney general in early February, she has adopted a conspicuously performative approach to survive inside a Trump cabinet that rewards self-promotion, ritualized public flattery and, above all, a willingness to execute White House directives with little fuss.

Over the last few days, Ms. Bondi [Bimbo #3] signed off on Mr. Trump’s acceptance of a luxury Boeing 747-8 plane upgraded to serve as Air Force One donated by the Qatari royal family, which raised a host of ethical and legal questions. As a lobbyist, Ms. Bondi [Bimbo #3] herself received six-figure consulting fees from Qatar.

…

But her approach represents a noticeable departure from that of her predecessors at the Justice Department who saw themselves, to varying degrees, as guardians of institutional independence, attentive but not beholden to the presidency.

https://archive.is/fr5Xq#selection-4629.132-4629.368

Alternet: ‘A flagrant violation of the law’: Michigan AG blasts ’embarrassing and disturbing’ Trump admin

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Public health and infectious diseases know no borders, Nessel said, warning that the decision to shutter regional health programs, close CDC labs and close all 10 of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services’ regional offices jeopardizes public health in every community.

“Also it’s just a flagrant violation of the law. Disregards the separation of powers, and it places this new burden now, of course, on the states, because there are certain things that you rely upon the federal government to do, especially in terms of coordinating efforts between the states,” Nessel said.

…

In addition to their case on the mass firings, Nessel and 23 other attorneys general filed suit against Kennedy and the DHHS for terminating almost $11 billion in critical public health grants across the country.

https://www.alternet.org/a-flagrant-violation-of-the-law-michigan-ag-blasts-trump-admin

Alternet: ‘A way for Mar-A-Lago to get paid’: Don Jr.’s role in ‘anti-woke’ firm ‘raises serious questions’

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In November 2024, Donald Trump Jr. became a partner in a Palm Beach, Florida-based investment firm startup named 1789 Capital. And its stated goal was to invest in “anti-woke” businesses.

The company has grown since then. And according to Business Insider reporter Bethany McLean, 1789 is raising questions about the possibility of President Donald Trump’s family “improperly making money by funneling government business to the companies it invests in.”

In an article published on May 12, McLean reports, “It’s not just legal experts who have concerns about the money flowing to Don Jr. One veteran Wall Street investor, who has personally reviewed 1789’s deals, says they enable the president’s son to profit from the (Trump) Administration’s actions — even if no contractors are given preferential treatment.”

https://www.alternet.org/don-jr-1789-musk

Reuters: Judge orders temporary halt to Trump administration’s government overhaul

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President Donald Trump’s administration must temporarily halt its sweeping government overhaul because Congress did not authorize it to carry out large-scale staffing cuts and the restructuring of agencies, a federal judge said on Friday.

U.S. District Judge Susan Illston in San Francisco sided with a group of unions, non-profits and local governments, and blocked large-scale mass layoffs known as “reductions in force” for 14 days.

“As history demonstrates, the President may broadly restructure federal agencies only when authorized by Congress,” said Illston.

Judge orders temporary halt to Trump administration’s government overhaul
Dozens of lawsuits have challenged DOGE’s work on various grounds including violating privacy laws and exceeding its authority, with mixed results. This ruling is one of the broadest yet.

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/judge-orders-temporary-halt-trump-administrations-mass-layoff-plans-2025-05-10

Rolling Stone: Elon Musk’s Regulatory Woes Are Conveniently Vanishing Under Trump

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The Trump administration has been a boon for Elon Musk’s companies’ regulatory issues. The billionaire who has run the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) responsible for gutting certain federal agencies is now enjoying less scrutiny over his businesses since Donald Trump took office, NBC News reported.

An NBC News review of regulatory matters that involve Musk’s companies revealed that in more than 40 cases, regulators have not taken any public action in their investigations for many months.

Since Trump took office, the Justice Department has dropped a case against SpaceX that accused the company of refusing to hire asylum recipients and refugee immigrants to the U.S. A Labor Department probe into workforce discrimination at Tesla ended after Trump signed an executive order that gutted the office conducting the investigation. And the National Labor Relations Board has opened settlement talks over SpaceX firings of employees who criticized Musk. The U.S. Department of Agriculture was leading an investigation into Neuralink, which Musk owns, for potential animal welfare violations until one of Trump’s first executive orders fired inspectors general from USDA and 16 other agencies. The former inspectors generals are suing.

Corruption at its finest!

Elon Musk’s Regulatory Woes Are Conveniently Vanishing Under Trump
Billionaire Elon Musk’s companies are benefitting from reduced federal government regulation under Donald Trump’s administration.

https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/elon-musk-regulatory-matters-under-trump-1235336699

NJ.com: Another sign that Trump bromance is hurting Elon Musk and Tesla

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Despite some analysts who believe Tesla stock will make a comeback — and there are those even suggesting a bull run — some employees (who already have sold their stock) don’t have the same perspective.

According to Business Insider, Musk is telling workers in Texas to take a week off:

Tesla told Austin workers on its Model Y and Cybertruck lines to stay home for the week of Memorial Day, three workers told Business Insider.

The break is unusually long, the workers said. Production lines were up and running during the same period last year, they said.

The electric vehicle maker notified employees earlier this week. The workers, who are paid hourly, were told they could either take paid time off or come in for cleaning and training but would not be working on the production line.

The workers said their schedules had been increasingly inconsistent since February. Some said they had been sent home early on multiple occasions.

So, what could have happened between December and May that might have triggered the collapse? Here’s The Guardian’s guess:

Never before has the world’s richest person been deputized by the US president to cull the very agencies that oversee his businesses. Musk’s attempts to radically dismantle government bureaus have won him sprawling influence. His team has embedded its members in key roles across federal agencies, gained access to personal data on millions of Americans and fired tens of thousands of workers. SpaceX, where he is CEO, is now poised to take over potential government contracts worth billions. He has left a trail of chaos while seeding the government with his allies, who will probably help him profit and preserve his newfound power.

Sounds about right.

Another sign that Trump bromance is hurting Elon Musk and Tesla
Bad news, bad news and more bad news for Tesla

https://www.nj.com/politics/2025/05/another-sign-that-trump-bromance-is-hurting-elon-musk-and-tesla.html