Elon Musk built his wealth from taxpayer-funded research — now he's trying to destroy future science
1 month, 2 weeks ago

Elon Musk built his wealth from taxpayer-funded research — now he's trying to destroy future science

Salon  

Donald Trump, his shadow president Elon Musk, and the so-called Department of Government Efficiency are waging a highly illegal rampage through the federal budget. To defend this, Musk claims it's a "ripoff" when grant funding goes to pay for salaries, lab space and equipment, even though no one can conduct scientific research without these baseline necessities. "Trump and King Musk framed this as a shot at baddies like Harvard and Yale, but this absolutely destroys public schools and every state has those and they all are doing scientific research," historian Erik Loomis explained at Lawyers, Guns and Money. Noting that neither Trump nor Musk has the legal authority to make these cuts, Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., the ranking member of the House Appropriations Committee, said, "They are causing irreparable damage to ongoing research to develop cures and treatments for cancer, Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, ALS, Diabetes, Mental Health disorders, opioid abuse, genetic diseases, rare diseases, and other diseases and conditions affecting American families." Still, as admirable as the people who work for Musk may be, they wouldn't be able to do any of this without NASA and the federal government's astronomical 20th-century investment in the space race.

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History of this topic

Musk's latest cuts will hamper life-saving medical research for 'a generation': report
2 weeks, 2 days ago

Musk's latest cuts will hamper life-saving medical research for 'a generation': report

Raw Story  

The Trump administration's emphasis on right-wing ideology has had a chilling effect on life-saving medical research — and the researchers themselves — at the National Institutes of Health, according to a new opinion piece in Bloomburg. NIH "is the largest source of funding for medical research in the world, creating hundreds of thousands of high-quality jobs," according to the government …

Elon Musk Calls Federal Spending On Social Security, Benefit Programs 'The Big One' To Cut
Top News
2 weeks, 4 days ago

Elon Musk Calls Federal Spending On Social Security, Benefit Programs 'The Big One' To Cut

Huff Post  

LOADING ERROR LOADING WASHINGTON — Elon Musk pushed debunked theories about Social Security on Monday while describing federal benefit programs as rife with fraud, suggesting they will be a primary target in his crusade to reduce government spending. “That’s the big one to eliminate.” The comments on the popular program and other benefits provided to Americans could rattle politicians on …

Elon Musk's empire 'may be starting to wobble': Harvard Business School professor
2 weeks, 4 days ago

Elon Musk's empire 'may be starting to wobble': Harvard Business School professor

Raw Story  

While Elon Musk is still the world's richest man, Harvard Business School professor Mihir A. Desai believes that his fortunes are far shakier than they appear on paper. Writing in the New York Times, Desai argues that Musk's massive wealth has a "soft underbelly," which is that "his fortune depends heavily on the inflated expectations of his rabid following." Desai …

Trump and Musk have fun in DC while cuts pile up out in the country
Trending News
1 month, 1 week ago

Trump and Musk have fun in DC while cuts pile up out in the country

CNN  

A version of this story appeared in CNN’s What Matters newsletter. CNN — President Donald Trump and Elon Musk look like they’re having a blast in Washington, clear-cutting elements of the federal government and seizing power from states and Congress. –President Donald J. Trump pic.twitter.com/IMr4tq0sMB — The White House February 19, 2025 Musk, who recently bragged of feeding USAID to …

Trump and Musk have fun in DC while cuts pile up out in the country
Trending News
1 month, 1 week ago

Trump and Musk have fun in DC while cuts pile up out in the country

CNN  

A version of this story appeared in CNN’s What Matters newsletter. CNN — President Donald Trump and Elon Musk look like they’re having a blast in Washington, clear-cutting elements of the federal government and seizing power from states and Congress. –President Donald J. Trump pic.twitter.com/IMr4tq0sMB — The White House February 19, 2025 Musk, who recently bragged of feeding USAID to …

Elon Musk thinking of auditing US Federal Reserve calling for ‘greater scrutiny’
Trending News
1 month, 1 week ago

Elon Musk thinking of auditing US Federal Reserve calling for ‘greater scrutiny’

Live Mint  

Tech billionaire Elon Musk said he is thinking of auditing the US Federal Reserve, after calling for greater scrutiny of the central bank in the past. Musk's cost-cutting program under the Department of Government Efficiency has swept through federal agencies since Donald Trump began his second term as president last month. Musk's DOGE team has also cancelled contracts worth about …

Elon Musk warns ‘America will go bankrupt’ if deficit isn’t fixed and wasteful spending continues
1 month, 1 week ago

Elon Musk warns ‘America will go bankrupt’ if deficit isn’t fixed and wasteful spending continues

Live Mint  

Tesla CEO and self-proclaimed "DOGE Head" Elon Musk sharply criticized the US government's spending, warning that if the growing deficit is not addressed, "America will go bankrupt." Trump backs Musk’s concerns, blames democrats President Donald Trump echoed Musk’s concerns, asserting that he inherited a "$2 trillion deficit" and blaming the Democratic Party for excessive spending over the past four years. …

‘I love the president’: Trump, Musk heap on praise in gushy interview
1 month, 1 week ago

‘I love the president’: Trump, Musk heap on praise in gushy interview

Al Jazeera  

US president claims DOGE will save hundreds of billions of dollars without cutting healthcare and welfare benefits. In an interview with Fox News that aired on Tuesday, Trump said he had tapped Musk to lead the so-called Department of Government Efficiency as he wanted someone “really smart” to work with. He did Starlink, he did things that were so advanced …

Opinion: Someday, most likely, the buck will stop with Trump
1 month, 2 weeks ago

Opinion: Someday, most likely, the buck will stop with Trump

LA Times  

Since taking office last month, Donald Trump has governed like a man with a sledgehammer and a checklist. This time, he’s got a plan and a highly motivated flight crew — co-pilot Elon Musk, advisor Stephen Miller, Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought — and they are shutting down the “deep state” faster than a Georgetown cocktail party …

Musk 'hacked into our payment systems' to 'become the first trillionaire': congressman
1 month, 2 weeks ago

Musk 'hacked into our payment systems' to 'become the first trillionaire': congressman

Raw Story  

Elon Musk's staggering wealth has exploded since the election, and a Democratic lawmaker cast suspicion on his motives for gaining control of the federal government's payment system. The tech billionaire and his DOGE lackeys have gained access to the Treasury Department's system for issuing payments, infiltrated the General Services Administration and the Office of Personnel Management and proposed sweeping cuts …

Musk, with Trump at White House, says US will go bankrupt without cuts
1 month, 2 weeks ago

Musk, with Trump at White House, says US will go bankrupt without cuts

Deccan Chronicle  

Tech billionaire Elon Musk, who has been tapped by President Donald Trump to lead federal cost-cutting efforts, said Tuesday that the United States would go "bankrupt" without budget cuts.Musk leads the efforts under the newly created Department of Government Efficiency, and was speaking at the White House with Trump, who has in recent weeks issued a flurry of orders aimed …

Musk 'wrecking' institutions that enriched him and owes Al Gore 'giant thank you': analyst
1 month, 2 weeks ago

Musk 'wrecking' institutions that enriched him and owes Al Gore 'giant thank you': analyst

Raw Story  

Tech billionaire Elon Musk appears to have dramatic plans for the future of the federal government — including mass downsizing of the civil service and a wholesale rewrite of the IT systems that handle core public functions. "To defend this, Musk claims it's a 'ripoff' when grant funding goes to pay for salaries, lab space and equipment, even though no …

Donald Trump defends work of Elon Musk's DOGE amid criticism
1 month, 2 weeks ago

Donald Trump defends work of Elon Musk's DOGE amid criticism

ABC  

US President Donald Trump has defended tech billionaire Elon Musk amid alarm at some of the steps taken by his Department of Government Efficiency. In an interview aired before the Super Bowl, Mr Trump told Fox News Mr Musk was "not gaining anything" from his work within the US government. Mr Trump said Mr Musk, the world's richest man, had …

‘He’s not gaining anything:’ Trump defends Musk as Doge reels under setbacks, scrutiny
1 month, 2 weeks ago

‘He’s not gaining anything:’ Trump defends Musk as Doge reels under setbacks, scrutiny

Firstpost  

Democrats have argued that access to crucial government payments data may help Musk’s business interests. Trump on Sunday dismissed the claims, saying he’s had a great help with the billionaire Elon Musk's Doge team has been charged by US President Donald Trump with cutting waste. Amid mounting criticism, US President Donald Trump has defended billionaire Elon Musk as his Doge …

Trump says Musk to uncover billions in ‘fraud and abuse’ at US Pentagon
1 month, 2 weeks ago

Trump says Musk to uncover billions in ‘fraud and abuse’ at US Pentagon

Al Jazeera  

SpaceX and Tesla boss Musk is presiding over a purge of US government jobs that critics call an ‘evisceration of democracy’. US President Donald Trump has said he expects his ally Elon Musk to find billions of dollars of fraud and abuse at the Pentagon, after he was tasked with leading an audit to slash the size of the US …

Trump says Musk to uncover billions in ‘fraud and abuse’ at US Pentagon
1 month, 2 weeks ago

Trump says Musk to uncover billions in ‘fraud and abuse’ at US Pentagon

Al Jazeera  

SpaceX and Tesla boss Musk is presiding over a purge of US government jobs that critics call an ‘evisceration of democracy’. US President Donald Trump has said he expects his ally Elon Musk to find billions of dollars of fraud and abuse at the Pentagon, after he was tasked with leading an audit to slash the size of the US …

Elon Musk takes reins of U.S. Treasury payments, sparking lawsuit
1 month, 3 weeks ago

Elon Musk takes reins of U.S. Treasury payments, sparking lawsuit

The Hindu  

Elon Musk and his aides have taken control of the U.S. Treasury Department's payments system, triggering a lawsuit charging he is illegally getting access to private data of millions of Americans. Mr. Musk, the world's richest person, is leading U.S. President Donald Trump's federal cost-cutting efforts under the so-called Department of Government Efficiency. Bessent's granting access of personal Treasury information …

Donald Trump dismisses Elon Musk’s criticism of $500 billion AI project: ‘He hates one of the people in the deal’
2 months ago

Donald Trump dismisses Elon Musk’s criticism of $500 billion AI project: ‘He hates one of the people in the deal’

Live Mint  

US President Donald Trump brushed aside criticism from Tesla CEO Elon Musk about the recently announced $500 billion artificial intelligence project, “Stargate”. SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, and Oracle Chairman Larry Ellison joined Trump at the White House to launch the venture. I realize what is great for the country isn't always what's optimal for your companies, …

Elon Musk says the $500 billion announced for Stargate Project 'does not exist', Sam Altman tries to disagree
2 months ago

Elon Musk says the $500 billion announced for Stargate Project 'does not exist', Sam Altman tries to disagree

Op India  

One of the highlights of the dramatic, over-the-top announcements after Donald Trump’s inauguration was OpenAI announcing a futuristic AI megaproject called ‘Stargate’, filled with a lot of sci-fi-level jargon and a staggering $500 billion dollars commitment. Though the details of the project are still hazy, the announcement of $500 billion budget has triggered a massive social media discussion, with the …

Musk causes stir over US AI project
2 months ago

Musk causes stir over US AI project

China Daily  

By HENG WEILI in New York | chinadaily.com.cn | Updated: 2025-01-23 12:17 Elon Musk gestures at the podium inside the Capital One arena on the inauguration day of US President Donald Trump's second term, in Washington, US, January 20, 2025. Musk filed a similar lawsuit against OpenAI in March 2024, claiming that it had not followed its founding agreement by …

Musk causes stir over US AI project
2 months ago

Musk causes stir over US AI project

China Daily  

Elon Musk gestures at the podium inside the Capital One arena on the inauguration day of US President Donald Trump's second term, in Washington, US, January 20, 2025. Musk filed a similar lawsuit against OpenAI in March 2024, claiming that it had not followed its founding agreement by emphasizing "profit over the technology's potential benefit to humanity", the Journal reported. …

Elon Musk’s DOGE Immediately Sued After Trump Inauguration
2 months, 1 week ago

Elon Musk’s DOGE Immediately Sued After Trump Inauguration

Huff Post  

LOADING ERROR LOADING A group of organizations immediately sued the Trump administration as the president was inaugurated on Monday, arguing that its new “Department of Government Efficiency” violates federal transparency law. Its stated aim is to help Trump enact massive cuts to government spending and make the federal bureaucracy “more efficient.” Despite its name, DOGE is not a real government …

Oxfam says Musk backing Trump is the ‘crown jewel of global oligarchies’
2 months, 1 week ago

Oxfam says Musk backing Trump is the ‘crown jewel of global oligarchies’

Hindustan Times  

Billionaires' wealth grew three times faster in 2024 than the year before, a top anti-poverty group reported on Monday as some of the world's political and financial elite prepared for an annual gathering in Davos, Switzerland. OxFam's research adds weight to a warning by outgoing President Joe Biden last week of a “dangerous concentration of power in the hands of …

Musk acknowledges $2 trillion spending cut goal a long shot
Trending News
2 months, 2 weeks ago

Musk acknowledges $2 trillion spending cut goal a long shot

The Hindu  

Elon Musk, who U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has tapped to oversee a government cost-cutting effort, acknowledged that his declared goal of cutting $2 trillion in spending from the $6.8 trillion federal budget would be a long shot. "I think if we try for 2 trillion, we've got a good shot at getting 1," Mr. Musk, the world's richest person, said …

Not just Elon Musk: Silicon Valley's tech bosses poured millions into US presidential campaign
3 months, 2 weeks ago

Not just Elon Musk: Silicon Valley's tech bosses poured millions into US presidential campaign

India Today  

NEW DELHI: Silicon Valley tech moguls made a significant impact on the recent 2024 US presidential election, with a Guardian analysis revealing that the tech industry contributed over $394.1 million to the race between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris. The majority of these donations came from billionaire Elon Musk, who gave an enormous $242.6 million to former President Donald Trump’s …

Elon Musk’s $270 million funding for Donald Trump’s campaign makes him the biggest political donor in US
3 months, 3 weeks ago

Elon Musk’s $270 million funding for Donald Trump’s campaign makes him the biggest political donor in US

Live Mint  

To help Donald Trump win the US presidency, tech billionaire Elon Musk spent at least $270 million, according to new federal filings. The Washington Post has reported that Musk's spending in the 2024 election surpassed that of Tim Mellon, the previous top Republican donor, who contributed close to $200 million. The Tesla CEO donated $238 million to America PAC, a …

Musk to hold talks with Republicans on sweeping spending cuts
3 months, 4 weeks ago

Musk to hold talks with Republicans on sweeping spending cuts

Raw Story  

Donald Trump's incoming government efficiency chief Elon Musk will meet Republican lawmakers next week to begin discussions about the tech billionaire's new commission tasked with cutting billions of dollars in federal spending. Mike Johnson, the Republican speaker of the House of Representatives, said in a post on X he was looking forward to hosting Musk next Thursday, along with his …

Elon Musk mocks own government efficiency department with ‘I can’t believe DOGE is real’ post with laughing emojis
4 months ago

Elon Musk mocks own government efficiency department with ‘I can’t believe DOGE is real’ post with laughing emojis

The Independent  

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Elon Musk has shared his own disbelief that the government …

Here's how Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency might work
4 months, 2 weeks ago

Here's how Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency might work

Hindustan Times  

Donald Trump has tasked Elon Musk with setting up a panel to streamline the U.S. government. Musk, whose companies include the electric vehicle maker Tesla and commercial space company SpaceX, has a deep knowledge of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the Pentagon, agencies he has extensive contracts with for rockets, satellites and other space operations. Musk said at …

What would ‘government efficiency’ look like if Elon Musk gets his way?
4 months, 2 weeks ago

What would ‘government efficiency’ look like if Elon Musk gets his way?

LA Times  

President-elect Donald Trump has given two wealthy entrepreneurs a mission that has eluded many other occupants of the White House: Make the U.S. government smaller and more efficient. Ramaswamy said during his run for the Republican presidential nomination that he planned to advance a “radical dream” that would cut three-quarters of a U.S government workforce that numbers about 2.2 million. …

How Elon Musk's clout with Donald Trump could enrich his companies
Trending News
4 months, 3 weeks ago

How Elon Musk's clout with Donald Trump could enrich his companies

The Hindu  

Elon Musk’s backing of Donald Trump’s decisive victory for a second presidency gives the billionaire entrepreneur extraordinary influence to help his companies secure favorable government treatment. He's now at the forefront of a growing class of Silicon Valley billionaires championing a libertarian movement as a backlash to the California region's historically liberal ideology - which Musk now derides as a …

With $75M gift, Musk joins right-wing billionaires bankrolling Trump campaign
5 months, 1 week ago

With $75M gift, Musk joins right-wing billionaires bankrolling Trump campaign

Raw Story  

Prominent members of the United States' billionaire class have shelled out massive sums in the final stretch of the 2024 campaign to elect one of their own, Republican nominee Donald Trump, to the White House, with Tesla CEO Elon Musk donating nearly $75 million in recent months to a super PAC supporting the former president's bid for a second term. …

Project 2025 masterminds probe NASA workers' comments on SpaceX CEO Elon Musk — and Trump
5 months, 3 weeks ago

Project 2025 masterminds probe NASA workers' comments on SpaceX CEO Elon Musk — and Trump

Raw Story  

The far-right think tank behind the controversial pro-Trump Project 2025 plan is filing a series of Freedom of Information Act requests to find out what employees at NASA said privately about former President Donald Trump and tech billionaire Elon Musk, Reuters reported on Friday. This plan, spearheaded by the Heritage Foundation, "is part of that organization's ongoing push to help …

Trump plans to hire Elon Musk to lead "government efficiency commission"
6 months, 3 weeks ago

Trump plans to hire Elon Musk to lead "government efficiency commission"

Salon  

At an economics conference on Thursday, former president Donald Trump unveiled plans to bring Elon Musk in for a job in his administration, giving billionaires another voice via the Tesla CEO, who is a vocal critic of corporate regulation and a warrior against labor protections. Trump, who previously mulled bringing Musk on, reportedly received a $45 million-per-month campaign lifeline through …

Trump could appoint Elon Musk to head committee axing ‘wasteful’ government programs
6 months, 3 weeks ago

Trump could appoint Elon Musk to head committee axing ‘wasteful’ government programs

The Independent  

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Donald Trump could appoint Elon Musk to head up a …

Trump-supporting PAC backed by Elon Musk reportedly under criminal investigation
7 months, 3 weeks ago

Trump-supporting PAC backed by Elon Musk reportedly under criminal investigation

Raw Story  

A Donald Trump-supporting political action committee backed by billionaire Elon Musk is under criminal investigation in Michigan, according to reports. The PAC being supported by the world's richest man "is being investigated by the Michigan secretary of state’s office amid efforts to collect voter data," according to CNBC. "The committee has been acquiring detailed voter information from those living in …

Elon Musk says he won't donate $45 million a month to re-elect Donald Trump after all
8 months ago

Elon Musk says he won't donate $45 million a month to re-elect Donald Trump after all

Raw Story  

Tech billionaire Elon Musk caused a stir when he reportedly committed last week to contribute $45 million a month to America PAC, a group backing former President Donald Trump's re-election effort. I am not donating $45 million a month to Trump,” Musk said in an interview over his X platform with Jordan Peterson, the far-right Canadian psychologist and media personality. …

Tech billionaire Elon Musk pitches Trump new plan to police the vote: WSJ sources
9 months, 4 weeks ago

Tech billionaire Elon Musk pitches Trump new plan to police the vote: WSJ sources

Raw Story  

Tech billionaire Elon Musk is considering an alliance with former President Donald Trump — and specifically, an idea to help him try to police the election, according to a new report. The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday a potential advisory role for Musk on Trump's team "hasn’t been fully hammered out and might not happen, people familiar with the talks …

A hitchhiker’s guide to Elon Musk
2 years, 10 months ago

A hitchhiker’s guide to Elon Musk

The Hindu  

Elon Musk joins a long line of wealthy tycoons who have bought media outlets. Mr. Musk, the world’s richest man, has business interests that include electric vehicles and space transportation, with companies valued much higher than Twitter. Here’s the ABC of possible clues: A for Asimov: On several occasions, Mr. Musk has discussed the influence of science fiction, particularly the …

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