
Musk under fire: inside the 21 March Guardian Weekly
As the Trump administration continues its full-throttle attack on federal organisations and to shutter venerable American institutions at a dizzying rate, those opposed to how the White House intends to make America great again have found a clear focus for their anger in Elon Musk, the president's chainsaw-wielder-in-chief.
For our big story, Lauren Gambino examines how growing difficulties for Musk have given heart to Democrats as they see his recognition factor and billionaire status as an easy rallying point to rebuild their own battered political fortunes. Donald Trump, sensing the growing backlash against his major donor, joined Musk to showcase a Tesla car on the White House lawn but the iconic electric car is bearing the brunt of protest, as Dara Kerr and Nick Robins-Early report.
The catalogue of attacks on Tesla vehicles and dealerships involving graffiti, eggs, faeces, slashed tyres and worse is continuing to rise in the US and Europe. But there is an alternative to violence as Gaby Hinsliff notes, wryly observing that choosing not to buy a brand won't get anyone arrested but clearly riles Trump and Musk.
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Spotlight | On the frontline of the tariff wars Leyland Cecco takes the pulse of Hamilton, Ontario's steel-making hub, after the Trump administration imposed a 25% levy on imports of Canadian steel and aluminium
Environment | Loess regainedThe Loess plateau was the most eroded place on Earth until China took action and reversed decades of damage from grazing and farming, finds Helen Davidson
Feature | A Syrian civil war survivor Ghaith Abdul-Ahad chronicles the life of Mustafa, determined to succeed in the new Syria even with his past as a forced soldier for the Assad regime
Opinion | Trump's every misstep brings chaosThe honeymoon is over for a president who seems to personify the law of unintended consequences, says Simon Tisdall
Culture | A painter in her own writeCelia Paul tells Charlotte Higgins about her relationship with Lucian Freud and the struggles of being out of step with the art world
The piece that has stayed with me most over the past week is John Harris's touching account of the struggles and joys of bringing up his autistic son, James, and the shared love of music that brought them together. I cried on the bus as I read the final paragraphs about the pair's performance in a school talent show. Clare Horton, assistant editor
With the city of Goma besieged by M23 rebels and Rwandan troops, the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo turned to foreign mercenaries to bolster their weakened armed forces. Instead of the promised experienced, battle-hardened soldiers, the resulting 'circus' saw a humiliation of ill-equipped supermarket guards, truck drivers and 'very big mistakes'. Neil Willis, production editor
Audio | Israel shatters Gaza ceasefire
Video | Can the UK fix its broken prison system?
Gallery | Did you catch that? On the boats with Cornish fishers
We'd love to hear your thoughts on the magazine: for submissions to our letters page, please email weekly.letters@theguardian.com. For anything else, it's editorial.feedback@theguardian.com
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New Tesla Model Y is a more chiselled, quieter version of mega-seller… it moves the game on for a tech-rich family motor
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) I'M struggling to keep up with Elon Musk and his on/ off bromance with Donald Trump. Are they buddies again? 6 The world's best-selling car was fugly… but two years on, it's had a sharp new makeover Credit: simon thompson 6 The cabin gets a techy glow-up with the gear selector shifted to the screen - and wraparound LEDs Credit: simon thompson 6 The new Model Y shines alongside its less attractive predecessor Credit: simon thompson Or still kicking lumps out of each other on X? One thing I do know is that Tesla sales are down eight per cent in Great Britainland. Some say it's because Musk backed Trump for President, followed by that awkward hand gesture at the inauguration. Some say it's the Chinese invasion. Maybe in part. But mostly it's due to Tesla halting production of the mega-selling Model Y at its Berlin gigafactory to tool up for the new one. Now everything is sorted and sales are likely to take off like a Space X rocket. Here are ten things you need to know about the new motor. 1. The old one was fugly. The world's best-selling car two years on the bounce, yes. But still fugly. That's sorted now. This new one is more chiselled. First glimpse at limited edition EV hitting UK in just weeks with slick new look It's like they've taken a photo of the Cybertruck to a surgeon and gone, 'This please'. The lower nose helps it slice through the air, adding a bit more range. 2. They've deleted the Tesla badge from the bonnet. Confident move. 3. But the biggest change is at the back. There's a new reflective lightbar which highlights T E S L A written out in full. Also, the rear diffuser sticks out more. So repair bills will be lower if you reverse into something you shouldn't. Which helps with insurance too. 4. The 'frunk' — front trunk — now has a plughole in it. So you can fill it with ice for summer barbecues. Or store muddy boots. 5. Cabin. The gear selector has moved to the big screen — like a Model 3. But they've kept the indicator stalk. Unlike a Model 3. The wrapround LED strip is new. The front seats will warm and cool your back. They didn't before. Other things. The seat bases are longer in the back. So they're more comfortable. There's a little entertainment screen to play arcade games. The front passenger seat moves forward at the touch of a button for limo-like legroom. 6. Sound. It's now much quieter in here which makes it feel more expensive. There's extra insulation. Acoustic glass. Redesigned door seals. All little details that add up. 7. The boot is a smidge smaller. But you'll never notice. I had to look it up. The seats now fold up and down automatically, where they only folded flat before. You had to push them back up. 8. The suspension has been tweaked so it rides better. Batteries and motors are unchanged. But improved regenerative braking tech adds more electrons. Every version should do 300 miles-plus, with the rear-wheel drive Long Range hitting 387 miles. There's talk of a bigger battery nudging 500 miles. 9. Price. The standard rear-drive Model Y starts at £45k, which is £2k more than before. Not bad. The all-singing all-wheel drive Long Range is £52k. 10. This isn't specific to Model Y but Tesla's Supercharger network blows everyone else out of the water. It's next-level good. Quick. Easy. No cards. No apps. And cheaper too. It doesn't really matter if you like Musk or not. If you want a minimalist, tech-rich family motor, Model Y moves the game on. 6 There's a little entertainment screen to play arcade games Credit: simon thompson 6 The old one was fugly. The world's best-selling car two years on the bounce, yes. But still fugly Credit: simon thompson 6 Elon Musk's Tesla brand has been having a tough time recently, but sales are now likely to take off Credit: Getty