Why Musk is vulnerable in conflict with Trump
In the days after the 2024 election, Elon Musk seemed unstoppable.
After plowing at least $288 million into helping elect President Donald Trump and other Republicans, the payoff for the Tesla and SpaceX CEO was immediate. Tesla's stock soared, making the world's richest man even richer. His influence in Washington was incomparable, and government support for his ambitions — whether launching spaceships to Mars or autonomous cars across America — seemed more plausible than ever.
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Yahoo
14 minutes ago
- Yahoo
L.A. immigration protests latest: California sues Trump admin. over National Guard deployment, president says he would support arresting Newsom
California is suing the Trump administration over its National Guard deployment in Los Angeles without the consent of the state's governor amid immigration protests that escalated over the weekend, leading to dozens of arrests. The Los Angeles Police Department has since declared all of downtown L.A. an unlawful assembly area. The lawsuit was filed Monday by California Attorney General Rob Bonta and accuses President Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth of "unlawfully" federalizing the state's National Guard, and infringing on California Gov. Gavin Newsom's authority as commander-in-chief of the state's military reserve force. "Every governor, red or blue, should reject this outrageous overreach," Bonta said. "It is an unmistakable step toward authoritarianism. We will not let this stand.' Bonta also alleged in a televised statement Monday that protests escalated after National Guard troops arrived on Sunday. 'We'll never know what might have been had the president left our state and local authorities to continue the important work they were already doing and were more than capable of doing,' Bonta said. Before the lawsuit was announced, Trump on Monday said he would support his border czar arresting Newsom over possible obstructions to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) actions in the state amid protests. At least 44 people were arrested by federal ICE agents during a raid at several locations around Los Angeles on Friday, including Ambiance Apparel in the garment district and a Home Depot in the Westlake District. These areas are known to have significant migrant populations and labor-focused industries. Protests then erupted in Los Angeles in response to Trump's immigration crackdown that has seen federal agents arrest a student on his way to volleyball practice and erroneously deport a man to El Salvador. Sunday marked the third straight day of protests over the wave of immigration raids. Crowds gathered in downtown Los Angeles and Boyle Heights. Protesters marched from Boyle Heights to the Metropolitan Detention Center, a federal building in downtown L.A. This led to the LAPD declaring the area an unlawful assembly. Protesters moved from outside the federal building and walked onto the 101 Freeway around 3:30 p.m. local time. Police fired tear gas and other projectiles into the crowd and cleared the area by 5 p.m. Meanwhile, another protest started on Sunday outside of Los Angeles City Hall Protesters outside the city's prison in the Alameda neighborhood of L.A. were arrested, according to the LAPD. Around 300 National Guard troops arrived in Los Angeles County on Sunday after Trump deployed them to protect federal property and personnel, without the consent of Newsom, a Democrat with whom he often spars. As governor, Newsom would normally retain control and command over the California National Guard. The White House said the deployment was necessary to 'address the lawlessness' in the state, and initially stated that 2,000 troops were being deployed. About 500 Marines are also prepared to deploy to the area, the Northern Command said. It's the first time in nearly 60 years that a president has called in the National Guard without a state's request or consent. The last time was when President Lyndon Johnson sent the Guard to protect a 1965 civil rights march in Alabama. Newsom said California is suing the Trump administration over the federal mobilization of the National Guard. Newsom told MSNBC that Trump's federal mobilization of the National Guard was 'an illegal act, an immoral act, an unconstitutional act.' The governor also alleged that Trump is the one to blame for the escalation in California, saying, 'He's exacerbated the conditions. He's lit the proverbial match. He's putting fuel on this fire.' Tom Homan, Trump's border czar, told NBC News that anyone who obstructs immigration enforcement would be arrested. When asked if that would include Newsom or Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, he replied, 'I'll say it about anybody. … You cross that line, it's a felony to knowingly harbor and conceal an illegal alien. It's a felony to impede law enforcement doing their job.' Newsom responded to Homan's NBC interview on Sunday by saying: 'He knows where to find me.' Homan later clarified those remarks in an interview with Fox News. 'The reporter asked me, well, could Governor Newsom or Mayor Bass be arrested? I said, 'Well no one's above the law — if they cross the line and commit a crime, absolutely they can.'' He added: 'There was no discussion about arresting Newsom.' Meanwhile, Trump said he would support the arrest of Newsom. "I would do it if I were Tom. I think it's great. Gavin likes the publicity but I think it would be a great thing," Trump said Monday. In response, Newsom said: "This is a day I hoped I would never see in America." "I don't care if you're a Democrat or a Republican this is a line we cannot cross as a nation — this is an unmistakable step toward authoritarianism," he wrote on X. The peaceful protests escalated into vandalism, autonomous cars set ablaze, fireworks and other objects thrown at law enforcement, police firing rubber bullets (including at an Australian journalist), and dozens of arrests by the LAPD. 'In recent days, many protests across the city have been peaceful and we thank the community for expressing their views and their frustration in a responsible manner,' LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell said in a Sunday news conference. 'However, when peaceful demonstrations devolve into acts of vandalism or violence, especially violence directed at innocent people, law enforcement officers and others, we must respond firmly.' McDonnell said that a total of 39 people had been arrested — 29 on Saturday and 10 on Sunday. He also said the LAPD was not given advance notice that federal operations would occur in the area. On Sunday, several Waymo driverless vehicles were vandalized and set on fire in downtown Los Angeles. A Waymo spokesperson told USA Today Monday morning that its autonomous vehicles have been removed from the area and the company has temporarily suspended its ride-hailing service 'out of an abundance of caution.' Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass told CNN on Monday that the situation has since calmed in the city. 'If you dial back time and go to Friday, if immigration raids had not happened here, we would not have had the disorder that went on last night,' Bass said. 'We do not know where and when the next raids will be. That is the concern because people in this city have a rapid response network.' 'If they see ICE, they go out and they protest, and so it's just a recipe for pandemonium that is completely unnecessary,' she added.
Yahoo
15 minutes ago
- Yahoo
IAEA chief relays Iran warning against Israeli strikes on nuclear facilities
CAIRO (Reuters) -International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Grossi said Iranians warned him that an Israel strike on the country's nuclear facilities could cause Iran to be more determined about developing a nuclear weapon, according to an interview broadcast and published on Monday. 'A strike could potentially have an amalgamating effect, solidifying Iran's determination – I will say it plainly – to pursue a nuclear weapon or withdraw from the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons,' Grossi said in the interview, published on the Jerusalem Post website and broadcast on i24 TV on Monday. Grossi, however, doubted that Israel would strike Tehran's nuclear facilities, the Jerusalem Post reported. The Iranian nuclear program "runs wide and deep," Grossi told the Jerusalem Post. "Disrupting them would require overwhelming and devastating force." Tehran and Washington have recently engaged in Oman-mediated nuclear talks. Iran is set to hand a counter-proposal for a nuclear deal to the United States via Oman, Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said on Monday, in response to a U.S. offer that Tehran deems "unacceptable". Last week, U.S. President Donald Trump said he had warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to take actions that could disrupt nuclear talks with Iran. "I told him this would be inappropriate to do right now because we're very close to a solution now," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. "That could change at any moment." Trump and Netanyahu are expected to speak over the phone on Monday.
Motor 1
15 minutes ago
- Motor 1
Woman Walks Up to a Brand-New Ford Lariat. Then She Learns it has a New 'Luxury' Feature
Dealerships always highlight the new features and perks of car models to lure people into buying. Sometimes these features don't necessarily improve the car's performance so much as its aesthetic or vibe. Still, they're packaged as something you can't miss out on. Often these features are described as a 'luxury.' Car manufacturers toss around the word luxury like a football on a Sunday. It may irritate some, but many buyers want a luxurious car, so it's also just good marketing. Get the best news, reviews, columns, and more delivered straight to your inbox, daily. back Sign up For more information, read our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use . That doesn't mean you won't get called out for calling something standard a luxury feature. In a TikTok with nearly 6,000 views, Madi (@surpriseforddeals) claims the new Ford F-150 Lariat's way of greeting drivers is an example of its 'luxury.' But is this a new feature or has this been around? Is your truck excited to see you? Trending Now 'Do People Not Read the Owner's Manual Anymore?': Woman Buys New Honda. Then She Tries Filling It Up With Gas 'This Should Be Illegal': Customer Gets Approved for 2024 Jeep Wrangler. Then An Expert Exposes the Reality of Financing In her post, Madi showcases how the new Ford F-150 Lariat automatically turns on its headlights when you approach the truck. She begins by asking viewers, 'Have you ever been greeted by your truck?' Madi then proceeds to hype how the Ford Lariat automatically lights up when its key gets close to the vehicle, suggesting this is a reason you should buy one—from her. According to her profile, Madi works for a Ford dealership. 'Welcome back to your truck. That's the luxury of Lariat,' Madi concludes. Luxury or standard? While the F-150 Lariat's light-up greeting is arguably aesthetically pleasing and potentially promotes safety, many people who commented on Madi's post disagree with the suggestion that it's remarkable. 'Literally most manufacturers do this,' one TikTok commenter said. 'Oh, a 2004 Lexus LS does the same thing, nothing new here,' another added. A third shared, 'Luxury of Lariat? My $40k outback from 2020 does this.' The skeptics are correct: this isn't a new feature. Ford F-150s have even reportedly had this feature since at least 2021. It used to be called 'approach lighting'; now it's known as 'welcome lighting.' So why is it being highlighted as a selling point? Wouldn't it make more sense to simply focus on the F-150's reliability, towing capacity, or perhaps its warranty? This dives into the bigger conversation about how consumers have become increasingly driven to buy vehicles based on their technology. There's something of a tech race going on in vehicle manufacturing. Every brand wants to have the newest, most desirable tech under the hood and inside the passenger compartment. Critics say these features are used to distract from the fact that making dependable and reliable cars is slowly becoming a lost art. They claim manufacturers don't build them like they used—and there may be truth to that. But cars didn't used to have backup cameras , either, and that tech has unquestionably saved lives (and bumpers). If consumers want a vehicle that lights up when they approach, why not give it to them? Motor1 has contacted Madi over Instagram and TikTok direct messenger. We also reached out to Ford via email. We'll update this story if we hear back. More from Motor1 Here's the 2026 Ford F-150 Lobo Totally Undisguised NHTSA Investigating 1.3 Million F-150s Over Unexpected Downshifts Only Two of America's 10 Best-Selling Vehicles Earn IIHS Safety Award Tesla Just Released a Much Cheaper Cybertruck Share this Story Facebook X LinkedIn Flipboard Reddit WhatsApp E-Mail Got a tip for us? Email: tips@ Join the conversation ( )
