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Trump's Old High School Is in Trouble (Again). Can a Chinese Businessman Fix It?

Trump's Old High School Is in Trouble (Again). Can a Chinese Businessman Fix It?

For the second time in a decade, it is up to a Chinese entrepreneur to make President Trump's high school great again.
Like some of the 20th-century American institutions whose decline Trump laments, the 136-year-old New York Military Academy is in bad shape. Roof tiles are broken on century-old buildings and, on one recent visit, a reporter spotted a family of vultures nestled atop a chimney.

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Jony Ive's LoveFrom helped design Rivian's first electric bike
Jony Ive's LoveFrom helped design Rivian's first electric bike

TechCrunch

time33 minutes ago

  • TechCrunch

Jony Ive's LoveFrom helped design Rivian's first electric bike

Lovefrom, the creative firm founded by former Apple chief designer Jony Ive, played a role in the development of Rivian's first electric bike, according to multiple sources who spoke to TechCrunch. For about 18 months, a handful of LoveFrom staff worked alongside Rivian's design team and engineers within a skunkworks program led by Specialized's former chief product and technology officer Chris Yu. LoveFrom's work on the micromobility project ended in fall 2024, according to the sources. LoveFrom and Rivian declined to comment. Rivian's skunkworks program, which eventually grew to a team of about 70 people hailing from Apple, Google, Specialized, Tesla, REI Co-Op, spun out earlier this year with a new name and $105 million in funding from Eclipse Ventures. The micromobility startup, called Also, has yet to show off its first vehicle designs. In interviews with TechCrunch, Rivian founder and CEO RJ Scaringe (who is on Also's board) and Yu were cagey about what the new company's first vehicle would look like. 'There's a seat, and there's two wheels, there's a screen, and there's a few computers and a battery,' Scaringe said in March. He has also said it will be 'bike-like,' a description confirmed by sources. But both Scaringe and Yu spoke of a much bigger vision for Also, one where it could theoretically tackle almost any imaginable micromobility form factor. The new company is supposed to reveal its first designs at an event later this year. An Also spokesperson declined to comment about its bike or any connection to LoveFrom. Techcrunch event Save $200+ on your TechCrunch All Stage pass Build smarter. Scale faster. Connect deeper. Join visionaries from Precursor Ventures, NEA, Index Ventures, Underscore VC, and beyond for a day packed with strategies, workshops, and meaningful connections. Save $200+ on your TechCrunch All Stage pass Build smarter. Scale faster. Connect deeper. Join visionaries from Precursor Ventures, NEA, Index Ventures, Underscore VC, and beyond for a day packed with strategies, workshops, and meaningful connections. Boston, MA | REGISTER NOW When the electric 'bike' is revealed, it's possible that Ive's fingerprints will be all over it. Ive is best-known for being the design force behind the iPhone and myriad other Apple products, and most recently, his work with Sam Altman and OpenAI. But his collaboration with Rivian is not his first foray into the transportation industry. The parent company of Ferrari announced in 2021 that Ive's firm would help develop the Italian supercar manufacturer's next-generation vehicles. Ive was also involved with Apple's secretive car project. He was reportedly one of the main proponents for centering Apple's long-running car project around autonomy, whereas other people inside the company pushed for a more traditional electric car. Apple abandoned that project early last year. Sources told TechCrunch that Ive's LoveFrom has acted as a consultant for Rivian in the past, including on the company's redesigned infotainment system and retail, among other areas, according to two former employees with knowledge of the relationship. But its involvement in what would become Also was a more structured and dedicated effort, another source familiar with the relationship said. The skunkworks program began taking shape in early 2022 with a directive to explore whether Rivian's EV technology could be condensed down into something smaller and more affordable than its electric vans, trucks, and SUVs. Initially, the small team worked with Rivian designers to develop a product that could scale to different types of vehicles. A key design challenge was how to make the bike-like product modular while still maintaining the elevated aesthetics Rivian has become known for. By the time LoveFrom got involved in the project in early 2023, a lot of work had been completed, according to sources who said they helped refine the prototypes. The relationship was described as a 'pretty tight' collaboration between the skunkworks team, LoveFrom's staff, and the industrial designers based out of Rivian's headquarters in Irvine. This group looked at everything including the user interface and UX for the bike. The industrial design team at LoveFrom, which has a lot of experience with thoughtful and clever packaging, was particularly involved, according to one source, who noted the team brought an interdisciplinary and international perspective to the project.

Republicans urge Donald Trump and Elon Musk to end their feud

time34 minutes ago

Republicans urge Donald Trump and Elon Musk to end their feud

WASHINGTON -- As the Republican Party braces for aftershocks from President Donald Trump's spectacular clash with Elon Musk, lawmakers and conservative figures are urging détente, fearful of the potential consequences from a prolonged feud. At a minimum, the explosion of animosity between the two powerful men could complicate the path forward for Republicans' massive tax and border spending legislation that has been promoted by Trump but assailed by Musk. 'I hope it doesn't distract us from getting the job done that we need to,' said Rep. Dan Newhouse, a Republican from Washington state. "I think that it will boil over and they'll mend fences' Sen. Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican, was similarly optimistic. 'I hope that both of them come back together because when the two of them are working together, we'll get a lot more done for America than when they're at cross purposes,' he told Fox News host Sean Hannity on Thursday night. Sen. Mike Lee, a Republican from Utah, sounded almost pained on social media as Trump and Musk volleyed insults at each other, sharing a photo composite of the two men and writing, "But … I really like both of them.' 'Who else really wants @elonmusk and @realDonaldTrump to reconcile?' Lee posted, later adding: 'Repost if you agree that the world is a better place with the Trump-Musk bromance fully intact.' So far, the feud between Trump and Musk is probably best described as a moving target, with plenty of opportunities for escalation or detente. One person familiar with the president's thinking said Musk wants to speak with Trump, but that the president doesn't want to do it – or at least do it on Friday. The person requested anonymity to disclose private matters. In a series of conversations with television anchors Friday morning, Trump showed no interest in burying the hatchet. Asked on ABC News about reports of a potential call between him and Musk, the president responded: 'You mean the man who has lost his mind?' Trump added in the ABC interview that he was 'not particularly' interested in talking to Musk at the moment. Still, others remained hopeful that it all would blow over. 'I grew up playing hockey and there wasn't a single day that we played hockey or basketball or football or baseball, whatever we were playing, where we didn't fight. And then we'd fight, then we'd become friends again,' Hannity said on his show Thursday night. Acknowledging that it 'got personal very quick,' Hannity nonetheless added that the rift was 'just a major policy difference.' House Speaker Mike Johnson projected confidence that the dispute would not affect prospects for the tax and border bill. 'Members are not shaken at all,' the Louisiana Republican said. 'We're going to pass this legislation on our deadline.' He added that he hopes Musk and Trump reconcile, saying 'I believe in redemption' and 'it's good for the party and the country if all that's worked out.' But he also had something of a warning for the billionaire entrepreneur. 'I'll tell you what, do not doubt and do not second-guess and don't ever challenge the president of the United States, Donald Trump,' Johnson said. "He is the leader of the party. He's the most consequential political figure of this generation and probably the modern era.'

Contraceptives for Poorest Countries Stuck in Warehouses After US Aid Cuts
Contraceptives for Poorest Countries Stuck in Warehouses After US Aid Cuts

Medscape

time35 minutes ago

  • Medscape

Contraceptives for Poorest Countries Stuck in Warehouses After US Aid Cuts

LONDON (Reuters) -Contraceptives that could help prevent millions of unwanted pregnancies in some of the world's poorest countries are stuck in warehouses because of U.S. aid cuts and could be destroyed, two aid industry sources and one former government official said. The stock, held in Belgium and Dubai, includes condoms, contraceptive implants, pills and intrauterine devices, together worth around $11 million, the sources told Reuters. It has been stalled since the Trump administration started cutting foreign aid as part of its 'America First' policy in February, as the U.S. government no longer wants to donate the contraceptives or pay the costs for delivery, they said. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has instead asked the contractor managing its health supply chain, Chemonics, to try to sell it, two of the sources said. An internal USAID memo, sent in April, said a quantity of contraceptives was being kept in warehouses and they should be "immediately transferred to another entity to prevent waste or additional costs". A senior U.S. State Department official told Reuters no decision had been made about the future of the contraceptives. They did not respond to questions about the reasons why the contraceptives were in storage or the impact of the U.S. aid cuts and delays. A spokesperson for Chemonics said they were unable to comment on USAID's plans, but added that the company is working with clients to deliver life-saving aid globally and would continue to support the U.S. government's global health supply chain priorities. The stock represents just under 20% of the supply of contraceptives bought annually by the U.S. for donation overseas, a former USAID official told Reuters. Selling or donating the contraceptives has been challenging, according to the former USAID official, although talks are ongoing. Another option on the table is destroying it, at a cost of several hundred thousand dollars. As time goes on, shelf-lives will also become an issue, one of the sources said. The sources told Reuters that one of the key delays is a lack of response from the U.S. government about what should be done with the stock. It had been destined largely for vulnerable women in sub-Saharan Africa, including young girls who face higher health risks from early pregnancy as well as those fleeing conflict or who otherwise could not afford or access the contraceptives, the sources added. The condoms also help stop the spread of HIV, the former USAID official said. "We cannot dwell on an issue for too long; when urgency and clarity don't align, we have to move on," said Karen Hong, chief of UNFPA's supply chain. She said the agency is now working on Plan B to help fill critical supply gaps. (Reporting by Jennifer Rigby; Editing by Andrew Heavens)

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