Latest news with #AppleStore-like
USA Today
04-04-2025
- Business
- USA Today
Musk's radical approach may reduce US debt. He's not the problem – we are.
In a fascinating interview with Fox News' Bret Baier last Friday, Elon Musk said he likely "will have accomplished most of the work required to reduce the deficit by a trillion dollars" within 130 days, the amount of time a special government employee can work. Many in the legacy news media will celebrate Musk's departure, if it happens. "Elon Musk Is Corrupting More Than Just Government," a recent New York Times opinion piece blared. A columnist at the Los Angeles Times agreed: "Elon Musk brought a Silicon Valley mindset to Washington. It's been a disaster." A Washington Post column claimed that President Donald Trump and Musk "aim to vaporize" jobs. Some progressives hate Musk so much they have vandalized Tesla vehicles, charging stations and dealerships. When Tesla stock drops, even influential politicians cheer. Musk is atypical, eccentric, even radical. But is he the problem? DOGE team has impressive credentials Musk is an unelected genius spearheading the Department of Government Efficiency, dismantling programs and terminating tens of thousands of employees in a whirlwind of chaos. Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle. Musk, with a net worth of more than $340 billion, has been married three times and is the father of at least 14 kids with multiple women. He's not a paragon of virtue. But he's also the cofounder of seven companies, including revolutionary rocket-maker SpaceX and xAI, an artificial startup that Musk launched in 2023 and is already worth an estimated $50 billion. Musk has long been controversial, but he became toxic to progressives last year when he closely aligned himself with Trump before and after the presidential election. Based on most news coverage of DOGE, Americans may well have thought that Musk had recruited a bunch of inexperienced tech nerds to cut jobs and slash the deficit. But the DOGE leadership team's interview with Baier last week showed that isn't true. The panel included former rocket scientist Steve Davis, Airbnb cofounder Joe Gebbia, software engineer Aram Moghaddassi, health care entrepreneur Brad Smith, former Morgan Stanley banker Anthony Armstrong, Cloud Software Group CEO Tom Krause and former oil executive Tyler Hassen. In the interview, Musk said the team's goal is clear and their methods are sound: "We want to reduce the spending by eliminating waste and fraud, reduce the spending by 15%, which seems really quite achievable." Musk acknowledged that the DOGE team has made mistakes, but said they measure "twice, if not thrice, and cut once." One example of inefficiency: Gebbia, the Airbnb cofounder, pointed out that the government still uses a paper-based system to process federal employees' retirement applications. The goal is to create an "Apple Store-like experience." Musk is the most accomplished entrepreneur and innovator of our time, changing the way people exchange money thanks to PayPal and the deployment of astronauts and satellites thanks to SpaceX. He aims to do the same with the federal government. Yet, gratitude and awe are in short supply. DOGE is an important public service Progressives are furious with Musk. Why? He has no need of stardom, status or wealth. I'm not saying he's leading DOGE out of pure altruism, but it's clear he's not doing it for money. I keep hearing naysayers suggest that what Musk is doing is scary and maddening, but it's Congress' out-of-control spending that is scary and maddening. Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg warned this week that America is "headed for a grim fiscal reckoning" because of the rapidly growing national debt, which now exceeds $36.7 trillion. Elon Musk isn't the problem. He's undoing what never should have been done in the first place. Politicians from both parties are the problem. And American voters are the problem for not holding their elected leaders accountable. Nicole Russell is a columnist at USA TODAY and a mother of four who lives in Texas. Contact her at nrussell@ and follow her on X, formerly Twitter: @russell_nm. Sign up for her weekly newsletter, The Right Track, here.
Al Etihad
28-03-2025
- Business
- Al Etihad
Musk's DOGE team emerges from the shadows
28 Mar 2025 23:30 Washington (AFP)It has worked in the shadows for months, but Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has now offered the first peek behind the curtain of the government cost-cutting drive it launched on behalf of US President Donald the Space X and Tesla tycoon, was accompanied by seven top aides in a joint interview to Fox News Channel's Bret Baier late on Thursday. They rejected criticism of their disruptive foray through the mass layoffs in the US federal government, which have sparked an outcry, they said they wanted to offer an "Apple Store-like" consumer experience to Americans. "This is a revolution," declared Musk, the world's richest has so far kept a low public profile, amid reports of teenage computer wizards sleeping in a huge building adjoining the White House, and demanding access to government emerged on television was a slightly different picture -- a group comprised almost entirely of middle aged tech CEOs and Musk aides defending methods that have drawn widespread perched on chairs in two rows, with Musk flanked by two DOGE members in the front, and five on a raised platform behind. Musk opened the interview, saying that DOGE aimed to finish its work by the end of May and that its goal was to be able to reduce federal spending by 15 percent, or from $7 trillion to $6 trillion. 'Great user experience' Then the others got their turn in the up was Steve Davis, one of Musk's top lieutenants who is effectively the chief operating officer at DOGE.A former aeronautics engineer who has followed Musk through several companies including Space X and the social media platform X, he has long kept a low profile."Some people say this shouldn't take a rocket scientist -- but you are a rocket scientist," Baier asked him."Used to be," replied next was Joe Gebbia, co-founder of flat-sharing app who said he had been tasked to overhaul a system in which government retirement documents were kept on paper in abandoned mine in Pennsylvania."We really believe that the government can have an Apple store-like experience," he said, referring to the sleek shops where the tech giant sells iPhones and other tech."Beautifully designed, great user experience, modern systems."The DOGE experience has been very different for many federal least 113,000 federal workers have been fired so far under DOGE's drive, according to a CNN team has also been tasked with slashing federal spending -- and has effectively shut down the US Agency for International Development (USAID).There have also been widespread criticisms about the process, including demands from DOGE that federal employees account for the work they have been doing in a bullet pointed memo or face the DOGE has faced claims of causing disruption to the US social security system, and of overstating its recent polls indicate that most Americans disapprove of the disruption to the nationwide federal however was unrepentant, saying that the biggest complaints were coming from "fraudsters", without giving tycoon also used the interview to say that Trump's administration would crack down on people spreading "propaganda" about Tesla, after a number of incidents in which the electric vehicles have been vandalized in protest against Musk. "Those are the real villains here, and we're going to go after them," said Musk.
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Musk's DOGE team emerges from the shadows
It has worked in the shadows for months, but Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has now offered the first peek behind the curtain of the government cost-cutting drive it launched on behalf of US President Donald Trump. Musk, the Space X and Tesla tycoon, was accompanied by seven top aides in a joint interview to Fox News Channel's Bret Baier late Thursday. They rejected criticism of their disruptive foray through the administration. Despite mass layoffs in the US federal government, which have sparked an outcry, they said they wanted to offer an "Apple Store-like" consumer experience to Americans. "This is a revolution," declared Musk, the world's richest man. DOGE has so far kept a low public profile, amid reports of teenage computer wizards sleeping in a huge building adjoining the White House, and demanding access to government departments. What emerged on television was a slightly different picture -- a group comprised almost entirely of middle aged tech CEOs and Musk aides defending methods that have drawn widespread opposition. They perched on chairs in two rows, with Musk flanked by two DOGE members in the front, and five on a raised platform behind. The scene was a room in the White House complex designed for remote meetings -- one that a senior Trump aide had recently dismissed as former President Biden's "fake Oval Office" because he used it in a number of events. Musk opened the interview, saying that DOGE aimed to finish its work by the end of May and that its goal was to be able to reduce federal spending by 15 percent, or from $7 trillion to $6 trillion. - 'Great user experience' - Then the others got their turn in the spotlight. First up was Steve Davis, one of Musk's top lieutenants who is effectively the chief operating officer at DOGE. A former aeronautics engineer who has followed Musk through several companies including Space X and the social media platform X, he has long kept a low profile. "Some people say this shouldn't take a rocket scientist -- but you are a rocket scientist," Baier asked him. "Used to be," replied Davis. The next was Joe Gebbia, co-founder of flat-sharing app Airbnb. Gebbia who said he had been tasked to overhaul a system in which government retirement documents were kept on paper in abandoned mine in Pennsylvania. "We really believe that the government can have an Apple store-like experience," he said, referring to the sleek shops where the tech giant sells iPhones and other tech. "Beautifully designed, great user experience, modern systems." The DOGE experience has been very different for many federal workers. At least 113,000 federal workers have been fired so far under DOGE's drive, according to a CNN tracker. Musk's team has also been tasked with slashing federal spending -- and has effectively shut down the US Agency for International Development (USAID). There have also been widespread criticisms about the process, including demands from DOGE that federal employees account for the work they have been doing in a bullet pointed memo or face the sack. And DOGE has faced claims of causing disruption to the US social security system, and of overstating its savings. Several recent polls indicate that most Americans disapprove of the disruption to the nationwide federal workforce. Musk however was unrepentant, saying that the biggest complaints were coming from "fraudsters", without giving evidence. The tycoon also used the interview to say that Trump's administration would crack down on people spreading "propaganda" about Tesla, after a number of incidents in which the electric vehicles have been vandalized in protest against Musk. "Those are the real villains here, and we're going to go after them," said Musk, making a two-fingered shooting gesture with his hand. dk/dc
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
DOGE steps out of the shadows
This post originally appeared in the Business Insider Today newsletter. You can sign up for Business Insider's daily newsletter here. Good morning. When was the last time you used a fax machine? They're surprisingly popular in Japan, according to someone who moved there three years ago. They shared the things they found surprising about the culture and office quirks. Work happy hours look pretty different — involving a lot of alcohol, and pressure to drink it. In today's big story, Elon Musk and his top allies talked all about DOGE on Fox News last night — without its actual leader. What's on deck Markets: The winners and losers of Trump's auto tariffs. Tech: ChatGPT is letting some users generate Ghibli-style images, but not others. Business: Florida may abolish property taxes. Here's what they are in every state. But first, who's DOGE is this?"This is a revolution, and I think it might be the biggest revolution in the government since the original revolution," Elon Musk, flanked by seven DOGE colleagues, told Fox News in a rare interview. The DOGE office has for weeks been the dominant story of the first 100 days of President Donald Trump's second term, BI's Brent Griffiths writes. Working alongside DOGE, the Trump administration has implemented mass cuts targeting thousands of employees. Amid these efforts, the DOGE office has operated with what a federal judge described as "unusual secrecy." Last night, we got a good look at some of Musk's top lieutenants. Those include: Steve Davis, a longtime Musk associate who spent years helping Musk cut costs at businesses such as SpaceX. He is now DOGE's chief operating officer. Joe Gebbia, an Airbnb cofounder, who is focused on overhauling the retirement system for federal workers. "We really believe that the government can have an Apple Store-like experience," Gebbia told Fox News host Bret Baier. Anthony Armstrong, a former Morgan Stanley banker, who is now working at the Office of Personnel Management. One person was noticeably absent. No, it wasn't Edward Coristine, Musk's 19-year-old advisor who once went by the nickname "Big Balls" online. It was Amy Gleason, the official leader of DOGE. Not only was she not among the seven people who surrounded Musk — her name wasn't even mentioned once. Gleason and another White House official have said in federal court that Musk is not a DOGE office employee, let alone the initiative's leader. Nonetheless, Musk continues to act as the de facto top dog. As Brent writes, last night was just the latest example of how Musk, the White House, and others have blurred the lines of his purview. 1. Who is (and isn't) riding high on Trump's auto tariffs. About half of the 16 million cars sold annually in the US are made abroad, and these carmakers stand to lose the most from Trump's new tariffs. Rivian, Lucid, and Tesla, however, manufacture domestically — and their stocks accelerated after the announcement. 2. Buying the dip. Retail investors have been buying at near-record levels since the stock sell-off picked up last month. Nvidia has emerged as a favorite. 3. However, Nvidia investors should beware the ides of May. New AI chip rules are rolling out May 15. They would impose restrictions on some sales of Nvidia chips and potentially narrow its market — but it could actually boost the stock. 1. DC plugs into tech. Silicon Valley may be known as the tech capital, but DC's tech scene is burgeoning under the Trump administration. Local startups are gaining traction, with defense tech leading the charge. 2. Meta loses two senior execs. Dan Neary, the company's VP for Asia-Pacific, and Kate Hamill, the managing director of retail and e-commerce in North America, are leaving in separate departures. They each spent more than a decade in key leadership roles. 3. ChatGPT can't decide if its Ghibli-style images violate copyright. If you want to generate images that resemble Studio Ghibli's style, you'll need OpenAI's new 4o. But there seems to be some confusion with the company's "content policy." BI's Alistair Barr and Pranav Dixit experimented with the tools. 1. Are property taxes clouding the Sunshine State? Florida could be the first US state to ax property taxes after homeowners faced sharp surges recently. Here's what the cut could mean — and how your state compares. 2. DOGE cuts have arrived at America's disaster prevention agency. NOAA, which tracks extreme weather, has lost over 1,000 employees since Trump took office. Current and former employees told BI they worry about how the cuts will affect air travel forecasts and hurricane alerts. 3. Looking for a used Tesla? Listings for the EV are up 33% so far this year, according to Cox Automotive. One industry expert says CEO Elon Musk's actions continue to have an impact. I'm a former intelligence official. The Signal fiasco was as risky as leaving the nuclear codes in a Starbucks. Is the tech industry ready for AI 'super agents'? Mark Zuckerberg wants to bring back 'OG Facebook' — so there's a new Friends-only feed. Now Robinhood says it will deliver cash to your door. App stores are set to verify ages under a new Utah law — and Meta, Snap, and X are thrilled. Columbia suspends student who created AI tool that helps people cheat in coding interviews. Lending money can earn you passive double-digit returns — but you'll need two things to survive in the competitive space. MrBeast tells Mark Zuckerberg what he'd change about Facebook if he were CEO. Peter Kafka: Just how big a hit is 'Severance,' after all? Bureau of Labor Statistics releases state employment and unemployment reports. The Insider Today team: Dan DeFrancesco, deputy editor and anchor, in New York (on parental leave). Hallam Bullock, senior editor, in London. Grace Lett, editor, in Chicago. Amanda Yen, associate editor, in New York. Lisa Ryan, executive editor, in New York. Ella Hopkins, associate editor, in London. Lina Batarags, bureau chief, in Singapore. Elizabeth Casolo, fellow, in Chicago. Read the original article on Business Insider
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Elon Musk's DOGE tries to put new faces on its reclusive federal office
The Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency has had one public face since late January: tech billionaire and Trump adviser Elon Musk, who posts nearly constantly about DOGE on social media and has given several media interviews about its budget-slashing effort. Musk said as recently as last month that it was a 'crime' to publicly name other people who worked at DOGE, and his strict secrecy helped to keep DOGE employees out of the spotlight, even as they went about radically remaking the federal government and trying to dismantle entire agencies. But in a switch, Musk introduced a few other faces Thursday in a group interview on Fox News that featured some of his chief lieutenants. They included DOGE staffers who have worked quietly behind the scenes to upend key components of the U.S. government such as the Treasury Department and the Social Security DOGE employees participated in the interview on 'Special Report' hosted by Bret Baier, and it was by far their most extensive public comments since President Donald Trump began his second term Jan. 20. The seven DOGE staffers struck a more technocratic tone than Musk often does in his rhetoric about the federal government. None referenced a chainsaw or a wood chipper — two of Musk's go-to analogies — choosing instead to talk about the duplication they see in government software systems. 'We really believe that the government can have an Apple Store-like experience: beautifully designed, great user experience, modern systems,' said Joe Gebbia, a co-founder of Airbnb who is focused on overhauling the retirement system for federal workers. Gebbia has a net worth of $8 billion, making him one of the 400 wealthiest people in the world, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Musk is ranked first, with $337 billion. DOGE staffers have generally kept a low profile, with news organizations relying sometimes on anonymous sources to compile lists of DOGE employees in defiance of threats by Musk. But some of the staffers interviewed Thursday, including Tom Krause, had previously popped up in lawsuits challenging DOGE's authority. In February, after a lawsuit by labor unions, the Trump administration agreed that Krause's access to Treasury Department payment systems would be 'read only,' without the authority to make changes. Krause told Fox News' Baier that he wants to be able to audit all the payments the government makes. 'What we're doing is applying private company standards to the federal government,' he said. The interview did not include some of the most-talked-about DOGE staffers, such as one 19-year-old who has gone by the nickname 'Big Balls.' All seven of the interviewed staffers are men, and they did not include Amy Gleason, the person whom the White House has said is the acting administrator of DOGE. Her name did not come up in the hour-long Fox News program, and Trump has repeatedly said that Musk is the head of DOGE. All seven are also new to government work, with some of them including Steve Davis joining from Musk's private companies. Davis has worked at Musk's SpaceX and The Boring Co. and he has been an investor in Musk's social media app, X. Davis said the stakes for DOGE were high, arguing that the country was at risk of 'going bankrupt.' Another DOGE staffer, Anthony Armstrong, formerly a Morgan Stanley investment banker who worked on Musk's deal to buy X, said in the interview that he did not believe the changes brought on by DOGE had been as radical as critics argue. He said that reductions-in-force, or firings, amounted to less than 0.15% of the federal workforce, and he said there was still money 'sloshing out the door.' The other DOGE staffers interviewed were Aram Moghaddassi, who specializes in the Social Security system, Brad Smith, who works with the Department of Health and Human Services, and Tyler Hassen, who's assigned to the Interior Department. Musk frequently chimed in as Baier questioned the seven DOGE staffers, generally to emphasize their points or rephrase their answers. Backing up Armstrong, Musk argued that, 'Basically, almost no one's gotten fired.' Asked by Baier about rulings by several federal judges that DOGE had exceeded its legal authority, Musk went on the offensive and argued, without naming specifics, that the federal judges are corrupt. Musk said he remained committed to DOGE's goal of cutting the federal budget deficit by $1 trillion, though he reframed the goal in percentage terms, saying it would be a 15% reduction in spending. Musk also appeared to endorse sparing Social Security from cuts, saying that people who are 'legitimate' beneficiaries would see their benefits go up, not down, although he did not define the term. 'We feel confident that a 15% reduction can be done without affecting any of the critical government services,' Musk said. But budget experts say that even if DOGE succeeds at slashing spending, Trump's policies including major tax cuts would still substantially add to the deficit if they came to fruition. This article was originally published on
