Latest news with #DeathStar
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump conducts the weirdest exit interview in history as Musk departs the White House — for now
Elon Musk's exit interview began like any other. The boss heaped praise on the departing employee while demonstrating a tenuous grasp of exactly what it is he did. The employee vastly inflated his achievements, and the pair made vague promises to stay in touch. From there, it veered into a freewheeling discussion about transgender mice, Musk's alleged prolific use of horse tranquilizer, nuclear war between India and Pakistan, and a potential pardon for Sean 'Diddy' Combs, should he be convicted. Now that Musk's legally limited 130-day term as a 'special government employee' is over, the most destructive professional partnership since Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader shacked up in the Death Star has finally come to an end. Trump and Musk, the powerful bromance that shook the world, are taking a break — for now at least. The hour-long farewell, in front of the world's press, came just hours after a New York Times exposé alleged the world's richest man had taken so much Ketamine during the 2024 presidential campaign that he was unable to control his bladder. Musk did little to calm those rumors as he turned up sporting a black eye (the result of mutual combat with his five-year-old son, he says), wearing a cap, a 'Dogefather' t-shirt, and at one point rolling his head around to stare at the ceiling as the president spoke. Sitting at the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office, Trump lauded his friend standing beside him for the savings he claimed to have made, which are almost certainly exaggerated. 'You know the kinds of things that he's found, and his people have found… They found things that are pretty unbelievable. I have to say that the numbers that we're talking about are substantial, but they're going to be very much more substantial with time,' Trump said. He praised the Tesla founder and CEO for delivering a 'colossal change in the old ways of doing business in Washington.' Musk indeed shattered norms by ignoring outdated hiring practices that prize experience and expertise and instead placing 19-year-old hackers with nicknames like 'Big Balls' in charge of government departments. Or as President Trump put it: 'DOGE has installed geniuses with an engineering mindset and unbelievably talented people in computers.' The world's richest person also broke new ground by becoming one of the most deadly bureaucrats in the history of the U.S. government, killing an estimated 15,000 people with his deep cuts to the U.S. Agency for International Development. Trump could not have been more effusive in his praise, placing Musk's four-month stint as a cost-cutting consultant in the ranks of America's great heroes, somewhere between Miracle on the Hudson's Sully Sullenberger and Captain America. 'Elon's service to America has been without comparison in modern history," Trump said, noting the huge sacrifice Musk had made by having to endure people being mean to him online. 'He willingly accepted the outrageous abuse and slander and lies and attacks, because he does love our country,' Trump went on. Anyone hoping for an end to the friendship that ended thousands of government careers would be sorely disappointed. 'Elon is really not leaving,' Trump said. 'He's going to be back and forth, I have a feeling. It's his baby, and I think he's going to be doing a lot of things.' Musk agreed. "I expect to continue to provide advice, whatever the President would like advice... I expect to remain a friend and an advisor, and certainly, if there's anything the President wants me to do, I'm at the President's service," he said. But for now, Musk is returning to his many businesses, which are all simultaneously suffering from significant brand damage due to their association with him. In one particularly awkward moment, Musk batted away a question from a journalist concerning Friday's published allegations about his drug use, which reportedly included Ecstasy, psychedelic mushrooms and Adderall, in addition to ketamine. 'Is the New York Times — is that the same publication that got a Pulitzer Prize for false reporting on the Russiagate? Is that the same organization? I think it is,' he said, theatrically turning to Trump. 'I think it is.' But Musk couldn't leave without first reeling off a list of excuses for why he didn't achieve what he set out to do. He claimed he could cut $1 trillion from the federal budget before September 30 by ending "waste, fraud, and abuse," but now even his own likely cooked numbers have failed to meet that target. 'Obviously, at times, when you cut expenses, those who are receiving the money, whether they receive whether they're receiving that money legitimately or not, they do complain, and you're not going to hear someone confessing that they receive money inappropriately. Never,' he said. He even saw fit to appropriate Hannah Arendt's famous "banality of evil" quote to draw a bizarre comparison with government spending and Nazi Germany. 'It's the banal evil of bureaucracy. It's sort of the frankly, largely uncaring nature of bureaucracy,' he went on. And perhaps more ominously for anyone who relies on USAID for their lifesaving HIV medication, or anyone with a job in the U.S. government, or anyone who needs government healthcare to survive, Musk promised that his mission would continue. 'The DOGE team will only grow stronger over time, the DOGE influence will only grow stronger. I liken it to a sort of Buddhism, it's like a way of life,' he said, demonstrating a clear lack of understanding about Buddhism and life. In other words, this Rasputin for the McKinsey age is not going anywhere.
New York Times
3 days ago
- Health
- New York Times
If You Love Moths (and You Should), Replace Your Porch Light With Something Better
If you care about the environment, you should care about moths. 'Without them, we would disappear from this planet in short order,' says Doug Tallamy, entomologist and author of several books about creating insect-friendly backyards. That's because insects, including moths, pollinate plants and feed other animals, especially birds and bats, which makes them a key part of the ecosystem. Moth caterpillars make up most of the diet of young birds, so without moths, there would be fewer chickadees, robins, and bluebirds in yards and parks. Bird populations are on the decline already; the United States has lost about 3 billion birds in the past 50 years. The world, meanwhile, is experiencing a massive decline in insect populations. 'Light pollution is one of the major causes of insect decline,' said Tallamy, alongside other factors including habitat loss and pesticides. Scientists believe that in nature, nighttime insects orient themselves to the ultraviolet light from the moon. In artificial lights, it's the blue wavelengths that mislead them. Left: My porch lamp at full white brightness. Right: Adjusting it to a warm yellow or orange doesn't impact how clearly I can see but saves a lot of moth lives. Grant Clauser/NYT Wirecutter So simply changing your lights from white and blue wavelengths to yellow ones can save countless insect lives. After I switched my front and back porches from bright white to orangey-yellow, I stopped seeing insects swirling around my lamps like a mosh pit. And there's evidence to back up the theory: A 2016 study presented at the American Association for the Advancement of Science conference showed that warm-toned LED lights attracted significantly fewer insects than incandescent or fluorescent lights. Smart bulbs allow you to turn down the blue wavelengths, offering your moth friends a yellow light that is still bright enough for you to see by but won't turn your lamp into a Death Star. You can opt for either white tone-adjustable bulbs, which allow you to tune the light from cool white to warmer hues, or 100% color-adjustable bulbs, which are capable of producing millions of colors. The color-adjustment feature looks slightly different in each smart-bulb app. Choose either a warm yellow or a white that's less than 3,000 K. WiZ app for iOS, LIFX app for iOS, Wyze app for iOS Not all smart-bulb apps display color temperatures (as the app for our top-pick WiZ bulb does), but if yours does, it's best to select 3,000 K or lower, as the DarkSky Project, an advocacy group focused on the effects of light pollution on humans and wildlife, recommends. However, a warm yellow or orange light isn't the best for reading. When I want to sit outside in the evening to read a book, I use the Wirecutter-recommended Glocusent Bookmark Style Reading Light for supplemental light and leave the porch light in bug-safe mode.
E&E News
3 days ago
- Business
- E&E News
‘Death Star' vessel arrives in US to help build Empire Wind
Newport is accustomed to visits from unique ships. But even by the standards of the Rhode Island community known for its love of sailboat racing, the vessel that pulled into Narragansett Bay last weekend was different. Only the 660-foot-long Thialf won't be entering America's Cup Hall of Fame Challenge later this summer. The hulking Panamanian-flagged crane vessel is headed south of Long Island to install turbine foundations for Empire Wind. The Thialf's appearance in New England represents the most concrete sign to date that work is resuming on the 54-turbine wind project after President Donald Trump lifted a stop work order last week. Advertisement The ship also created a sensation in anti-offshore wind circles. The X account for one group opposed to offshore wind likened it to the Death Star. Another called it disgraceful and said the Rhode Island coast was becoming unrecognizable. A leading fishing advocate and wind opponent sounded alarm about the environmental toll of pile driving foundations in a prime fishing ground.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Texas bill penalizing cities and counties for progressive policies misses House deadline
A proposal to expand a sweeping state law aimed at stopping Texas cities and counties from adopting progressive policies died Tuesday. Senate Bill 2858 would have given the Texas attorney general the power to sue cities and counties and blow huge holes in their budgets if they adopt local rules the state believes go further than what's allowed under broad swaths of state law. The bill missed a key legislative deadline Tuesday night and died before it could come up for a vote in the Texas House. SB 2858 sought to build on an expansive state law, dubbed the 'Death Star' bill by opponents, that aimed to erode the authority of local officials in the state's urban areas with the aim of stopping them from enacting left-leaning policies — the culmination of a decade-long push by GOP state lawmakers to curtail cities' ability to make policies that advance the progressive agenda or place undue burdens on businesses. The law, passed two years ago, made it illegal for localities to create laws that exceed certain broad areas of state law. Opponents of the law argued it made dealing with day-to-day matters like excessive noise more difficult for localities while laying waste to local labor protections and other policies. A group of cities has challenged the law's constitutionality in court, but the law is in effect. SB 2858 by state Sen. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe, would have expanded the areas of state law localities couldn't exceed. It also would've given the Texas attorney general the power to sue cities and counties for potential violations of the law. The state would freeze that city or county's sales and property tax revenue, effectively nuking their budget, for as long as the lawsuit lasts. Republican lawmakers argued such measures are necessary to make sure cities and counties are complying with the law. Local leaders and Democratic lawmakers argued the bill would have devastating financial impacts on cities and counties and a chilling effect on localities' ability to serve residents. First round of TribFest speakers announced! Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Maureen Dowd; U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-San Antonio; Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker; U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff, D-California; and U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Dallas are taking the stage Nov. 13–15 in Austin. Get your tickets today!
New York Times
6 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Gentille: The Hurricanes are out of answers — and nearly out of time
SUNRISE, Fla. — It's reductive to take hockey games and boil them down to single-word themes. In some instances, it might be unfair. Still, for the Eastern Conference final — at least as it relates to the performances from the players who find themselves one loss away from packing up their lockers — we're going to do it anyway. Advertisement The Carolina Hurricanes' Game 1 loss brought defiance. They thought they played well enough to win, and in plenty of important ways, they were correct. Their Game 2 loss brought confusion. 'We're all a little bit at a loss,' Taylor Hall said from his locker Thursday. And their Game 3 loss — the most recent, most shocking and least competitive — seems to have brought some degree of resignation. When you've been outscored 16-4 in 180 minutes of hockey, what's left? When you spend 40 minutes taking care and being careful and playing the defending champions to a draw and starting to look like a team that's capable — in theory, if not practice — of making things interesting, only to get outscored 5-1 in the final period, where else is there to go? When you're down 3-0 in a series to a team that, with each day, looks more and more like a fully functional Death Star, what else is there to do? 'Just win a hockey game. And play a lot better than that third period,' Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho said Saturday. 'Up until that point, I think, there was not much going on either way. And both had a few looks. Not much. At least that way, we were (giving ourselves) a chance to win a hockey game. But then (the third period's) just off their rails. Bad plays. And they make us pay, and it's game over.' C'mon, boys — Carolina Hurricanes (@Canes) May 25, 2025 The bad plays Aho mentioned started 89 seconds into the third period of a 1-1 game. The score was representative of the action. Up to that point, each team had six high-danger scoring chances and each had 39 shot attempts, per Natural Stat Trick. It was close, and then certainly was not. A neutral-zone giveaway by Hall is what triggered the avalanche. Florida defenseman Aaron Ekblad pounced and shuffled the puck to Evan Rodrigues. Rodrigues left a back pass for Adam Boqvist, and Boqvist went hard to the net and embarrassed Carolina defenseman Dmitry Orlov. Uh-oh. Advertisement 'I think the game was right there for us through two periods,' Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal said. 'And, you know, a quick turnover and they made us pay, and then they got rolling. It's a tough team to stop when you get the juices flowing and we're playing turnover city there. They're going to make you pay. But yeah, that was a tough goal.' The Panthers made it 3-1 on a botched three-on-two defense by Orlov, who played the puck carrier (Sam Bennett) rather than the pass. They made it 4-1 on a botched zone exit by Orlov, who cleared the puck directly into Matthew Tkachuk's nameplate. Orlov, by the way, is another recurring theme. The 33-year-old defenseman has been on the ice for 10 goals by the Panthers and zero by the Hurricanes. On Saturday night, a bad series turned into a horrific one. 'You can't,' Brind'Amour said when asked to explain Orlov's Game 3 performance. 'You can't. You've got to count on certain players. And you can't put it all on him, but I mean, some of the mistakes … you're not winning at this time when you (make mistakes) like that.' Florida managed made it 5-1 without Orlov's involvement. Shayne Gostisbehere tried to reverse course behind Carolina's net and lost the puck; rookie partner Scott Morrow gathered it and flipped it directly to Aleksander Barkov. Barkov did not miss. 'I think we were there (after two periods); obviously, we were playing better,' Brind'Amour said. 'And then just to turn pucks over — it's not what we do. No one does that. And I think that was just pretty (surprising). I mean, you can't do that. And you can't do it any time. 'Preseason game, it's going to cost you. But against that team? And you turn over for an odd-man rush, forget it. And we know that. And that was really, I think, demoralizing.' Staal, after the 6-2 demolition was complete, was asked if it was frustrating to grind, generate a bit and then have it slip away after one mistake. Advertisement 'Yeah, it can be frustrating,' Staal said. 'It's one mistake … but they're big mistakes. You can't have partial breakaways and two-on-ones. It's one thing to give them a couple point shots or a couple of shots on the outside. It's big, big chances. And, you know, we can't do that.' Asked if they were outclassed by a team with a core that's now beaten them in seven consecutive Eastern Conference playoff games, each more convincingly than the last, Staal's response was short. 'They gotta win four.' It feels like his team's time remaining in the playoffs is short, too.
