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Straits Times
a day ago
- Business
- Straits Times
New Trump human resources czar distances himself from Elon Musk
Some government officials feared Mr Scott Kupor's nomination could be another casualty of the dust-up between Mr Trump and Mr Musk. WASHINGTON - The new chief of the agency spearheading efforts to slash the federal workforce said on July 21 he had no personal ties to tech billionaire and former Trump advisor Elon Musk, pledging to faithfully execute President Donald Trump's agenda. 'I have zero personal relationship with Elon Musk. I have talked to Elon Musk once on the phone in my life,' Mr Scott Kupor, who was sworn in to lead the Office of Personnel Management earlier this month, told reporters. The comments underscored lingering questions about the loyalties of Silicon Valley tech entrepreneurs among Trump administration officials following a public spat between Mr Trump and Mr Musk that led to a deep rift between the two former allies. Mr Kupor said he had told Mr Trump and other people in the White House that 'my job is to do the agenda that the president lays out to the best I can.' 'But I'm not going to do it consistent with someone else's objectives that are inconsistent with what the president wants to do,' he added. Mr Musk, who spent over a quarter of a billion dollars to help Mr Trump win November's presidential election, led the Department of Government Efficiency's efforts to slash the budget and cut the federal workforce until his departure in late May to refocus on his tech empire, including electric vehicle maker Tesla . While Mr Trump hailed Mr Musk's tenure upon his departure, the president quickly pulled the nomination of Mr Musk ally and tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman to lead NASA. Reuters previously reported that Mr Musk was disappointed by Mr Isaacman's removal. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. World US President Trump 'caught off guard' by Israel's strikes in Syria World US not rushing trade deals ahead of August deadline, will talk with China, Bessent says Opinion Singapore's vaping crisis lays bare the drug addiction nightmare for parents Singapore LTA seeks tailored solutions to improve Bukit Panjang LRT's maintenance inspections Multimedia 'It's very sad': She comforts loved ones turned away by inmates Singapore Subsidies and grants for some 20,000 people miscalculated due to processing issue: MOH Opinion Sumiko at 61: 7 facts about facial skin ageing, and skincare ingredients that actually work Opinion With Shatec cutting back operations, what's next for the hospitality sector? The president also threatened to cancel billions of dollars worth of contracts between the federal government and Mr Musk's companies after Mr Musk denounced Mr Trump's tax-cut and spending bill as a 'disgusting abomination.' Prior to taking the helm at OPM, Mr Kupor was a partner at Silicon Valley-based venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, which invests in Mr Musk's AI startup Xai as well as SpaceX. Some government officials feared Mr Kupor's nomination could be another casualty of the dust-up between Mr Trump and Mr Musk, since he was nominated in December, won a favourable committee vote in April, but did not get a full Senate confirmation vote until July. On July 21, Mr Kupor was also asked about plans for a surprise government-wide email introduced by Mr Musk in February demanding workers summarise five things they achieved at work in the previous week, which sparked tensions with department chiefs and fuelled confusion among government workers. Describing the processing of the weekly response emails as 'very manual' and 'not efficient,' Mr Kupor said the initiative was 'something that we should look at and see, like, are we getting the value out of it that at least the people who put it in place thought they were.' Reuters reported in March that the White House installed two Trump loyalists at OPM to ensure better policy coordination between the White House and the agency after Mr Musk blindsided White House officials with the introduction of the email. REUTERS
The Sun
a day ago
- Business
- The Sun
New Trump HR chief denies Elon Musk ties amid administration rift
WASHINGTON: The new chief of the agency spearheading efforts to slash the federal workforce said on Monday he had no personal ties to tech billionaire and former Trump advisor Elon Musk, pledging to faithfully execute President Donald Trump's agenda. 'I have zero personal relationship with Elon Musk. I have talked to Elon Musk once on the phone in my life,' Scott Kupor, who was sworn in to lead the Office of Personnel Management earlier this month, told reporters. The comments underscored lingering questions about the loyalties of Silicon Valley tech entrepreneurs among Trump administration officials following a public spat between Trump and Musk that led to a deep rift between the two former allies. Kupor said he had told Trump and other people in the White House that 'my job is to do the agenda that the president lays out to the best I can.' 'But I'm not going to do it consistent with someone else's objectives that are inconsistent with what the president wants to do,' he added. Musk, who spent over a quarter of a billion dollars to help Trump win November's presidential election, led the Department of Government Efficiency's efforts to slash the budget and cut the federal workforce until his departure in late May to refocus on his tech empire, including electric vehicle maker Tesla . While Trump hailed Musk's tenure upon his departure, the president quickly pulled the nomination of Musk ally and tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman to lead NASA. Reuters previously reported that Musk was disappointed by Isaacman's removal. The president also threatened to cancel billions of dollars worth of contracts between the federal government and Musk's companies after Musk denounced Trump's tax-cut and spending bill as a 'disgusting abomination.' Prior to taking the helm at OPM, Kupor was a partner at Silicon Valley-based venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, which invests in Musk's AI startup Xai as well as SpaceX. - Reuters
News18
4 days ago
- Business
- News18
New Super Chennai website aims to make the city a global frontrunner
Chennai, Jul 19 (PTI) A new website, 'Super Chennai', supported by real estate body CREDAI and various entrepreneurs, has been launched here with the aim of positioning the city as a global frontrunner. The website will offer real-time updates and comprehensive information about the city. This initiative follows the unveiling of the 'Super Chennai' logo earlier this year by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin at CREDAI's annual exposition, FAIRPRO 2025. The launch of the website is a significant step in the 'digital first" vision, creating a participatory platform designed to showcase Chennai not just as a metropolitan area, but as a future-ready global city, a release on said on Saturday. Super Chennai brings together community voices, real-time city updates, and cultural narratives into one unified digital space. The initiative is backed by CREDAI Chennai and has been developed with inputs from technologists, entrepreneurs and artists among others, it said. Commenting on the launch, CREDAI Chennai chapter President A Mohamed Ali said, 'Chennai has always been a city of builders – of homes, institutions, and futures. Super Chennai is the digital layer of that some spirit. It reflects what we stand for as a city: pride, progress and participation." To build on this momentum, the Super Chennai team would embark on a national campaign in order to showcase Chennai as one of India's most vibrant destinations. Through a mix of digital outreach, media partnerships, and on-ground activations, the campaign would highlight the city's unique blend of cultural richness, economic opportunity and future-ready spirit, he said. At the launch of the website, Super Chennai Managing Director Ranjeeth D Rathod said, 'This is not just a website or a tech platform. It is a tribute to our city – its spirit, struggles and extraordinary potential. Super Chennai is where every resident can find themselves and feel proud of belonging here." Silicon Valley-based technology company Pointcast has partnered with Super Chennai initiative, which would provide real-time updates on the mobile for everything an individual needs to know. Commemorating the launch of the Super Chennai website, noted entrepreneur and Co-Founder of Naturals Salon C K Kumaravel was honoured with the 'Icon of the Month' award for his outstanding contribution to women's entrepreneurship and for promoting inclusive growth. With a focus on community driven content, hyperlocal relevance and civic pride, Super Chennai is designed to grow with the city. PTI VIJ ROH view comments First Published: July 19, 2025, 12:00 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Time of India
4 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
New 'Super Chennai' website aims to make the city a global frontrunner
Chennai gets a digital boost with the launch of 'Super Chennai'. The website aims to showcase the city as a global leader. CREDAI and entrepreneurs support this initiative. It offers real-time updates and city information. The platform promotes community voices and cultural narratives. A national campaign will highlight Chennai's unique blend of culture and opportunity. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads A new website, ' Super Chennai ', supported by real estate body CREDAI and various entrepreneurs, has been launched here with the aim of positioning the city as a global frontrunner . The website will offer real-time updates and comprehensive information about the initiative follows the unveiling of the 'Super Chennai' logo earlier this year by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin at CREDAI's annual exposition, FAIRPRO launch of the website is a significant step in the "digital first" vision, creating a participatory platform designed to showcase Chennai not just as a metropolitan area, but as a future-ready global city, a release on said on Chennai brings together community voices, real-time city updates, and cultural narratives into one unified digital space. The initiative is backed by CREDAI Chennai and has been developed with inputs from technologists, entrepreneurs and artists among others, it on the launch, CREDAI Chennai chapter President A Mohamed Ali said, "Chennai has always been a city of builders - of homes, institutions, and futures. Super Chennai is the digital layer of that some spirit. It reflects what we stand for as a city: pride, progress and participation." To build on this momentum, the Super Chennai team would embark on a national campaign in order to showcase Chennai as one of India's most vibrant a mix of digital outreach, media partnerships, and on-ground activations, the campaign would highlight the city's unique blend of cultural richness, economic opportunity and future-ready spirit, he the launch of the website, Super Chennai Managing Director Ranjeeth D Rathod said, "This is not just a website or a tech platform. It is a tribute to our city - its spirit, struggles and extraordinary potential. Super Chennai is where every resident can find themselves and feel proud of belonging here." Silicon Valley-based technology company Pointcast has partnered with Super Chennai initiative, which would provide real-time updates on the mobile for everything an individual needs to the launch of the Super Chennai website , noted entrepreneur and Co-Founder of Naturals Salon C K Kumaravel was honoured with the 'Icon of the Month' award for his outstanding contribution to women's entrepreneurship and for promoting inclusive a focus on community driven content, hyperlocal relevance and civic pride, Super Chennai is designed to grow with the city. PTI
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
LCID stock price surges as new deal sets up Lucid Motors to take on Waymo and Tesla
Investors are betting on a bright future for Lucid after the Silicon Valley-based electric vehicle (EV) maker announced a $300 million deal to create a robotaxi program with ride-booking giant Uber and autonomous vehicle startup Nuro. This new tax deduction in Trump's 'big, beautiful bill' lets people cash in on charitable donations up to $2,000. Here's what to know These are the 3 best questions to ask at the end of your job interview Southwest Florida's housing market is undergoing a material home price correction—here's why The companies' partnership was announced early Thursday. By market opening, the stock price for Lucid (Nasdaq: LCID) had surged nearly 30% and continued to rise gradually through the morning. After an initial drop, Uber stock (NYSE: UBER) also started a slow rise. Together, the companies are working to create a fully autonomous version of the Lucid Gravity, an electric SUV launched earlier this year, for exclusive use in Uber's U.S. fleet. The vehicles will be equipped with a Level 4 autonomous driving system developed by Nuro. (Level 4 is the highest level of autonomy—the ability to act without human intervention—currently available in a commercial vehicle.) 'We believe this partnership will demonstrate what's possible when proven AV technology meets real-world scale,' Jiajun Zhu, Nuro's cofounder and CEO, said in a statement. A proof-of-concept vehicle has already been created and is operating autonomously in Nuro's 'proving grounds' in Las Vegas. As part of the partnership, Uber has committed to buying at least 20,000 of these vehicles, Nick Twork, a Lucid spokesperson, told Fast Company. Beyond the vehicles, Uber also invested $300 million in Lucid and 'hundreds of millions of dollars' in Nuro, according to Twork and a Nuro spokesperson, respectively. These investments follow other Uber partnerships with autonomous vehicle companies, signaling the company's commitment to ramping up its involvement in the autonomous vehicle industry. Earlier this week, Uber announced a multiyear partnership with Baidu (Nasdaq: BIDU), a Chinese technology company deploying autonomous vehicles in non-U.S. markets. Within the U.S., Uber is also working with Waymo—a partnership that brought robotaxis to Austin and Atlanta earlier this year. 'This is the start of our path to extend our innovation and technology leadership into this multitrillion-dollar market,' Marc Winterhoff, Lucid's interim CEO, said in a statement. Lucid reported a Q1 2025 revenue of $235 million, a year-over-year increase of 36%, and a net loss nearly 50% lower than the same quarter last year—$366 million compared with 2024's $681 million. The Lucid Gravity SUVs commissioned by Uber are expected to be on the road in a yet-unnamed major U.S. city by next year. This post originally appeared at to get the Fast Company newsletter: Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
