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Time of India
2 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
Moments after Trump applauds X as free speech haven, platform melts down in one of its worst outages yet
Right after Donald Trump praised X as a free speech app, it stopped working for many users. People couldn't post or see new updates. The app later said it was fixed, but this was the third major issue in a week. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads FAQs Just after Donald Trump called X a " free speech platform ", the app completely broke down. People using X said the app was only showing posts from 24 hours ago. Some users saw the login welcome screen, even if they were already logged in. Lots of people couldn't see their timelines or share any posts, according to problem began around 3:45 p.m. ET, and many users started reporting issues on Downdetector, a site that tracks app problems. At the peak, around 4:15 p.m., there were 25,000 outage reports from users around the world. X's own Developer Platform said it was a "site-wide outage" and that some parts of the API were not working. By 6:15 p.m., the number of complaints dropped, but hundreds of users were still having issues.X later said that "all systems are operational", meaning the app should be back to normal. The outage happened shortly after Elon Musk left his role as head of the fictional Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), at the White House, according to The Daily Beast a press conference, Trump praised Musk for his work and called him someone who has given "service to America without comparison". Trump also said Musk runs 'the largest free speech platform on the internet.' This wasn't the first time X went down recently. It was actually the third outage in just over a week, as per earlier outage happened on Monday because of a fire at a U.S. data center owned by X. Another outage last week was blamed by Musk on a "massive cyber attack". Since Musk bought X in 2022, crashes and tech problems have gone up a lot. This is partly because new tech workers at X were messing with the X API, which helps other software work with X, as per The Guardian that Musk left the White House, people might think he'd have more time to fix problems at his companies, like X. But Trump joked that "Elon's really not leaving", hinting he'll still be around in some way. No official reason has been given yet for what caused this huge crash on X, as per The Daily Beast reason is unclear, but it happened shortly after his praise and during ongoing tech this was the third major crash in a week, one happened because of a fire, and another was blamed on a cyberattack.
Time of India
4 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
No more ‘What did you do' emails: Pentagon ditches Elon Musk mandate, encourages staff innovation instead
Live Events FAQs (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel The Pentagon has stopped Elon Musk 's rule that made federal workers send a list of five things they achieved every week. This rule came from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Musk, and was very controversial, according to The Daily Beast were told to 'be creative' now and suggest ideas to improve the Defense Department instead. Jules Hurst, acting Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, thanked employees for sending weekly updates so far. Hurst asked everyone to share one last idea, something small or big, that could help cut down waste or make things work better, as per rule started in March, just after Musk demanded in February that workers explain their weekly work. About 2.3 million government employees got emails titled 'What did you do last week?' from the Office of Personnel Management, as per wrote on X that 'not replying will count as quitting.' At first, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told everyone to ignore it. But later, he asked them to send five bullets of their weekly achievements. Hegseth even warned that 'non-compliance may lead to further review.'Congressman Joe Courtney, a top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, said it was long overdue to get rid of the policy. Courtney said the emails were insulting to hardworking Defense civilians, many of whom were ex-military and deeply care about their job. The department gave staff a deadline, Wednesday noon, to submit their waste-cutting ideas, but didn't say what ideas came in, as mentioned in The Daily Beast happened while Elon Musk was getting ready to leave his job as the head of DOGE. Musk posted that his time as a special government employee was ending, and thanked Donald Trump for letting him try to cut government waste. Musk had given at least $250 million to help fund Trump's 2024 Musk said he was frustrated with politics and claimed he had 'done enough' to help Republicans. He also said he was disappointed that the 'big, beautiful bill' Trump backed didn't show enough DOGE savings. Musk still believes that DOGE will grow stronger and become a way of life in government, as stated in The Daily Beast spokesperson Sean Parnell said the emails have officially stopped. He said the system helped supervisors understand staff work, encouraged accountability, and found ways to improve the department. Parnell also said the Pentagon still wants to make real changes that support its mission, as per many people found them confusing and unhelpful, and the rule got a lot of stands for Department of Government Efficiency, a short-lived group led by Elon Musk to reduce waste.
Economic Times
4 hours ago
- Business
- Economic Times
No more ‘What did you do' emails: Pentagon ditches Elon Musk mandate, encourages staff innovation instead
Live Events FAQs (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel The Pentagon has stopped Elon Musk 's rule that made federal workers send a list of five things they achieved every week. This rule came from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Musk, and was very controversial, according to The Daily Beast were told to 'be creative' now and suggest ideas to improve the Defense Department instead. Jules Hurst, acting Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, thanked employees for sending weekly updates so far. Hurst asked everyone to share one last idea, something small or big, that could help cut down waste or make things work better, as per rule started in March, just after Musk demanded in February that workers explain their weekly work. About 2.3 million government employees got emails titled 'What did you do last week?' from the Office of Personnel Management, as per wrote on X that 'not replying will count as quitting.' At first, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told everyone to ignore it. But later, he asked them to send five bullets of their weekly achievements. Hegseth even warned that 'non-compliance may lead to further review.'Congressman Joe Courtney, a top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, said it was long overdue to get rid of the policy. Courtney said the emails were insulting to hardworking Defense civilians, many of whom were ex-military and deeply care about their job. The department gave staff a deadline, Wednesday noon, to submit their waste-cutting ideas, but didn't say what ideas came in, as mentioned in The Daily Beast happened while Elon Musk was getting ready to leave his job as the head of DOGE. Musk posted that his time as a special government employee was ending, and thanked Donald Trump for letting him try to cut government waste. Musk had given at least $250 million to help fund Trump's 2024 Musk said he was frustrated with politics and claimed he had 'done enough' to help Republicans. He also said he was disappointed that the 'big, beautiful bill' Trump backed didn't show enough DOGE savings. Musk still believes that DOGE will grow stronger and become a way of life in government, as stated in The Daily Beast spokesperson Sean Parnell said the emails have officially stopped. He said the system helped supervisors understand staff work, encouraged accountability, and found ways to improve the department. Parnell also said the Pentagon still wants to make real changes that support its mission, as per many people found them confusing and unhelpful, and the rule got a lot of stands for Department of Government Efficiency, a short-lived group led by Elon Musk to reduce waste.
Time of India
13 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Did Harvard reject Donald Trump? Biographer claims it's at the heart of the feud
US President Donald Trump's escalating actions against Harvard University may be fuelled not by policy concerns, but personal resentment, according to his biographer Michael Wolff. Speaking on The Daily Beast's podcast, Wolff suggested that the president's hostility towards the Ivy League institution traces back to 1964, when Trump himself failed to gain admission. 'But the other thing is that, by the way, he didn't get into Harvard. So one of the Trump things is always holding a grudge against the Ivy League,' said Wolff, author of Fire and Fury. This assertion comes as the Trump administration takes increasingly severe steps against Harvard, recently freezing $2.2 billion in federal funding and suspending its ability to enrol international students. These measures are ostensibly part of a broader crackdown on what Trump calls antisemitism on university campuses . But Wolff believes there's more at play. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Melhore a performance da sua frota [Clique] Sistema TMS embarcador Saiba Mais Undo From USC dreams to Ivy League grudges As a young man, Trump reportedly dreamed of attending film school at the University of Southern California (USC), a plan that never materialised. After finishing high school at New York Military Academy, Trump enrolled at Fordham University in 1964 and later transferred to the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, where he earned an economics degree. No official record confirms whether Trump applied to Harvard, and his published biographies remain silent on the matter. However, Wolff implies that the rejection—real or imagined—left a lasting mark. Live Events Despite online rumours that Trump's disdain for Harvard comes from his son Barron being turned away, Wolff insists the story is rooted in Trump's own thwarted ambition. 'It's important not to lend too much calculation and planning to anything he does,' he said. White House hits back: "Fake news for clickbait" The White House swiftly rejected Wolff's claims, with spokesperson Taylor Rogers issuing a blistering statement. 'The Daily Beast and Michael Wolff have lots in common—they both peddle fake news for clickbait in a hopeless attempt to amount to something more than lying losers. The President didn't need to apply to an overrated, corrupt institution like Harvard to become a successful businessman and the most transformative President in history,' Rogers said. Still, the administration's aggressive stance against Harvard has sparked wider debate. The Trump Show: Politics as performance Wolff believes Trump's moves against Harvard are part of a broader political performance. 'The Trump Show,' as he calls it, thrives on conflict, spectacle, and enemies. 'That's what makes the show great, the Trump show. He picks fantastic enemies. And Harvard, for all it represents, fits right into the Trump show,' Wolff said. 'The president loves the drama. He's done what he set out to do—dominate the headline. What do you do? You go after Harvard in a way that is draconian, dramatic, and existential. It's threatening Harvard on that level.' According to Wolff, this feud is less about policy and more about keeping Trump in the spotlight. In this framing, Harvard becomes another 'character' in Trump's political theatre. Crackdown on campus: Funding freeze and visa threats Last month, Harvard became the first high-profile target of Trump's renewed efforts to eliminate antisemitism on campus. The administration froze $2.2 billion in federal research funding, citing the university's failure to comply with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, particularly around protecting Jewish students. Soon after, Trump's team barred the university from enrolling international students. Officials demanded compliance with federal reporting and behavioural standards within 72 hours. Harvard refused. The university described the move as 'unlawful', and tensions have since escalated. Earlier this week, the administration directed US consular missions overseas to increase scrutiny on visa applicants heading to Harvard for any reason. Trump has also accused former president Joe Biden of going soft on elite institutions. His administration's stance represents a dramatic shift, framing Ivy League schools as symbols of elitism, corruption, and political bias. For Trump, this confrontation serves multiple ends: it fuels populist messaging, creates narrative drama, and possibly, as Wolff argues, satisfies a decades-old personal vendetta.
NDTV
17 hours ago
- Politics
- NDTV
Donald Trump's Biographer On Why US President Has A "Grudge" Against Harvard
Washington: US President Donald Trump has intensified his war with Harvard recently, with social media users claiming that his hatred for the Ivy League university comes from his son, Barron Trump, not being accepted. But, the President's biographer, Michael Wolff, has suggested something else. According to him, it was Trump, not Barron, who was rejected by Harvard. Wolff, the author of 'Fire and Fury', 'Siege: Trump under fire', and this year's 'All or nothing', presented his theory about the US President during a podcast with the The Daily Beast. While the host, Joanna Coles, suggested that many people linked to Trump studied at Harvard, Wolff said, "It's important not to lend too much calculation and planning to anything he does." "But the other thing is that, by the way, he didn't get into Harvard. So one of the Trump things is always holding a grudge against the Ivy League," he added. Trump studied at Fordham University in 1964 after four years of attending the New York Military Academy. Two years later, he transferred to the Wharton School of Finance and Commerce at the University of Pennsylvania - where he graduated with a bachelor's degree in economics. However, there is no official data available on whether the US President applied to Harvard, let alone he was rejected. No published biographies have also mentioned this claim. A White House spokesperson hit out at Wolff and The Daily Beast for "peddling fake news", adding that Trump did not need to apply to an "overrated and corrupt" university like Harvard. "They both peddle fake news for clickbait in a hopeless attempt to amount to something more than lying losers. The President didn't need to apply to an overrated, corrupt institution like Harvard to become a successful businessman and the most transformative President in history," Taylor Rogers said. 'The Trump show' Wolff, additionally, suggested that apart from "holding the grudge", Trump's "TV star instincts as a producer" play a key role in his legal battle against Ivy League Universities - especially Harvard. According to the author, Trump needs an enemy. "That's what makes the show great, the Trump show. He picks fantastic enemies. And Harvard, for all it represents, fits right into the Trump show. The president loves the drama. He's done what he set out to do - dominate the headline. What do you do? You go after Harvard in a way that is draconian, dramatic, and existential. It's threatening Harvard on that level," he told The Daily Beast. According to him, this becomes another aspect of the "Trump show". Trump-Harvard battle Donald Trump's crackdown on Harvard has taken a more aggressive stance within a few months of the Republican leader taking office for the second term - saying that he is seeking to eliminate antisemitism on campuses. He had even accused his predecessor, Joe Biden, of letting some of the Ivy League universities off the hook. Harvard had first fallen prey to the crackdown last month when the White House put a $2.2 billion freeze on federal funding. Trump had put forth a few conditions to revoke the ban on federal funding, but refused to bend the knee. Last week, the administration sent a letter to the university banning the Ivy League's ability to enroll international students amid an ongoing investigation into the university. It also mentioned said that Harvard could still reverse the government's ban and enroll foreign students - if they fulfill Trump's conditions within 72 hours. However, the university refused again. Shortly after receiving the letter, Harvard slammed the Trump administration and called the move "unlawful". Earlier this week, the Trump administration reportedly ordered all its consular missions overseas to begin additional vetting of visa applicants looking to travel to Harvard University for any purpose.
