Latest news with #alignment
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Musk Privately Complaining That His Immense Donations to Trump Didn't Even Buy Him Control of NASA
Billionaire Elon Musk's breakup with president Donald Trump, a feud that's been many months in the making, has become almost indescribably messy. In public, the pair have mainly butted heads over Trump's tax bill, which is expected to add trillions of dollars to an already colossal mountain of debt. Musk has excoriated the bill as a "disgusting abomination," ominously calling for any Republican lawmakers willing to support it to be "fired" during next year's midterm elections. As a move that's widely been seen as retribution, the White House unexpectedly announced over the weekend that it's pulling Jared Isaacman's nomination — Musk's personal pick — for the role of NASA administrator. In a baffling statement at the time, the White House said Isaacman wasn't in "full alignment with" the Trump agenda. If the move was intended as an attack on Musk, it succeeded. As the Wall Street Journal reports, the move has "infuriated" the richest man in the world, who's been seething privately to his inner circle that the hundreds of millions of dollars he paid to get Trump elected didn't even buy him the privilege of picking the next NASA head. Looking past the astonishingly oligarchical thesis that a billionaire opening his checkbook should automatically allow him to pick key members of government, the episode also illustrates Musk's increasingly shaky sense of strategy. Trump has long been known for his pettiness, arrogance, and shifty sense of allegiance; absolutely nobody should be surprised, at this point, when an attempted alliance with the longtime reality TV star doesn't work out the way it was intended. Nobody knew this better than Trump's own staff at the White House. According to the WSJ, they were attempting to bury the hatchet before Musk made his departure, and part ways on good terms. But given Musk's latest comments, those efforts appear to have been in vain. Besides fuming over losing hand-pick to control NASA, Musk has plenty of other reasons to hop off the Trump train to refocus his efforts on his businesses. For one, he has done incredible damage to his carmaker Tesla, which is still reeling from plummeting sales worldwide. SpaceX is also seriously struggling to make progress on its enormous, Mars-bound Starship rocket. Meanwhile, the real motivation behind Isaacman's dismissal hasn't flown over the billionaire space tourist's head. "I had a pretty good idea, I don't think the timing was much of a coincidence," Isaacman told Ars Technica. "Obviously, there was more than one departure that was covered on that day," he added, likely referring to Musk. "There were some people who had some axes to grind, and I was a good, visible target," he added. More on Isaacman: Trump Just Kicked Elon Musk's Hand-Picked NASA Head to the Curb
Hans India
13 hours ago
- Business
- Hans India
Apollo Micro Systems Successfully Completes Preferential Allotment; Significant Participation by Promoter Group, LIC Mutual Fund, and Director Aditya Kumar Halwasiya
Apollo Micro Systems Limited (BSE: 540879 | NSE: APOLLO), a leading technology-driven company in the aerospace, defense, and homeland security sectors, is pleased to announce the successful completion of its preferential allotment of equity shares and convertible warrants, raising a total of over ₹416 crore initially through strategic investments. An additional ₹325.50 crore as 75% balance proceeds of the convertible equity warrants to come into the company within 6 months. This capital infusion demonstrates robust investor confidence and includes meaningful participation from the promoter group, LIC Mutual Fund, and Non-Executive Director Mr. Aditya Kumar Halwasiya. As part of the preferential issue: • The promoter group has subscribed to 1,68,01,200 convertible equity warrants at an issue price of ₹114 each. These warrants, allotted equally between Mr. Baddam Kanishka Reddy and Mr. Baddam Chanakya Reddy, reaffirm the promoter family's strong commitment to the company's long-term growth and value creation. • Mr. Aditya Kumar Halwasiya, Non-Executive Director, has also made a substantial investment, being allotted 15,00,000 equity shares and an additional 15,00,000 convertible equity warrants, reinforcing his strategic involvement and alignment with shareholder interests. • LIC Mutual Fund, one of India's most respected institutional investors, participated with an allotment of 26,31,578 equity shares, adding further credibility and validation to Apollo's business outlook. The preferential issue involved: • 2,70,42,894 equity shares allotted at ₹114 each, aggregating to ₹308.28 crore. • 3,80,67,058 convertible equity warrants issued at the same price, with 25% upfront subscription, aggregating to ₹108.49 crore in initial proceeds. The capital raised will be deployed towards growth initiatives, working capital requirements, and strengthening the company's innovation capabilities in high-tech and mission-critical solutions.
Int'l Business Times
2 days ago
- Business
- Int'l Business Times
RTG Founder Danica Mason on Why Proposal Management Is the Gatekeeper to Opportunities in the AEC Industry
When a billion-dollar transportation project gets awarded, few think about the document that won it. Fewer still consider the team behind that proposal. According to Danica Mason, principal and founder of Red Team Go (RTG) and a 2024 ENR Northwest Top Young Professional, the proposal isn't just paperwork; it's the gateway to opportunity. Mason has built a firm that does more than polish resumes and coordinate submittals. She's redefined the discipline of proposal management for the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry, especially for small and minority-owned businesses that typically don't have internal teams to handle the immense demands of competitive bidding. "Yes, writing is hard, but the challenge starts long before the first word," Mason says. "There's research, pre-positioning, assembling the right team, none of which can happen after the RFP drops." That reality is especially daunting for the small shops that dominate the subcontractor landscape in the AEC world. For many, proposal writing is a solo effort, with one person juggling management, content, and design. Mason warns that this 'one-person shop' model is inherently limited. "There are three parts to a successful proposal: management, writing, and creativity," Mason explains. "Very few people are strong in all three. That's why we've built a team structure that lets each piece shine and that makes all the difference." RTG's approach is rooted in this very 'three-piece' methodology. Proposal management ensures structure and momentum, creative design makes the document compelling, and technical writing conveys the story. But what truly sets RTG apart, Mason emphasizes, is industry fluency. "We're not just comms people who make things look pretty," she says. "We've worked in construction. We understand the terminology. We know how a job gets built and how to write and design around that." This insight allows RTG to go beyond surface-level storytelling. It can interpret project nuances, develop meaningful win themes, and help small businesses speak directly to what public clients value most: understanding, alignment, and clarity. Danica Mason Speaking at the BuildIT Founder's Day Annual Gala Mason's long-term impact lies not just in wins, but in who gets to win. She and her team have become a critical resource in helping small and disadvantaged businesses secure contracts they might never have otherwise reached. That work earned her the 2025 Build Community Impact Award, recognizing her commitment to equity through infrastructure. While proposals remain RTG's bread and butter, Mason is clear-eyed about their volatility. "You can work on a proposal for two weeks or 18 months, and still not know when, or if, it's going to drop," she says. "That's why we're expanding. Our small business and civil rights work is just as impactful." Still, Mason knows that proposals are where it begins. "You can't build the bridge if you don't win the bid," she says. "And no one's going to hand you the work if your proposal doesn't show them why you deserve it." And for the small firms she helps elevate, it's the first step toward building something bigger.
Chicago Tribune
2 days ago
- General
- Chicago Tribune
U-46 plans to cover cost of high school juniors taking the ACT in fall
School District U-46 will pay for high school juniors to take the ACT test in the fall in an effort to familiarize students with the exam, meet dual-credit application requirements and potentially boost scores. The standardized tests will cost $121,862 according to a proposal endorsed Monday by the U-46 school board and to be formally approved June 16. 'This is a new initiative to stay in alignment with the Illinois State Assessment for 11th-graders,' said U-46 Assessment Director Matthew Raimondi, who spoke about the plan prior to the meeting. The state requires all 11th-grade students and any untested 12th-grade students take the ACT with Writing exam as part of the spring state assessment in order to graduate. That test features a 40-minute written essay session, according to the ACT website. 'For many years previously, the SAT was part of the graduation requirement in Illinois,' Raimondi said. 'Now, by offering the ACT to juniors in the fall, it provides students the opportunity to get familiar with the format before the mandatory ACT in the spring.' The district had considered offering the PreACT to juniors in the fall but opted against it because Elgin Community College and other community colleges do not accept its scores for admitting qualifying dual-credit students, he said. PreACT scores also aren't considered for scholarship opportunities, such as those offered by the National Merit Scholarship Corp. 'The actual ACT does count for dual credit, directly aligns to the state test, is college reportable and allows for students to submit a 'Super Score,'' Raimondi said. A Super Score lets students to submit their highest score from each test subject from different test dates when applying to college, he said. According to a memo provided as part of the Monday meeting agenda, 'a student who performs best in English and reading in the fall and in math and science in the spring may submit an ACT superscore combining their top section scores for college admissions.' After taking the ACT test in the fall, based on their performance, students will have access to targeted activities to build their subject skills in preparation for taking the mandatory ACT in the spring, the memorandum said. 'We are excited to offer this new opportunity for our students and help them prepare for the spring test,' Raimondi said prior to the meeting. The district has been providing the PSAT, which aligns with the state test, and offers dual-credit opportunities, both of which can lead to scholarship opportunities through the National Merit program, he said. 'We are planning to continue to offer the PSAT to 10th-graders and 11th-graders in the fall,' Raimondi said. With the state and the federal government requiring high school students to take so many tests, Superintendent Suzanne Johnson said staff would provide school board members with a calendar of when during the 2025-26 school year U-46 will be offering the various assessments.
The Sun
28-05-2025
- Politics
- The Sun
ASEAN strengthens global engagement, eyes forward-looking partnerships
KUALA LUMPUR: ASEAN is stepping up efforts to deepen cooperation with global partners while focusing on building a stronger, united regional community that promotes peace, trust and respect for international law. In a Chairman's Statement issued following the conclution of the 46th ASEAN Summit today, ASEAN leaders emphasised the importance of maintaining unity and ASEAN Centrality in dealing with external partners. 'We underscored the need to promote an enabling environment for peace, stability and prosperity for all by ensuring a culture of dialogue and cooperation, instead of rivalry, enhancing mutual trust and confidence, and respecting international law,' the statement stated. This approach is part of ASEAN's broader goal to establish a resilient, rules-based regional architecture guided by international law. The ASEAN Summit, which drew leaders and high-level delegations from ASEAN and partner countries, was held under Malaysia's 2025 ASEAN Chairmanship theme 'Inclusivity and Sustainability'. This year marks Malaysia's fifth term as ASEAN Chair, following previous chairmanships in 1977, 1997, 2005, and 2015. The leaders also took note of the growing interest from countries, regional and international organisations in formalising relations and substantive cooperation with ASEAN. The interest reflects the regional grouping's increasing global relevance and unique convening power for diplomacy amid today's geopolitical and geo-economic uncertainties. Looking ahead, ASEAN looks forward to successful outcomes of the following summits slated to be held in conjunction with the 47th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits in October 2025 in Malaysia, namely the 5th ASEAN-Australia Summit, the 28th ASEAN-China Summit, the 28th ASEAN-Japan Summit, the 26th ASEAN-Republic of Korea (ROK) Summit, the 13th ASEAN-United States Summit, and the 22nd ASEAN-India Summit. Significant progress has also been made in formalising Comprehensive Strategic Partnerships, such as the recent ASEAN-ROK partnership, and plans are underway to establish a similar agreement with New Zealand. 'We looked forward to strengthening ASEAN's partnerships with Canada, China, India, New Zealand, the ROK, Russia, the United States, and the United Nations through the successor Plans of Action (POAs) for 2026-2030 as well as a Joint Vision Statement with the United States. 'These instruments will guide the further development of ASEAN's external partnerships in alignment with the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 and its Strategic Plan,' the statement read.
