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New York Post
5 days ago
- Business
- New York Post
Tesla shareholders thankful to have Musk back after his time with DOGE
Americans should be thankful that Elon Musk devoted his time to DOGE and shining a spotlight on government waste. Tesla shareholders have less reason to cheer. I say this not as a Musk hater, but an admirer of his brilliance and patriotism to his adopted country. Yet in announcing last week he's totally done with the aforementioned Department of Government Efficiency, Musk did underscore a blind spot in his day job running Tesla, the world's preeminent electric vehicle company. It is mostly Tesla that makes him the world's richest man, with an estimated net worth of $425 billion, according to Forbes. It is Tesla and the stock he holds that made him an opinion leader, using the currency to buy Twitter, rename it X and establish the platform as maybe the most important news operation in the world. SpaceX is revolutionary, as is Starlink, and maybe soon, his AI application, xAI, but Tesla is at the heart of Musk Inc. for now and maybe forever. And there's good evidence that Musk has taken Tesla for granted, including disregarding its many critics, the short sellers who have been warning for years about holes in the company's business model and his erratic management style. Musk outlasted most of the shorts, many of whom (like the renowned James Chanos) long ago threw in the proverbial towel on their bet the stock would plummet to reflect their version — maybe the most accurate version — of Tesla's operating reality and the weirdish ways Musk has at times run things. This is a company with a stock that is tremendously overvalued by traditional metrics, yet its CEO took a sabbatical to hang out in the White House while things were starting to go sideways back at the office. Tesla has so-so profits of just around $7 billion in 2024, but eked out just $400 million in the first quarter of 2025, a significant two-year low. Herd on the Street Investors are the ultimate herd animal. The Musk is brilliant meme (and forget everything else like Tesla's sometimes weak operating performance), and his odd, very un-CEO-type quirks have been in the herds' collective head for years now, propelling the stock ever higher no matter what Musk says or does. With that attitude, investors largely ignored Musk's antics, like the time he oddly blurted out that he had a buyer for Tesla at a significant premium and none emerged. Or when he (over)paid $44 billion for Twitter (it was worth closer to $4 billion), and also how he tried to wiggle out of the deal after realizing he screwed up. The herd thought it was brilliant when Musk turned politically right, endorsed Donald Trump for president, and then became a key adviser. Shares of Tesla exploded on the bet that fanboying Trump would make Tesla invulnerable to the anti-EV strains in the MAGA movement and the GOP in general, and of course, a rebellion from Tesla's lefty, tree-hugging, anti-MAGA customers. The optimism ebbed when reality set in as business slipped while Musk was spending all his waking hours in the White House and tweeting about politics (or whatever they call it now on X), not exactly habits that CEOs worried about production metrics indulge in. The costs to shareholders are adding up. EV deliveries dropped sharply in Q1. A sometimes violent consumer backlash of Elon haters ensued with boycotts and vandalism. Shares have recovered more recently as Musk signaled he was moving away from Trump and DOGE, and back to Tesla, but the underlying issues with the company remain. Keep up with today's most important news Stay up on the very latest with Evening Update. Thanks for signing up! Enter your email address Please provide a valid email address. By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Never miss a story. Check out more newsletters Consider Tesla's China conundrum. Tesla builds a lot of its cars in China, approaching nearly half its units sold by some estimates, as it seeks to tap into the massive Chinese consumer base. At first the thinking was that Musk could soften Trump's anti-China trade position. Ditto for the general GOP disposition to end Biden-era tax breaks for EVs. Let's just say Trump is as much of a China trade hawk as ever (in response, Mainland consumers are now opting for EVs from China's BYD), and the GOP is still looking to zero out Biden's clean-energy tax credits that include breaks for EVs. Gordon Johnson, a longtime Musk and Tesla critic, sees other headwinds for Tesla and its shareholders. 'Tesla has objectively lost its product edge, with many competing cars now offering better' range, interiors and faster charges, Johnson said, basing his criticism on consumer surveys. He also noted that Tesla for years hyped the proprietary nature of its battery technology, which may be true only in the most narrow sense, because it sources its battery parts elsewhere. Sure, the nasty political backlash of tree-hugging progressive EV buyers who hate that Elon worked with Trump hurt sales, but losing the product edge has also hurt. Johnson said China sales — again, a big part of Tesla's revenues — are now declining sharply because of Trump's trade war with the Mainland that will likely persist through any framework that is reached. Tesla bulls out there like my good pal Dan Ives say it's the future we all should be looking at when it comes to Tesla, not the past. And that future is a potentially transformative technology in autonomous vehicles that will meld all the stuff Muskis really good at, like AI and robotics. Musk himself said in 2022 that the company is 'worth basically zero' without a functioning self-driving car. He says he's been testing them for June delivery and they look like they're functioning well. Ives said it could add $1 trillion to Tesla's market value. Johnson isn't so sure. One problem, according to Johnson, is that even though Musk is done with DOGE, he 'continues to spend far more time on Twitter than he does on Tesla.'
Mint
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Mint
MAGA's assault on science is an act of grievous self-harm
Editor's update (May 22nd): The Trump administration revoked Harvard University's ability to enroll international students. The attacks have been fast and furious. In a matter of months the Trump administration has cancelled thousands of research grants and withheld billions of dollars from scientists. Projects at Harvard and Columbia, among the world's best universities, have been abruptly cut off. A proposed budget measure would slash as much as 50% from America's main research-funding bodies. Because America's technological and scientific prowess is world-beating, the country has long been a magnet for talent. Now some of the world's brightest minds are anxiously looking for the exit. Why is the administration undermining its own scientific establishment? On May 19th Michael Kratsios, a scientific adviser to President Donald Trump, laid out the logic. Science needs shaking up, he said, because it has become inefficient and sclerotic, and its practitioners have been captured by groupthink, especially on diversity, equity and inclusion (dei). You might find that reasonable enough. Look closely at what is happening, though, and the picture is alarming. The assault on science is unfocused and disingenuous. Far from unshackling scientific endeavour, the administration is doing it grievous damage. The consequences will be bad for the world, but America will pay the biggest price of all. One problem is that actions are less targeted than the administration claims, as our special Science section this week explains. As Mr Trump's officials seek to stamp out dei, punish universities for incidents of antisemitism and cut overall government spending, science has become collateral damage. A suspicion that scientists are pushing 'woke" thinking has led grant-makers to become allergic to words like 'trans" and 'equity". As a consequence, it is not only inclusive education schemes that are being culled, but an array of orthodox science. Funding has been nixed for studies that seek, say, to assess cancer risk factors by race, or the prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases by sex. The attack on elite universities takes this to an illogical extreme. Because the White House sees colleges as bastions of wokeness and antisemitism, it has withheld funding for research at Harvard and Columbia, no matter in which subject. Overnight, projects on everything from Alzheimer's disease to quantum physics have been stopped. When scientists warn of the harm this does, they risk being seen as part of a scornful anti-MAGA elite that has been protected for too long. More fundamentally, the claim that Mr Trump will stop groupthink is disingenuous. maga reserves a special hatred for public-health and climate researchers, whom it regards as finger-wagging worrywarts determined to suppress Americans' liberties—as they did in lockdowns and school closures during covid-19. The consequence is that spending on vaccine and climate research will be gutted most viciously of all. With the stroke of a pen, officials are trying to impose new rules that tell scientists what areas of inquiry they may pursue and what is off-limits—a shocking step backwards for a republic founded on the freethinking values of the Enlightenment. Meanwhile, genuine problems with the way science works in America are being neglected. Mr Kratsios is right that there is too much bureaucracy. America's best researchers say they spend two out of five days on form-filling and other administrative tasks, instead of in the lab. Research is becoming more incremental. New ways of funding, such as lotteries, are worth trying. So far, however, the White House has not set out plans to make science work better. Indeed, when scientists are uncertain whether their work will still be funded, or if they take to the courts to challenge arbitrary grant terminations, American science becomes less efficient, not more so. Congress and the courts may yet act to limit the scale and the scope of these anti-science endeavours. Even so, the damage of the past few months will soon be felt. Savage cuts to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration mean worse weather-forecasting, making it harder for farmers to know when to plant their crops, and for local authorities to prepare for natural disasters. Those to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention will make it harder to monitor, and thus curb, outbreaks of disease. There will also be longer-term harm. Although Mr Trump hopes his tariffs will lure businesses to invest in America, their research spending is unlikely to fill the same gaps as publicly funded basic work, much of which may not be commercialised for years, if ever. As funding is frozen, the danger of a brain drain looms. In the first three months of the year the number of applications for overseas jobs from American scientists rose by a third compared with the same period in 2024; foreign researchers applying to come to America fell by a quarter. The country's reputation for welcoming talent will not be so easily regained. If the belief that academic freedom is curtailed takes hold, the scientists who remain could self-censor their lines of inquiry for years to come. The consequences will be felt around the world. America is the planet's biggest backer of public research; it is home to half of all science Nobel laureates and four of the ten best scientific-research universities. The knowledge uncovered by American scientists and resulting innovations such as the internet and mrna vaccines have been a boon to humanity. When America retreats, everyone is robbed of the fruits of this ingenuity. Exit, pursued by an elephant It is America, however, that will feel the pain most of all. At the beginning of the 20th century there was no branch of science in which Uncle Sam led the world. At the century's end there was none where it did not. America's triumphs—its economic prowess, and its technological and military might—were interwoven with that scientific success. As America pulls back, it will cede ground to authoritarian China as a scientific superpower, with all the benefits that confers. maga's assault on science is not just about dei, nor is it about universities. It is first and foremost an act of self-harm. For subscribers only: to see how we design each week's cover, sign up to our weekly Cover Story newsletter. © 2025, The Economist Newspaper Limited. All rights reserved. From The Economist, published under licence. The original content can be found on
American Military News
09-05-2025
- American Military News
Fmr. NFL player sentenced for murdering girlfriend
Kevin Ware Jr., a former National Football League (NFL) player, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to the murder of his ex-girlfriend in 2021. According to Harris County court documents obtained by Fox 26 Houston, Ware Jr. pleaded guilty on Wednesday to charges of murder and tampering with evidence as part of a 30-year prison sentence plea deal. The outlet noted that the 41-year-old former NFL player was indicted in June of 2022 for the death of Taylor Pomanski, his 29-year-old ex-girlfriend, after Pomanski's remains were found in 2021 and identified in April of 2022. NBC Houston reported that Pomaski's last known location was at a party in her Houston home on April 25, 2021. The outlet noted that Pomaki disappeared under suspicious circumstances. According to ABC 13 News, Ware Jr. was pulled over for driving 115 miles per hour in Montgomery County just days before Pomaski's mysterious disappearance. The outlet reported that law enforcement officials found multiple guns, including a loaded AK-47 rifle, cocaine, and methamphetamine in Ware Jr.'s vehicle during the traffic stop. READ MORE: Viral Video: Fmr. NFL star arrested after anti-MAGA protest Following the traffic stop, the former NFL player was charged with the possession of a firearm by a felon and for possession with intent to deliver/manufacture a controlled substance, according to ABC 13 News. While Ware Jr. was sentenced to 15 years in prison, he was released on bond before Pomaski disappeared. According to The New York Post, Pomaski's remains were later found in a ditch in Harris County in December of 2021. The outlet cited court documents that claimed the former NFL player had 'cut her with a knife, hit her with a blunt object, strangled her and then burned her corpse.' Eric Zuleger, Pomaski's ex-boyfriend, told KHOU 11 News that he believed the 29-year-old was trapped in an abusive relationship at the time of her mysterious disappearance. 'Taylor reached out to me many times throughout the month of April,' Zuleger said. 'We were talking about her getting out of there, getting back on her feet, getting herself set and stabilized.'
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
MAGA world isn't happy that Pope Leo XIV seems to have criticized Trump on immigration
President Donald Trump congratulated Pope Leo XIV on his election Thursday, calling it 'an honor to realize that he is the first American Pope.' But some of the president's supporters are less thrilled by the choice. As soon as his election was announced, the new pope's past social media posts were quickly unearthed, some of which appeared to be critical of Trump's immigration policies and of Vice President JD Vance. As Cardinal Robert Prevost, Leo had posted an article from National Catholic Reporter in February that rebutted Vance's interpretation of a Catholic theological concept, 'ordo amoris,' as a hierarchy of Christian love. Days later, he shared on X an article from America Magazine that was critical of Trump's immigration policies and the rhetoric demonizing migrants. His last public activity on X was in April, when he reposted an essay from Bishop Evelio Menjivar, an auxiliary bishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington, who condemned the administration's legally questionable immigration enforcement tactics. As his social media posts made the rounds, several prominent MAGA influencers spoke out against the new papal leader. Far-right conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer, who has Trump's ear, wrote a series of posts trashing the pope, including one calling him 'anti-Trump, anti-MAGA, pro-open Borders, and a total Marxist like Pope Francis.' Jack Posobiec, another prominent far-right figure, said the pope's social media posts 'do not bode well for Trump supporters' and suggested that the head of the Catholic Church should not wade into political issues. Charlie Kirk, the founder and president of Turning Point USA, suggested the jury is still out on the pope, questioning whether he is a 'Registered Chicago Republican and pro-life warrior OR Open borders globalist installed to counter Trump?' Leo is believed to be sympathetic to the cause of migrants and refugees. It's an issue that had led his predecessor, Pope Francis, to clash with the Trump administration at times — and that sparked the ire of Trump's diehard supporters. Leo's brother John Prevost told The New York Times that the pope's views will likely be 'middle of the road,' but that he will use his platform to speak up on certain issues. 'I know he's not happy with what's going on with immigration,' Prevost said of his brother. 'I know that for a fact. How far he'll go with it is only one's guess, but he won't just sit back.' This article was originally published on
Scottish Sun
09-05-2025
- Scottish Sun
Firing squad ‘botched' death row execution as inmate suffers ‘excruciating' death bleeding out strapped to chair
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A SOUTH Carolina firing squad has been accused by experts of botching the execution of a convicted cop killer, leaving him in "excruciating" pain as he bled to death. None of the bullets directly hit Mikal Mahdi's heart, as is supposed to happen during an execution, an autopsy commissioned by the state has revealed. 5 Mikal Mahdi, 42, was shot dead on April 11 Credit: AP 5 The 42-year-old was strapped to a metal chair beneath a hood and with a red bullseye target placed over his heart 5 He shot Captain James Edward Myers nine times in 2004 and then set his dead body on fire Credit: LIVE5 Mikal Mahdi, 42, was shot dead on April 11, marking South Carolina's second execution in just over a month. An autopsy of Mahdi's chest showed only two bullet wounds instead of three from the trio of prison employees who volunteered for the squad, according to the NPR's report. It has been revealed that the bullets injured his liver and other internal organs but missed his heart, which continued to beat and as a result, left him alive for roughly a minute, experts said. The autopsy was filed on Thursday by Mahdi's lawyers with a letter to the state Supreme Court titled "notice of botched execution". Read more on US news OLIVE BRANCH JD Vance makes peace offering to new Pope Leo XIV after 'anti-MAGA' tweets 'Mr. Mahdi did experience excruciating conscious pain and suffering for about 30 to 60 seconds after he was shot,' pathologist Dr. Jonathan Arden wrote in his analysis of the autopsy. Arden, hired by Mahdi's legal team to review the autopsy, added that Mahdi was 'alive and reacting longer than was intended or expected'. Dr. Carl Wigren, a forensic pathologist who reviewed the autopsy documents for NPR, said: 'He's not going to die instantaneously from this." He added: 'I think that it took him some time to bleed out.' Mahdi was sentenced to death for the 2004 murder of off-duty public safety officer Captain James Myers, who was shot nine times and set on fire in a shed where he had married his wife just 15 months earlier. He was also convicted of murdering two other people, as well as of carjacking and firearm robbery. How Two Shoppers Stole $141k from Target and Walmart Across 21 States The killer chose to be executed by firing squad over lethal injection or the electric chair, as he feared being 'burned and mutilated' or 'suffering a lingering death', his attorney said. Strapped to a metal chair beneath a hood and with a red bullseye target placed over his heart, Mahdi gave no final words and refused to look at the nine witnesses behind the bulletproof glass. He cried out and flexed his arms as three prison staff fired rounds into his chest, then groaned twice more before taking a final breath 80 seconds later. A doctor pronounced him dead four minutes after the shots were fired. Though South Carolina's constitution bans cruel or unusual punishment, the state Supreme Court ruled last year that firing squads aren't cruel - claiming death occurs within 15 seconds. The justices wrote: 'The evidence before us convinces us - though an inmate executed via the firing squad is likely to feel pain, perhaps excruciating pain - that the pain will last only ten to fifteen seconds. 'Unless there is a massive botch of the execution in which each member of the firing squad simply misses the inmate's heart.' A doctor noted in the state autopsy's comments section that 'it is believed' two bullets passed through a single wound. But pathologists reviewing the case expressed doubt, with Wigren stating, 'I think the odds of that are pretty minuscule.' A doctor noted in the comments section on the state autopsy that 'it is believed that' two bullets went through one wound. But pathologists who reviewed were skeptical that two bullets went through precisely the same small hole. 'I think the odds of that are pretty minuscule,' Wigren said. Jeffrey Collins, a reporter for the Associated Press, wrote that he heard Mahdi groan twice about 45 seconds after shots. He claimed Mahdi continued to breathe for another 80 seconds before he appeared to take a final gasp. Pathologist Arden concluded in his report: 'Both the forensic medical evidence and the reported eyewitness observations of the execution corroborate that Mr. Mahdi was alive and reacting longer than was intended or expected." Mahdi's execution was the fifth in the state in less than eight months, and the 12th in the US so far this year. During his trial, Assistant Solicitor David Pascoe called him 'the epitome of evil' and said: 'His heart and mind are full of hate and malice.' Myers' wife, Amy Tripp Myers, gave a heartbreaking testimony: 'I found the love of my life, my soulmate, the partner that my life revolved around, lifeless, lying in a pool of blood and his body burned by someone who didn't even know him.' In a letter written before his death, Mahdi admitted: 'I'm guilty as hell… What I've done is irredeemable.' Despite a final push by his legal team and childhood teachers calling for clemency, Republican Governor Henry McMaster denied a last-minute appeal. The US Supreme Court also rejected his final petition. Mahdi's death followed the execution of 67-year-old Brad Sigmon in March, the first firing squad execution in South Carolina after a 13-year pause. 5 South Carolina execution protesters demonstrate outside Mahdi's scheduled execution
