MicroWave

Summary

On a recent episode of "On With Kara Swisher," guests including economists Mariana Mazzucato, Paul Krugman, and Oren Cass tore into Elon Musk for his hypocrisy over government subsidies.

They highlighted that Tesla received nearly $5 billion by 2015 and that Tesla and SpaceX have benefited from over $20 billion in federal contracts, accusing Musk of attacking state-funded support while benefiting from it.

Summary

Elon Musk’s X (formerly Twitter) is blocking links to Signal.me, a tool used by Signal for private messaging.

The blocks affect public posts, direct messages, and profiles, with users receiving error messages when attempting to share links.

The move coincides with mass layoffs of federal employees under Musk’s DOGE, prompting many to use Signal for secure communication.

While Musk claims to support free speech, he has a history of restricting critical voices on X.

Summary

Confusion surrounds the leadership of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a Trump-era entity with increasing federal influence.

Despite Trump's public claims that Elon Musk leads DOGE, a White House affidavit claims that Musk is only a senior adviser with no formal decision-making power.

A federal judge ruled DOGE is an "agency" despite the administration avoiding the label, raising transparency concerns.

Court proceedings have revealed no clear leader, leaving even federal lawyers uncertain about who truly runs DOGE.

Summary

A study published in JAMA Internal Medicine by researchers from UC San Diego and Bryn Mawr College found that online searches for gambling addiction help increased 23% nationally following the 2018 Supreme Court ruling that legalized sports betting.

With 38 states and Washington, D.C. now allowing sports betting, aggressive advertising and expanded access have raised public health concerns.

Experts call for improved regulatory frameworks and dedicated federal funding for gambling addiction treatment, prevention, and research.

Summary

Argentine President Javier Milei faces impeachment calls and fraud accusations after promoting the $LIBRA cryptocurrency on social media.

His endorsement caused a price surge, but after he deleted the post, the coin crashed, wiping out investor funds.

Critics accuse him of a "rug pull" scheme, while the government denies wrongdoing and announced an anti-corruption probe.

Argentina’s main opposition coalition calls the incident an “unprecedented scandal” and preparing to seek his impeachment.

Summary

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is considering removing NYC Mayor Eric Adams after four top deputies resigned amid controversy over his corruption case.

The Justice Department dropped Adams' case, allegedly to secure his cooperation with Trump’s immigration crackdown, sparking backlash.

Seven federal prosecutors quit in protest, and Democratic leaders, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, called for Adams’ resignation.

Adams, who denies wrongdoing, faces a tough reelection. Hochul stressed that removing a mayor is unprecedented but said the situation “cannot be ignored.”

KEY POINTS

• Southwest said it would cut about 15% of its corporate workforce, or 1,750 jobs.
• The airline has been under pressure to cut costs.
• CEO Bob Jordan said it was the company’s first large-scale layoff.

Summary

Mason Connor, diagnosed with autism at 2.5 years old, was nonverbal until his parents discovered leucovorin, a folic acid-based drug used to counter chemotherapy side effects.

Within days of taking it, Mason spoke his first words. Dr. Richard Frye, a pediatric neurologist, believes leucovorin can help many autistic children but lacks FDA approval due to low profitability.

Nonprofit Every Cure advocates for repurposing existing drugs for new treatments.

Mason, now 5, is set to start mainstream kindergarten.

Summary

Four New York City deputy mayors resigned amid growing controversy over allegations that Mayor Eric Adams engaged in a quid pro quo to have federal corruption charges dropped.

The Justice Department directed the Southern District of New York to dismiss the case, prompting resignations within the U.S. attorney’s office.

Governor Kathy Hochul and other top Democrats are weighing options, including potential removal.

Adams remains defiant and insists he can lead through turmoil as critics demand his resignation. A federal judge is expected to rule on the case’s dismissal soon.

Summary

According to the Telegraph, a leaked confidential Trump peace plan delivered to President Zelenskyy has caused panic in Kyiv.

The proposal would grant the U.S. half of revenues from Ukraine’s resource extraction and licensing, effectively amounting to economic colonization.

The Telegraph noted, "Trump’s demands would amount to a higher share of Ukrainian GDP than reparations imposed on Germany at the Versailles Treaty, later whittled down at the London Conference in 1921, and by the Dawes Plan in 1924."

Simultaneously, the plan would absolve Russia for its invasion that has caused hundreds of thousands of deaths.

Summary

Michelle King, the top Social Security official, resigned after refusing Elon Musk's request for sensitive records, including Social Security numbers and bank data.

Trump appointed Leland Dudek as acting commissioner and nominated Frank Bisignano for the role.

Nancy Altman of Social Security Works condemned DOGE’s request, warning, “I don’t think you can overstate how serious this breach is.”

DOGE’s similar attempts at the IRS and Treasury have sparked legal challenges over privacy concerns.

Summary

The Trump administration is set to fire hundreds of senior Department of Homeland Security (DHS) employees this week, targeting those seen as obstacles to its policies.

The firings follow broader workforce reductions that began Friday night, affecting FEMA, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).

High-ranking career officials, including Senior Executive Service and GS-15 employees, are expected to be removed.