Elon Musk’s Doge conflicts of interest worth $2.37bn, Senate report says
Elon Musk and his companies face at least $2,37bn in legal exposure from federal investigations, litigation and regulatory oversight, according to a new report from Senate Democrats,The report attempts to put a number to Musk’s many conflicts of interest through his work with his so-called “department of government efficiency” (Doge), warning that he may seek to use his influence to avoid legal liability,The report, which was published on Monday by Democratic members of the Senate homeland security committee’s permanent subcommittee on investigations, looked at 65 actual or potential actions against Musk across 11 separate agencies,Investigators calculated the financial liabilities Musk and his companies, such as Tesla, SpaceX and Neuralink, may face in 45 of those actions.
Since Donald Trump won re-election last year and Musk took on the role of de facto head of Doge in January, ethics watchdogs and Democratic officials have warned that the Tesla CEO could use his power to oust regulators and quash investigations into his companies,In the role, Musk, the richest man in the world, holds sway over agencies that regulate or contract with his companies,The subcommittee report outlines the extent of Musk’s liabilities, which include potentially facing $1,19bn in fines to Tesla alone over allegations it made false or misleading statements about its autopilot and self-driving features,Although the report gives a total estimated amount, it also states that the $2bn-plus figure does not include how much Musk could avoid from investigations that the Trump administration declines to launch.
It also excludes the potential contracts, such as communications deals with his Starlink satellite internet service, that Musk’s companies could gain because of his role in the administration.“While the $2.37 billion figure represents a credible, conservative estimate, it drastically understates the true benefit Mr Musk may gain from legal risk avoidance alone as a result of his position in government,” the report states.The Trump administration has downplayed concerns over Musk’s conflicts of interest in recent months, with the White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, stating in early February that he would “excuse himself” if there was any issue.Democrats have pressed the administration for answers on how Musk is addressing these conflicts, while also seeking to put the increasingly unpopular billionaire at the forefront of their attacks against the Trump administration.
The Democratic senator Jeanne Shaheen introduced a bill earlier this month targeting Musk that would prohibit awarding government contracts to companies owned by special government employees.“Despite numerous requests from members of Congress, the Trump Administration has failed to provide any relevant documents or information, the authorities relied upon for these actions, or an explanation of how Mr Musk is navigating the conflicts they inherently pose,” the report states.Musk’s conflicts span multiple agencies, including the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) which oversees SpaceX rocket launches and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which has multiple open investigations into Tesla’s operations.In February, Doge fired workers at the NHTSA that were experts in self-driving car technology.Sign up to TechScapeA weekly dive in to how technology is shaping our livesafter newsletter promotionThe permanent subcommittee on investigations is a bipartisan subcommittee with a Republican majority and Democratic minority, the latter of which is chaired by the Connecticut senator Richard Blumenthal.
The subcommittee’s report issues a series of demands to Trump, executive departments and regulatory agencies to take stronger oversight action against Musk, including allowing for independent audits of major contracts given to Musk-affiliated companies.“No one individual, no matter how prominent or wealthy, is above the law,” the report states in its conclusion.“Anything less than decisive, immediate, and collective action risks America becoming a bystander to the surrender to modern oligarchy.”
Democrats in Congress warn cuts at top US labor watchdog will be ‘catastrophic’
Democrats have warned that cuts to the US’s top labor watchdog threaten to render the organization “basically ineffectual” and will be “catastrophic” for workers’ rights.The so-called “department of government efficiency” (Doge) has targeted the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) for cuts and ended its leases in several states.Representatives Bobby Scott, Mark DeSaulnier and Greg Casar have written to NLRB’s chair, Marvin Kaplan, and the acting general counsel, William Cowen, requesting answers on the cuts.“If the NLRB reduces its workforce and closes a number of regional offices, it will render the NLRB’s enforcement mechanism basically ineffectual, thereby chilling workers from exercising their rights to engage in union organizing and protected concerted activities,” they wrote.The letter noted the NLRB has already been suffering from drastic understaffing and budget constraints, while caseloads have increased
M&S cyber-attack: when will orders be back, and is my data at risk?
The cyber-attack at Marks & Spencer is continuing to cause chaos for shoppers, with no clarity yet as to when the retailer’s systems will be fully back up and running.Website orders remain on hold for the fourth day in a row, and those affected also include customers waiting to collect orders or wanting to spend or buy M&S gift cards, as well as users of the retailer’s Sparks customer reward scheme.The “cyber incident” began a week ago and has affected stores as well as its online business. Last Friday the company halted all orders through its website and apps.By Monday evening this “pause” in taking orders – which also applies to people who try to buy over the phone – was ongoing
What are ‘nudification’ apps and how would a ban in the UK work?
The children’s commissioner for England is calling for “nudification” apps to be banned to prevent them generating sexual imagery of children. But what are they and would a ban work?Advances in artificial intelligence software have paved the way for the emergence of “nudification” tools, which are becoming easier to find on social media or search engines.These are apps and websites that produce deepfake nude images of real people using generative AI. This can involve removing clothes, getting an image to move suggestively, or pasting a head on to a naked body. The results often look highly realistic
‘It’s nearly impossible’: learner drivers on the difficulty of booking a test
“Every time I was looking for a test day, it just kept kicking me off the site,” said Menelik Calvin, 22, detailing the difficulties he experienced when trying to secure a driving test in Wolverhampton.It’s the day before Calvin’s driving test and he’s feeling “nervous” but “ready” as he practises for this sought-after test with driving instructor Donna Michelle Evans.Here, in Wolverhampton, notoriously long wait times are common, and as such it is one of the worst places in the UK to take a driving test. Based on analysis from Nationwide Vehicle Contracts, using figures from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) 2023-24, the average wait time for a test is 19.92 weeks, with a pass rate of 33
Exeter suspend coaches Hunter and Hepher after heavy Gloucester defeat
Exeter’s disastrous season has hit a new low with two coaches, Rob Hunter and Ali Hepher, suspended by the chairman, Tony Rowe, a day after their 79-17 defeat by Gloucester.Rowe could be seen laying down the law to the squad in the aftermath of Sunday’s capitulation, in which the Chiefs shipped 13 tries, and has acted swiftly with the long-standing director of rugby Rob Baxter stepping into a frontline coaching role until the end of the season.Hunter was promoted to the role of head coach only last month but described the thrashing by Gloucester as his “worst day as a coach” while Hepher was in charge of the attack. The record defeat by Gloucester was a 12th from 15 Premiership matches for the two-time champions this season, leaving them in ninth spot with only Newcastle below them.It is hard to see either Hunter or Hepher returning to their roles after a review into the defeat on Sunday, as well as the miserable campaign, has been completed but Rowe said: “No final decision regarding the club’s coaching structure going forward has been made, and it would be improper to make any further comment until all internal procedures have been completed
Andreeva and Gauff advance before Spain power outage halts play
Mirra Andreeva has spent the past two years of her life establishing herself as one of the most successful teenagers of her era, yet on a chaotic, surreal day in Madrid, the 17 year-old had to briefly work through playing conditions more familiar to her contemporaries on the junior circuit. During the final change of ends of her fourth-round match against the Ukrainian qualifier Yulia Starodubtseva, as she served for a comfortable victory, she learned of the power outage that had ravaged Spain, Portugal and many nearby countries, ultimately forcing play to be postponed in Madrid.As matches across the tournament grounds had already come to a halt, the two players were told that they could play out the subsequent game, but there was a catch: the live electronic line‑calling system was no longer functioning and there were no line umpires to call upon. They would have to play as if they were juniors again, calling their own lines with only the umpire there to intervene. Naturally, Andreeva began to feel the pressure
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