Elon Musk finally meets the press and compares himself to Buddha
CNN
After dodging interviews with outlets he perceived as unfriendly, Musk sat down with about a dozen mainstream news reporters in the West Wing’s Roosevelt Room to reflect on his time in the Trump administration — at one point comparing himself to an iconic religious figure.
Elon Musk has told his followers on X, “You are the media now.” Since joining the Trump administration, he has eschewed interviews with outlets he perceived as unfriendly, preferring to stay within the safe spaces of Fox News, conservative podcasts and his own social-media conversations. But as the Wall Street Journal prepared to publish a piece Wednesday evening about Tesla’s board allegedly seeking to replace Musk as CEO (a claim Musk and Tesla strenuously denied), the world’s richest man and top Trump adviser stepped out of the proverbial bubble. Musk, along with three top Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) team members, sat down with about a dozen mainstream news reporters in the West Wing’s Roosevelt Room to reflect on his time in the Trump administration — at one point comparing himself to an iconic religious figure. “Is Buddha needed for Buddhism?” he said, according to The Washington Post, when asked about who will lead DOGE in his absence. Musk has indicated he intends to step back from his DOGE role this month. “Was it not stronger after he passed away?” Reporters from The New York Times, The Washington Post, USA Today, Axios, Semafor, Bloomberg, ABC, NBC, and Fox News were in attendance. Even the Associated Press was present — a notable inclusion considering the White House has tried to remove the wire service from the press pool and ban them from key events over their coverage. According to a source familiar with the situation, the Musk sit-down came together rather quickly. White House officials notified reporters on Wednesday morning that they were invited to interview Musk and were given about an hour to respond. The gaggle took place in the late afternoon and lasted about an hour. The source said Musk was engaged with the reporters and — despite his longstanding hostility with mainstream press — was not at all confrontational.
After weighing a slightly lower unemployment rate with small increases in inflation in December, the Federal Reserve on Wednesday decided to leave its key overnight lending rate untouched. That decision follows the three cuts the Fed made last year, for a total of six cuts since September 2024.
Unless your name is Domino’s, it’s tough to be a pizza chain right now.
Apple bet big on a dramatic redesign of its iPhone last year, the biggest shakeup to its flagship smartphone in nearly a decade. But the slimmer iPhone Air hasn’t seemed to resonate with buyers.
Federal Reserve officials convene this week at a pivotal moment in the US central bank’s 112-year history, with a series of historic events putting a spotlight on their ability to set interest rates without political interference.
TikTok’s new US business, led by a group of mainly American investors approved by President Donald Trump, is off to an inauspicious start.
For years, social media giants have argued against claims that their platforms harm young people’s mental health. Starting Tuesday, they will for the first time have to defend against those claims before a jury in a court of law.
Amazon is closing its branded brick-and-mortar grocery stores, with the company consolidating its strategy under the Whole Foods name.
Record-high car prices coupled with high interest rates are leading to huge monthly car payments for many Americans. A record share of Americans — more than 20% — agreed to pay more than $1,000 per month for a new car loan at the end of the year, according to car sales site Edmunds.
Some TikTok users are accusing the app of censorship after they attempted and failed to upload videos about ICE. TikTok says the ongoing glitches are related to a power outage.
The corporate cavalry isn’t coming.
President Donald Trump announced on Monday he is raising tariffs on goods from South Korea to 25% from 15%.
Minnesota’s corporate giants have remained silent publicly for more than a month as their businesses and the local economy suffered from massive federal immigration operations in the Twin Cities.
As MAGA media frets over the optics of the Alex Pretti shooting, Brian Kilmeade repeatedly floated a suggestion to the president over Fox’s airwaves on Monday.