Trump - Elon Alliance Implodes in Public View
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Trump - Elon Alliance Implodes in Public View
Israel-Run Distribution Sites Become Deadly
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Chart of the week: Since 2010, the amount of time young people spend alone has increased more than 40%, growing from about 4 to 6 hours per day. Alone time means no one else is physically present, and can include time on phone or video calls. Data is from the American Time Use Survey conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Investigation into Biden: On Wednesday, President Trump directed his Administration to investigate former President Joe Biden over his use of an autopen to sign important presidential orders especially in his final years in office. In collaboration with Attorney General Pam Bondi, the order seeks to discover whether "certain individuals conspired to deceive the public about Biden's mental state and unconstitutionally exercise the authorities and responsibilities of the President.” Biden responded to the claims calling them “ridiculous and false.”
More: Biden was recently diagnosed with stage 4 prostate cancer, raising questions as to how the condition was not caught sooner by his White House doctors.
Colorado attack: A dozen people were injured in Boulder, Colorado, during a rally in support of the Jewish hostages in Gaza. Mohammed Sabry Soliman, the 45-year-old suspect, later told officials that he wants to “kill all zionist people,” according to court documents. After dressing up as a gardener, Soliman approached as closely as he could before throwing Molotov cocktails at the crowd and yelling, “Free Palestine” (video). He eventually lit himself on fire before being arrested by local police.
Trump travel ban: President Trump has banned the citizens of 12 countries from entering the U.S., citing national security concerns. The order will "fully restrict and limit" the following countries: Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. The order, which will go into effect on June 9, also limits the entry from seven other countries. In a video posted on his Truth Social account, Trump said, "The recent terror attack in Boulder, Colorado, has underscored the extreme dangers posed to our country by the entry of foreign nationals who are not properly vetted.”
More: The order is similar to the travel ban Trump implemented in 2016 blocking entry of people from Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.
“Trojan Horse” Drone Attack: On Sunday, June 1, Ukraine executed a bold drone attack deep into Russian territory that inflicted significant damage on Russia’s fleet of bomber planes. The drone strikes were highly coordinated, involving a mix of sophisticated technology and old-school spy tactics. The parts to assemble the drones were smuggled into Russia and then loaded into hidden compartments in the roofs of semi trucks, which were then driven deep into Russian territory. The roofs of the trucks were opened remotely and the drones flew out and struck their targets (video). One of the locations hit (Belaya) was 3,000 miles from the city of Kyiv (about the distance from Los Angeles to New York City).
More: Drones have played a defining role in the war, accounting for the vast majority of deaths.
Trump’s fight with universities: This week, the Department of Education notified the Middle State Commission - which is responsible for accrediting Columbia University - that the university is in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act (1964) for failure to “meaningfully protect Jewish students against severe and pervasive harassment on Columbia’s campus and consequently denied these students’ equal access to educational opportunities to which they are entitled.” The accrediting commission is now directed to work with Columbia to bring it back into compliance with federal guidelines.
More: The federal government provides over $100B annually in Pell Grants and student loans to universities across the U.S.
Wildfires in Canada continue to send smoky air across large parts of the U.S., especially in the Midwest, as states issue air quality control alerts.
100-Year Bridges: A startup led by two PhDs from MIT has developed a method for preventing steel corrosion in rebar and significantly extending the lifespan of bridges and other infrastructure. The surfaces of most bridges and other heavy infrastructure in the U.S. have a lifespan of about 30 years. Allium Engineering says its applications will extend this to 100-years plus. To date, about 100,000 pounds of the company’s stainless steel-clad rebar have been utilized in construction projects around the U.S.
Trump - Elon Alliance Implodes in Public View
After having spent the better part of the past 12 months working with each other, the alliance between President Trump and Elon Musk appeared to unravel in the blink of an eye this week. What began with Musk attacking Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” quickly turned into a public spectacle on Thursday as the two men traded threats, allegations, and criticism of each other, primarily online (see comments below).
In the days leading up to Thursday, Musk had increasingly ramped up his criticism of the spending bill because it is projected to further increase government deficits.
Alongside immigration reform, decreasing government debt was a primary reason Musk supported Trump during the campaign. Musk contributed nearly $300M in campaign donations and then became the face of the Administration’s cost-cutting efforts at DOGE.
The turn of events was in contrast to the congratulatory press conference held at the White House one week ago to mark Elon’s last day at DOGE. The two called each other friends and said Musk would remain an informal advisor. Trump said Elon was “a really good person.”
What was said on Thursday?
Musk: Reposted a tweet from 2013 in which Trump criticized Republicans for extending the debt ceiling and wrote “Wise words.” Musk also made repeated comments that the bill would lead America into further “debt slavery.”
Trump: During a meeting in the Oval Office which was aired on live TV, Trump was asked about Musk’s opposition to the bill and said, “I’m very disappointed in Elon. I’ve helped Elon a lot. Look, Elon and I had a great relationship. I don’t know if we will anymore” (video). Trump claimed Musk’s opposition to the bill was because it would end the $7,500 federal tax credit for electric vehicles.
Musk: While Trump was speaking from the Oval Office, Musk tweeted, “Without me, Trump would have lost the election, Dems would control the House and the Republicans would be 51-49 in the Senate…Such ingratitude.”
Trump: Trump posted, “The easiest way to save money in our Budget, Billions and Billions of Dollars, is to terminate Elon’s Governmental Subsidies and Contracts. I was always surprised that Biden didn’t do it!”
Tesla’s stock price fell about 15% on Thursday alone, dropping around $150B of market cap.
Musk replied, “In light of the President’s statement about cancellation of my government contracts, @SpaceX will begin decommissioning its Dragon spacecraft immediately.”
Trump wrote, “I don’t mind Elon turning against me, but he should have done so months ago. This is one of the Greatest Bills ever presented to Congress.”
Musk tweeted, “Time to drop the really big bomb: @realDonaldTrump is in the Epstein files. That is the real reason they have not been made public. Have a nice day, DJT…Mark this post for the future. The truth will come out.”
Why the feud could have broader ramifications
The fight between Musk and Trump could fizzle out as quickly as it started. However, if the disagreements are more fundamental, it could shift the political landscape. Trump and Musk are two of the most followed, outspoken, and influential people in the U.S. and globally.
Late Thursday, after a day full of virtual exchanges with Trump, Musk conducted the following poll on X (5M votes):
Some context
On May 23, the House of Representatives passed the budget and spending bill, which is over 1,000 pages. The bill cleared by a 215-214 vote, with 2 Republicans dissenting and no Democrats voting in favor. Several Republicans expressed concerns given it is projected to increase the national debt by at least $3T over the course of ten years. The bill is currently being debated in the Senate.
In its current form, it would extend most of the Trump tax cuts passed in 2017, impose stricter eligibility and work requirements for Medicaid, phase out most green energy tax credits, and significantly increase military spending, among other items.
Israel-Run Distribution Sites Become Deadly
What’s going on?
The distribution sites where much-needed aid is delivered to Palestinians have become a dangerous place. In the last week, tens of people were killed near these crucial aid centers that are being facilitated by Israel through an American-run aid group called the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which was founded in February 2025.
According to multiple reports, Israeli soldiers opened fire, killing 31 Palestinians near the aid center on Sunday, 3 on Monday and over 31 on Tuesday.
Israeli Defense Services said they "identified several suspects moving toward them, deviating from the designated access routes." They said warning shots were fired before they eventually shot down the crowd.
The aid stations paused their operations in order to tighten security and alter operations plans to facilitate large crowds. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has historically been supported by the U.S. and Israel, while criticized by much of Europe for implementing what they argue is a militaristic distribution of aid. Israel says they are able to effectively deliver aid without empowering Hamas.
The UN decided not to participate in the aid distribution, saying it was not right that Israel would have military control over who gets aid and who doesn’t.
“The world is watching, day after day, horrifying scenes of Palestinians being shot, wounded or killed in Gaza while simply trying to eat,” the UN Humanitarian Chief said.
Israel says it would “introduce measures that guide foot traffic in a way that minimizes confusion or escalation risks near IDF military perimeters; develop clearer IDF-issued guidance to help the population transit safely; enhance IDF force training and refine internal IDF procedures to support safety.”
On Thursday, the aid station resumed its operations. The UN has warned that roughly 2.3M people in Gaza are at risk of famine due to the ongoing war and significantly stalled flow of aid.
The war marches on
The war continues to intensify after several failed attempts to reach ceasefires over the past months. This week, a UN ceasefire proposal failed, with the U.S. being the only country to veto, citing a lack of clear connection between the release of the Israeli hostages.
Over 57,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. Roughly 1,700 Israelis have been killed, primarily from the attack on October 7, 2023.
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