Tesla CEO Elon Musk said on his company's earnings call on Tuesday that he'll spend much less time with DOGE starting in May.

As the impact of President Trump’s tariffs comes into focus during the coming months, hundreds of thousands of workers could stand to lose their jobs. Economists have warned that the tariffs could drive up the unemployment rate, and many experts fear they could spark a recession. This upheaval could place additional stress on the current unemployment insurance program, which already fails to adequately support laid-off employees and other Americans struggling to find work.While unemployment benefits continue to be a key resource for workers—offering relief to one in six U.S. adults when unemployment surged during the pandemic—a new report from the National Employment Law Project (NELP) illustrates that they fall short of offering the level of support that workers say they need. The limits of unemployment benefits Of the nearly 1,500 workers surveyed, about one in five said they found that unemployment benefits were “not adequate to meet their financial needs,” though this figure varied by state. Since unemployment benefits vary from state to state, the average percentage of wage replacement could be anywhere from 29% in Alabama to 49% in Washington, according to NELP. In states where coverage was less generous, workers were more likely to express that their benefits were inadequate. Barriers to accessing benefits But the system also seems to be riddled with inefficiencies that make it difficult for people to receive the benefits to which they are entitled. Many respondents said they faced challenges when trying to navigate unemployment benefits, between tech issues and delayed payments. This was exacerbated during the pandemic but continued afterward, per the NELP survey. While fewer applicants had issues with payments overall, they continued to experience underpayment and delays receiving checks, not to mention being denied benefits outright. (In fact, the share of applicants who were incorrectly denied benefits doubled from 9% to 18% in the aftermath of the pandemic.) How employers can help Employers, too, can play a significant role in how people navigate these benefits. Nearly a third of workers said their employer had a hand in how they approached unemployment benefits—and 19% claimed an employer actively discouraged them from applying for benefits. On the other hand, employers were more likely to encourage highly paid and educated workers to seek out unemployment benefits. There was also some correlation with location, with workers receiving more assistance from employers in states like New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. The study indicates that Americans are in need of more generous unemployment benefits and expanded eligibility, in addition to basic improvements to how they access those benefits. At the same time, it reaffirms that any access to those benefits can be a crucial source of support for people facing unemployment, mitigating food insecurity and helping families manage the steep cost of medical bills and mortgage payments. With the looming threat of job losses, more workers may come to rely on those benefits to make ends meet.

The hits keep coming for world’s richest man Elon Musk. Tesla reported another weak quarter of performance as car buyers around the world increasingly opt for other brands. That wasn’t entirely surprising as analysts had forecast dismal first-quarter results, though the carmaker reported revenue and earnings that were significantly worse than the consensus of analysts’ estimates. The Austin-based carmaker reported that revenue fell 9.2% to $19.34 billion during the three months ended March 31, while the decline in the company’s automotive revenue was even worse, falling 20% from the first quarter of 2024. Adjusted earnings per share for the quarter came in at 27 cents. The company cited issues stemming from policy to politics for its performance. “Uncertainty in the automotive and energy markets continues to increase as rapidly evolving trade policy adversely impacts the global supply chain and cost structure of Tesla and our peers,” the company said in the report. “This dynamic, along with changing political sentiment, could have a meaningful impact on demand for our products in the near-term.” An update from Elon Musk In an effort to revitalize the beleaguered carmaker, investors are hopeful that CEO Elon Musk will make a newsworthy announcement in a live company update following the release of the quarterly results, scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m. ET. Investors have been looking for any silver linings amid a 50% crash in the stock’s price since its all-time high in December. One long-awaited update that Musk could offer investors is regarding plans for a more affordable electric vehicle model. That said, three sources exclusively told Reuters last week that the launch of such a vehicle has been delayed by at least several months. Likewise, there’s been speculation on Wall Street that Musk might use the conference call to update investors about the planned debut of robotaxis, driverless ride-hailing services, in Austin in June and in California later this year. There’s also been speculation that Musk might announce the timing of his departure from the Trump Administration. Tesla shares fell nearly 1% in after-hours trading, after posting a 4.6% gain Tuesday alongside a broader rally in the U.S. stock market. Disdain reigns supreme Analysts and investors alike were bracing for what was widely expected to be a disastrous earnings report that coincides with Musk assuming a heavy-handed role as a senior advisor in President Donald Trump’s second administration. Musk has become one of the most polarizing figures in the new administration, and there’s palpable disdain for the man and the brand: About half of Americans have a negative view of both Musk and Tesla, according to the results of a CNBC survey released Tuesday. Tesla has become “arguably the most scrutinized company in the world,” Matt Britzman, senior equity analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, told The Associated Press ahead of the earnings results. In addition to being the target of protests and vandalism, Tesla was recently dealt a blow by regulators, who issued a recall of nearly all Cybertrucks last month. A fork in the road for Tesla Once a darling of Wall Street, Tesla’s performance has hit more than a few bumps in the road this year. Not only has vehicle production has slowed, so too has delivery of these vehicles. In a report released earlier this month, the Austin-based company reported 336,681 vehicle deliveries in the first quarter, a 13% decline from the same period a year ago. This missed the mark of various analysts estimates, which expected deliveries to number as much as nearly 378,000, according to the average estimate of select estimates that Tesla’s investor relations team sent to select analysts. That report highlighted a particular weakness for Tesla: Delivery of models other than the Model 3 and Model Y, the most popular in its fleet, slumped more than 24% to less than 13,000 vehicles, compared with 17,027 in 2024. This group of vehicles includes the much-hyped—though increasingly much-maligned—Cybertruck model that debuted in 2023. Following the release of that report, Dan Ives, an analyst with Wedbush Securities, posted on the social media platform X that the numbers “were a disaster on every metric” and represented a “fork in the road moment” for the carmaker.

Some folks frame Monet prints. Some buy NFTs. Others bolt a Formula One camshaft to the wall. If you fall into the lattermost camp, Ferrari just gave you the ultimate excuse to turn your living room into a shrine for combustion. At Milan Design Week, the Prancing Horse unveiled Ferrari Collectibles – a collection of reimagined engine parts from some of their most legendary machines, now presented as art pieces worthy of both a gallery and a gearhead’s man cave. Forget abstract sculptures and conceptual installations. Ferrari is literally framing its world-class engineering as sculptural art. That piston? It once fired at 19,000 rpm. That V12? It used to scream down Mugello at full throttle. Each piece tells a story, one that involves titanium alloys, championship battles, and a whole lot of red. While one could justify that form follows function, a lot of these engineering parts also serve as gorgeous art, representative of sheer power, adrenaline, and determination. Designer: Ferrari Among the highlights is the Tipo 048B engine from the 1999 F1 season. A naturally aspirated 3.0-liter V10 that made 790 CV – about 780 hp in real-world numbers – and revved to a hair-raising 16,300 rpm. This thing powered Michael Schumacher, Eddie Irvine, and Mika Salo in Ferrari’s victorious Constructors’ Championship run. Now, you can place it next to your record collection and pretend it’s just another conversation piece. Spoiler: it absolutely isn’t. Then there’s the LaFerrari prototype engine, a 6.3-liter V12 fused with the F1-derived HY-KERS hybrid system. Total output? A staggering 963 hp. This particular power unit came from a development mule – essentially a rolling science experiment with very expensive DNA. Unique doesn’t quite cut it here. This is one-of-one territory, where rarity meets raw power and form follows function into full-blown artistry. The collection features more obscure but iconic collectible parts too. A camshaft from the F2003-GA, which helped clinch yet another world title. An exhaust pipe from the F60, once fed by the foot of Kimi Räikkönen. A crankshaft from Alonso’s 2010 debut in the F10. These components didn’t just exist – they competed, endured, and occasionally broke under pressure. Now, they’re preserved with reverence, a freeze-frame of motorsport history encased in sleek acrylic and brushed aluminum. Even the smaller pieces carry emotional heft. A carbon fiber brake disc from the SF71H, a conrod from the F1-2000, and a piston from Schumacher’s dominant F2002 all feature in the lineup. These aren’t replicas. They’re scarred, used, and undeniably authentic – metal that once danced with fire, now quietly telling tales. Transparent casings, minimalist mounts, and floating frames give each item a sense of weightlessness – until you remember that camshaft probably weighs more than your espresso machine. Pricing? Let’s just say these collectibles aren’t for the faint of wallet. But if you’ve got deep pockets and an even deeper respect for motorsport history, this is as close as you’ll get to owning a piece of Ferrari’s soul, without needing a flatbed truck or a pit crew.The post Ferrari Is Selling Real F1 Engine Parts as Museum-Worthy Collectibles for Rich Gearheads first appeared on Yanko Design.

A timely reminder of how artful video game visual design can be.

The future of Elon Musk’s electric car company is murky. It may rest on Tesla's forthcoming self-driving taxi service, which Musk says will launch this summer.

Elon Musk's DOGE has access to 19 sensitive systems at HHS. In at least one instance, it appears that access was granted without the proper security training.

A new type of glue developed by researchers from MIT and Germany combines sticky polymers inspired by the mussel with the germ-­fighting properties of another natural material: mucus. To stick to a rock or a ship, mussels secrete a fluid full of proteins connected by chemical cross-links. As it happens, similar cross-linking features are found in mucin—a large protein that, besides water, is the primary component of mucus. George Degen, a postdoc in MIT’s Department of Mechanical Engineering and a coauthor of a paper on the work, wondered whether mussel-inspired polymers could link with chemical groups in mucin. To test this idea, he combined solutions of natural mucin proteins with synthetic mussel-­inspired polymers and observed how the resulting mixture solidified and stuck to surfaces over time. “It’s like a two-part epoxy. You combine two liquids together, and chemistry starts to occur so that the liquid solidifies while the substance is simultaneously gluing itself to the surface,” Degen says.  The resulting gel strongly adheres even to wet surfaces while preventing the buildup of bacteria. The researchers envision that it could be injected or sprayed as a liquid, which would soon turn into a sticky gel. The material might coat medical implants, for example, to help prevent infection. The approach could also be adapted to incorporate other natural materials such as keratin, which might be used in sustainable packaging materials.

Soon after MIT’s 18th president, Sally Kornbluth, was inaugurated in May 2023, she made it a priority to expand her early on-campus listening tour to alumni living and working around the world. She wanted to learn more about their priorities and their connections with MIT, while also engaging them in her expansive vision for its future.  This international “presidential welcome tour” brought Kornbluth to cities with large alumni communities, including New York, San Francisco, and Washington, DC, as well as London and Singapore. She mingled with alumni and friends, including MIT donors and the families of current students, at receptions that were followed by fireside chats with MIT alumni leaders. At these events, she underscored the ways alumni and friends can help promote the Institute’s mission—such as volunteering, donating, and spreading positive news from MIT throughout the world. “I think that communication about the wonderful things that are going on at MIT to the broader community is actually really important,” she said. “There’s no place like MIT to address the serious problems of our time.” The impact of the alumni community on MIT’s mission was further articulated by MIT Alumni Association CEO Whitney T. Espich, HM ’24. “You are the walking embodiment of MIT’s values and potential in the world,” she told alums. “It is this community that keeps taking on our toughest problems, healing our planet, leading on AI, and finding grand solutions in tiny quantum dots.” Past MITAA president R. Robert Wickham ’93, SM ’95, who moderated the conversation with President Kornbluth in London, noted that the event gave him and his peers a renewed sense of MIT’s role in meeting the world’s greatest challenges, such as combating climate change, ensuring ethical AI, and treating and curing disease. “Energizing the global connectivity of our community is something that’s very important to me as an international alum, so having Sally come to London and meet with so many of our European-based alums was very special,” says Wickham.  Natalie Lorenz Anderson ’84, the MITAA’s 2024–’25 president, traveled to Singapore for the tour’s final event. “I have found the president to be an excellent listener, very empathetic, attuned to the audience, and very wise in what she communicates,” says Lorenz Anderson. “There was such palpable energy, and alumni enjoyed hearing from her about the future of MIT. All five of these events have been a terrific way for alumni to get to know her.” 

Mike Rockwell, the new head of Siri, is reportedly turning over much of the development work to his previous team for Apple Vision Pro.Efforts to update Siri with Apple Intelligence are now falling to Apple Vision Pro teamsFirst Apple "fixer" Kim Vorrath moved to the Siri team, then previous head John Giannandrea was abruptly replaced by Apple Vision Pro chief Rockwell. Now, according to Bloomberg, Rockwell has restructured the Siri team specifically to bring in people from his Vision Pro work.The restructuring has begun with Ranjit Desai, being placed in charge of the underlying Siri system group. Rockwell reportedly told staff that Desai would help Siri reach a "new level" because of his knowledge of "high-performance, low-latency systems." Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums