How did Elon Musk go from being an Obama supporter to a self-described "dark MAGA" Trump ally? Here's a look at the relationship between two billionaires ahead of the second Trump presidency.Read the original article on Business Insider

Oxford Street in LondonA view of London's Oxford Street. Anadolu/Anadolu via Getty Images One of London's busiest shopping spots also doubles as the perfect photo stop during the festive season.The street is draped in overhead lighting every year, with this year's totaling about 300,000 star-shaped LEDs, the BBC reported.There are also plenty of restaurants and retailers around, which add their own spins on the festive decor. The Galeries Lafayette in ParisDecorating the halls of Galeries Lafayette Paris has been a tradition the department store has followed since 1976. Grgoire CAMPIONE/AFP/Getty Images Since 1976, department store Galeries Lafayette has celebrated the festive season by constructing a giant Christmas tree. This year is no different, except that the brand is also celebrating its 130th anniversary.Its pink tree is covered in 20,000 programmable lights, paired with what the store calls "a fiber-optic fireworks effect."The design was inspired by former Louis Vuitton designer Kevin Germanier's dress collection. Gwanghwamun Square in SeoulA large Christmas tree is installed during the Seoul Winter Festa event at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul. Kim Jae-Hwan/SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty Images Seoul lights up for the holiday season with its Winter Festa, which runs from November through February 2025 at popular places across the city, such as Gwanghwamun Square, Cheonggyecheon Stream, and Seoul Plaza.The festival features dazzling art, illuminated sculptures, including a "Squid Game"-themed exhibit, and vibrant lantern displays.There's also a brightly lit Christmas tree in the center of Gwanghwamun Square overlooking a festive market. The Rockefeller Center Christmas tree in New York CityThe Rockefeller Center Christmas tree has been a staple of New York City's Christmas celebrations every year since 1931. AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson The Center's annual tree-lighting ceremony is a big event that draws large crowds in person and on TV. Last year, NBC's broadcast of the ceremony attracted 7 million viewers, Variety reported.This year's tree, from West Stockbridge, Massachusetts, is 74 feet tall and weighs about 11 tons.Over 50,000 multi-colored LED lights were used to decorate it, and a glittering 900-pound Swarovski star was placed on top. Calle Marques de Larios in SpainA dancer is seen performing at Marques de Larios Street during the festive season. Jesus Merida/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images Calle Marques de Larios is among the most popular shopping streets in Mlaga, Spain.During the festive season, the city creates and decorates a special procession pathway between the streets for some added holiday sparkle.This year's displays will feature 16 angel figures suspended in the air and an impressive 2.7 million LED lights, per SUR, a local newspaper in Mlaga. Luci d'Artista in Salerno, ItalyChristmas illuminations during the 17th edition of the Luci d'Artista festival in Salerno in December 2022. Anadolu/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images Luci d'Artista is an annual event that combines art and festive celebrations by lighting the streets of Salerno ahead of the holidays.Various parts of the city are draped in festive lights and displays, such as the illuminated zoo, a lemon-tree-shaped light setup, and an LED replica of the night sky. The installations are on display from November 29 until January 2025.In addition to the holiday lights, a nearly 65-foot Christmas tree is set up in the central square, Piazza Portanova. Pozna Christmas Market in PolandThe Venetian carousel, Christmas tree, and Ferris wheel at the Pozna Christmas market in the center of Pozna. Volha Shukaila/SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty Images Every year, the historic Old Market Square in Pozna undergoes a festive transformation ahead of the holiday season, becoming a one-stop shop for all your Christmas needs.From festive treats like hot chocolate and mulled wine to dazzling light displays and child-friendly rides, this market has everything to make the holiday season feel magical.Around this time, an ice festival also occurs at the Old Market Square. It features a small sculpture competition and a speed ice-carving contest. Praa do Comrcio in LisbonThe Christmas lights in Lisbon were officially inaugurated on November 23 this year, continuing the tradition in Praa do Comrcio. Luis Boza/NurPhoto/Getty Images A lesser-considered yet spectacular spot for the holidays is Lisbon specifically, its decorations around its grand plaza or Praa do Comrcio.Every year, the city celebrates Christmastime by setting up a nearly 98-foot-tall tree that's decked up in LED lights and festive ribbons.There's also an ice rink where kids and adults can skate while enjoying the lovely light displays. McAdenville town in North CarolinaPopularly known as Christmas Town USA, McAdenville, a small town in North Carolina, gets beautifully decorated for the holiday season, attracting thousands of visitors every year. Peter Zay/Anadolu/Anadolu/Getty Images McAdenville, in North Carolina, transforms into a holiday wonderland every December, with over 500,000 lights illuminating its streets, homes, and trees.Widely known as Christmas Town USA, the tradition of decorating the whole town began in 1956, per Travel & Leisure, and continues to attract thousands of visitors every year.Guests can stroll or drive through the festive displays, enjoy a tree-lighting ceremony, and soak in the community spirit all for free. Grand-Place in BrusselsGrand Place's Christmas tree illumination ceremony marks the beginning of winter and Christmas in Brussels. Nicolas Tucat/AFP/Getty Images Winter Wonders, the annual festive market in Brussels, is home to over 200 small business stalls, food vendors, and plenty of festive activities.At the center of the market, overlooking all these activities, is the city's nearly 65-foot-tall Christmas tree, which, according to the Brussels Times, was chosen from a private garden in Rixensart, Wallonia.This year's tree decorations include ornaments signed by famous Belgians, which will eventually be auctioned to support Make-A-Wish. Castle Square in Warsaw, PolandChristmas in Warsaw, Poland, on December 5, 2024. Foto Olimpik/NurPhoto/NurPhoto/Getty Images Poland's capital city comes alive with glittering lights this time of year, with festive displays stretching from the Royal Castle to the Old Town.At the end of the route on Castle Square stands the city's Christmas tree bedecked in blue and gold.While strolling along the route, visitors can enjoy the light installations and the Christmas market, where they can browse seasonal souvenirs and sip on warm drinks. Parques del Rio in Medellin, ColombiaGiant Christmas installations displayed by the Medellin River in Colombia. JAIME SALDARRIAGA/AFP/Getty Images This Colombian city goes all-out during the festive season with a spectacular display of lights.For 57 years, Medellin has celebrated Alumbrados, a festival of lights known for its vibrant exhibits and 3D glow-in-the-dark figurines.Over 27 million LEDs have been used to assemble this year's festive displays, which visitors can watch for free. Porta do Sol in Vigo, SpainPeople attend the Christmas lights ceremony at Porta do Sol on 16 November 2024 in Vigo, Spain. Adrian Irago/Europa Press News/Europa Press/Getty Images A nearly 147-foot tall Christmas tree decked with vibrant lights at Porta do Sol in Vigo sets the tone for the city's holiday celebrations.The streets sparkle with over 11.5 million LED lights spread across 450 streets and squares, per Galacia Travels, a Spanish travel agency.In addition to the festive markets, visitors can enjoy taking photos at the Christmas castle and a giant illuminated bauble nearby. St. Peter's Square in Vatican CityThe Nativity scene and the Christmas tree lighting ceremony in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican this year. Rocco Spaziani/Archivio Spaziani/Mondadori Portfolio/Getty Images Christmas celebrations at the Vatican, which run from December 9 to January 7, draw many visitors.At Saint Peter's Square, a Christmas tree and a life-size Nativity scene take center stage.This tradition started in 1982 under Pope John Paul II, with Italy providing the inaugural tree. Each year since, a different European country or region has contributed the tree. The US Capitol in Washington, DCThe US Capitol Christmas tree is lit on the west front during a December 3, 2024, ceremony. Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images An 80-foot Sitka spruce from Alaska's Tongass National Forest lights up the West Lawn of the US Capitol this holiday season.A tradition since 1970, the tree traveled over 4,200 miles, making 11 community stops before it was set up in Washington, DC.It will be lit every night from dusk until 11 p.m. through January 1, 2025. Federation Square in Melbourne, AustraliaA giant Christmas tree is illuminated at Federation Square in Melbourne. Ye Myo Khant/SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty Images From a sound and light show to food stalls, there's plenty of festive cheer to bask in in Melbourne.Federation Square has been transformed into a magical Christmas hub, featuring a nearly 57-foot-tall Christmas tree, twinkling lights, performers, caroling choirs, and several other free festive activities.The Square is open until Christmas Day. Old Town Square in PragueAn illuminated Christmas tree at the traditional Christmas market in the Old Town Square in Prague. Tomas Tkacik/SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty Images The nearly 72-foot Christmas tree at Old Town Square in Prague adds a festive glow to the city's holiday atmosphere.Sourced from Krompach, a village in the eskolipsko region, the spruce tree is decorated with red and gold baubles, oversized stars, and over 110,000 LED lights. The Christmas Village in San Salvador, El SalvadorA giant Christmas tree in the Christmas Village at the Historic Center in San Salvador. APHOTOGRAFIA/Getty Images San Salvador's Christmas Village at the Historic Center features a large Christmas tree, a Santa house, a cookie factory, and a bustling Christmas market.In addition to the village, iconic landmarks, including the National Palace and National Theater, will host festive-friendly activities and performances throughout the season.The Christmas Village is free to visit and open daily from 10 a.m. to midnight until January 1. Syntagma Square in Athens, GreeceThe Christmas tree in Syntagma Square in Athens, Greece. Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto/NurPhoto/Getty Images According to the Greek City Times, a nearly 64-foot-tall tree sourced from the village of Taxiarchis in Halkidiki is now the centerpiece of Athens' festive celebrations.This year's holiday theme, inspired by fairy tales, transforms the square into a magical setting filled with characters like little elves and the Nutcracker. Rustaveli Avenue in Tbilisi, GeorgiaThe main Christmas tree on Rustaveli Avenue in Tbilisi. Jerome Gilles/NurPhoto/Getty Images Despite ongoing protests in Georgia, city officials went ahead with its annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony although later than usual and without a formal celebration on December 16.Protests in Georgia intensified in late October following the government's decision to delay its bid to join the European Union, per CNN.Before the tree was set and decorated, it became part of the protests; protestors hung flags of Georgia, the EU, Ukraine, and the US instead of festive decor, Georgia Today reported.Amid the growing political tensions, Tbilisi's streets and monuments, like the Ballet Theater, have still been illuminated for the season.

OpenAI's marketing campaign "Shipmas" ended Friday.The campaign included 12 days of product releases, demos, and new features.On the final day, OpenAI previewed o3, its most advanced model yet.OpenAI released new features and products ahead of the holidays, a campaign it called "Shipmas."The company saved the most exciting news for the final day: a preview of o3, its most advanced model yet, which the company said could be available to the public as soon as the end of January.Here's everything OpenAI has released so far for "Shipmas."'Shipmas' Day 1OpenAI started the promotion with a bang by releasing the full version of its latest reasoning model, o1.OpenAI previewed o1 in September, describing it as a series of artificial-intelligence models "designed to spend more time thinking before they respond." Until now, only a limited version of these models was available to ChatGPT Plus and Team users. Now, these users have access to the full capabilities of o1 models, which Altman said are faster, smarter, and easier to use than the preview. They're also multimodal, which means they can process images and texts jointly.Max Schwarzer, a researcher at OpenAI, said the full version of o1 was updated based on user feedback from the preview version and said it's now more intelligent and accurate."We ran a pretty detailed suite of human evaluations for this model, and what we found was that it made major mistakes about 34% less often than o1 preview while thinking fully about 50% faster," he said.Along with o1, OpenAI unveiled a new tier of ChatGPT called ChatGPT Pro. It's priced at $200 a month and includes unlimited access to the latest version of o1.'Shipmas' Day 2On Friday, OpenAI previewed an advancement that allows users to fine-tune o1 on their own datasets. Users can now leverage OpenAI's reinforcement-learning algorithms which mimic the human trial-and-error learning process to customize their own models. The technology will be available to the public next year, allowing anyone from machine-learning engineers to genetic researchers to create domain-specific AI models. OpenAI has already partnered with the Reuters news agency to develop a legal assistant based on o1-mini. It has also partnered with the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory to develop computational methods for assessing rare genetic diseases.'Shipmas' Day 3 The Explore page of OpenAI's Sora AI tool, which generates AI videos from text prompts. screenshot/OpenAI OpenAI announced on December 9 that its AI video generator Sora was launching to the public.Sora can generate up to 20-second videos from written instructions. The tool can also complete a scene and extend existing videos by filling in missing frames."We want our AIs to be able to understand video and generate video and I think it really will deeply change the way that we use computers," the CEO added.Rohan Sahai, Sora's product lead, said a product team of about five or six engineers built the product in months.The company showed off the new product and its various features, including the Explore page, which is a feed of videos shared by the community. It also showed various style presets available like pastel symmetry, film noir, and balloon world. OpenAI showed off Sora's features, including Storyboard for further customizing AI videos. screenshot/OpenAI The team also gave a demo of Sora's Storyboard feature, which lets users organize and edit sequences on a timeline.Sora is rolling out to the public in the US and many countries around the world. However, Altman said it will be "a while" before the tool rolls out in the UK and most of Europe.ChatGPT Plus subscribers who pay $20 monthly can get up to 50 generations per month of AI videos that are 5 seconds long with a resolution of 720p. ChatGPT Pro users who pay $200 a month get unlimited generations in the slow queue mode and 500 faster generations, Altman said in the demo. Pro users can generate up to 20-second long videos that are 1080p resolution, without watermarks.'Shipmas' Day 4 ChatGPT can provide more specific edit notes and run code using canvas. OpenAI OpenAI announced that it's bringing its collaborative canvas tool to all ChatGPT web users with some updates.The company demonstrated the tech in a holiday-themed walkthrough of some of its new capabilities. Canvas is an interface that turns ChatGPT into a writing or coding assistant on a project. OpenAI first launched it to ChatGPT Plus and Team users in October.Starting Tuesday, canvas will be available to free web users who'll be able to select the tool from a drop-down of options on ChatGPT. The chatbot can load large bodies of text into the separate canvas window that appears next to the ongoing conversation thread.Canvas can get even more intuitive in its responses with new updates, OpenAI said. To demonstrate, they uploaded an essay about Santa Claus's sleigh and asked ChatGPT to give its editing notes from the perspective of a physics professor.For writers, it can craft entire bodies of text, make changes based on requests, and add emojis. Coders can run code in canvas to double-check that it's working properly.'Shipmas' Day 5 All Apple users need to do is enable ChatGPT on their devices. OpenAI 'Shipmas' Day 5 OpenAI talked about its integration with Apple for the iPhone, iPad, and macOS.As part of the iOS 18.2 software update, Apple users can now access ChatGPT directly from Apple's operating systems without an OpenAI account. This new integration allows users to consult ChatGPT through Siri, especially for more complex questions.They can also use ChatGPT to generate text through Apple's generative AI features, collectively called Apple Intelligence. The first of these features was introduced in October and included tools for proofreading and rewriting text, summarizing messages, and photo-editing features. They can also access ChatGPT through the camera control feature on the iPhone 16 to learn more about objects within the camera's view.'Shipmas' Day 6 OpenAI launched video capabilities in ChatGPT's Advanced Voice Mode. screenshot/OpenAI OpenAI launched its highly anticipated video and screensharing capabilities in ChatGPT's Advanced Voice Mode.The company originally teased the public with a glimpse of the chatbot's ability to "reason across" vision along with text and audio during OpenAI's Spring Update in May. However, Advanced Voice Mode didn't become available for users until September, and the video capabilities didn't start rolling out until December 12.In the livestream demonstration on Thursday, ChatGPT helped guide an OpenAI employee through making pour-over coffee. The chatbot gave him feedback on his technique and answered questions about the process. During the Spring Update, OpenAI employees showed off the chatbot's ability to act as a math tutor and interpret emotions based on facial expressions.Users can access the live video by selecting the Advanced Voice Mode icon in the ChatGPT app and then choosing the video button on the bottom-left of the screen. Users can share their screen with ChatGPT by hitting the drop-down menu and selecting "Share Screen."'Shipmas' Day 7 OpenAI introduced Projects on Day 7 of "Shipmas" screenshot/OpenAI For "Shipmas" Day 7, OpenAI introduced Projects, a new way for users to "organize and customize" conversations within ChatGPT. The tool allows users to upload files and notes, store chats, and create custom instructions."This has been something we've been hearing from you for a while that you really want to see inside ChatGPT," OpenAI chief product officer Kevin Weil said. "So we can't wait to see what you do with it."During the live stream demonstration, OpenAI employees showed a number of ways to use the feature, including organizing work presentations, home maintenance tasks, and programming.The tool started to roll out to Plus, Pro, and Teams users on Friday. The company said in the demonstration it will roll out the tool to free users "as soon as possible."'Shipmas' Day 8 OpenAI announced on Monday it is rolling out SearchGPT to all logged-in free users. screenshot/OpenAI OpenAI is rolling out ChatGPT search to all logged-in free users on ChatGPT, the company announced during its "Shipmas" livestream on Monday. The company previously launched the feature on October 31 to Plus and Team users, as well as waitlist users.The new feature is also integrated into Advanced Voice Mode now. On the livestream, OpenAI employees showed off its ability to provide quick search results, search while users talk to ChatGPT, and act as a default search engine."What's really unique about ChatGPT search is the conversational nature," OpenAI's search product lead, Adam Fry, said.The company also said it made Search faster and "better on mobile," including the addition of some new maps experiences. ChatGPT search feature is rolling out globally to all users with an account.'Shipmas' Day 9 OpenAI announced tools geared towards developers. screenshot/OpenAI OpenAI launched tools geared toward developers on Tuesday.It launched o1 out of preview in the API. OpenAI's o1 is its series of AI models designed to reason through complex tasks and solve more challenging problems. Developers have experimented with o1 preview since September to build agentic applications, customer support, and financial analysis, OpenAI employee Michelle Pokrass said.The company also added some "core features" to o1 that it said developers had been asking for on the API, including function calling, structured outputs, vision inputs, and developer messages.OpenAI also announced new SDKs and a new flow for getting an API key.'Shipmas' Day 10 You can access ChatGPT through phone calls or WhatsApp. screenshot/OpenAI OpenAI is bringing ChatGPT to your phone through phone calls and WhatsApp messages."ChatGPT is great but if you don't have a consistent data connection, you might not have the best connection," OpenAI engineer Amadou Crookes said in the livestream. "And so if you have a phone line you can jump right into that experience."You can add ChatGPT to your contacts or dial the number at 1-800-ChatGPT or 1-800-242-8478. The calling feature is only available for those living in the US. Those outside the US can message ChatGPT on WhatsApp.OpenAI employees in the live stream demonstrated the calling feature on a range of devices including an iPhone, flip phone, and even a rotary phone. OpenAI product lead Kevin Weil said the feature came out of a hack-week project and was built just a few weeks ago.'Shipmas' Day 11 Open AI's ChatGPT desktop program has new features. screenshot/OpenAI OpenAI focused on features for its desktop apps during Thursday's "Shipmas" reveal. Users can now see and automate their work on MacOS desktops with ChatGPT.Additionally, users can click the "Works With Apps" button, which allows them to work with more coding apps, such as Textmate, BB Edit, PyCharm, and others. The desktop app will support Notion, Quip, and Apple Notes.Also, the desktop app will have Advanced Voice Mode support.The update became available for the MacOS desktop on Thursday. OpenAI CPO Kevin Weil said the Windows version is "coming soon."'Shipmas' Day 12 Sam Altman and Mark Chen introduced the o3 and o3 mini models during a livestream on Friday. screenshot/OpenAI OpenAI finished its "12 days of Shipmas" campaign by introducing o3, the successor to the o1 model. The company first launched the o1 model in September and advertised its "enhanced reasoning capabilities."The rollout includes the o3 and 03-mini models. Although "o2" should be the next model number, an OpenAI spokesperson told Bloomberg that it didn't use that name "out of respect' for the British telecommunications company.Greg Kamradt of Arc Prize, which measures progress toward artificial general intelligence, appeared during the livestream and said o3 did notably better than o1 during tests by ARC-AGI.OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said during the livestream that the models are available for public safety testing. He said OpenAI plans to launch the o3 mini model "around the end of January" and the o3 model "shortly after that."In a post on X on Friday, Weil said the o3 model is a "massive step up from o1 on every one of our hardest benchmarks."

This weeks installment of the long-running saga, House Republicans cannot govern, will soon be forgotten. Elon Musks decision to blow up a bipartisan agreement to keep the government funded through the sheer power of posting (and the latent threat posed by his immense wealth), Donald Trump suddenly calling for the abolition of the debt limit, House Republican Chip Roy telling his colleagues that they lack an ounce of self-respect all these dramas will surely give way to even more ridiculous ones in the new year.But this weeks government funding fight also revealed something that could have profound implications for the next four years of governance: Trumps power over the congressional GOP is quite limited.This did not appear to be the case just days ago. On Wednesday, Trump joined Elon Musk in calling on House Republicans to scrap a bipartisan spending deal that would have kept the government funded through March, increased disaster relief, and funded pediatric cancer research, among many other things. Despite the fact that the GOP needs buy-in from the Senates Democratic majority in order to pass any legislation and failure to pass a spending bill by Saturday would mean a government shutdown House Republicans heeded Trumps call to nix the carefully negotiated compromise.If Trump had little difficulty persuading his co-partisans to block one spending bill, however, he proved less adept at getting them to support a different one. On Thursday, in coordination with Trump, the House GOP unveiled a new funding bill, one shorn of all Democratic priorities. Over social media, the president-elect instructed his party to vote YES for this Bill, TONIGHT! Then, 38 House Republicans voted against the legislation, which was more than enough to sink it amid nearly unified Democratic opposition. House conservatives defiance of Trump is partly attributable to ideological differences. The president-elects objections to Wednesdays bipartisan agreement were distinct from those of his donor Elon Musk or the House GOPs hardliners. The latter disdained the spending bills page count and fiscal cost. Trump, by contrast, appeared more preoccupied with the legislations failure to increase or eliminate the debt limit.RelatedWhat the hell is going on in Congress, explainedWhich is understandable. The debt limit may be the most irrational of all the US governments institutions. It does not prevent Congress from authorizing spending far in excess of federal revenue. Rather, it authorizes the government to finance the spending that Congress has already ordered through borrowing. The alternative to raising the debt limit is for the government to default on its obligations to American citizens, or to its lenders, or both. In practice, breaching the debt limit could trigger global financial tumult, as the worlds most widely trusted safe asset US treasury debt suddenly becomes a risky investment.Although refusing to raise the debt limit would be economically disastrous, many lawmakers are inclined to do so anyway. After all, increasing the limit on how much debt the government can accrue when the federal debt already sits at $36 trillion can sound bad to voters when highlighted out of context in a campaign ad. And some conservatives see threatening to sabotage the global financial system as a potential means of forcing through unpopular spending cuts. So getting Congress to raise the debt limit is inevitably a bit of a headache. And Trump does not want that high-stakes formality getting in the way of his plans to enact large tax cuts that if history is any guide will substantially increase the debt and deficit. Trump therefore implored House Republicans to suspend the debt limit for at least two years or else, eliminate it entirely so it wouldnt interfere with his honeymoon period (as is, Congress will likely need to raise the debt ceiling at some point next year, after narrowly averting a crisis in 2023). House Speaker Mike Johnson honored this request, adding a two-year debt limit hike to Thursdays bill.For dozens of House conservatives, the idea of voting for a spending bill devoid of any major funding cuts that also suspended the debt limit was more odious than the prospect of defying Trump.It is not surprising that some House Republicans would prize conservative purity above fealty to Trump. That nearly 40 of them would harbor such priorities is a revelation, however. During the 2024 campaign, Trump demonstrated a remarkable capacity to dictate ideological terms to his party, officially forswearing a national abortion ban without provoking any sustained attacks from his right. Combined with his apparent success in revising conservative orthodoxy on trade, entitlement spending, and US-Russia policy, Trumps pivot on abortion raised the possibility that the modern right was a personality cult first and an ideological movement second. Its now clear that for a substantial portion of House Republicans, this is not the case. And that is going to raise serious challenges to Trumps agenda next year.Republicans will control both chambers of Congress in 2025, but their majority in the House will be razor-thin: They will have at most a five-vote majority by years end, assuming they sweep all impending special elections in deep-red districts. The party will need to reach something approaching unanimity in order to advance legislation without Democratic help. This might not seem like such a difficult feat when it comes to passing the cornerstone of Trumps legislative agenda, an extension and expansion of his 2017 tax cuts: If Republicans agree on anything, after all, it is that taxes should be lower.Yet some conservatives evince genuine concern about deficits and insist on paying for the tax cuts by slashing spending. Others hail from swing districts and may be nervous about signing off on unpopular cuts to social welfare programs. At least a few Republicans are even reluctant to roll back all of the Inflation Reduction Acts pro-clean energy tax credits, which have disproportionately benefited Republican areas. Appeasing all relevant constituencies will be difficult. Theoretically, Trump could make this task easier by cowing intransigent Republicans with charges of disloyalty and threats of primary challenges. But after Thursday, it appears less certain that the president-elect actually boasts such power over the House GOPs backbenchers.It is worth recalling that Trump is a 78-year-old lame duck. If you are an up-and-coming conservative House member with aspirations to run for higher office a decade from now, a reputation for conservative ideological purity might eventually prove more useful than a record of perfect fealty to an elderly man whose interest in the Republican Party is liable to evaporate the moment he forfeits the presidency.Whatever happens, Trump is poised to wield a disconcerting amount of personal power over the executive branch come next year. But he may find that his capacity to dictate terms to Congress is as frustratingly limited as our governments authority to issue new debt. Youve read 1 article in the last monthHere at Vox, we're unwavering in our commitment to covering the issues that matter most to you threats to democracy, immigration, reproductive rights, the environment, and the rising polarization across this country.Our mission is to provide clear, accessible journalism that empowers you to stay informed and engaged in shaping our world. By becoming a Vox Member, you directly strengthen our ability to deliver in-depth, independent reporting that drives meaningful change.We rely on readers like you join us.Swati SharmaVox Editor-in-ChiefSee More:

The year in Star Wars was a shaky one, but amid all the surprising big-screen announcements, the biggest earthquakes might have emanated from Disney+ series The Acolyte. The series upended a lot of Star Wars most ingrained tenets, especially about the Jedi Order, and poked the feels of fans who have toxic ways of expressing themselves. Then, not long after its season ended, the show was announced as cancelleda rare stroke of finality for Lucasfilm. Speaking to Vulture in a wide-ranging interview that also touches on Marvels streaming future, among other topics, Disneys Alan Bergman acknowledged The Acolytes achievements (it was a hit, remember?). But he also had a pragmatic explanation as to why it only got one season. As it relates to Acolyte, we were happy with our performance, but it wasnt where we needed it to be given the cost structure of that title, quite frankly, to go and make a season two, Bergman said. So thats the reason why we didnt do that. As for Disney+s current Star Wars title, the recently debuted Skeleton Crew, he said its too early to see whatll be next. Skeleton Crew is in process now, so well see. Weve seen some growth on that. Well see how that goes the reviews have been excellent on Skeleton Crew, so well have to see how that all plays out as it moves forward. That catches us up through 2024. But what about next year? We have Andor season two, which were really excited about. It is excellent. Ive watched all the episodes, and it is a fantastic season, Bergman said. Hes the boss, so its not like hes going to say anything differentbut that is nice to hear, isnt it?Theres also Dave Filonis second season of Ahsoka, Bergman continued, and added, Were looking at a number of additional series that are in development. Well see what we decide to do. As I said earlier, they have to be great, and when were in the position where we think we have what we want, were going to move forward. In terms of the films, at this point we have Mandalorian, which is coming out Memorial Day of 26, and weve got a number of films that we are developing. When were ready, well be making announcements as to what those are. The takeaway from that is that a lot of confirmed details about Star Wars future are still up in the airjust the way Star Wars seems to like it. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, whats next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.

By Matt Novak Published December 20, 2024 | Comments (2) | U.S. oligarch Elon Musk at the U.S. Capitol after a meeting with Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., while on the Hill to talk about President-elect Donald Trump's "Department of Government Efficiency," on Thursday, December 5, 2024 Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images Elon Musk, Americas wealthiest oligarch, tweeted an endorsement of Germanys AfD political party and many Germans arent happy with that fact. Why? It probably has something to do with AfDs racism, xenophobia, and links to neo-Nazis. You know, just the normal things that Musk finds himself promoting here in 2024 as a top advisor to Donald Trump. Only the AfD can save Germany, the billionaire wrote in the early morning hours of Friday. Musks tweet was promoting another tweet from Naomi Seibt a German climate change denier who rose to prominence as the anti-Greta Thunberg. Seibt has also promoted conspiracy theories and been accused of being antisemitic, according to the Guardian, a claim she denies. The far-right in Germany were thrilled with Musks tweet, including Alice Weidel, whos running to be chancellor as co-leader of the AfD in the upcoming February elections, as Germanys DW news outlet reports.Yes! You are perfectly right! Weidel tweeted to Musk. Please also have a look into my interview on President Trump, how socialist Merkel ruined our country, how the Soviet European Union destroys the countries [sic] economic backbone and malfunctioning Germany! Germanys Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, its domestic intelligence organization, has listed AfD as a suspected terrorist organization and at least two German states have officially classified it as such, according to DW.But many other politicians in Germany were less than enthused, noting Musks interference in German politics and his rather notorious lack of intelligence, often displayed in late-night tweets. Alexander Throm, a politician with the Christian Democratic Union political party, even joked about Musks cognitive difficulties while talking to local media. I was a bit surprised because we usually hear that Elon Musk is this gifted wunderkind, but when I hear these comments, I have to doubt that, Throm told DW. Change can only be made by those who govern. And the AfD will not govern. Because no other party will form a government with them.Musks endorsement has serious implications for Americans as well, given the fact that he appears to be the most powerful political figure in the country right now. Musk has doubled his net worth this year as the wealthiest person in the world and helped Donald Trump get elected by spending over a quarter of a billion dollars on Republican races in the 2024 election. Musk, who has a history of racist comments, insists that he only voted for a Republican for the first time in 2022, suggesting he only voted for Democrats before that. But even if we take him at his word (he lies frequently, like when he initially denied funding Trumps presidential campaign) hes still become a powerhouse in Republican politics. And hes using that power right now.In fact, Musk has promised to initiate primaries against any Republicans that cross him, which is no idle threat given the fact that hes still operating a political action committee called America PAC. Musk has also been funding a group thats running ads to promote Pete Hegseths confirmation as Secretary of Defense. Those ads have been credited with applying pressure to Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa who was seen as a possible vote against Hegseth due to her history as a combat veteran who has publicly talked about her experience with sexual violence. Hegseth has been accused of sexual assault, a charge he denies. Ernst now appears to support Hegseths confirmation. Musk has also been making waves in the world of legislation even before Trump officially takes power on Jan. 20, 2025. The U.S. House is currently trying to pass funding to keep the government open before a 12:01 a.m. deadline that would shut down many governmental functions, but Musk has been credited with tanking two bills that were brought up Thursday.Speaker of the House Mike Johnson is reportedly working on another version of the funding bill thats supposed to get a vote Friday. But everyone is keeping an eye on Musks X account, which is where he gives orders and organizes his army of dipshit influencers who pressure politicians. If Musk gives the thumbs up, it seems likely to pass. If he says no, Trump will likely follow and well find ourselves in a government shutdown right in the middle of the busy holiday travel season. We live in a very transparent oligarchy at this point. And Musks promotion of a far-right party like AfD isnt a great sign of what lies ahead. Daily NewsletterYou May Also Like By Matthew Gault Published December 19, 2024 By Matthew Gault Published December 18, 2024 By Matthew Gault Published December 17, 2024 By Matt Novak Published December 16, 2024 By Lucas Ropek Published December 16, 2024 By Lucas Ropek Published December 13, 2024

By Passant Rabie Published December 20, 2024 | Comments (3) | NASA's Mars Chopper concept shown in a design software rendering. NASA/JPL-Caltech Almost a year after Ingenuity broke a blade and ended its experimental stint on Mars, NASA unveiled a new design concept for the Martian helicopters successor and its comparatively a big boy. NASAs Mars Chopper, as its called, is about the same size as an SUV, fitted with six rotors, with each rotor hosting six blades (I already did the math for you, thats a whopping 36 blades). The space agency recently revealed a rendering of the helicopter, which is still in its early conceptual and design stages, according to NASA. Chopper project manager Teddy Tzanetos also presented the concept during a briefing at the annual meeting of the American Geophysical Union in Washington on December 11. Ingenuity was the first helicopter to fly on another planet, paving the way for more capable choppers to follow in its path. Its low cost design and durability is helping NASA design future concepts to explore other planets in an entirely new way. NASA also shared a thrilling 30-second animation depicting the rotorcraft flying over the Martian terrain during a potential future mission. The Mars Chopper could transport science payloads weighing up to 11 pounds (5 kilograms) over distances of 1.9 miles (3 kilometers) per Martian day, or sol. Scientists could use Chopper to study large swaths of terrain in detail, quickly including areas where rovers cannot safely travel, NASA explained. NASAs Mars Chopper concept, shown in a design software rendering. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech Ingenuity walked so Chopper could run. The OG Martian helicopter arrived on the Red Planet in February 2021, tucked inside the belly of the Perseverance rover. Shortly afterwards, the 19-inch-tall (48-centimeter), 4-pound (1.8-kilogram) helicopter became the first powered aircraft to lift off from the surface of another planet. Although it was originally intended to perform just five test flights, Ingenuity kept on going, performing 72 flights, and flying 14 times farther than planned for a total flight time of two hours.Things came crashing down for Ingenuity earlier this year after the helicopter broke its blades while landing for the 72nd time, officially ending its mission in January. NASA recently concluded that in-flight navigation errors caused high horizontal velocities at touchdown. Ingenuity fulfilled its purpose of feeding information to NASA that would help it develop similar aircraft to explore Mars, and other planets, from above. During its test mission, Ingenuity also assisted the Perseverance rover in exploring the Red Planet, hovering above the Martian robot and guiding its way across Mars dusty terrain. Even after it crashed, Ingenuity still delivers weather and avionics data to Perseverance on a weekly basis.The future Mars Chopper has some big shoes to fill, Ingenuity left behind a legendary legacy on the Red Planet.Daily NewsletterYou May Also Like By Passant Rabie Published December 20, 2024 By AJ Dellinger Published December 19, 2024 By Passant Rabie Published December 18, 2024 By Passant Rabie Published December 18, 2024 By Passant Rabie Published December 17, 2024 By Margherita Bassi Published December 13, 2024

Ackerman Farmhouse / Fuller/Overby ArchitectureSave this picture! Paul WarcholHousesTeaneck, United StatesArchitects: Fuller/Overby ArchitectureYearCompletion year of this architecture project Year: 2023 PhotographsPhotographs:Paul Warchol Structural Engineering: Silman, Nat Oppenheimer, Joe DiPompeo More SpecsLess SpecsSave this picture!Text description provided by the architects. The Teaneck farmhouse was built as a homestead of the Dutch Ackermans, early immigrants to 17th century New Amsterdam. Around the turn of the century the family resettled along the Hackensack River in New Jersey where farmland was more plentiful than on Manhattan Island. The simple one room structure was built in 1734, in the 1780's the family expanded the house using a barn typology. Locally quarried New Jersey sandstone was used throughout to construct the two foot thick walls - the same material (now exhausted) which forms the brownstone row houses of New York City. The farmhouse stayed within the family through the early 20th century and then passed through a variety of owners. In 2021 the house was offered for sale and remained on the market for more than a year due to diminishing internal reconfigurations, minimal interior natural light, and its status upon the National Register of Historic Places which complicated alterations (drawings and photographs of the house are held within the Archives of the Library of Congress). The clients, of Belgian and Milanese birth, found the property during an extensive search for their first home. They had moved to NYC to study and purse careers and the farmhouse, unique amongst typical American housing stock , had a familiarity to their childhood. The dignity of the structure simmered underneath an abundance of infill partitions, attempts at modern amenities, and misguided remedies to wear and tear. Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!The renovation to the upper floors stripped away an accumulation of partition walls and muddled finishes to reveal hand-hewn structural timbers and a gambrel roof resting upon the stacked stone walls. The second floor is now an open plan with varying scales of construction woven among the newly exposed wooden framework. New internal walls, perimeter millwork wrappers at the masonry edge, and finely scaled cabinetry unify the spaces and define particular programmatic pockets. These areas can be opened or closed with sliding and pivoting panels in accord with the desire of the moment. The spaces surround a central stair core that runs the full height of the house - a sectional suturing of the historic and modern. The double height hall, created with the partial removal of the third floor, receives the primary light of the day and greets the ascent to the second floor from the first (ground) floor. Small 18th century windows have been resized with angled apertures to offer generous natural light. The main bedroom, bath, and dressing room suite are an atmospheric sequence of chambers interconnected by oversized sliding doors. The bedroom, a continuation of the white millwork stair hall, opens into a soften bathing suite coated in tadelakt and field stone, which leads into a warm waxed wood dressing room. This circles back to the stairwell hall via a paneled doorway to complete the full ring of the plan.Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!A delicate steel staircase hangs amongst the timber structure within new lofty hall. The stair ascends to the uppermost level where a second bedroom/playroom is nestled within the folds of the roof. This cantilevered stair is a lightweight combination of perforated and expanded metal which hangs above an opening that penetrates the full height of the house. Light filters down to the less lit ground level, a floor fully ensconced by the two foot thick sandstone walls. The living room on this lower floor is within the original 1734 volume of the house. This space, efficient for the 18th century, was claustrophobically uncomfortable for modern use. A thin steel framed glazing system was cut into the rear facade to offer views of the river and western light from the setting sun. Double doors open onto a rolling landscape which has remained largely untouched throughout the past several centuries.Save this picture!Project gallerySee allShow lessAbout this officePublished on December 20, 2024Cite: "Ackerman Farmhouse / Fuller/Overby Architecture" 20 Dec 2024. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1024632/ackerman-farmhouse-fuller-overby-architecture&gt ISSN 0719-8884Save!ArchDaily?You've started following your first account!Did you know?You'll now receive updates based on what you follow! Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors, offices and users.Go to my stream

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