When a devastating wildfire hit California in November 2018, a powerful CEO went on Twitter to ask how his company could help. That CEOs name was Elon Musk.What a difference six years can make. The contrast between Musks 2018 tweet and his response to the infernos currently raging through Southern California is stark. This time, he has mostly used his platform throughout the disaster to attack some familiar targetsDemocratic politicians, deregulation, and, incredibly, DEI.The pronounced change in Musks online behavior during a crisis reflects a broader evolution, though. Once considered an environmental crusader for making electric cars seem cool, the Tesla CEO now mocks the very idea that climate change could play a major role in historical California wildfires arriving in the middle of winter.The scope of the fires damage is, so far, enormous. As the New York Times reports, the Palisades and Eaton fires are already the two most destructive ever to hit Los Angeles. The blazes have killed at least five people as of this writing, and forced tens of thousands to evacuate, while burning up more than 27,000 acres and 2,000 structures.According to scientists, climate change is playing a role by altering rainfall patterns and making droughts both more likely and more intense. What reportedly created the conditions for the fires rapid spread is Southern Californias unusual dryness during 2024, with only .29 inches of rain since last May, along with hurricane-force Santa Ana winds that reached speeds of more than 75 mph. Extreme dryness makes fires more likely to spark, and robust winds help them spread easier. Complicating matters, the howling winds on Tuesday forced the Los Angeles Fire Department to ground the aircraft they typically use for aerial firefighting.All of these factors help explain how a flurry of wildfires could rage out of control during what is typically Californias rainy season. Musk, however, had some alternate theories about what caused so much destruction.He went on a retweeting blitz, cosigning wild accusations about various Democrats and conspiracy theories about Californias water reserves. Particularly alarming was Musks focus on DEI, suggesting that the L.A. fire departments racial equity plan contributed to the devastation. Firefighters working hard to put out powerful blazes were faced with racial hostility flowing in their direction from some of Musks 211.7 million followers on X.Inexplicably blaming DEI for a wide variety of issues has been a popular tactic for conservatives for the past few years, and Musk has been no exception. Last January, for example, he faulted Boeings recent DEI practices for the infamous Alaska Airlines malfunction in which one of the planes panels blew out mid-flight. Whats different now, however, is that this isnt a disaster thats already happened, but one that is still ongoing. At least Vivek Ramaswamy waited a week after the deadly Maui wildfire catastrophe in 2023 before blaming DEI for it.Musk could have been sharing the amazing things the fire department is doing to deal with this crisis, but instead he was vilifying its leadership and reducing some members to diversity hires. He could have been providing useful information for displaced families, but instead he was offering rage bait. And he could have used this crisis as an environmental teaching momentthe kind one might have expected from the founder of Teslabut, instead, he shared snarky tweets that dismiss climate change fears as boy-who-cries-wolf fakery.Musk has had a contentious relationship with California, despite the state leading the U.S. in electric vehicles and charging locations. He moved the headquarters of X and SpaceX from California to Texas last year, after publicly sparring with Governor Gavin Newsom. (He had already moved Tesla to Austin three years prior.) Tellingly, he claimed the final straw had nothing to do with business or environmental concerns, but ideological ones. He objected to a law banning districts from requiring schools to notify parents if their child asks to change their gender identity.Eventually, Musk must have realized how he was coming across in the current disaster. On Wednesday night, he tweeted that his company SpaceX would provide StarLink terminals to ensure connectivity throughout Los Angeles. He also clarified on Thursday morning that he does indeed believe climate change is real, just that its much slower than alarmists claim. He also finally retweeted an empathetic call for disaster relief.By then, however, the damage had already been done.

Google and Microsoft are the latest tech companies to donate $1 million to President-elect Donald Trumps inauguration fund.Google, which will also livestream the swearing-in on YouTube on January 20, and Microsoft join Apple, Meta, Amazon, OpenAI, and other tech giants who are trying to blatantly curry favor with the incoming Trump administration by donating to the inauguration. The effort is especially unsurprising given Trumps long history of favoritismplus threats to punish his enemies. (Currently, Meta, Apple, Amazon, and Google parent Alphabet are all facing antitrust lawsuits from the federal government.)A Google spokesperson told Fast Company that the company has donated to previous inaugurations, and the companys planned promotion of links to the ceremony livestream on its homepage and YouTube is in line with previous years.Microsoft previously contributed half as much, or $500,000, to Trumps inauguration fund for his first term, the same amount it gave PresidentJoe Bidens inauguration fund, a Microsoft spokesperson told CNBC.Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman all pledged $1 million through their companies or from their own deep pockets.Many of those donations came after top tech CEOs met with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida following his re-election. Google cofounder Sergey Brin and CEO Sundar Pichai, Apple chief executive Tim Cook, Bezos, and the heads ofTikTokandNetflix reportedly all met with Trump when they dinedat Mar-a-Lago.While Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg was one of the first to arrive at the Florida property in late November, Elon Musk remains Trumps first buddy after donating hundreds of millions to Republican candidates and causes. Musk also has billions riding on government contracts, federal regulations, and technology development for his companies Tesla, SpaceX, and XAI.Not just donationsMeanwhile, on Tuesday, Meta announcedsweeping changes, scrapping its third-party fact-checking program in favor of X-style Community Notes in a move thought to be more in line with Musks lack of oversight and community-driven approach at X, which could be a gesture to repair relations with Trump, who was kicked off Facebook after the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021 (his account was restored in 2023).Meta is also installing more Republican-leaning employees, replacing its top policy executive with Joel Kaplan, who has deep Republican ties and held several key roles in the Bush administration, according to CNN, and appointing Trump ally Dana White, president and CEO of Ultimate Fighting Championship, to its board of directors.And its not just tech CEOs who are throwing money at Trump, hoping to get access in the next four years. In all, Trump has raised a record-setting $170 million for his swearing-in from corporate America and wealthy donors, and is on pace to reach $200 million, the New York Times reported. (There arent any limits on donations to inaugural committees, though foreign nationals cannot donate.)The inauguration is always in Washington, D.C., on January 20, which this year, also happens to be Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a national holiday observed on the third Monday in January.

One of my goals this 2025 is to read more books. Since I read all over my apartment, it would be nice to have a light source that can go with me whether Im in my living room, work space, or bedroom. Right now, I rely on my regular fluorescent light everywhere else and a small lamp set up on my bedside table. But a lamp I can bring with me anywhere would be more convenient if I wanted to read in the dark.Designers: Shelley Simpson and Zachary Hanna for Mud AustraliaThe Pop Lamp is a portable and rechargeable LED lamp that is completely wireless and can be placed anywhere you would need a light source. It is made from just one piece of handmade porcelain and inside that minimalist body, there is a concealed internal dimmable LED light source. The lamp can last up to 6 hours without charging if used at 100% brightness and up to 96 hours on the lowest brightness.The lamp has a cylindrical body with a slight protruding shade. The metal plate on top is where you have your touch controls. One tap will turn the lamp on while pressing and holding will turn it off. You can swipe your finger onto the plate to adjust the dimness and brightness of the lamp. The Pop Lamp is available in six colors which are the signature of Mud Australia: Blossom, Duck Egg, Dust, Orange, Red, and Slate. Each piece, measuring at 13 x 8 x 24.5 cm is handmade in their studio in Sidney and is carbon neutral. It can be used anywhere indoors and should not be left unsupervised outdoors or in wet areas.The post Pop Lamp is a portable and rechargeable light source for your space first appeared on Yanko Design.

New information about the handheld seems to spring up every day, but its unclear when the Switch successor will make its appearance. It also doesnt matter.

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One of the most important AI copyright legal battles just took a major turn.

Apple is donating to LA wildfire relief efforts and will let impacted Apple Card users postpone their payments.Apple CardApple Card users residing in an area declared a natural disaster zone by FEMA may be eligible for delayed payments, as part of a program launched by Apple on Thursday. Eligible users can enroll in the program via the Messages app, where they must contact Apple Card Support.As shared by Mark Gurman, those affected by the situation in Los Angeles can skip a payment in the month they enroll, and no interest will accumulate during this period. If an account is in good standing, it will remain current while it is enrolled in the program. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

Zaha Hadid Architects, alongside Serbian architectural studio Bureau Cube Partners, has been selected as the winner of the Nikola Tesla Museum design competition.The anonymous design contest sought architectural and urban conceptual designs for a new museum dedicated to celebrating visionary engineer and inventor Nikola Tesla. Located in Belgrade, the museum is situated within the historic Milan Vapa Paper Mill.The proposal includes the renovation of the site, which was originally constructed in 1924 and served as the nations first modern factory. The design teams adaptive reuse of the roughly 144,236-square-foot structure aims to preserve its industrial heritage while upgrading its indoor and outdoor spaces, with improved accessibility from the city.

Last year, amidst widespread acclaim, one of the few things thatLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealthsparked some backlash for was its decision to lock its New Game Plus mode behind its costlier Deluxe and Ultimate Editions. Thankfully, Sega seems to have learned its lessons, and wont be repeating the error with the nextLike a Dragonrelease.During a recently premiered gameplay deep dive, developer Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio confirmed thatLike a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaiiwill add a New Game Plus mode as free post-launch DLC. Theres no word yet on exactly how long after release the update will arrive, but its certainly encouraging to see Sega responding to the criticism for how it handled Infinite WealthsNew Game Plus mode last year.Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaiiis due out for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One, and PC on February 14.

The last year of Sonys first-party releases on PC have all attracted criticism often to surprising degrees for one reason in particular- that Sony now makes PlayStation Network account linking mandatory for all of its PC releases. Given the fact that there are hundreds of countries where PSN isnt even available, thats obviously a big problem.Unsurprisingly, however, one of Sonys next major PC releases will continue down that path.As confirmed on its official Steam page,The Last of Us Part 2 Remasteredon PC will require to link their PlayStation Network account. The game is, of course, a purely single-player experience (including the remasters roguelike mode No Return), but as with other Sony titles on PC of late, it will come with the PSN overlay (and support for Trophies).The Last of Us Part 2 Remasteredis due out for PC on April 3. Meanwhile, Season 2 of the HBOThe Last of Usseries is kicking off in the same month.