Elon Musk’s many successful companies have reportedly faced at least 20 federal investigations and reviews in recent years. Tesla and SpaceX especially have faced heavy scrutiny, red tape, and fines over the course of their operations, The New York Times reported. These two companies also contract heavily with the federal government — last year, Musk’s companies secured nearly $3 billion across 100 contracts with 17 federal agencies. The Times declared that Musk’s “influence over the federal government is extraordinary, and extraordinarily lucrative” although it acknowledged that his companies are “increasingly facing regulatory battles and overlapping federal investigations from all corners of the government.” SpaceX has been slapped with violations and fines by both the Transportation Department and the Environmental Protection Agency. It was also slapped with a discrimination lawsuit by the Justice Department and accused of OSHA violations by the Labor Department. The Department of the Interior also conducted a review of Starbase, the company’s rocket launch facility in Texas, and the Federal Communications Commission rejected subsidies for Starlink, the company’s satellite internet network. Tesla has been under investigation by three entities, the Justice Department, Transportation Department, and Securities and Exchange Commission. The electric car company has also been hit with OSHA violations by the Labor Department and has faced oversight by the National Labor Relations Board. Tesla was also hit with a lawsuit by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. It also saw enforcement actions from the Environmental Protection Agency. Neuralink, Musk’s brain implant company, was fined by the Transportation Department and saw an investigation by the Agriculture Department. X, formerly Twitter, which Musk bought two years ago, has seen investigations and a court order from the Securities and Exchange Commission as well as oversight and a consent decree from the Musk has openly expressed frustration with the heavy regulation of his companies. Last week, he filed a lawsuit against a California regulator that cited his politics in their decision to reject more SpaceX rocket launches. “It is illegal for them to make decisions based on what they (mostly wrongly) think are my politics,” Musk said. “Yet here they are shamelessly breaking the law!” This election cycle, Musk has thrown the full weight of his financial power and celebrity behind former President Donald Trump, even campaigning with Trump in person earlier this month. The tech mogul has also hosted multiple town halls by himself to promote Trump in Pennsylvania, the most crucial swing state, and has repeatedly urged swing state residents to register to vote. Musk has offered to head up a “government efficiency” commission under a potential second Trump administration to slash bureaucratic waste. However, because of all the federal oversight on his companies, Musk has an “enormous conflict of interest,” the Times declared, although the outlet acknowledged that Musk’s formal power would be quite limited as historically Congress has refused to agree to ideas from business outsiders like Musk. “But a suggestion from Mr. Musk could still be damaging to an agency, if he singled it out to Mr. Trump as an example of waste or mismanagement,” the Times warned.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is facing growing criticism for shifting resources toward addressing the migrant surge at the southern border while struggling to maintain its traditional disaster relief functions. Critics argue that this shift, fueled by political pressure and an increasing focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies, has weakened FEMA’s capacity to respond to natural disasters effectively. In recent years, FEMA has been tasked with assisting communities dealing with an influx of migrants, with the agency spending significant amounts to support local efforts. In 2024 alone, FEMA allocated approximately $650 million for grants aimed at helping cities manage the migrant crisis. This represents a substantial increase from the previous year's $363.8 million, with some local officials now asking for up to $3 billion to manage the escalating situation at the southern border​. *SHOCK REPORT!* This CAN NOT be DENIED!TAKE THE Time to watch this closely & SHARE! Amazing work by @annvandersteel Who was BOOTS ON The ground in North Carolina proving that this is WAY more than "Disaster Relief". They are building a FEMA BASE on Ukrainian owned property… pic.twitter.com/pS5VuYR4Kb — In2ThinAir (@In2ThinAir) October 18, 2024 The agency has also been embroiled in broader DEI initiatives under the Biden administration, aiming to prioritize vulnerable communities, including migrants, in disaster relief efforts. This has led to a perceived emphasis on climate resilience and social equity, which has drawn the ire of critics who argue that these priorities come at the expense of FEMA’s core mission of disaster readiness. In a March 2023 roundtable, FEMA officials emphasized that the agency must tailor its relief efforts to meet the specific needs of marginalized groups, such as LGBTQIA+ survivors and communities of color, who are often disproportionately affected by natural disasters​. Republicans have voiced concerns about the agency’s readiness for major disasters, arguing that its involvement in managing the border crisis diverts critical resources away from hurricane relief and other emergencies. GOP lawmakers, including Sen. James Lankford, recently penned a letter to President Biden expressing worries that FEMA’s entanglement in the Department of Homeland Security’s border operations undermines its disaster response capabilities. #BREAKING: Rep. Nancy Mace has introduced a bill to FORCING FEMA to redirect all funds from illegals to disaster relief FEMA has spent over $1 BILLION on accommodating illegals in the past few years alone, and now they’re saying they don’t have enough for hurricane… pic.twitter.com/PBf22mvnwk — Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) October 4, 2024 These concerns have gained traction as FEMA has struggled to respond to devastating natural disasters like Hurricane Helene, which claimed over 200 lives and caused widespread destruction across multiple states. FEMA’s delayed response and limited funding for disaster relief have prompted many to question the agency’s priorities. Critics argue that the nearly $1 billion spent on services for illegal migrants in recent years could have been better used for disaster preparedness and recovery efforts​. FEMA, however, has defended its approach, insisting that the funding for migrant aid does not come from its disaster relief funds. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and other officials have stated that the money used for migrants is appropriated through different channels, specifically from Customs and Border Protection (CBP). FEMA claims it remains committed to its core mission and that its support for communities affected by disasters is not compromised by its involvement in the migrant crisis​. Despite these assurances, critics remain unconvinced. With millions of illegal crossings reported since 2021, many argue that FEMA is being stretched too thin, compromising its ability to handle traditional disaster relief while being increasingly drawn into politically charged issues such as immigration and climate policy. As funding pressures mount, the future of FEMA’s ability to effectively manage both migrant aid and disaster relief remains a hotly debated issue​. The post FEMA Faces Scrutiny Over Migrant Aid Focus Amidst Ongoing Crises appeared first on The Conservative Brief.

Justice Shawn Womack stated that the ballot title was plainly misleading

We all saw this coming, and now it's official

‘It is imperative that the FEC close off the avenues we have identified’

'Saving the lives of our children'

Start Quiz Based on the single-panel cartoons by Charles Addams, The Addams Family was famously adapted to a live-action television series on ABC in 1964. A satirical take on the typical 20th-century American family, the show follows the Addams, who find particular delight in the macabre and who possess some supernatural abilities. Although it competed with The Munsters during its time on air... Source

While Halloween is the spooky season for scary movies, these classic slashers and horror films never go out of style. Timeless movies like Beetlejuice will have you glued to your TV screen every time. Families can sit down to watch films like Hocus Pocus and Ghostbusters, which are nostalgic for the older generation and new and exciting for the kids. You'll likely remember watching some of these... Source

Would you like those 19 electoral college votes for here or to go? This latest episode of “The Tony Kinnett Cast” examines former President Donald Trump’s latest bid to win swing states like Pennsylvania by working at a local McDonald’s. While the Harris-Walz campaign and legacy media called Trump’s day serving fries a “fake,” the Harris-Walz campaign has failed to produce any evidence that Vice President Kamala Harris worked at a McDonald’s in the 1980s. What other candidate claims are under scrutiny this election season? We’ll dig into those details and the scandals that follow on this episode. You’d think that with just over two weeks until the election, candidates everywhere would be disciplined and careful. You’d be wrong. Speaking of Nov. 5, join us beginning at 6p.m. ET that fateful evening for our ultimate election coverage, straight from the show’s new studio! We’ll go until we’re ready to call the race, coming back each day come Hell or high water until the results are confirmed. With election analysts already claiming we won’t know the results for several days, Americans are prepared for at least a week of legal battles and shenanigans of every sort! We’ll dig into what you can expect and how to approach it circumspectly. Catch the live radio show and livestream weeknights at 7 p.m. ET on The Daily Signal’s YouTube, X, or Facebook—and subscribe to the podcast so you never miss an episode or exclusive interview! The post Would You Like Those Swing States for Here or to Go? appeared first on The Daily Signal.

“The View” co-host Sara Haines gave Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz a chance Monday to clean up Vice President Kamala Harris’ answer on what she would do differently as president from the Biden-Harris administration. Harris received widespread criticism after she told “The View” co-hosts during an Oct. 8 appearance that “nothing comes to mind” on what she would do differently than President Joe Biden. Haines gave Walz the option to answer that question during his appearance Monday, leading the Minnesota governor to say that they would focus on fixing the economy and Medicare. “Governor, voters are saying change is a critical issue this election, but our ABC poll shows only a third of Americans believe that a Harris-Walz ticket would bring that change,” Haines said. “I want to pose a similar question to you that we asked Vice President Harris: Can you point to a policy decision over the last four years that you and the vice president would’ve handled differently from President Biden?” “Well, I think this expansion on Medicare is something that I wish would’ve been proposed sooner,” Walz replied. “But look, they’re tackling the issues that they needed to, they came out of a pandemic that Donald Trump had left a mess for, an economy with supply chains that were broken.” “But I think that focusing on this economy, the two things that this vice president proposed that I hear everywhere, especially in rural America, is this question of affordability on child care and the ability of seniors to get health care, protecting that,” Walz said. “So I think just in this last week, you saw a major rollout in protecting rural hospitals. This is a big issue.” Walz argued that Harris is “her own leader” and will bring “a new way forward” if elected president. Harris said Friday that she can’t be “critical” of any policies put forth by Biden when NBC News chief White House correspondent Peter Alexander asked her to name a single policy she would do differently. The vice president clarified that she intends to expand Medicare, grant first-time homebuyers $25,000 in down payment assistance, and emphasize the importance of small businesses. An average of 28% of Americans say they believe the U.S. is on the right track, setting a precedent for Democrats to lose the Nov. 5 election, CNN senior data reporter Harry Enten said during an Oct. 4 segment. Harris intended to create a distance between herself and Biden’s policies, particularly on the economy and inflation, in an attempt to rebrand herself as a change candidate, anonymous advisers told Axios in August. Originally published by the Daily Caller News Foundation The post ‘The View’ Co-Host Gives Walz Chance to Clean Up Harris’ Answer on What She’d Do Differently Than Biden appeared first on The Daily Signal.