Topline:
Elon Musk and President Donald Trump's very public bromance is going through a very public breakup.
Why now: Today their disagreements over the Republican mega-bill advancing most of Trump's biggest domestic policy priorities erupted into personal attacks, with the two men using their respective social media platforms to hurl insults.
Keep reading... for how we got here.
Elon Musk and President Donald Trump's very public bromance is going through a very public breakup.
On Thursday, their disagreements over the Republican mega-bill advancing most of Trump's biggest domestic policy priorities erupted into personal attacks, with the two men using their respective social media platforms to hurl insults.
After Trump threatened on Truth Social to cut off billions of dollars in federal subsidies and contracts to Musk's companies, which include Tesla and SpaceX, Musk claimed — without evidence — that Trump appears in government documents about convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. "That is the real reason they have not been made public," Musk claimed.
The White House declined to comment on Musk's accusation.
The blow up marks the end of an alliance between the president and the billionaire that lasted far longer than many observers expected.
After donating to Democrats for years, Musk emerged in 2024 as the biggest Republican political donor, pouring nearly $300 million into backing Trump. He quickly became one of the most visible members of the president's inner circle, appearing with Trump in the Oval Office, at Cabinet meetings, and leading the Department of Government Efficiency.
In February, Musk posted on X: "I love @realDonaldTrump as much as a straight man can love another man."
Here's a quick history of the Trump-Musk relationship:
Pre-2024
Musk has said he voted for Democrats, including Hillary Clinton in 2016 and Joe Biden in 2020. He was critical of Trump in his first term and resigned from two advisory councils after the Trump administration pulled out of the Paris climate accord.
In 2022, Trump called Musk a "b******* artist" and claimed the billionaire had told him he voted for him. Musk hit back that Trump was too told to run for office. "I don't hate the man, but it's time for Trump to hang up his hat & sail into the sunset," he wrote.
July 2024
Musk endorsed Trump after the assassination attempt in Butler, Penn. "I fully endorse President Trump and hope for his rapid recovery," Musk wrote on X minutes after the shooting.
Later in the month, Musk revealed he had created and was funding a super PAC "to promote the principles that made America great in the first place." He had previously said he wouldn't donate to either presidential candidate. He would go on to donate around $277 million in the election cycle.
August 2024
Musk hosted an interview with Trump on X. After lengthy technical delays, the conversation largely followed the contours of Trump's campaign speeches, and the two men both praised and talked past one another.
Musk also took the opportunity to pitch Trump on a "government efficiency commission," which the billionaire said he would join.
October 2024
Musk hit the campaign trail with Trump. Wearing a custom black "Make America Great Again" hat, the billionaire addressed a rally in Butler, Penn., where he hopped around on stage, described himself as "dark MAGA," and predicted "this will be the last election" if Trump were not to win.
Musk also took the stage at another Trump rally at Madison Square Garden in New York, and held a series of $1 million giveaways to voters in swing states.
November 2024
Musk spent election night at Trump's Mar-a-Lago in Florida. The morning after, he celebrated by posting an apparently AI-generated image of himself saluting the American flag, captioned, "It is morning in America again."
Trump thanked Musk in his victory speech, declaring: "A star is born — Elon!"
Late 2024
Trump announced Musk and former Republican presidential primary candidate Vivek Ramaswamy would co-lead a "Department of Government Efficiency" focused on curbing federal spending. At the time it was not clear whether the entity would exist inside or outside the government.
Musk and Ramaswamy took their pitch to Capitol Hill, proposing a 75% reduction in the federal workforce, a $2 trillion cut to federal spending and the elimination of entire agencies such as the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Ramaswamy left the project before Trump took office.
January 2025
Musk was one of several tech billionaires who attended Trump's inauguration. At another event that day, he sparked outrage when he performed a salute most prominently affiliated with Nazis.
After the inauguration, Musk joined the White House as an unpaid presidential advisor. His "special government employee" status meant he had a 130-working day clock. He quickly became the most visible face of the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE — which, despite its name, is not an official congressionally-created federal department. Musk was the de facto leader of DOGE, even though the Trump administration repeatedly tried to argue in court that he was not.
February 2025
Trump and Musk appeared together in the Oval Office, accompanied by Musk's young son, to defend the work of DOGE, which has cut a swath through federal agencies.
"The people voted for major government reform, and that's what people are going to get," Musk told reporters. "They're going to get what they voted for."
They also addressed concerns that Musk's many companies, which have business with and are regulated by some of the agencies DOGE has targeted, created conflicts of interest.
Trump said he would bar Musk from any government work he believed might create a conflict. "If we thought that, we would not let him do that segment or look in that area, if we thought there was a lack of transparency or a conflict of interest," Trump said.
Later in the month, Musk joined Trump's first Cabinet meeting. Trump introduced Musk by saying the billionaire was "sacrificing a lot" through his government work.
Asked by a journalist about reports that some agency heads were unhappy with Musk's slash-and-burn approach, Trump asked, "Is anybody unhappy?" His question was met with laughter.
A week later, Trump took the rare step of publicly reining in Musk. On March 6 he told Cabinet members that they are in charge of job cuts at their agencies, not Musk.
March 2025
Trump and Musk took the unprecedented step of turning the White House lawn into a temporary Tesla showroom. Trump sat inside a red Model S with Musk and announced his intention to buy a Tesla, in a show of support amid a global backlash against Tesla over Musk's controversial involvement in politics in both the U.S. and Europe, where he has thrown his support behind far-right parties.
May 2025
Musk announced he was leaving the government, citing the end of his "scheduled time" as a special government employee. At a final Oval Office press conference, Trump praised Musk as "one of the greatest business leaders and innovators the world has ever produced."
Days later, Musk began railing against the so-called "Big Beautiful Bill," saying it would drive up the federal budget deficit and undo the cost-cutting work of DOGE.
June 5, 2025
Sniping escalated into all-out war between the billionaire and the president.
Trump posted on his Truth Social site: "Elon was 'wearing thin,' I asked him to leave, I took away his EV Mandate that forced everyone to buy Electric Cars that nobody else wanted (that he knew for months I was going to do!), and he just went CRAZY!"
Musk shot back in a torrent of posts on X. "Without me, Trump would have lost the election, Dems would control the House and the Republicans would be 51-49 in the Senate," Musk wrote.
He also reposted a call for Trump to be impeached, writing, simply, "Yes."
Copyright 2025 NPR
Topline:
The Hollywood Walk of Fame has a new neighbor — a star dedicated to the Los Angeles Fire Department.
Why it matters: The Fire Department has been honored with an “Award of Excellence Star” for its public service during the Palisades and Sunset fires, which burned in the Pacific Palisades and Hollywood Hills neighborhoods of L.A. in January.
Why now: The star was unveiled on Hollywood Boulevard on Friday at a ceremony hosted by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce and Hollywood Community Foundation.
Awards of Excellence celebrate organizations for their positive impacts on Hollywood and the entertainment industry, according to organizers. Fewer than 10 have been handed out so far, including to the LA Times, Dodgers and Disneyland.
The backstory: The idea of awarding a star to the Fire Department was prompted by an eighth-grade class essay from Eniola Taiwo, 14, from Connecticut. In an essay on personal heroes, Taiwo called for L.A. firefighters to be recognized. She sent the letter to the Chamber of Commerce.
“This star for first responders will reach the hearts of many first responders and let them know that what they do is recognized and appreciated,” Taiwo’s letter read. “It will also encourage young people like me to be a change in the world.”
The Award of Excellence Star is in front of the Ovation Entertainment Complex next to the Walk of Fame; however, it is separate from the official program.
What officials say: Steve Nissen, president and CEO of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, said in a statement Taiwo’s letter was the inspiration for a monument that will “forever shine in Hollywood.”
“This recognition is not only about honoring the bravery of the Los Angeles Fire Department but also about celebrating the vision of a young student whose words reminded us all of the importance of gratitude and civic pride,” said Nissen, who’s also president and CEO of the Hollywood Community Foundation.
Go deeper: LA's wildfires: Your recovery guide
Topline:
Fallout from allegations of an ethics breach by Los Angeles’ elected city attorney has reached the City Council. Councilmember Ysabel Jurado introduced a motion Friday requesting a closed-session meeting about an allegation that City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto improperly contacted a witness days before her office entered into one of the city’s biggest settlements in recent years. The motion came a day after LAist reported about the allegation.
The case: In September, the city settled a lawsuit brought forward by two brothers in their 70s who said they suffered serious injuries after an LAPD officer crashed into their car. Days before the $18 million settlement was reached, lawyers for the brothers said Feldstein Soto called an expert witness testifying for the plaintiffs and “attempted to ingratiate herself with him and asked him to make a contribution to her political campaign,” according to a sworn declaration to the court by the plaintiffs’ attorney, Robert Glassman.
The response: Feldstein Soto did not respond to an interview request. Her spokesperson said the settlement “had nothing to do” with the expert witness. Her campaign manager told LAist the city attorney had been making a routine fundraising call and did not know the person had a role in the case, nor that there were pending requests for her office to pay him fees.
What Jurado says: In a statement to LAist, Jurado said she wants to “make sure that the city’s legal leadership is guided by integrity and accountability, especially when their choices affect public trust, civic rights and the city’s limited resources."
What’s next: The motion needs to go through a few committees before reaching the full City Council. If it passes, the motion calls for the city attorney to “report to council in closed session within 45 days regarding the ethics breach violation and give updates to the City Council."
Topline:
Fallout from allegations of an ethics breach by Los Angeles’ elected city attorney has reached the City Council. Councilmember Ysabel Jurado introduced a motion Friday requesting a closed-session meeting about an allegation that City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto improperly contacted a witness days before her office entered into one of the city’s biggest settlements in recent years. The motion came a day after LAist reported about the allegation.
The case: In September, the city settled a lawsuit brought forward by two brothers in their 70s who said they suffered serious injuries after an LAPD officer crashed into their car. Days before the $18 million settlement was reached, lawyers for the brothers said Feldstein Soto called an expert witness testifying for the plaintiffs and “attempted to ingratiate herself with him and asked him to make a contribution to her political campaign,” according to a sworn declaration to the court by the plaintiffs’ attorney, Robert Glassman.
The response: Feldstein Soto did not respond to an interview request. Her spokesperson said the settlement “had nothing to do” with the expert witness. Her campaign manager told LAist the city attorney had been making a routine fundraising call and did not know the person had a role in the case, nor that there were pending requests for her office to pay him fees.
What Jurado says: In a statement to LAist, Jurado said she wants to “make sure that the city’s legal leadership is guided by integrity and accountability, especially when their choices affect public trust, civic rights and the city’s limited resources."
What’s next: The motion needs to go through a few committees before reaching the full City Council. If it passes, the motion calls for the city attorney to “report to council in closed session within 45 days regarding the ethics breach violation and give updates to the City Council."
Topline:
Today marks el Día de La Virgen de Guadalupe, or the day of the Virgen of Guadalupe, an important holiday for Catholics and those of Mexican descent. In Santa Ana, Luis Cantabrana builds an elaborate altar in her honor that draws hundreds of visitors.
What is the holiday celebrating? In 1513, the Virgin Mary appeared before St. Juan Diego, asking him to build a church in her honor. Her image — a brown-skinned woman, wearing a green veil with her hands clasped in prayer and an angel at her feet — miraculously appeared on his cloak. Every year on Dec. 12, worshippers of the saint celebrate the Guadalupita with prayer and song.
Read on … for how worshippers in Santa Ana celebrate.
Every year in Santa Ana, Luis Cantabrana turns the front of his home into an elaborate altar in honor of La Virgen de Guadalupe that draws hundreds of visitors.
Along the front of the house, the multi-colored altar is filled with lights, flowers and a stained-glass tapestry behind a sculpture of the Lady of Guadalupe. Cantabrana’s roof also is lit up with the green, white and red lights that spell out “Virgen de Guadalupe” and a cross.
Visitors are welcomed with music and the smell of roses as they celebrate the saint, but this year’s gathering comes after a dark year for immigrant communities.
In 1513, the Virgin Mary appeared before St. Juan Diego between Dec. 9 and Dec. 12, asking him to build a church in her honor. Her image — a brown-skinned woman wearing a green veil with her hands together in prayer and an angel at her feet — miraculously appeared on his cloak.
To celebrate in Santa Ana, worshippers gathered late-night Wednesday and in the very early hours Dec. 12 to pray the rosary, sing hymns and celebrate the saint.
Cantabrana has hosted worshippers at his home for 27 years — 17 in Santa Ana.
The altar started out small, he said, and over the years, he added a fabric background, more lights and flowers (lots and lots of flowers).
“It started with me making a promise to la Virgen de Guadalupe that while I had life and a home to build an altar, that I would do it,” Cantabrana said. “Everything you see in photos and videos is pretty, but when you come and see it live, it's more than pretty. It's beautiful.”
Many also look to the Lady of Guadalupe for protection, especially at a time when federal enforcement has rattled immigrant communities.
“People don’t want to go to work, they don’t want to take their kids to school, but the love we have for our Virgen de Guadalupe,” Cantabrana said. “We see that la Virgen de Guadalupe has a lot of power, and so we know immigration [enforcement] won’t come here.”
Margarita Lopez of Garden Grove has been visiting the altar for three years with her husband. She’s been celebrating the Virgencita since she was a young girl. Honoring the saint is as important now as ever, she said.
“We ask, and she performs miracles,” Lopez said.
Claudia Tapia, a lifelong Santa Ana resident, said the Virgin Mary represents strength.
“Right now, with everything going on, a lot of our families [have] turned and prayed to the Virgen for strength during these times,” Tapia said. “She's a very strong symbol of Mexican culture, of unity, of faith and of resilience.”
The shrine will stay up into the new year on the corner of Broadway and Camile Street.
Topline:
California’s unemployment agency kept paying cellphone bills for 4 1/2 years without checking whether its workers actually were using the devices. That’s how it racked up $4.6 million in fees for mobile devices its workers were not using, according to a new state audit detailing wasteful spending at several government agencies.
The investigation: The Employment Development Department acquired 7,224 cellphones and wireless hotspots by December 2020. State auditors analyzed 54 months of invoices since then and found half the devices were unused for at least two years, 25% were unused for three years and 99 of them were never used at all. The investigation, which auditors opened after receiving a tip, identified 6,285 devices that were unused for at least four consecutive months and said the department spent $4.6 million on monthly service fees for them.
Department response: Officials told auditors they were unaware of the spending, but auditors pointed to regular invoices from Verizon that showed which phones were not being used. The unemployment department began acting on the auditors’ findings in April, when it canceled service plans for 2,825 devices. It has since implemented a policy to terminate service plans for devices that go unused for 90 days.
California’s unemployment agency kept paying cellphone bills for 4 1/2 years without checking whether its workers actually were using the devices.
That’s how it racked up $4.6 million in fees for mobile devices its workers were not using, according to a new state audit detailing wasteful spending at several government agencies.
The Employment Development Department’s excessive cellphone bills date to the COVID-19 pandemic, when it shifted call center employees to remote work and faced pressure to release benefits to millions of suddenly unemployed Californians.
It acquired 7,224 cellphones and wireless hotspots by December 2020. State auditors analyzed 54 months of invoices since then and found half the devices were unused for at least two years, 25% were unused for three years and 99 of them were never used at all.
The investigation, which auditors opened after receiving a tip, identified 6,285 devices that were unused for at least four consecutive months, and said the department spent $4.6 million on monthly service fees for them.
From the beginning, the department had about 2,000 more cellphones than call center employees, according to the audit. The gap widened over time after the pandemic ended and the department’s staffing returned to its normal headcount.
As of April, the audit said the department had 1,787 unemployment call center employees, but was paying monthly service fees for 5,097 mobile devices.
“Although obtaining the mobile devices during COVID-19 may have been a good idea to serve the public, continuing to pay the monthly service fees for so many unused devices, especially post-COVID-19, was wasteful,” the audit said.
Department officials told auditors they were unaware of the spending, but auditors pointed to regular invoices from Verizon that showed which phones were not being used.
“We would have expected EDD management to have reconsidered the need to pay the monthly service fees for so many devices that had no voice, message, or data usage,” the audit said.
The unemployment department began acting on the auditors’ findings in April, when it canceled service plans for 2,825 devices. It has since implemented a policy to terminate service plans for devices that go unused for 90 days.
The California state auditor highlighted the mobile devices in its regular report on “improper activities by state agencies and employees.” The audit also showed that the California Air Resources Board overpaid an employee who was on extended leave as he prepared to retire by $171,000.
This article was originally published on CalMatters and was republished under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives license.
