Republican Presidential Nominee Former President Trump Holds Rally In Butler, Pennsylvania

(Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

As “secretary of cost-cutting,” Elon Musk could cut regulations for his cars and rockets

Musk and his businesses stand to gain a lot from his relationship with Trump.

11/6/24 8:25AM

Elon Musk used his money and his platform to help bring about a second Trump presidency. And Musk and his businesses stand to gain a lot from that patronage.

Perhaps most notably, Trump has said he’d appoint Musk, known for decimating the staff of Twitter after he purchased it, to a new position in the American government: “secretary of cost-cutting.” As part of what Musk has dubbed the “Department of Government Efficiency” — or DOGE, a nod to the meme coin — Musk has said he’d cut a whopping $2 trillion out of the federal budget.

Obviously, like Musk’s long-delayed promise of autonomous, full self-driving, take these proclamations with a grain of salt.

But if we’re to take these iconoclasts at their word, Musk could use his position to tackle one of the biggest roadblocks to his businesses: government regulation.

Recently, Musk called fines the Federal Aviation Administration gave SpaceX for violating launch requirements during two missions last year “politically motivated,” and accused the FAA of “regulatory overreach.” He also criticized the FAA following delays in approving the Starship’s fifth test flight over environmental concerns and changes in the vehicle configuration. Musk said FAA Administrator Michael Whitaker should resign.

Back on earth, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration has repeatedly scrutinized Musk’s use of the term “full self-driving” to describe his cars’ capabilities. The agency is currently looking into Tesla’s self-driving software systems, noting that full self-driving is actually “a partial driving automation system.” This might be a first step in a move that could potentially lead to a recall of 2.4 million cars.

On Tesla’s latest earnings call, Musk and other Tesla executives repeatedly mentioned the need for a federal approval process for autonomous vehicles. “It’s incredibly painful to do it state by state for 50 states,” Musk said. “There should be a national approval process for autonomy.”

If I were a betting person, I’d look to NHTSA and FAA — the government bodies responsible for Americans’ safety on the roads and sky — for the biggest cuts.

Let that sink in pic.twitter.com/XvYFtDrhRm
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 6, 2024

Of course, Trump’s presidency could also pose some problems for Musk. Getting rid of government subsidies to electric cars would definitely hurt, but Musk is hoping that offering the public self-driving cars — autonomous, as he’s said again and again, has been the bigger picture all along — would make up for any shortfalls.

Jake Lahut4/29/26

US on par for $4.50 per gallon in the next week or 2: Gas Buddy

Gas prices shooting up across several Midwestern states is putting the national average on track to hit $4.50 per gallon within the next two weeks, according to Gas Buddy’s Patrick De Haan.

In Michigan, the price went from $3.78 a week ago and $4.18 Tuesday to over $4.25 on Wednesday.

(Event contracts are offered through Robinhood Derivatives, LLC — probabilities referenced or sourced from KalshiEx LLC or ForecastEx LLC.)

Wisconsin, where gas remained below the national average of $4.22 as of Wednesday afternoon, saw a more modest but similar jump up to $3.96 per gallon, according to the American Automobile Association.

De Haan also mentioned Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois in his post on BlueSky as contributing to the surge. Of those states, gas is most expensive in the Land of Lincoln, at $4.52 per gallon.

Patrick De Haan (@gasbuddyguy.bsky.social)

(Event contracts are offered through Robinhood Derivatives, LLC — probabilities referenced or sourced from KalshiEx LLC or ForecastEx LLC.)

De Haan also mentioned Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois in his post on BlueSky as contributing to the surge. Of those states, gas is most expensive in the Land of Lincoln, at $4.52 per gallon.

Max Knoblauch4/27/26

In a 1,100-word statement, United CEO says merger talks with American have ended

United’s pursuit of its rival American Airlines has ended, according to a lengthy statement from United CEO Scott Kirby on Monday.

Per Kirby, American “declined to engage” with his “big, bold vision” of a megamerger that would have controlled more than a third of the US market, instead “publicly closing the door.”

“American’s public comments make it clear that a merger like this is off the table for the foreseeable future,” said Kirby, who also believes regulators would have approved the deal.

Kirby’s effort — and sheer word count — in explaining the logic and benefits of the deal could be read as evidence that the executive is still in the market for a big combination. A common theory in the industry has been that the megamerger could have been a means to actually pitch a smaller (but still huge) merger between United and JetBlue.

President Trump last week told CNBC that he didn’t like the United-American idea and would instead “love somebody to buy Spirit.” In American’s earnings call last week, CEO Robert Isom swiftly rejected a United merger, saying the two carriers are “going to be roommates and we’re not getting married.”

Statement from United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby

“American’s public comments make it clear that a merger like this is off the table for the foreseeable future,” said Kirby, who also believes regulators would have approved the deal.

Millie Giles

CAPITOL LOSSES

4/24/26

Washington, DC, lost over 100,000 jobs last year, the most in the US

Sweeping federal job cuts and a shrinking hospitality sector have resulted in high unemployment in the nation’s capital.

United States Capitol and Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, DC

Jon Keegan4/23/26

In December, the White House announced a new program to let wealthy foreigners get a shortcut to US citizenship — the “Trump Gold Card.” After paying a $15,000 application fee, passing a vetting process, and ultimately paying a $1 million “contribution,” the applicant gets a card in President Trump’s favorite color that grants the owner US citizenship “in record time.”

So, how many of these rich foreigners have received their shiny ticket to American residency? Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told a House committee today that only one of the cards has been issued, but “hundreds” of applications are being reviewed.

In December, Lutnick predicted that the cards could generate up to $1 trillion in revenue.

Jake Lahut4/21/26

Who’s next to leave the Trump admin following Chavez-DeRemer’s departure?

After a few abandoned nominations and the occasional lateral demotion during President Donald Trump’s first year in office, turnover has accelerated dramatically.

Just in the past month, top officials such as Attorney General Pam Bondi, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, and Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer have left their posts.

Following a report from The Atlantic alleging heavy drinking and absenteeism plaguing FBI Director Kash Patel, the odds of his departure from the Trump administration in 2026 shot up sharply, with traders now pricing in an 80% chance he won’t last the year.

(Event contracts are offered through Robinhood Derivatives, LLC — probabilities referenced or sourced from KalshiEx LLC or ForecastEx LLC.)

Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence, is another official who could be on the ropes. Her deputy, Joe Kent, has already resigned over the Iran war. Gabbard’s 2020 presidential campaign — and appeal in broadening Trump’s electorate in 2024 — heavily centered around ending perpetual “regime change wars.” The White House has indicated to Gabbard that they want her gone before the midterms, but the timing of her departure remains vague, according to two sources familiar with the discussions who spoke to Sherwood News in recent weeks.

As for who will replace the outgoing members, pay attention to who can be confirmed by the Senate. To replace Bondi, a Trump adviser told Sherwood the most likely replacements are acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, Trump’s former personal attorney, as well as EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin.