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Rani Molla4/21/25

Analyst: Brand damage from DOGE could create “15%-20% permanent demand destruction” at Tesla

Elon Musk has got to go... back to Tesla full time and leave the government, says Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives. That means stepping back from his role at the Department of Government Efficiency before the dents done to Musk’s electric car company become a full-on wreck.

“...if Musk leaves the White House there will be permanent brand damage... but Tesla will have its most important asset and strategic thinker back as full time CEO to drive the vision and the long term story will not be altered,” the Tesla bull wrote in a note Sunday, ahead of the EV company’s earnings call this week. “IF Musk chooses to stay with the Trump White House it could change the future of Tesla/brand damage will grow.”

Already, Ives blames Musk’s role at DOGE for making Tesla a “political symbol globally of the Trump Administration/DOGE,” which has played a role in crushing the stock and causing a “terrible 1Q delivery number with much lower 2025 deliveries on the horizon,” potentially creating “15%-20% permanent demand destruction for future Tesla buyers.”

Don’t believe him? Check out these satellite images with rows and rows of the giant stainless steel Cybertrucks languishing outside their factory in Texas.

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Tesla closes at all-time high

Tesla closed at an all-time high today of over $489. The company has been riding high as it tests its autonomous Robotaxi service without safety monitors and takes a bigger chunk of shrinking EV market share. Its previous high was $479 on December 17 last year.

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Tesla competitor Slate has 150,000 reservations and its mid-$20,000 price is “firm”

So-called Tesla killer Slate Auto now has 150,000 reservations, up 50% from this summer, for the company’s low-cost electric truck, according to CEO Chris Barman, who posted an “ask me anything” today. While that’s not exactly gangbusters interest for the truck, which is expected to come out late next year, it shows that new reservations are outpacing attrition.

The interest has kept up even as EV interest wanes following the end of the government’s $7,500 tax credit.

“The Slate is still affordable,” Barman said of the credit’s effect on the truck’s mid-$20,000 price point. “It doesn’t matter.”

She also noted that the SUV kit will cost $5,000 and test drives will start next year.

As we reported yesterday, typical automakers are rolling back their EV production, leaving room for EV-only companies like Tesla and Slate to gain market share.

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Instagram Reels is coming to a TV near you

Move over, Netflix. Meta is bringing Instagram Reels to a TV near you. The company on Tuesday unveiled its first dedicated TV app, letting users watch its short-form, user-generated videos on bigger screens. The app will debut on Amazon’s Fire TV before expanding to other platforms.

Instagram now competes not only with social video rivals like TikTok and YouTube, but increasingly with long-form streaming entertainment as well. Netflix, for instance, has argued that it needs to buy Warner Bros. Discovery in order to better compete with platforms like YouTube, which people spend more time watching on TV than anything else. YouTube may offer traditional streaming bundles, but much of its content still comes from user uploads — underscoring how deeply social video has encroached on the living room.

Instagram’s new TV app suggests Meta sees the same opportunity: if social video is already capturing big-screen attention, it wants a larger share of it.

Instagram Debuts Dedicated Television App for Amazon Fire TV

Instagram Debuts Dedicated Television App for Amazon Fire TV

Instagram now competes not only with social video rivals like TikTok and YouTube, but increasingly with long-form streaming entertainment as well. Netflix, for instance, has argued that it needs to buy Warner Bros. Discovery in order to better compete with platforms like YouTube, which people spend more time watching on TV than anything else. YouTube may offer traditional streaming bundles, but much of its content still comes from user uploads — underscoring how deeply social video has encroached on the living room.

Instagram’s new TV app suggests Meta sees the same opportunity: if social video is already capturing big-screen attention, it wants a larger share of it.

tech

Tesla CEO Elon Musk is getting back into politics

Tesla CEO Elon Musk is cutting big checks to the GOP for the midterm elections as he dives back into politics, Axios reports.

Students of history might remember when Tesla’s stock tanked in the first half of the year thanks in part to Musk’s political machinations with DOGE. Or when Musk’s beef with the president of the United States sent the stock down sharply — twice. Or when Musk formed a competing third political party that also hurt the stock.

When Tesla’s board of directors laid out his latest humongous pay package, which has since been approved by shareholders, they said it was “critical” that it “receive assurances that Musk’s involvement with the political sphere would wind down in a timely manner.”

At the same time, they didn’t really put any guardrails in place to make sure that happened. And here we are!

Scoop: Elon Musk diving into 2026 midterms for the GOP

Scoop: Elon Musk diving into 2026 midterms for the GOP

When Tesla’s board of directors laid out his latest humongous pay package, which has since been approved by shareholders, they said it was “critical” that it “receive assurances that Musk’s involvement with the political sphere would wind down in a timely manner.”

At the same time, they didn’t really put any guardrails in place to make sure that happened. And here we are!

tech

Report: OpenAI and Mattel hit pause on AI toys

This summer, OpenAI and Mattel announced a deal to bring AI-powered toys and games to market. According to a new report from Axios, those plans are currently on hold.

Recently, stories have emerged of how potentially dangerous AI-powered toys can be when the proper guardrails have not been put in place.

OpenAI has faced increased scrutiny of its safety mechanisms for chatbots after several tragic failures that led to deaths. Congress is starting to examine the psychological risks of AI use by those with mental health issues, and children’s use of AI companions.

Scoop: Mattel and OpenAI won't release their AI toy in 2025

Scoop: Mattel and OpenAI won't release their AI toy in 2025

OpenAI has faced increased scrutiny of its safety mechanisms for chatbots after several tragic failures that led to deaths. Congress is starting to examine the psychological risks of AI use by those with mental health issues, and children’s use of AI companions.

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