Elon Musk’s costly effort to influence the 2026 midterms failed to prevent Republican losses, exposing the limits of his wealth, political reach and control of X. He backed candidates with nearly half a billion dollars, including in Texas, where many of his companies operate, and urged voters to support Republicans. The election results came amid discontent with Donald Trump over the economy and the Iran war, as well as concerns about data centres’ effects on power and water supplies and about AI’s impact on jobs. Tesla and SpaceX also lost more than $100 billion in combined market value after the vote.
The political setback could bring greater scrutiny of Musk’s businesses, which depend on government contracts, subsidies, regulation and infrastructure, and are closely tied to US military operations. Lawmakers may examine Starlink’s role in Ukraine and reports that its service was interrupted there. Congress could also investigate what information Musk accessed during his brief stint leading the Department of Government Efficiency and whether it gave his companies an unfair advantage. The central challenge is that Musk’s political persona and partisan activism may undermine the cross-party support needed for his strategic ventures, from space exploration to autonomous transport. With polls showing that just over half of American adults view him unfavourably, the election suggests money and media influence cannot reliably override public opposition.
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Usenet Rewind makes decades of Usenet posts easier to search, opening the archive to researchers and curious readers. Its revival also exposes how supposedly ephemeral online conversations can resurface years later without their original context. (tedium.co)
Team JokerD became the first to reach level 60 in World of Warcraft: Forever, less than three days after launch. The team used an improved Undead Cannibalize ability to recover health and mana while leveling rapidly. (vice.com)
Ryszard Kapuściński spent decades reporting across Africa, covering post-colonial governments, coups, and life in poor and unstable regions. The review presents Shadow of the Sun as a vivid account of his risky travels and the pull of a life devoted to adventure and journalism. (mattlakeman.org)
Tesla is ending Cybertruck production after selling about 70,000 vehicles, far below Elon Musk’s forecast of 250,000 a year, and will focus on its Cybercab. The truck became a symbol of Musk’s overpromising and America’s get-rich-quick culture. (rollingstone.com)
World of Warcraft: Forever is now live as a permanent experience alongside modern and Classic WoW, taking players through a reimagined Azeroth from levels 1 to 60. It adds more than 1,000 quests, new zones, the playable Skyborne race, and expanded race-class combinations. (news.blizzard.com)
Richard Lloyd, Television’s guitarist and co-architect of its intricate art-rock sound, died at 75 from bile duct cancer. The band helped shape New York’s 1970s punk scene, and its acclaimed debut, “Marquee Moon,” influenced generations of musicians. (nytimes.com)
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