Donald Trump has signed an executive order meant to expand the power of Elon Musk’s so-called “department of government efficiency” or Doge. The latest nod of approval for the tech billionaire’s governmental cost-cutting program came at the end of a day in which Musk addressed members of Trump’s cabinet at the White House.
David Smith wrote of Musk that the Tesla boss “showed an impressively instinctive feel for totalitarianism”. Our daily Trump administration briefing has a more detailed rundown of the last 24 hours in US politics.
Top news
Matildas end horror SheBelieves Cup winless after defeat to Colombia
‘Suspicious device’ washed up on popular Gold Coast beach identified as practice torpedo
Israel releases some Palestinian prisoners after Hamas returns bodies of four hostages
NRL defends its invite to Donald Trump in Las Vegas after charity backlash
In pictures
Michelle Trachtenberg, the actor known for her performances in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Harriet the Spy, has died at the age of 39. Our life in pictures gallery captures the actor’s many roles.
What they said …
***
“I suggested to him that if the answer wasn’t ‘hell yes’ then it had to be ‘no’.”
Jeff Bezos has explained why the Washington Post’s opinion editor left his job after the billionaire owner ordered an end to the paper publishing viewpoints opposed to “personal liberties and free markets”. Margaret Sullivan calls the Bezos directive “a death knell” for a once-great news organisation.
In numbers
The airline rewarded shareholders with hundreds of millions in dividends out of the windfall – the company’s first dividend payment since 2019.
Before bed read
Ever wondered what’s inside an Oscars goody bag? The gifts handed out to this year’s acting and directing nominees at the Academy Awards include cannabis products, luxury dog wear and disaster relief after the California wildfires.
Daily word game
Today’s starter word is: RAGI. You have five goes to get the longest word including the starter word. Play Wordiply.
Sign up
If you would like to receive this Afternoon Update to your email inbox every weekday, sign up here, or start your day with a curated breakdown of the key stories you need to know with our Morning Mail newsletter. You can follow the latest in US politics by signing up for This Week in Trumpland.
