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Donald <keyword id="19906203" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Trump" source="keywords">Trump</keyword> and <keyword id="19903807" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Elon-Musk" source="keywords">Elon Musk</keyword> have apparently become great friends over recent months. Musk poured millions of dollars into Trump's successful election campaign and has been a vocal and visible supporter of the president-elect. In return, he's been given a new job, in joint charge of the new <keyword id="23593857" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Department-of-Government-Efficiency" source="keywords">Department of Government Efficiency</keyword> (Doge), where he will be tasked with streamlining government operations and reducing bureaucracy. This "department"—actually an advisory group—will aim to cut unnecessary spending and make the general functioning of the US government more efficient. The idea is that within a federal budget of over US$6 trillion, there are opportunities to make some big savings. Musk's appointment—like many things he's involved with—has sparked controversy. The richest man in the world has already said he wants to cut spending by US$2 trillion (£1.6 trillion) and mentioned setting up a "leaderboard for most insanely dumb spending of your tax dollars.". Some are concerned about the impact he could have on public services. Others fear he will use his position to promote his own business interests. On the positive side, Musk has a very impressive CV when it comes to big organisations. He has created (or co-created) multi-billion-dollar businesses, including Paypal, <keyword id="19895433" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Tesla" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Tesla" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Tesla">Tesla</keyword>, and <keyword id="19905255" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="SpaceX" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="SpaceX" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="SpaceX">SpaceX</keyword>. He has founded startups involved in AI (xAI), tunnelling (the Boring Company), and medicine (<keyword id="19985233" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Neuralink" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Neuralink" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Neuralink">Neuralink</keyword>). And research suggests that much of Musk's success comes down to a relentless focus on efficiency. He has also been praised for the depth of his analytical thinking and innovative problem solving. Tesla's factory in California went from being the least productive car manufacturing plant in the US when it was owned by General Motors to the most productive under Musk's ownership. SpaceX has vastly reduced costs in the space cargo business. So he has form. And Musk is not the first American business leader to offer private sector expertise to the world of politics. Back in the 1960s, Robert McNamara, former president of the Ford Motor Company, served as secretary of defence under presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson. McNamara brought significant innovations to <keyword id="22668770" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="government-efficiency" source="keywords">government efficiency</keyword> that drew on his corporate experience. He championed cost-benefit analysis and a data-driven approach to decision-making and was keen on reducing bureaucracy and promoting accountability in complex governmental processes. To achieve this, McNamara recruited a team of experts from the worlds of academia and business. Known as the "Whizz Kids," they brought new perspectives to the White House. In the UK now, the Labour government's minister of state for investment is Poppy Gustafsson, a former venture capitalist and tech founder. Its minister for prisons is James Timpson, former CEO of the Timpson Group, a family firm renowned for hiring ex-offenders. These people—and there are many other examples around the world—were brought into the political sphere because of the knowledge and vision they have demonstrated in the private sector. The hope is their talent and leadership will improve policy and practice. <h2>Data-driven reform</h2>The same must be hoped for Musk: that with his co-leader, Vivek Ramaswamy—a biotech entrepreneur and former Republican leadership candidate—he will bring expertise in cost-cutting and innovative strategies. This will probably include comprehensive audits and data-driven approaches to reform. Critics refer to prior examples of Musk's approach, such as the mass layoffs and aggressive cost-cutting measures at Twitter (now X), with concerns that there could be similarly drastic reductions in the federal workforce and public services. But big job cuts were happening across the tech sector at that time. They came in the wake of reduced revenues and a need to reduce bloated workforces and ineffective functions—not unlike the challenges faced by the US government. Nevertheless, while proponents see Musk as an experienced leader capable of streamlining bureaucracy, sceptics fear the advent of harmful austerity measures that risk disruption to essential public programs. Concerns have also been raised about potential conflicts of interest, as Musk's business empire benefits from government contracts. However, since Doge will operate as an advisory body, concerns over him gaining advantage through any self-dealing seem overblown. Besides, two of Musk's companies (SpaceX and Tesla) have been awarded US$15.4 billion (£12.3bn) in federal contracts in the last decade. Perhaps then, success precedes influence rather than the reverse? Doge will also be governed by the Federal Advisory Committee Act, which maintains legal and ethical guardrails. And Congress will have the final say over any decisions. Fears of the worst possible outcome to Musk's appointment are a natural human response in the face of uncertainty. It is part of the reason that negative headlines get more clicks than positive ones. It is also true that Musk has aligned himself with a politician who divides opinion like few others. By leveraging his billions of dollars and 200 million followers on X to help Trump to victory, he made it clear which side he was on. And in a highly polarised US political landscape, the anguish about his governmental role may be little more than a knee-jerk reaction from the millions of people whose side he did not choose.

Love him or loathe him, Elon Musk is a champion of efficiency and could save the US government a fortune

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The Department of Government Efficiency wouldn't be a department, but an outside advisory group.</li><li>Under current law, Congress needs to approve most budget changes, limiting the DOGE's power.</li></ul>President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday announced a new effort to slash what he sees as federal inefficiency, with Elon Musk as cost-cutter-in-chief.Trump <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-trump-cabinet-election-x-2024-9">made good on a campaign promise</a> when he tapped Musk to co-lead the proposed "Department of Government Efficiency," or DOGE, alongside former GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy.Musk says he wants to cut $2 trillion from the federal budget to make it more efficient and effective. Beyond that, though, little is known about how the DOGE will function and how much power it — <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-adopts-elon-musk-plan-cut-government-spending-efficiency-reform-2024-9">and Musk</a> — will have.Musk did not respond to Business Insider's request for comment for this article. A representative for Ramaswamy declined to comment.<h2 id="2dc0c03e-9977-4403-9201-3d55e844524d">What do we know about the DOGE?</h2>Despite its name, the DOGE will <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musks-doge-gets-a-government-checkmark-on-x-2024-11">not actually be a government department</a>, as departments are permanent and can only be created by Congress. Instead, it will function "outside of the government" and disband by July 4, 2026, Trump said in a statement.<div type="image" title="Trump and Musk at a rally" height="2584" width="4184" msid="115360794" hostid="261" sizebytes="161264"></div>The name DOGE is an homage to Musk's preferred cryptocurrency, Dogecoin, which shot up in value after Trump won the election. Under current law, the DOGE might not be able to accomplish much, since Congress controls federal spending."They have no power. No power at all," Elaine Kamarck, a senior fellow at the nonpartisan Brookings Institute who led efforts to reform the federal government under former President Bill Clinton, told Business Insider. "They do make recommendations, and once they make recommendations, the expectation is that the government will act on them."There's no guarantee that a recommendation will turn into a policy, especially given that many of the DOGE's suggestions will likely require congressional approval, Kamarck said.<h2 id="0f11a880-6c1f-4025-a722-a860ae33d16c">The DOGE's $2 trillion goal is something of a pipe dream.</h2>Federal spending <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-elon-musk-vivek-ramaswamy-department-government-efficiency-doge-2024-11">reached $6.75 trillion in 2024</a>. Multiple experts told BI that it's unlikely Musk will be able to cut his desired $2 trillion without sacrificing programs that have wide bipartisan support or fall under federal mandatory spending, like Medicare and Social Security. Kamarck called the $2 trillion goal the "most unrealistic" part of the whole DOGE plan.Trump has long been preoccupied with cutting what he sees as Washington's waste and fraud."The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) will ultimately be staffed and dedicated to this mission," Brian Hughes, a spokesperson for Trump's transition team, told BI in a statement.Quoting former Rep. Barney Frank, Kamarck said that excess federal spending is "marbled" <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-vivek-ramaswamy-doge-government-efficiency-what-us-spends-2024-11">throughout the budget</a>, like fat throughout a steak, making the DOGE's desired $2 trillion in cuts tricky."It just doesn't work, unless you decide to start cutting Social Security benefits or Medicare, at which point all hell breaks loose," she told BI. "And you know, the bromance between Trump and Musk will end very quickly."Known for <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-efficiency-companies-tesla-spacex-x-2024-11">streamlining efficiency at his companies</a>, Musk says he wants to cut bureaucracy, shrink the federal workforce, and trim the number of federal agencies down to no more than 99 (there are currently <a target="_blank" href="https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies">more than 440</a>).Douglas Holtz-Eakin, the former director of the Congressional Budget Office, told BI that he doubted that the loosely defined group would be able to accomplish much given its sprawling $2 trillion target."It is hard for me to get seriously ginned up about it until there's a real structure there that suggests that this makes some sense and has a purpose," he said. "If something is designed to do everything, it will do nothing."<h2 id="6bcaf431-1be5-4839-9b83-d0f24a7146cf">The DOGE will exist "outside of government."</h2>In one scenario, the DOGE could function as an advisory committee, which Trump can create through an executive order. The president-elect said the DOGE will work with the Office of Management and Budget, which prepares the president's budget request for Congress."They have made clear that this is a non-governmental department, which is not a familiar term, and so it's not really clear how the organization will operate because of that," Lisa Gilbert, co-president of the progressive nonprofit advocacy group Public Citizen, told BI. "It might be an advisory committee of non-governmental actors, but even from that posture, it won't have the authority to alter budgets or fire employees or rescind regulations."<div type="image" title="Donald Trump and Elon Musk" height="1910" width="2707" msid="115360796" hostid="261" sizebytes="118134"></div>Kamarck said that there are specific rules laying out how much interaction external committees can have with the government, but it's not clear how Trump, Musk, and Ramaswamy envision the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-doge-hiring-staff-how-to-apply-2024-11">internal infrastructure of the DOGE</a>."How are they going to talk to each other? How are they going to meet with each other? Are they going to go talk to anybody in the government, or are they just going to make up things from 50 miles away?" she said.On November 14, the DOGE <a target="_blank" href="https://x.com/DOGE/status/1857076831104434289">said in a post on X</a> that it is seeking "super high-IQ small-government revolutionaries willing to work 80+ per week on unglamorous cost-cutting." Musk said on his <a target="_blank" href="https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1857112441529700671">personal X account</a> that the positions will not be paid.<h2 id="4c25da3e-39de-44e2-a1c5-c7249f9fc728">Trump has talked about changing a key law that limits his federal spending power.</h2>Trump, Musk, and Ramaswamy may try to circumvent the congressional obstacles standing in the way of their cost-cutting agenda. Last year, Trump expressed interest in going after the Impoundment Control Act, a 1974 provision that requires the president spend funds that Congress has appropriated."Bringing back Impoundment will give us a crucial tool with which to obliterate the Deep State, Drain the Swamp, and starve the Warmongers," the president-elect <a target="_blank" href="https://www.donaldjtrump.com/agenda47/agenda47-using-impoundment-to-cut-waste-stop-inflation-and-crush-the-deep-state">said in a video</a> in June 2023.Holtz-Eakin said attempting to skirt the impoundment act would be like rewriting history, and Kamarck told BI that any attempt to not spend money that Congress has appropriated poses big Constitutional questions."If he tries to change the law so that he can impound funds, my guess is there'll be a fight in the Congress and he'll lose," she said.<h2 id="4956dc95-91da-4028-b1b3-d843a1509397">Musk could bump up against many conflicts of interest but likely wouldn't have to divest from his companies.</h2>If the DOGE is a federal advisory committee, Musk and Ramaswamy would likely be "special government employees," who are experts or consultants that can work for a federal agency or the White House for up to 130 days. They do not get paid and, crucially, would not have to divest from their companies."They've been clear also that they're staying in their roles as the heads of companies and in other places," Gilbert said. "Not being a part of government means they don't have to deconflict themselves."In a press release for Public Citizen, Gilbert said that Musk's "own businesses have regularly run afoul of the very rules he will be in position to attack" as the DOGE co-lead.<div type="image" title="Donald Trump and Vivek Ramaswamy" height="5504" width="8256" msid="115360795" hostid="261" sizebytes="4296554"></div>In the role, Musk and Ramaswamy would still be bound to federal ethics laws and have to recuse themselves from conversations that affect them personally, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-11-14/doge-what-can-musk-do-with-the-department-of-government-efficiency?srnd=homepage-americas">Bloomberg</a> reported. With his companies under investigation from at least 20 federal regulatory agencies and SpaceX having more than $15 billion in federal contracts, Musk could face many such conflicts.Kamarck said that there's no "firm line" about when employees need to take themselves out of discussions, but that lawyers address questions on a case-by-case basis.Musk has expressed public frustration with what he views as overbearing federal oversight, which he said has <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/12/us/politics/elon-musk-vivek-ramaswamy-trump.html">slowed down his pace of business</a>.By law, meetings of advisory committees, like the kind the DOGE could be, need to be open, and Musk has no problem with the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-doge-leaderboard-federal-government-spending-trump-2024-11">transparency</a> — in fact, he seems to invite it. In a post on X, the billionaire promised to post all of the group's actions online <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-leaderboard-government-spending-marketing-genius-doge-donald-trump-2024-11">"for maximum transparency</a>" and said the public should chime in with their opinions.It's also possible the group might intentionally avoid becoming a federal committee because of the increased oversight and scrutiny, Holtz-Eakin said."It's not a federal committee as far as I can tell," he said. "I think that's deliberate. If you do that, then you're subject to lots of things like a conflict of interest you have to sign off on, and I think that would be a nightmare for Mr. Musk. And so they're not going to let it tiptoe toward federal jurisdiction."Until Trump actually forms the DOGE, if he ever does, the legal and bureaucratic details remain murky, and the experts BI spoke with aren't convinced that it will work well."It sounds a little screwy, frankly," Kamarck said.

How Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency could actually work

<keyword id="21282723" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="satellite-communications" source="keywords">Satellite communications</keyword> is a "magic bullet" to cover dark unconnected areas, <keyword id="22764352" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bharti-Chairman" source="keywords">Bharti Chairman</keyword> <keyword id="20104229" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sunil-Mittal" source="keywords">Sunil Mittal</keyword> said on Monday, adding that players now have a great new opportunity to leverage satellite connectivity to cover <keyword id="20534956" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="remote-areas" source="keywords">remote areas</keyword> that have so far been left out. Speaking at the <keyword id="23624328" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="NDTV-World-Summit" source="keywords">NDTV World Summit</keyword>, Mittal said that nearly two billion people in the world are still not connected to the internet, and in the Indian context too there are areas -- large swathes of desert, forests, coastlines -- where neither mobile networks, not fibre is feasible. "For those areas you need satellite communications, and that, to my mind, offers now a great source of new opportunities for us, mobile operators, or <keyword id="20055601" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="telecom-operators" source="keywords">telecom operators</keyword>, to put that in a mix and start to cover areas which are still left behind," Mittal said. About five per cent of India's population sans <keyword id="19936241" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="internet-connectivity" source="keywords">internet connectivity</keyword> lives in 25 per cent of the area, he said, emphasising that satellite is the only solution for them. "India provides a very high quality signal to 95 per cent of its population, but there are still five per cent of people who do not get internet in the country, and they live in 25 per cent of the area of the country. So it's a very large area with a very small population, the only way to cover that is satellite," Mittal said. Mittal said that two ground stations in Mehsana (Gujarat) and in Pondicherry are in a state of preparedness and ready to start services. "The day government gives us the permission, there will not be a single square inch of this country which will not have a radio coverage. So you just need to raise your hand and be connected," he said. Mittal said he is of the view that satellite is truly a "magic bullet" to cover the dark areas, and noted that about 2 billion people in the world are still not connected to internet, including in advanced countries like the US. The telecom stalwart's comments assume significance as billionaire Elon Musk and Indian tycoons Mukesh Ambani and Mittal are locked in a standoff over satellite spectrum, and nuances of its allocation in India. While Ambani's <keyword id="19896911" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Reliance-Jio" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Reliance Jio" meta.hostid="268" meta.entityid="Reliance Jio">Reliance Jio</keyword> has been vocal about the need to allocate such spectrum through an auction to give a level-playing field to legacy operators who buy airwaves and set up infrastructure like telecom towers, Mittal during India Mobile Congress held last week articulated the need for satellite companies harbouring any urban ambitions to buy spectrum as telecom companies do. Musk-led <keyword id="20034452" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Starlink" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Starlink" meta.hostid="268" meta.entityid="Starlink">Starlink</keyword> is demanding administrative allotment of licences in line with the global trend as it looks to tap into the world's fastest-growing mobile telephony and internet market. This has found some backing in Telecom Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, who said recently that such airwaves will be given out through administrative allocation at a cost, but not auctioned.

Satellite 'magic bullet' to connect the unconnected; offers opportunity to cover areas left out: Sunil Mittal

Last week, Donald Trump announced the creation of the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-department-of-government-efficiency-donald-trump-ramaswamy-2024-11">Department of Government Efficiency</a>, which promises to "dismantle government bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies." And to run the new cost-cutting department, Trump tapped the businessman he calls the world's "greatest cutter" — <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/gop-senator-waste-list-influence-elon-musk-spending-cuts-2024-11">Elon Musk</a>.If you're looking to take a chainsaw to the federal government, Musk seems perfectly suited to the job. At <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/twitter-x-elon-musk-startup-competitition-town-square-election-2024-10">Twitter,</a> he eliminated a staggering 80% of the staff — over 6,000 people. At <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tesla-salary-database-elon-musk-pay-strategy-2024-11">Tesla</a>, he cut 10% of the workforce, saying the company needed to be "absolutely hardcore about headcount and cost reduction." He also laid off 10% of employees at <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-jared-isaacman-interview-polaris-dawn-space-walk-2024-11">Space X</a>, insisting his teams need to be scrappy and nimble. Cutting, for Musk, is generally Job No. 1.For the most part, Musk's slash-and-burn tactics have paid off. Twitter usage, according to Musk, is at an all-time high. Tesla's stock is up 28% over the past year. And SpaceX — now valued at $250 billion — is grabbing rockets out of the sky with <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-spacex-starship-landing-super-heavy-2024-10">giant chopsticks</a>. In the world of business, fewer workers often translate into higher profits.The question is: Can the cost-cutting tactics Musk has employed in the private sector work to corral waste and bloat in the federal government? Musk and his DOGE cochair, the biotech billionaire <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-elon-musk-cutting-federal-spending-could-work-2024-11">Vivek Ramaswamy</a>, have said they're looking to hire "super high-IQ small government revolutionaries" to help make $2 trillion in cuts — about a third of all federal spending — and to slash the federal workforce by as much as 75%. It's a dream that has eluded every Republican administration since Ronald Reagan — and it's one that may prove elusive even for Musk, the man now anointed as America's cost-cutter in chief.There's certainly no shortage of waste and inefficiency in the federal government that cries out to be streamlined. In 2019, the Defense Department forked over $22 million for lobster tails. In 2020, the IRS sent $1.4 billion in tax refunds to dead Americans. Millions of square feet in federal buildings sit unoccupied.In theory, a bold, outside figure like <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-donald-trump-elected-shadow-president-2024-11">Musk</a> could be the very thing needed to downscale an operation as vast and intractable as the federal government. Large organizations need a force of "creative destruction" to change, says Michael Morris, a professor at Columbia Business School. "Things don't go away on their own. You have to have somebody with a willingness to deliberately dismantle things if you're going to have innovation." And when a new figure institutes a massive shock to the system — whether at the government or private level — "it often backfires," says Morris. "There's often very fierce, active resistance to change." As <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/joe-biden-corporate-gerontocracy-aging-ceos-retirement-succession-replacement-2024-8">CEO</a>, Musk has the latitude to push past that resistance and overhaul company culture. But things are going to be different with DOGE. Despite its branding as a "department," the new outfit will operate only in an advisory capacity: Congress holds the ultimate responsibility for authorizing spending and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/doge-how-to-apply-dm-job-application-elon-musk-2024-11">eliminating agencies</a>. Government, by design, is an intensely collaborative process, intended to hammer out the competing needs of different constituencies. Musk, by contrast, is accustomed to ruling by fiat."Musk certainly exercises a great deal of control in his companies that he won't have in the environment of the federal government, where we have checks and balances," says Andy Wu, an associate professor of business administration at Harvard Business School. "Even if Musk had the right idea for things, it's not so clear he could implement any of them."The federal government is infamous for holding on to past practices, even when they no longer make sense. Linda Bilmes, a senior lecturer in public policy at the Harvard Kennedy School, cites the continued minting of the penny, each of which costs three cents to produce. Last year, in an economy that has largely moved away from cash, the government spent $179 million forging pennies and nickels. Yet past calls to get rid of the penny haven't amounted to one red cent."The danger is if Elon Musk were to somehow think he is the first person who has ever looked at cost cutting in government," says Bilmes. "Many people who know a lot about government have proposed many good ideas. The potential for usefulness would be if he could take some already reasonably good ideas and help them get implemented."The <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/watchdog-dod-must-speed-up-weapons-deliveries-to-maintain-advantage-2024-6">Government Accountability Office</a> and inspectors general have already recommended a variety of potential targets. They aren't always flashy: This year, the GAO recommended agencies use predictive models to schedule maintenance, saying they could save $100 million or more. It also urged the IRS to focus on collecting taxes owed by sole proprietors, which could generate hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue. If the government implemented all 5,480 of its suggestions, the GAO estimated, it would "produce measurable financial benefits" of up to $208 billion.But so far, Musk has seemed more interested in the kind of flashy, small-bore proposals that attract clicks on X. He's taken to resharing what he sees as examples of waste — everything from $3 million spent on drug research that involved watching "hamsters fight on steroids" to a $20,000 grant that funded drag shows in Ecuador — and crowdsourcing them on the platform. Those sorts of items might generate outrage on <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/twitter-donald-trump-elon-musk-2024-11">Fox News</a>, but eliminating them won't do much to trim the federal government's $6,200,000,000,000 in annual spending.Then there's the politics of budget cutting. The last time Republicans succeeded at slowing government spending, under <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/reagan-secret-service-agent-says-trump-shooting-failure-for-agency-2024-7">Ronald Reagan</a>, they made deep cuts to areas of government that proved unpopular — including social welfare programs, student loans, and job training. Musk may see plenty of areas he'd like to slash, but a wide range of constituencies will inevitably push back against cuts to programs they consider essential. When it comes to federal spending, one person's waste is another person's bread and butter."People support the idea of improving how the government delivers services," says Joel Friedman, the senior vice president for federal fiscal policy at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a progressive think tank. "I think people would take a different view if you end up gutting programs they depend on and care about." Efficiency always sounds like a good thing, until it comes for something you love.Beyond the question of where to cut, Musk will face intense scrutiny over why he's targeting certain areas of government. His role at DOGE is rife with the potential for conflicts of interest. SpaceX, for example, has received nearly $20 billion in federal contracts since 2008, and Musk has been sharply critical of the Federal Aviation Administration, viewing it as an obstacle to launching his powerful <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-trump-spacex-starship-rocket-milestone-election-2024-10">Starship</a>. And his massive investments in electric vehicles and social media are dependent on all sorts of federal spending and oversight. When it comes to how the government interacts with the marketplace, the world's richest man inherently has a lot of skin in the game. Musk's companies did not respond to requests for comment. But Brian Hughes, a spokesperson for Trump's transition team, says it plans to ensure that those involved with DOGE "are compliant with all legal guidelines related to conflicts of interest."Those concerns also touch on the larger question of what Trump and his allies hope to accomplish by reducing the size of government. Calls for reducing "inefficiency" and "bureaucracy" have long been a euphemism for Republicans eager to reduce or eliminate federal oversight of everything from industrial pollution to airline safety. Less government is not necessarily better government, and there are plenty of federal agencies that remain so understaffed and underfunded, from the IRS to the Veterans Administration, that they're unable to perform even their most basic functions. The GOP's aim of cutting spending, a leading Reagan ally once acknowledged, is to shrink government to the size where conservatives can "drag it into the bathroom and drown it in the bathtub." On Friday, Ramaswamy directly linked DOGE to the Reagan-era dream of smaller government, promising that the new agency will finish its work by July 4, 2026 — the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.And even when conservatives have succeeded at cutting costs, it's done nothing to slow the pace of government spending. Reagan slashed $22 billion in social welfare programs during his first two years in office — savings that were more than offset by his tax cuts and military spending, which nearly tripled the national debt. And in 1981, when a deep recession hit, carving up the safety net left the millions of Americans who were mired in poverty with even fewer resources to get by.It's also important to remember that Musk did more than downsize X — he also used the platform to elevate far-right talking points and unfounded conspiracy theories. In short, he reshaped it to serve his own political ends, making it meaner as well as leaner. It remains to be seen if Musk will do the same with DOGE. There are plenty of places where Uncle Sam could spend America's hard-earned tax dollars more wisely. But there are also plenty of places where the man Trump's family now refers to as "Uncle" Elon could deploy what DOGE calls "unglamorous cost-cutting" to bend the federal government to serve his own financial needs.Musk has acknowledged that Americans will feel "hardship" as a result of the cuts he wants to see implemented. But that doesn't mean he won't be able to juice more performance out of fewer resources, as he did at his own companies. When Musk slashed the workforce at Twitter, critics predicted that the app would collapse without enough staff to maintain it. Two years later, after a few initial glitches, it works much the same as before — at a far lower cost. Doubting Musk, even when he seems to be operating at his most extreme, can be a fool's game.<a target="_blank" rel="" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/author/amanda-hoover">Amanda Hoover</a> is a senior correspondent at Business Insider covering the tech industry. She writes about the biggest tech companies and trends.

Elon Musk downsized Big Tech. Can he do the same to Big Government?

<keyword id="19906087" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="hyundai" source="keywords">Hyundai</keyword>'s mammoth Rs 27,870 crore <keyword id="19898327" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ipo" source="keywords">IPO</keyword>, which will open for subscription between October 15-17, is set to be India's <keyword id="20459351" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="largest-IPO" source="keywords">largest IPO</keyword> ever, surpassing LIC's Rs 21,000 crore public offer, which came out in May 2022. This is also the first instance where an international giant (Hyundai Motor Group is based out of South Korea) will be listing its subsidiary (<keyword id="19908548" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Hyundai-Motor-India" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Hyundai Motor India" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Hyundai Motor India">Hyundai Motor India</keyword>) in an overseas market. Additionally, the company is also looking to raise Rs 8,315.28 crore from <keyword id="21330641" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="anchor-investors" source="keywords">anchor investors</keyword>, who will begin bidding on October 14th, 2024. Hyundai is the third largest auto original equipment manufacturer (OEM) globally, based on passenger vehicle sales. "We have been in India now for more than 26 years. We have a very high market share. We are at number two position in India in the passenger vehicle space. We have got so much love and affection from the people of India. So we believe this is the right time to take one step forward and even further Indianize our operations," Hyundai Motor India Ltd (HMIL) COO Tarun Garg told PTI in an interaction. Garg further added that the whole aim is to really become the most trusted brand of India. On being asked why they choose India for launching their IPO, he noted that the brand Hyundai has really been accepted very well in India, which is why it is probably the right country to really go for the IPO. Hyundai has set a price band of Rs 1,865-1,960 per share for the IPO, taking the company's valuation to Rs 1.6 lakh crore, or $19 billion. For <keyword id="19972907" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="retail-investors" source="keywords">retail investors</keyword>, the minimum lot size is 7 shares, while the minimum investment amount is Rs 13,720. Out of the total issue, 35% has been reserved for retail investors, which will give them a fair shot at owning HMIL shares. Also, 7,78,400 shares have been allocated for employees, which will be offered at a discount of Rs 186 to the issue price. Most experts are suggesting subscribing to the IPO from a medium to long-term perspective. According to Bajaj Broking's IPO note, "The issue relatively appears fully priced, but the company is poised for bright prospects post completion of its ongoing expansions. The company reported PAT margins of 6.05% (FY22), 7.67% (FY23), 8.50% (FY24), 8.48% (Q1-FY25), and RoCE (return on capital employed)margins of 20.37%, 28.75%, 62.90%, 13.69% for the referred periods, respectively. We recommend to subscribe the IPO with a long-term perspective". Notably, the entire IPO is an <keyword id="19951016" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="OFS" source="keywords">OFS</keyword> (offer for sale) meaning that the company will not receive anything from this. All proceeds will go towards the promoters who are offloading their shares. <table class="redcator-table-advance"><tbody><tr><td>Period</td><td>Total Income (In Rs)</td><td>Net Profit (In Rs)</td></tr><tr><td>FY21</td><td>41,404.65 crore </td><td> 1,881.16 crore</td></tr><tr><td>FY22</td><td>47,966.05 crore </td><td>2,901.59 crore</td></tr><tr><td>FY23</td><td>61,436.64 crore </td><td>4,709.25 crore</td></tr><tr><td>FY24</td><td class="se-table-selected-cell">71,302.33 crore </td><td>6,060.04 crore</td></tr><tr><td>Q1FY25 (As of June 30, 2024)</td><td>17,567.98 crore</td><td>1489.65 crore </td></tr></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody></table>Source: DRHP of <keyword id="20104772" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Hyundai-Motors" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Hyundai Motors" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Hyundai Motors">Hyundai Motors</keyword> India HMIL’s current range of passenger vehicles consists of 13 models across key passenger vehicle segments by body type, including sedans (Aura and Verna), hatchbacks (Grand i10 NIOS, i20, and i20 N Line), and SUVs (Exter, Venue, Venue N Line, Creta, Creta N Line, Alcazar, Tucson, and IONIQ 5). Per Anand Rathi Wealth's IPO note, "HMIL follows a premiumization strategy, concentrating on selling higher-end trims with a higher average selling price (ASP) for their respective passenger vehicles. HMIL aims to align their EV strategy with market demands in India by carefully timing the launch of suitable EV models across various price segments. At the upper band company is valuing at 26.2x its FY24 earnings along with being valued at 26.7x if we annualize FY25 earnings. Following the issuance of equity shares, the company's market capitalization stands at Rs 15,92,581 million, with a market cap-to-sales ratio of 2.28 based on its FY24 earnings. We believe that the issue is fully priced and recommend “Subscribe –Long Term” rating to the IPO". <h2>History of large IPOs in India </h2>Back in 2007, DLF came out with the then-largest IPO, which was worth Rs 9,187.50 crores and saw 3.5x overall subscription. This was soon eclipsed by Reliance Power's IPO worth Rs 11,563.20 crore in January 2008. At 70X+subscription, it was massively oversubscribed in retail, QIB and HNI segments. The company managed to garner Rs 7.5 lakh crore as against its issue size of Rs 11,000 crore. Then came government's (GOI) disinvestment in Coal India in 2010, which had a book size of 15,199.44 crores. After a 10-year lull, Paytm's Rs 18,300 crore IPO broke this slumber in 2021. This was short lived because GOI decided to disinvest a small stake in LIC of India with a massive Rs 21,000 crore IPO in 2022, which was oversubscribed 2.95 times.

Upcoming IPO aimed to Indianize operations, says Hyundai Motors

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Interest rates and stock returns are expected to decline, impacting investment strategies.</li><li>Historically, stocks and bonds have alternated in performance, affecting portfolio decisions.</li></ul>A diversified investing strategy means a split between stocks and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/investing/what-is-a-bond">bonds</a>, at minimum. But for the better part of the last two decades, interest rates were near zero, and real returns in bonds were lacking.Still, investors added them to their portfolios because history has shown us that asset classes can zig and zag, with long <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/stock-and-bond-market-correlation-normal-2014-2">periods of stock market outperformance</a> relative to bonds and intervals where that dynamic flipped.The last two years were great for both asset classes. Elevated rates put the bond market back on investors' minds, while the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/index/s&amp;p_500">S&amp;P 500</a> had a solid 26% total return. But depending on who you ask, the future may not be as bright.Yields will be less attractive as the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/interest-rate-cuts-federal-reserve-election-jerome-powell-inflation-jobs-2024-11#:~:text=The%20Fed%20cut%20interest%20rates,country%20recovered%20from%20the%20pandemic.">Fed begins its rate cuts</a> for this cycle. Meanwhile, Goldman Sachs expects stock-market returns to be muted for the coming decade. The S&amp;P 500 is predicted to see a mere 3% annualized return over the next 10 years, which could lag the 10-year Treasury at an expected 4% yield, according to a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-beat-stock-market-returns-next-decade-goldman-sachs-2024-10">recent note</a> by the investment bank's chief US equity strategist David Kostin.If the bears are right, investors may be forced to take on more risk for returns. Sounds gloomy, but for bond traders like Mark Rieder, who has over two decades of experience in the sector, it could be an opportunity to dig for bargains in corporate credit.Generating alpha for a credit trader could mean beating a peer, a Bloomberg fixed income index that matches the category of bonds traded, or simply remaining in positive territory in terms of total returns when the market is down, Rieder told Business Insider."Over the past 10 years, when interest rates were very low, it was not an exciting time to be a credit analyst and a portfolio manager," Rieder said. "But it's much more interesting today, and I'm really excited about that."However, active debt investing takes a good level of skill and consistent effort to make the right credit selection, according to his new book, "Reminiscences of a Bond Operator." Like the stock-picking process, following the crowd or consensus won't result in alpha. A credit trader must conduct the same level of fundamental analysis and dig into a company's balance sheet, earnings calls, 10Qs, and 10Ks, among other things, to determine valuation."I've always believed that a good credit analyst is also a really good equity analyst because you really need to understand the capital structure of the companies that you're evaluating and all of their different needs," Rieder said. "Most companies want to have their stock price go up, and so as a credit analyst, you need to understand that so that you can understand what their motivations are."It's especially important now, as the credit space faces its own set of challenges. Like the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/investing/are-we-in-a-recession">business cycle</a>, credit has its booms and busts based on macro conditions and supply and demand. In a strong economic environment, corporate cash flows rise, and companies increase borrowing with favorable lending terms. But when times are tight, companies deleverage until their debt is less than their cash flow. Once that equilibrium is satisfied, more borrowing ensues, according to his book.Rieder said credit is in the boom part of the cycle. This might sound surprising, considering debt has been expensive for the better part of the last two years. But most companies were locked into low yields before rates rose, he noted. As debt turnover increases, investors need to be cautious."There's a lag impact on the increase in rates. Most companies borrow for long periods of time, five years, 10 years," Rieder said. "A lot of companies issued debt when interest rates were very low. They're now only starting to refinance that low-coupon debt. That, in turn, is what causes an impact."He doesn't expect that the Fed's cutting cycle will mitigate the crunch. The central bank can impact front-end yields, but the back end is driven by additional considerations, he noted. The 10-year rose to 4.3% shortly after the first rate cut of September, a signal that <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-election-forecast-most-accurate-economist-predicts-outcome-economic-impact-2024-10">investors were looking ahead</a> at other economic risk factors, including concerns over the government's ballooning deficit, he added. Additionally, economic conditions such as elevated credit card debt pose concerns for future corporate profits.<h2 id="101d0bc7-10c7-46f9-a758-eea160588283">Trading credit</h2>Right now, investment-grade credit spreads are tight. The yields in corporate bonds aren't much higher than in government bonds, meaning less compensation for more risk. But if we move from the boom to the bust phase, credit spreads could widen, and that could create opportunities in the credit space, he said.While spreads are tight, he prefers front-end yield or pairing trades with cheap optionality. The cost of shorting a credit index like the CDX Investment Grade 5-Year Index, a credit-default-swap index that tracks the credit risk of large US investment-grade companies, is low. And since spreads are trading at historically tight levels, it's less likely to get much lower, which could limit potential losses, he said. This position can then be paired with a trade expected to perform positively.An example he provides of a market-neutral pair trade could look like buying a corporate bond in a sector with structural tailwinds, such as a natural gas producer set to benefit from increased demand and rising energy prices, or airplane lessors who benefit from higher lease rates due to a tight aircraft supply — a situation that's unlikely to ease in the near term because of production challenges faced by manufacturers. Then, take a short position in an interest-rate future to hedge against the bond's interest-rate risk."This trade works if natural gas prices remain stable or rise, leading the energy bond to outperform the overall corporate bond market," Rieder said. "It's an excellent opportunity to capitalize on the current tight credit spread conditions and complacency in the overall credit market."Having liquidity can also give you an upper hand. As spreads widen, investors may be forced into selling higher-quality credit because they can't offload the lower-quality ones, he said."There are huge opportunities in credit if you remain liquid during dislocations," Rieder said. "Other investors are going to be looking for liquidity. They can't sell what they want to, so they sell what they can, and that can lead to opportunities to buy cheap assets."

A veteran bond operator shares an alpha-generating strategy for dropping yields and muted stock-market returns

Market watchdog SEBI has come out with a consultation paper in a bid to ease the functioning of <keyword id="22476006" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="ESG-Rating-Providers" source="keywords">ESG Rating Providers</keyword> (ERPs), pushing for the development of a <keyword id="23760035" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="subscriber-pays-model" source="keywords">subscriber-pays model</keyword>. As of July 2024, nine ERPs are registered with SEBI to operate in the country. These include <keyword id="23760037" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="CRISIL-ESG-Ratings" source="keywords">CRISIL ESG Ratings</keyword> &amp; Analytics, ESG Risk Assessments and Ratings, GlobeTrend Climate Impact Institutional Investor Advisory Services, <keyword id="23760038" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="NSE-Sustainability-Ratings" source="keywords">NSE Sustainability Ratings</keyword> and Analytics, PGS Impact, Pragati Development Consulting, CARE ESG Ratings, and SES ESG Research. Per the paper's proposal, ERPs won't be required to disclose ESG (environmental, social, and governance) ratings to the bourses, provided they confirm that there is no non-public information that could potentially affect the rating. Another proposal was the simultaneous sharing of the ESG rating reports both to the rated companies and to the subscribers who pay to access these reports. ERPs should ensure that rated entities, their group companies, or associates cannot subscribe to their own ESG ratings, SEBI said in its consultation paper. Some of the other suggestions put forth by SEBI include: 1. Companies will have a specific timeframe to respond to the ESG report, and any such comments should be included in the report as an addendum. 2. In case the ERP does not agree with the remarks issued by the rated company, they can add their comments to the report as well. 3. ERPs can rate unlisted issuers or other products, provided they meet specific guidelines from relevant regulators. SEBI is receiving public comment on these proposals until November 15, 2024. <h2>Steady returns </h2>Of the 11 ESG mutual fund schemes available to Indian mutual fund investors, the Quant ESG Equity fund has generated the highest returns of about 45.44% over one year, data from ValueResearch showed. Simply put, had you invested Rs 10,000 every month in this fund for three years, you would have accumulated a corpus of Rs 5,47,525. Over three years, the returns on this fund come to around 26%. This was followed by the ICICI Pru ESG Exclusionary Strategy fund, which yielded 44.73% returns over the same period. However, over ultra-short terms, i.e., 1-3 months, ESG funds have largely delivered negative returns, underscoring their suitability only as a long-term investment avenue. Only the SBI ESG Exclusionary Strategy Direct Fund and Quantum ESG Best In Class Strategy Direct Fund have been around for 5 years, during which they have generated returns of about 16.67% and 18.7%, respectively. <keyword id="23760036" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ESG-mutual-funds" source="keywords">ESG mutual funds</keyword> typically select and invest in companies that are ESG-compliant, i.e., who weave in environmental conversation, social welfare, and robust <keyword id="20392393" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="corporate-governance" source="keywords">corporate governance</keyword> practices into their working philosophy and work ethos, while simultaneously generating decent financial returns for stakeholders as well.

SEBI mulls measures to facilitate ease of doing business for ESG Rating Providers (ERPs)

The <keyword id="19900359" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-Navy" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Indian Navy" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Indian Navy">Indian Navy</keyword> has started rapid preparations to deploy <keyword id="19940434" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="humanitarian-assistance" source="keywords">Humanitarian Assistance</keyword> and <keyword id="20018481" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="disaster-relief" source="keywords">Disaster Relief</keyword> (HADR) operations in response to the devastating flash floods in Myanmar, in response to <keyword id="23060948" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Typhoon-Yagi" source="keywords">Typhoon Yagi</keyword>. The typhoon, which has originated from the South China Sea, is being recognised as the most powerful storm in Asia this year. The Eastern Naval Command, in coordination with the Eastern Fleet, Base Victualling Yard (BVY), Material Organisation, and INHS Kalyani, has completed the overnight loading of essential relief supplies onto naval ships set to depart from Visakhapatnam. The supplies include critical items such as HADR gear, drinking water, rations, and medicines. These materials are being sent to Yangon. "This rapid mobilisation comes despite the short notice, showcasing the Navy's ability to swiftly respond to humanitarian crises in the region," the Ministry stated. Earlier on Sunday, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday, informed that, as a part of <keyword id="23180167" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Operation-Sadbhav" source="keywords">Operation Sadbhav</keyword>, the government has dispatched humanitarian aid to Myanmar, Vietnam and Laos. In a post on X, External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar said, "India launches Operation Sadbhav. Demonstrating our solidarity with the people affected by Typhoon Yagi, India is dispatching aid to Myanmar, Vietnam and Laos. 10 tons of aid including dry ration, clothing and medicines left for Myanmar onboard Indian Navy INS Satpura today. @IAF_MCC is carrying 35 tons of aid comprising of water purification items, water containers, blankets, kitchen utensils, solar lanterns for Vietnam. 10 tons of aid comprising genset, water purification items, hygiene supplies, mosquito nets, blankets and sleeping bags for Laos." Typhoon Yagi, recognised as the most powerful storm in Asia this year, has had a devastating impact across southern China and Southeast Asia over the past week. The storm, characterised by intense rainfall and powerful winds, initially struck the Philippines, causing over a dozen fatalities. The storm has been characterised by its intense rainfall and formidable winds, leading to substantial loss of life and extensive damage, CNN reported. The typhoon first made landfall in the Philippines, where it claimed the lives of over a dozen people. After striking the Philippines, Yagi continued its westward journey, impacting southern China before affecting parts of Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar, and Laos. Almost a week after it initially hit, many regions in northern Vietnam and northern Thailand are still underwater. The relentless flooding has caused widespread disruption, and communities are facing severe challenges as they attempt to cope with the aftermath. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/webstories/arkade-developers-ipo-price-band-to-risk-factors-all-you-need-to-know/slidelist/113384216.cms">Arkade Developers IPO – Price band to risk factors, all you need to know</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/xiaomi-and-samsung-accused-of-colluding-with-amazon-and-flipkart/articleshow/113381204.cms">Xiaomi and Samsung accused of colluding with Amazon and Flipkart</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/motorola-edge-50-neo-with-dimensity-7300-50mp-camera-launched-in-india/articleshow/113386868.cms">Motorola Edge 50 Neo with Dimensity 7300, 50MP camera launched in India</a>

Indian Navy gears up for humanitarian assistance, disaster relief in Myanmar amid Typhoon Yagi

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Western defense companies are increasingly setting up operations on Ukrainian soil.</li><li>Two companies announced this week that they are starting new projects based in Ukraine.</li></ul>US and European defense companies are increasingly setting up operations in Ukraine, with the brutal war raging on and presenting plenty of opportunities.Two companies said this week that they will work more on key weapons in Ukraine, adding to what has been a growing presence of Western defense manufacturers in the country since <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-did-russia-invade-ukraine-putin-politics-motive-2023-6">Russia launched its full-scale invasion</a> in February 2022.KNDS, a French-German defense group, announced on Tuesday that it had opened a subsidiary in Kyiv, Ukraine's capital, where one of its aims is to "carry out maintenance, repair and overhaul work" on some of its systems that Ukraine's military is using.This includes the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ukrainian-soldier-reveals-why-leopards-are-better-than-soviet-tanks-2023-9">Leopard 1 and 2 main battle tanks</a>, the CAESAR <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ukraine-artillery-arsenal-creates-logistical-maintenance-problems-2023-7">artillery gun</a>, the AMX10 RC armored fighting vehicle, the PzH 2000 <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mud-makes-trouble-ukraines-howitzers-super-sensitive-dirt-vacuum-cleaner-2023-5">armored howitzer</a>, and the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/gepard-cannons-are-defeating-russias-drones-but-ukraine-needs-ammo-2023-4">Gepard self-propelled antiaircraft gun</a>.The company said in a press statement that the new subsidiary "will support the cooperation between Ukrainian government institutions, the Ukrainian armaments industry and KNDS."Meanwhile, AeroVironment, an American defense contractor headquartered in Virginia, signed an agreement with an undisclosed Ukrainian company to make the Switchblade 600, a loitering munition, in Ukraine, the Kyiv Independent <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://kyivindependent.com/us-company-aerovironment-plans-to-start-producing-switchblade-loitering-munitions-in-ukraine/">reported</a>.The moves build on a growing Western defense industry presence in Ukraine.Ukraine's defense minister, Rustem Umerov, said in December that his country had signed "dozens of new contracts" that included joint production agreements with Western partners.German arms maker Rheinmetall has opened a plant in Ukraine and its CEO <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://newsukraine.rbc.ua/news/rheinmetall-to-open-air-defense-plant-in-1715848545.html">said</a> in May that the company will open a new air defense facility in the country.It also said that it would produce Lynx armored vehicles in Ukraine.BAE, a major British defense firm, meanwhile, announced last year that it was opening a new base in Ukraine to "ramp up" its support for the country's armed forces.And an unnamed US State Department official <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.defenseone.com/business/2024/08/warily-us-companies-eye-co-production-deals-ukraine/398616/">told Defense One</a> that more American defense companies seem interested in establishing themselves in Ukraine.But the official also warned of the dangers involved, saying no company wants their facilities targeted or employees hurt.The efforts are part of a wider push to integrate Western and Ukrainian defense efforts, including by sharing technologies, Ukrainian weapons specialists working in the West, and Western countries repairing and storing Ukrainian weaponry.These efforts will "allow Ukraine to become self-sufficient over time and integrate Ukraine into the broader Western security network," Washington DC-based think tank the Institute for the Study of War <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://understandingwar.org/backgrounder/ukraine%E2%80%99s-long-term-path-success-jumpstarting-self-sufficient-defense-industrial-base">said</a> in January.Most of Ukraine's weaponry comes from its allies, but it has also dramatically increased its own production. This includes <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ukraine-make-72-howitzers-next-year-struggle-ammo-report-2023-12">making its own howitzers</a>, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ukraine-making-own-bombs-counter-russian-devastation-us-ones-jam-2024-6">glide bombs</a>, and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ukraine-on-track-produce-more-mortar-drones-than-planned-official-2024-7">drones</a>.<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-finally-serious-about-its-war-spelling-trouble-for-ukraine-2024-5">Russia is also ramping up its own production</a>, sparking concerns in the West.Russia's invasion of Ukraine has been a major boost for Western defense companies, with many nations increasing their defense spending.Countries have increased their orders, and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-forced-west-boost-weapon-production-gear-no-longer-made-2024-7">many companies have increased their production, including equipment that had stopped being made</a> — not only to aid Ukraine but to prepare for any future Russian conflict with the West.The benefit has been huge for US companies: Of the $113 billion pledged by Congress up until April 2024 in relation to the war, as much as $68 billion was destined to be invested in domestic companies, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.csis.org/analysis/how-supporting-ukraine-revitalizing-us-defense-industrial-base">according to</a> the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank.

More US and European defense companies are setting up operations in Ukraine as the war rages on

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Speaker Mike Johnson has pulled a government funding bill amid party dissent, risking a shutdown.</li><li>The government will shut down on October 1 if no extension is passed, affecting federal operations.</li></ul>America might be headed for another government shutdown.<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mike-johnson-trump-rally-shooting-political-rhetoric-election-2024-7">Speaker Mike Johnson</a> on Wednesday pulled a temporary government funding bill off the House floor hours before a planned vote amid dissent within his own party."No vote today because we're in the consensus-building business here in Congress. With small majorities, that's what you do," Johnson told reporters outside the House chamber, per The Associated Press. "We're having thoughtful conversations, family conversations within the Republican conference and I believe we'll get there."Johnson's bill is tied to the SAVE Act, legislation that would require all Americans to submit proof of citizenship in order to vote and complicate the national voter registration process before a major election. The measure is <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.politico.com/newsletters/inside-congress/2024/09/04/why-johnsons-funding-plan-could-fail-in-the-house-00177426">universally opposed</a> by Democrats and some Republicans.The government will shut down on October 1, if no funding extension is passed. While that gives Congress over two weeks to pass a bill, lawmakers are anxious to leave Washington so they can return to their campaign trails ahead of Election Day.Given their razor-thin majority, Republicans can only afford to lose four votes if every lawmaker shows up and Democrats remain united in opposition. Senate <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/chuck-schumer-hakeem-jeffries-democratic-leaders-biden-drop-out-2024-7">Majority Leader Chuck Schumer</a> has blasted Johnson's spending bill and his insistence to tie it to the controversial proposal.<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-lost-debate-polls-prediction-market-reaction-taylor-swift-rematch-2024-9">Former President Donald Trump</a> encouraged Republicans to reject any deal if voting security assurances are not attached to the funding bill.The spending bill would include money allocations for major federal operations, including Veterans Affairs benefits, portions of the farm bill, healthcare programs, and more.The looming shutdown comes as presidential campaigns between Trump and Democratic nominee Kamala Harris are <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kamala-harris-trolled-donald-trump-about-rally-crowd-size-2024-9">kicking into high gear</a>. There have been previous shutdowns in election years, but the nation's politics were nowhere near as divided as they are now.A government closure could prevent thousands of government workers from getting their paychecks.Here's a breakdown of what happens, what's at stake, and why this time could be different.<h2 id="ac93a634-c6e1-422e-a672-32090be618e1">What happens when there's a government shutdown?</h2><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-funding-social-security-student-loan-repayment-wic-food-benefits-2023-8">When the government shuts down</a>, federal agencies classify their employees as either "essential" or "nonessential." All "nonessential" employees will be furloughed until the government reopens, meaning they will not be able to work or be paid.The government employee umbrella includes millions of people from various organizations, including the Department of Homeland Security and National Parks. Not only would widespread staff shortages be disruptive for consumers, but many of those employees might <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/poverty-line-leaves-behind-low-income-americans-snap-medicare-wic-2024-6">struggle to make ends meet</a> without an income.Americans could notice disruptions. Airports could be short-staffed because <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/government-shutdown-us-airports-lines-tsa-workers-pay-wages-2019-1">TSA agents</a> would lose pay, natural disaster and emergency response programs could be delayed, and some social safety net programs like <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/buying-groceries-snap-food-stamps-cant-afford-essentials-credit-card-2024-6">SNAP</a> could be limited. <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/student-loan-forgiveness">Student loan forgiveness</a> and financial aid programs could also be paused, along with all federal small business loan servicing.Government shutdowns have previously lasted anywhere between three hours and five weeks, but the length depends on Congressional action. The only way to reopen the government is for lawmakers to pass a spending bill.<h2 id="37b589fe-4e6f-4ccc-971a-ff37493030ac">Has this happened before?</h2>Congress <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/government-shutdown-2023-update-likelihood-when-will-it-start-2023-9">narrowly avoided a shutdown </a>last year, after Republicans couldn't agree on a temporary funding resolution. Then-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kevin-mccarthy-ousted-speaker-house-first-time-history-matt-gaetz-2023-10">was later ousted</a> from his role over his handling of negotiations with President Joe Biden.The <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/government-shutdown-record-day-trump-democrats-fight-over-border-wall-2019-1">longest government shutdown in US history</a> occurred between December 2018 and January 2019. The shutdown lasted 35 days, causing 800,000 federal employees to go without pay and costing the federal government <a target="_blank" href="https://www.jec.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/democrats/2023/9/the-economic-costs-of-a-republican-shutdown">billions of dollars</a>.Trump is advocating for a shutdown, calling on fellow Republicans to only accept a spending bill if it includes promises of election security."If Republicans in the House, and Senate, don't get absolute assurances on Election Security, THEY SHOULD, IN NO WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM, GO FORWARD WITH A CONTINUING RESOLUTION ON THE BUDGET," Trump posted on his social network, Truth Social.<h2 id="993cc001-ac06-4539-9ae3-5cca92bca252">How could this impact the election?</h2>Neither side sees the benefit of a government shutdown. The pay for millions of government employees would be at stake. In fact, if a shutdown dragged on, active-duty servicemembers could miss their pay. Polling shows that Republicans often bear the blame for shutdowns by insisting on policies being implemented before agreeing to funding measures. <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/01/23/gop-is-very-familiar-shutdown-position-losing-it-badly/">Americans blamed Republicans</a> by 23 points more than then-President Bill Clinton for a 21-day shutdown in 1995, according to The Washington Post. Clinton went on to win the 1996 presidential election in a landslide 379 to 159 electoral college victory.Trump exacerbated the blame Republicans typically receive when he surprisingly <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/government-shutdown-schumer-trump-length-months-years-2019-1">claimed credit</a> for a 2018 shutdown.Still, a shutdown hasn't occurred this close to a major election in decades — and it could shape campaign optics ahead of November.

America might be headed for a government shutdown (again)

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Australia plans to ban social media for users under 16, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said.</li><li>The ban comes amid a global effort to curb kids' use of social media.</li></ul>With young people using social media more than ever, and those social media companies perfecting the algorithms that keep them engaged, concerns about social media addiction are taking root all over the world. Now, Australia wants to ban social media for everyone under 16.Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced the plan on Thursday. Australia's social media ban will be introduced into Parliament during its final session this year, which begins on November 18. If passed, social media companies will have 12 months to figure out how to keep minors off their apps before the law is enforced, he said."This one's for the moms and dads," Albanese said in a press conference. "Social media is doing harm to our kids, and I'm calling time on it."Albanese told reporters that the proposed law would "put the onus" on social media companies to show that they are taking reasonable steps to keep children off of their apps, and not on parents."There will be no penalties for users," he said.Australia's announcement comes on the heels of a multistate lawsuit in the United States that seeks to hold TikTok accountable for deploying "addictive" strategies aimed at kids and teenagers.In October, attorneys general from 14 different states <a target="_blank" class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ny-ag-letitia-james-stealth-trump-fraud-tiktok-2024-10">filed lawsuits against TikTok</a>. They said the app is addictive and profits from damaging the mental health of children.Internal TikTok documents from the lawsuit filed in Kentucky showed that TikTok employees determined that young users can become addicted to the app after viewing 260 videos. Given that most TikTok videos are about 8 seconds, Kentucky's authorities calculated that a child could be addicted after just 35 minutes of using the app, the document says.In the UK, meanwhile, lawmakers introduced a bill in October that would require social media companies to exclude children under 16 from algorithms that harvest their data. The law is meant to make it more difficult for companies to push addictive content to children, according to The Guardian.In Australia, Albanese said that social media has seeped into every part of life, which led him to believe that a ban for underage users was "absolutely the right thing to do."Around 97% of teens use social media across various platforms in Australia, according to <a target="_blank" class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/australias-planned-social-media-ban-raises-teen-isolation-fears-2024-10-15/">Reuters</a>."This would be the number one discussion outside the schoolgate, on the sideline of tennis, cricket, football, netball, swimming — as parents gather, it's something of enormous concern," Albanese said.Albanese called the legislation "world-leading," but some experts oppose the ban, calling it too broad. More than <a target="_blank" href="https://www.westernsydney.edu.au/young-and-resilient/news/in_media/young_and_resilient_research_centre_joins_chorus_of_nearly_150_australian_and_international_experts_opposing_social_media_ban_for_u16s">140 experts</a> from Australia and other countries signed an open letter opposing the law, saying that the ban doesn't do enough to address children who need access to critical services through social media, among other concerns.Jackie Hallan, director at ReachOut, a youth mental health service, told the Associated Press that she also opposed the ban. According to Hallan, 73% of young people in Australia needing mental health services access it through social media."We're uncomfortable with the ban," Hallan told the outlet. "We think young people are likely to circumvent a ban and our concern is that it really drives the behavior underground and then if things go wrong, young people are less likely to get support from parents and carers because they're worried about getting in trouble."Meta's head of safety, Antigone Davis, told The Associated Press that the company would respect any age limitations that the Australian government wants to introduce."However, what's missing is a deeper discussion on how we implement protections, otherwise we risk making ourselves feel better, like we have taken action, but teens and parents will not find themselves in a better place," Davis said in a statement.Davis added that stronger parental control tools in app stores and operating systems would be a "simple and effective solution" to keep children from downloading unwanted apps.

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