Caleb Ecarma

How Russian money slipped into SpaceX’s orbit For years, Russian investors have acquired stakes in Elon Musk’s SpaceX, often through opaque investment vehicles, according to an analysis of marketing materials, interviews, and documents shared by ...

Ping An may have acquired its SpaceX stake through an offshore investment vehicle. As I reported last week, Russian investors have used similar opaque schemes to buy and sell highly coveted SpaceX shares on secondary and tertiary markets www.muskwatch.com/p/how-russia...

Government-linked Chinese firm claimed ownership stake in SpaceX One of China's largest companies claimed to have purchased a stake in Elon Musk's SpaceX, a vital U.S.

SCOOP: The partially state-owned Chinese firm Ping An claimed an ownership stake in Elon Musk's SpaceX, the world's most valuable private company.

Given its role as a vital US defense contractor, SpaceX has internally warned of known Chinese investments drawing scrutiny in D.C.

Have information about Elon Musk or one of his companies? Send tips to calebecarma.99 on Signal or caleb@popular.info

Musk’s Neuralink falsified federal forms, claims to qualify for racial diversity program The company, owned by the world's wealthiest man, says it is a "small disadvantaged business"

Despite one of his companies self-certifying for a diversity and racial empowerment program, Musk has previously said, "DEI is just another word for racism. Shame on anyone who uses it." He has also called DEI programs "actually illegal." www.muskwatch.com/p/musks-neur...

But a "small disadvantaged business," per federal law, must be owned and controlled by a member of a demographic "subjected to racial or ethnic prejudice." Individuals with a worth exceeding $850,000 are also not considered "economically disadvantaged." Musk is worth $400 billion.

Musk’s Neuralink falsified federal forms, claims to qualify for racial diversity program The company, owned by the world's wealthiest man, says it is a "small disadvantaged business"

The "Small Disadvantaged Business" certification claimed by Neuralink gives it access to preferential treatment for federal contracts and increased visibility on government contracting databases www.muskwatch.com/p/musks-neur...

Scoop: Elon Musk's Neuralink falsified federal forms to qualify for racial diversity and economic empowerment programs. Neuralink's "small disadvantaged business" designation is meant for companies owned by racially and economically "disadvantaged individuals" www.muskwatch.com/p/musks-neur...

Starlink turbocharges lethal jihadist group in Africa In the Sahel region of West Africa, an ascendant jihadist group is using Starlink, SpaceX's high-speed satellite internet service, to increase its operational capabilities, recruiting, and fundraising...

New: JNIM, one of the deadliest jihadist groups in the world, is using SpaceX’s Starlink to coordinate attacks, increase their fundraising, and disseminate sophisticated propaganda in West Africa www.muskwatch.com/p/starlink-t...

Richardson has also requested a summary of "public and Congressional debate regarding FEMA" and an overview of how disaster aid worked before FEMA was created.

In a second memo, Richardson requested a classified briefing on FEMA's continuity of government plan — the procedures that would ensure the government remains functional during a major crisis.

New: Acting FEMA head David Richardson issued an internal memo today requesting a mission analysis that "will identify the gaps and redundancies between what FEMA is currently doing and what FEMA should be doing consistent with federal law." Richardson has told staff, "Don't get in my way."

Musk-owned company says it qualifies for federal contracts reserved for small businesses Not long after Donald Trump won the 2024 election, Elon Musk’s $7 billion tunneling company registered as a small business on a government portal for federal contractors.

New: The Boring Company, Musk's $7 billion transit venture, registered as a small business on a government portal for federal contractors one week after Trump won the 2024 election www.muskwatch.com/p/musk-owned...

Meta removes Facebook ad criticizing Musk Meta removed an advertisement earlier this month criticizing Elon Musk’s use of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to seize Americans' private information.

1. Meta removed a Facebook ads criticizing Elon Musk's efforts to seize Americans' private information through DOGE.

A notice from Meta said the ads violated its rules on "Unacceptable Business Practices."

Musk’s DOGE seeks access to personal taxpayer data, raising alarm at IRS Musk’s DOGE seeks access to personal taxpayer data at IRS

“Elon Musk’s U.S. DOGE Service is seeking access to a heavily-guarded Internal Revenue Service system that includes detailed financial information about every taxpayer, business and nonprofit in the country, according to two people familiar with the activities, sparking alarm within the tax agency.”

Dozens of CFPB Workers Fired in After-Hours Blitz Some affected employees of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau were notified with an email that addressed them as [EmployeeFirstName][EmployeeLastName], [Job Title], [Division].

NEW: Tonight, dozens of Consumer Finance Protection Bureau employees were fired via a hastily written email.

Some affected employees were addressed as “[EmployeeFirstName][EmployeeLastName], [Job Title], [Division].”

W/
@makenakelly.bsky.social

www.wired.com/story/dozens...

Federal employee with a data role told me that a document was removed from employee access because it had the word "inclusion" in it.

As in, "inclusion of data in our estimates."

DOGE Teen Ran Image-Sharing Site Linked to URLs Referencing Pedophilia and the KKK The site launched by Edward Coristine in 2021 promised to protect the privacy of its users, stating, “All your images are encrypted. We do not log IP addresses, device agents or anything else.”

1. Edward Coristine, a 19-year-old member of DOGE launched an image-sharing website in 2021 that featured custom “shitposting” URLs that redirected to content hosted on his site. URLs that redirected to Coristine’s site referenced the sale of child sexual abuse material, racial slurs, and rape.

Unhuman Resources | Hannah Gais Jack Posobiec’s career exemplifies how the Republican Party has leveraged a network of influencers to appeal to the far right.

ICYMI: I wrote a takedown of Jack Posobiec's book (which—huge shocker here—doesn't say anything meaningful about the left) and the pro-Trump right's tendency to crib from white nationalists for @thebaffler.com. thebaffler.com/latest/unhum...

Scoop: DOGE's Edward "Big Balls" Coristine launched a privacy-focused image-sharing site in 2021 that allowed users to create custom URLs. The URLs that redirected to Coristine's site referenced the sale of child sexual abuse material, racial slurs, and rape
www.muskwatch.com/p/doge-teen-...

The NSA's "Big Delete" Today, the National Security Agency (NSA) is planning a "Big Delete" of websites and internal network content that contain any of 27 banned words, including "privilege," "bias," and "inclusion." The "...

1. EXCLUSIVE

Today, the NSA is planning a "Big Delete" of websites and internal network content that contain any of 27 banned words, including "privilege," "bias," and "inclusion," a NSA source tells Popular Information.

The massive purge is creating chaos, taking down "mission-related" work

Update: Non-federal CFPB workers just received a "stop work" notice from the Office of Financial Procurement

Many people are saying that Kawhi will save my fantasy season from hell

The meeting did not include federal CFPB workers. The non-federal workers in attendance were essentially told to hide until they are fired, according to a source at the bureau

New: CFPB staffers were just called into an all-hands meeting, according to a source at the bureau

Update: DOGE members Luke Farritor and Gavin Kilger are no longer “read only” users at the CFPB. They are now listed as domain administrators in the bureau’s system, meaning they can provide or revoke access as they see fit

New by me and @juddlegum.bsky.social: Elon Musk now has access to reams of confidential information about X's competitors in the digital payment sector, according to an official at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau www.muskwatch.com/p/musk-assoc...

Unhuman Resources | Hannah Gais Jack Posobiec’s career exemplifies how the Republican Party has leveraged a network of influencers to appeal to the far right.

I wrote about Jack Posobiec, the intellectual emptiness of the pro-Trump right, and their bizarre—and disingenuous—attempts to co-opt white nationalist thought.

My latest for @thebaffler.com: thebaffler.com/latest/unhum...

If you are an employee of the federal government and have information on how Elon Musk/DOGE has impacted your agency, please contact me on Signal at calebecarma.99 or by email at calebecarma@proton.me

Opinion | Marco Rubio’s new undersecretary is extreme even by MAGA standards The Rubio-led State Department was supposed to represent a “moderate” side of MAGA. Darren Beattie's appointment makes a mockery of that notion.

The Rubio-led State Department was supposed to represent a “moderate” side of MAGA. Darren Beattie's appointment makes a mockery of that notion.

My latest for MSNBC looks at Beattie, who I’m confident is even more extreme than most people think

www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnb...

via @calebecarma.bsky.social and @juddlegum.bsky.social, Musk and his minions have illegally installed a commercial server to control federal HR databases that contain sensitive personal information, including SSNs, home addresses, and medical histories, according to an OPM staffer t.co/u8coELjVnm