Axios

Tesla is at risk of bleeding cash in the first quarter of 2025 amid growing signs that CEO Elon Musk's political endeavors are scaring off potential customers.

Why it matters: Tesla has seismic ambitions — including self-driving cars and humanoid robots — that may depend on its core business to generate funding.

The U.S. has indicted two people and seized the web infrastructure tied to Russian cryptocurrency exchange Garantex as part of a sweeping international law enforcement operation.

Why it matters: Garantex has long been a go-to exchange for Russian ransomware gangs, darknet marketplaces and other cybercriminals who need to launder the cryptocurrencies they earn through their schemes.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio is launching an AI-fueled "Catch and Revoke" effort to cancel the visas of foreign nationals who appear to support Hamas or other designated terror groups, senior State Department officials tell Axios.

Why it matters: The effort — which includes AI-assisted reviews of tens of thousands of student visa holders' social media accounts — marks a dramatic escalation in the U.S. government's policing of foreign nationals' conduct and speech.

Sam Bankman-Fried today reiterated his belief that he was not a criminal and highlighted his affinity for Republicans, in an interview with Tucker Carlson.

Why it matters: His parents have been angling for a pardon from President Trump.

Republicans across the country have launched initiatives mirroring the Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency to root out so-called "waste" and "fraud" within state budgets.

Why it matters: While they cheer Elon Musk's chainsaw, some of those same officials worry how those deep cuts at the federal level will affect their states, which take in more federal money than they send to Washington.

Today's CEOs will be the last to "manage a workforce of only human beings," Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff told Axios' Ina Fried in Davos, Switzerland, earlier this year.

Why it matters: Anything that affects American jobs is likely to become a wedge issue, but communications can help.

Hunter Biden requested Wednesday that a federal judge dismiss his lawsuit against a former Trump aide, saying financial troubles barred him from continuing to litigate the case.

Why it matters: The development could bring a swift end to yet another lawsuit related to the alleged theft of personal data from his laptop and brings to light new details about the financial strain on the former president's son.

Onsemi on Thursday announced an offer to buy New Hampshire chipmaker Allegro Microsoystems for $6.9 billion in cash, with Allegro responding that the unsolicited bid is "inadequate."

The big picture: Suitors don't normally disclose their desires via press release, which suggests that onsemi's hope is to get an assist from Allegro shareholders. It also may suggest a willingness to go hostile.

TikTok has less than one month until its U.S. lifeline expires, but sources say there still haven't been negotiations between its Chinese owner and prospective buyers.

Why it matters: Tick tock, tick tock.

A Russian disinformation effort that flooded the web with false claims and propaganda continues to impact the output of major AI chatbots, according to a new report from NewsGuard, shared first with Axios.

Why it matters: The study, which expands on initial findings from last year, comes amid reports that the U.S. is pausing some of its efforts to counter Russian cyber activities.

Most young Americans have been keeping up with Elon Musk’s DOGE — and it’s not too popular.

The big picture: 87% of 18- to 34-year-olds say they’ve heard a lot or a little about DOGE. And 71% say they strongly or somewhat disapprove of the agency’s work so far, according to a new Axios-Generation Lab youth poll.

There will — and must — always be "humans in the loop," tech leaders reassure the world when they publicly address fears that AI will eliminate jobs, make mistakes or destroy society.

Why it matters: Who these humans are, what the loop is and where exactly the people fit into it remain very much up for grabs. How the industry answers those questions will shape what work looks like in the future.