Entertainment
Why Elon Musk is the real winner of the 2024 US Presidential election
Donald Trump may have won the 2024 presidential election, but Elon Musk may end up being the bigger winner than the soon-to-be 47th President of the United States.
Musk bet big on Trump and spent millions to back him. However, Musk wasn’t just doing this out of the kindness of his heart. Many of Musk’s companies. including Tesla, SpaceX, X (formerly Twitter), xAI, The Boring Company, and Neuralink, heavily rely on government contracts and subsidies. They have made billions in federal dollars.
Musk’s bet has paid off. Since the election, Musk has been a regular figure in Trump’s orbit. He reportedly made further inroads with Trump and deepened his influence in terms of making policy and appointment suggestions. Musk was even on a phone call made after the election between Trump and Ukrainian President Zelenskyy.
But, how will Musk play a prominent role in politics and the Trump administration while still running his businesses? It appears that Musk will assemble an “A-Team” to act as his mouthpiece in government.
Musk’s A-Team
“America’s A team is usually building companies in the private sector,” Musk posted on X just days after Trump’s electoral win last Tuesday. “Once in a long time, reforming government is important enough that the A team allocates time to government. This is that time.”
Musk appears to be positioning himself to encourage Trump to bring his trusted employees and allies into the administration, aiming to secure favorable outcomes for his ventures.
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According to the Financial Times, some of the likely names that Musk will float include individuals like Steve Davis, president of The Boring Company, Musk’s tunneling company that is ranked as one of the worst for workplace safety. Davis played an important role with Musk’s pro-Trump lobbying group America Pac this year. Davis was also the key figure Musk relied on to cut 80 percent of then-Twitter’s employees shortly after Musk acquired the platform now known as X.
Musk will likely also turn to Omead Afshar, who helped Musk with Twitter layoffs and the cutting of 14,000 jobs at Tesla earlier this year.
Musk’s most trusted associate Jared Birchall will likely also play a role in Trump’s administration, if Musk has any sway. Birchall has been referred to as Musk’s right-hand man and runs his family office while also working directly with Musk’s xAI, Neuralink, and The Boring Company. Birchall also played a major role in Musk’s Twitter acquisition.
SpaceX may benefit the most
The Musk company with the most to gain from relaxed regulations and favorable government contracts is his space exploration company SpaceX. According to the New York Times, Musk asked Trump to consider SpaceX employees for positions with the Department of Defense, including Senior Vice President for Global Business and Affairs Tim Hughes, former Air Force general and SpaceX advisor Terrence J. O’Shaughnessy, and Senior Director of Government Affairs Mathew Dunn.
While Tesla already benefits from tax credits, Musk’s EV company will find itself further wrapped up in regulatory issues as it looks to push the autonomous driving capabilities of its planned robotaxi. While most of these conflicts are at the state level, Musk may look to leverage the federal government to exert pressure on these regulators. Peter Scheutzow, Tesla’s head of autopilot and AI, and safety chief Suraj Nagaraj, are also potential Musk-backed candidates for roles within the administration.
And, of course, no list of potential Musk candidates would be complete without his fellow Silicon Valley elites. Venture capitalists and hedge funders like David Sacks, Jason Calacanis, and Bill Ackman have all become more active in pro-Musk politics online and could certainly play a role in a Trump administration. Musk’s weapon-tech buddies like Palantir co-founder Joe Lonsdale and Anduril co-founder Palmer Luckey could also potentially find a place within Trump’s Department of Defense.
Regardless of who Trump picks, things within the U.S. government are looking very good for Elon Musk in the coming years – as long as he stays on Trump’s good side.
Entertainment
400K MagSafe power banks recalled after fatal fire, the 10th power bank recall in a year
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and Casely reannounced a power bank recall this April after a fire linked to the device fatally injured a user. This is the tenth power bank recall in the United States in the last 12 months, and Anker recalled 1.5 million power banks in 2025.
The recall affects an estimated 429,200 Casely 5,000-mAh MagSafe Power Pods (Model E33A), which were originally recalled in 2025. The MagSafe power banks need to be completely replaced.
Back of Casely power banks.
Credit: CPSC
Affected customers should stop using the portable power banks immediately. They can also contact Casely to receive a free replacement.
“The recalled lithium-ion battery in the power banks can overheat and ignite, posing risk of serious injury or death from fire and burn hazards to consumers,” the CPSC stated on its recall website.
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The Brooklyn-based company is reannouncing the recall after receiving 51 reports of the lithium-ion battery overheating, expanding, and/or catching fire while charging smartphones, “resulting in six minor burn injuries.”
However, in the past year, the CPSC says 28 more reports have been made, including explosions that caused a serious accident on an airplane and one death.
In August 2024, a 75-year-old woman from New Jersey, was charging her cell phone with the power bank on her lap when it caught on fire and exploded. The victim suffered second and third degree burns and later passed away from complications from her injuries. In February 2026, a 47-year-old woman was charging her cell phone with the power bank on an airplane when it caught on fire and exploded, resulting in the victim suffering first degree burns.
How to check your Casely Power Pod
Worried you may own one of the 429,000 recalled power banks? It’s easy to check if your device is included in the recall.
On the back of the device, look for the device’s model number, as show in a picture provided by the CPSC. If the model number reads “E33A,” then stop using the device immediately.
Look for the model number.
Credit: CPSC
More information on requesting a replacement power bank is available on the CPSC and Casely recall websites.
Entertainment
The new Dyson Supersonic Travel is the cheapest Supersonic yet
Table of Contents
Nearly three years ago, I asked if the (then) $429 Dyson Supersonic was still worth the price of entry.
These days, with the Supersonic line having expanded, the standard model having increased in price to $449.99, and the most expensive version of the hair dryer topping out at $549.99, it’s a question that feels even more apt.
The good news? If you’re not super into the idea of spending about $500 for a hair dryer, Dyson just announced the Dyson Supersonic Travel, a $299.99 model of its famous hair tool. In addition to its lower price point, it comes with more travel-friendly proportions and features.
As someone who’s personally tested Supersonics (and their many dupes), I took a closer look at the latest Dyson beauty launch to gather everything you need to know.
The design differences of the Dyson Supersonic Travel
In short, the Supersonic Travel is the standard Supersonic but smaller. According to Dyson, that comes out to exactly 32 percent smaller and 25 percent lighter than the OG Supersonic. In other words, it’s 0.7 pounds to the standard Supersonic’s 1.8 pounds, and 8.7 inches tall to the larger model’s 10 inches.
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This model also comes with one attachment, the styling concentrator, a la the now-discontinued Dyson Supersonic Origin (which ran for $399.99). For comparison, the $449.99 Supersonic comes with three attachments: a styling concentrator, diffuser, and wide-tooth comb. For all five attachments, you’ll have to shell out $549.99.
The Supersonic Travel is compatible with all original and Supersonic Nural attachments.
Credit: Dyson
The same attachments can be used between the Travel, original, and Supersonic Nural dryers. This means opting for the Travel could technically save you some money — individual attachments range from $19.99 to $44.99. If you only use a styling concentrator and diffuser, for instance, the total cost of a Travel dryer with the extra attachment purchase would come out to $344.98, making it still over $100 cheaper than the three-attachment original Supersonic.
The Supersonic Travel is more versatile in some ways, and less so in others
Functionality-wise, the Supersonic Travel is a slightly different product from the other Supersonics in the line. It has anywhere from 1,000 to 1,220 watts of power and an airflow speed of 11.6 liters per second, compared to the 1,600 watts and 13.3 liters per second of the standard Supersonic. In other words, the bigger dryer is slightly more powerful, so it wouldn’t be unreasonable to expect longer dry times.
The standard Supersonic and Supersonic Nural also feature four heats and three air speeds, where the Supersonic Travel features three heats and two air speeds.
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That said, the Supersonic Travel has universal voltage compatibility, so it can be used from 100 to 240 volts, whereas the other Supersonics are locked into 120 volt compatibility.
In terms of its portability, it’s also worth noting the Supersonic Travel weighs the same as the Supersonic r, a professional grade hair dryer (priced as such at $549.99) that’s become more popular due in part to being lightweight and easy to maneuver.
Where to buy the Dyson Supersonic Travel
The Dyson Supersonic Travel is available for $299.99 at Dyson’s website, Amazon, and Best Buy. If you buy at the former, you will receive a complimentary $59.99 travel bag along with the hair dryer.
Entertainment
The gorgeous yet budget-friendly Samsung QN70F Neo QLED TV is the cheapest its ever been
SAVE $300: As of April 21, you can get the Samsung 55-inch QN70F Neo QLED 4K TV for only $597.99 instead of $897.99 at Amazon. That’s 33% in savings and the lowest price on record.
$597.99
at Amazon
$897.99
Save $300
We’re in peak sports season, y’all. Besides the action of the Stanley Cup playoffs and NBA playoffs, there’s a fresh MLB season taking shape. If your TV is looking dull or lagging, it’s a prime time to upgrade — especially since you can find some epic deals on 2025 models.
As of April 21, the Samsung 55-inch QN70F Neo QLED 4K TV is on sale at Amazon for only $597.99. That’s 33% or $300 off its current list price, as well as its lowest price to date.
As Mashable’s TV expert Leah Stodart explains, “Neo QLED is really just Samsung’s proprietary term for QLED paired with Mini LED.” So, the QN70F features a panel of quantum dots over a bunch of tiny LED bulbs instead of a basic LED panel. The result? A stunning display with impressive color accuracy, deep blacks, and spectacular contrast. All the little details will look good no matter the lighting conditions in your room.
This TV uses an NQ4 AI Gen2 processor to upscale content and enhance the quality of anything you’re watching. So even those old episodes of Friends will look more impressive on the QN70F. And thanks to a 144Hz variable refresh rate, gaming and sports will look noticeably smoother and less laggy than your old set.
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If an upgrade is in order, but you don’t want to spend a ton of money, the Samsung QN70F Neo QLED 4K TV is an excellent value at full price. At $300 off, it’s a steal.
400K MagSafe power banks recalled after fatal fire, the 10th power bank recall in a year
The new Dyson Supersonic Travel is the cheapest Supersonic yet
