Technology and Space
Starlink, AI, SpaceX, Tesla, X and the policies that shape them.
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Money and Conflicts of Interest
Musk's government business: Project Meridian, the $5.9 billion launch award, AI ceilings, and the favors that cost nothing
In 2025-2026 Musk's companies won a $5.92 billion anticipated-value launch contract and a $200 million AI ceiling alongside competitors, DOJ dropped a SpaceX hiring case, and Musk joined a Pentagon warfare study.
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Government and Oversight
DOGE's receipts and DOGE's data: what the audits and court filings actually show
DOGE's savings claims carried documented errors ($8 billion listed for an $8 million contract), a 2026 GAO audit found most savings unverifiable, and a January 2026 court filing described unauthorized SSA data handling.
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Elections and Democracy
Musk and the 2024 vote: the $1 million giveaway settlement, Grok's false ballot deadlines, and what the St. Clair texts do and do not show
Musk and America PAC agreed on October 15, 2026 to settle two class actions over the 2024 $1 million voter giveaways on undisclosed terms; in 2024 Grok spread false ballot-deadline information for about ten days.
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Rights, Speech and Courts
X Corp. v. Center for Countering Digital Hate: dismissed in 2024 as a case 'about punishing the defendants for their speech,' argued on appeal September 30, 2026, decision pending
A judge dismissed X's suit against a hate-speech research group in March 2024 as a case about punishing speech; the Ninth Circuit heard X's appeal on September 30, 2026 and has not ruled.
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Foreign Policy
Starlink and Ukraine: the 2022 shutdown report, the October 2026 slowdown, and who had the switch
Reuters reported Musk ordered Starlink cut over parts of Ukraine in 2022 (SpaceX disputes it); in October 2026 Ukraine's Starlink and Starshield links were throttled for over a week until service returned October 24.
2 additional research records in this area are under review and not yet public. See About.