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Elon Musk called on Thursday for the United States to “delete entire agencies” from the federal government as part of his push under President Donald Trump to radically cut spending and restructure its priorities.Musk offered a wide-ranging survey via a videocall to the World Governments Summit in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, of what he described as the priorities of the Trump administration interspersed with multiple references to “thermonuclear warfare” and the possible dangers of artificial intelligence.“We really have here rule of the bureaucracy as opposed to rule of the people democracy,” Musk said, wearing a black T-shirt that read: “Tech Support.” He also joked that he was the “White House’s tech support,” borrowing from his profile on the social platform X, which he owns.“I think we do need to delete entire agencies as opposed to leave a lot of them behind,” Musk said. “If we don’t remove the roots of the weed, then it’s easy for the weed to grow back.”While Musk has spoken to the summit in the past, his appearance on Thursday comes as he has consolidated control over large swaths of the government with Trump’s blessing since assuming leadership of the Department of Government Efficiency. That’s included sidelining career officials, gaining access to sensitive databases and inviting a constitutional clash over the limits of presidential authority.Musk’s new role imbued his comments with more weight beyond being the world’s wealthiest person through his investments in SpaceX and electric carmaker Tesla.His remarks also offered a more-isolationist view of American power in the Middle East, where the U.S. has fought wars in both Afghanistan and Iraq since the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks.“A lot of attention has been on USAID for example,” Musk said, referring to Trump’s dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development. “There’s like the National Endowment for Democracy. But I’m like, ‘Okay, well, how much democracy have they achieved lately?'”He added that the U.S. under Trump is “less interested in interfering with the affairs of other countries.”There are “times the United States has been kind of pushy in international affairs, which may resonate with some members of the audience,” Musk said, speaking to the crowd in the UAE, an autocratically ruled nation of seven sheikhdoms.“Basically, America should mind its own business, rather than push for regime change all over the place,” he said.He also noted the Trump administration’s focus on eliminating diversity, equity and inclusion work, at one point linking it to AI.“If hypothetically, AI is designed for DEI, you know, diversity at all costs, it could decide that there’s too many men in power and execute them,” Musk said.On AI, Musk said he believed X’s newly updated AI chatbot, Grok 3, would be ready in about two weeks, calling it at one point “kind of scary.” He criticized Sam Altman’s management of OpenAI, which Musk just led a $97.4 billion takeover bid for, describing it as akin to a nonprofit aimed at saving the Amazon rainforest becoming a “lumber company that chops down the trees.”Musk also announced plans for a “Dubai Loop” project in line with his work in the Boring Company which is digging tunnels in Las Vegas to speed transit.A later statement from Dubai’s crown prince, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, said the city-state and the Boring Company “will explore the development” of a 17-kilometer (10.5-mile) underground network with 11 stations that could transport over 20,000 passengers an hour. He offered no financial terms for the deal.“It’s going to be like a wormhole,” Musk promised. “You just wormhole from one part of the city boom and you’re out in another part of the city.” Jon Gambrell, Associated Press
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E-Commerce
Its not been a good start to 2025 when it comes to major retailers shuttering locations. Since the end of last year, numerous companies have announced their intention to close swaths of their brick-and-mortar stores, including Party City, Big Lots, Walgreens, 7-Eleven, and Macy’s. Just this week, another retailerJoann fabricsannounced it would be closing hundreds of locations, as well. And now, department store icon JCPenney has also announced its closing some locations. Here’s what to know: JCPenney has had a roller-coaster few years The iconic department store chain has faced several struggles in recent years, most notably from the fall of foot traffic as the shopping habits of American consumers continued to migrate from malls to online. In May 2020, JCPenney filed for bankruptcy, and in June of that year, the company announced it would close 200 of its 850 stores. JCPenney ended the year by being bought by its two biggest landlords, Simon Property Group and Brookfield Asset Management. Cut to January of this year: JCPenney announced it would be combining with retail group SPARC, which owns Aéropostale, Brooks Brothers, Eddie Bauer, Forever 21, Lucky Brand, and Nautica, to form Catalyst Brands. Combined, the new Catalyst Brands has more than 1,800 store locations across its portfolio of clothing retailers. And as of yesterday, JCPenney announced it would be closing some of its locations. The common assumption as to the reason behind the closings may be that they are related to the recent Catalyst Brands merger, but in a statement to the media (via Today), JCPenney said the closures were unrelated. “The decision to close a store is never an easy one, but isolated closures do happen from time to time due to expiring lease agreements, market changes or other factors, the statement read. These closures are unrelated to the recent Catalyst Brands merger. JCPenney said it does not have plans to significantly reduce our store count but that the closures announced would happen by mid-year. JCPenney closing stores 2025 full list In total, eight JCPenney locations are included in the announced closures, according to a now-removed list that was published on the website of SB360 Capital Partners. SB360 helps companies manage liquidations, as well as other services. We’ve reached out to SB360 to ask why the list no longer appears on its website. JCPenneys store locator currently says the chain has 656 stores in the United States. Here are the JCPenney locations scheduled to close (via Fox Business): California The Shops at Tanforan 1122 El Camino Real, San Bruno, California 94066 Colorado The Shops at Northfield 8568 E 49th Avenue, Denver, Colorado 80238 Idaho Pine Ridge Mall 4201 Yellowstone Avenue Pocatello, Idaho 83202 Kansas West Ridge Mall 1821 SW Wanamaker RoadTopeka, Kansas 66604 Maryland Annapolis Mall 1695 Annapolis Mall Road, Annapolis, Maryland 21401 North Carolina Asheville Mall 3 S Tunnel Road Asheville, North Carolina 28805 New Hampshire Mall at Fox Run 50 Fox Run Road Newington, New Hampshire 03801 West Virginia Charleston Town Center 401 Lee Street E Charleston, West Virginia 25301 Up to 15,000 stores could close in 2025 But its not just JCPenney and the other retailers listed above that may see stores close in 2025. According to a January report from Coresight Research, a total of 15,000 stores could close across America this year. Thats a 50% increase from the 10,000 stores that shuttered last year. Whats driving the closures? The reasons will likely be a little different for every retailer, depending on their unique circumstances, but Coresight said two big trends were contributing factors. Those included inflationary pressures, which have led consumers to cut back on spending, and increased online competition from new competitors, including Shein and Temu.
Category:
E-Commerce
Over a decade ago, I was discriminated against at work based on how I dressed. At the time, I often chose to wear ties to work. I was in my mid 20s, living in NYC, and embracing the opportunity to dress in a way that felt authentic to me. I was good at my job and worked with a team of people who loved me. I felt safe. I never guessed that how I dressed would end up costing me a promotion. I was interviewing internally for a new role and after the final round of interviews, my manager asked if I had time to talk. She explained that she was accidentally forwarded an email that included a sentence I will always remember:Im not comfortable introducing our clients to a woman in a tie. What a stupid sentence. My boss (who is also an underrepresented woman in tech) wanted me to have that information in case I wanted to push back or take legal action. I was too furious to want the job anymore, but I was eager to explore legal options, and quickly found my way to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The role of the EEOC The EEOC helped me file an employment discrimination complaint, and, more importantly, they reminded me that my anger was justified and that it held value. While we ultimately didnt pursue the discrimination case beyond the first filing of the complaint and I left the job soon after, taking action gave me back a sense of control during a situation where I had felt powerless. They validated my experience, affirmed my worth, and reminded me that what happened to me was not just wrongit was illegal. I left soon after learning about the email as I had no interest in a company that judged clothing over competence. Following President Trumps executive order last month that mandates federal agencies only recognize two biological genders assigned at birth, the EEOCs has decided to stop processing claims of discrimination related to sexual orientation and gender identity. It isnt just a policy changeits a significant step backward. For decades, the EEOC has been a critical resource for marginalized workers, offering a path to justice for those who face discrimination simply for being themselves. When I first heard about this decision, it hit me hard. It brought back the same horrible feeling I had years ago when I was denied a promotion for something as trivial as wearing a tie. Now I worry about others who will face similar, and worse, discrimination without that same lifeline. LGBTQ+ individuals continue to face disproportionate levels of workplace discrimination. A 2021 study by the Williams Institute found that nearly half of LGBTQ+ workers have faced discrimination, from lost promotions to outright harassment. The responsibility now falls on companies and leaders And the shift at the EEOC isnt happening in isolation. Its part of a broader pattern of eroding protections for LGBTQ+ folks across the country. When federal agencies like the EEOC are ordered to stop enforcing LGBTQ anti-discrimination laws, it creates a ripple effect. It emboldens bias in workplaces, schools, and communities. It tells employers that they can get away with treating their employees unfairly. And, maybe more importantly, it tells LGBTQ+ individuals that their rightsand their dignityare not guaranteed. We find ourselves in a system failing to protect its most vulnerable. Without federal protections, the responsibility to treat employees fairly falls on companies and their leaders. This starts with clear, enforceable anti-discrimination policies that explicitly include LGBTQ+ protections (and no gendered dress codes!). And the policies cant just exist on paper; they need to be communicated, enforced, and embedded into the company culture. With DEI currently under attack, these protections are more critical than ever. My clothing choices have shifted over the years and, these days, working from home means that I wear sweatpants more often than not. But, when I show up at a speaking engagement in a tie and blazer, I wear them as symbols of resilience and resistance. The EEOC once served as a crucial backstop for people like methose who faced discrimination for how they show up in the world. Without protections for LGBTQ+ people like me, the fight for workplace equity falls even more on people who are willing to stand up. Sometimes we work to end workplace discrimination in big ways, and sometimes in small, stubborn acts of joyful self-expression. Because no one should ever miss out on a promotion over a stupid, but very cute, tie.
Category:
E-Commerce
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