Putin Reportedly Asked Elon Musk Not to Activate Starlink Over Taiwan (October 24, 2024)
www.newsweek.com

... Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has reportedly kept in contact with Russian President Vladimir Putin since late 2022, according to a new report by The Wall Street Journal.

The article, published Thursday night, says that Putin and Musk discussed topics from personal issues to geopolitical tensions. In one such conversation, two people familiar with the matter told the Journal that Putin had asked Musk not to activate his Starlink satellites over Taiwan as a "favor" to Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

The report arrives as Musk has become entangled in the U.S. presidential election. The billionaire, who according to Forbes is the richest person in the world, with a net worth of $271 billion, has endorsed former President Donald Trump, who has also been reportedly staying in touch with Putin, even after leaving the White House. Trump has denied such reports.

In an email to Newsweek on Monday, SpaceX's media relations team said that the Journal's story was "yet another incredibly misleading story about [Starlink] based upon completely unsubstantiated claims from unnamed sources." ...

So, the SpaceX media relations team did not deny it.

Advisers Propose That Trump Give Security Clearances Without F.B.I. Vetting (October 27, 2024)
www.nytimes.com

... A memo circulating among at least half a dozen advisers to former President Donald J. Trump recommends that if he is elected, he bypass traditional background checks by law enforcement officials and immediately grant security clearances to a large number of his appointees after being sworn in, according to three people briefed on the matter. ...

OK, my first question is ....

Why would "advisers" propose to stop vetting appointees for security clearances?