Il 23 settembre scorso, in Polonia, villaggio di Wola Kabroska, viene incendiata una stazione Starlink, in grado di fornire servizi internet in Ucraina. Il governo di Varsavia ritiene che sia stato l’ennesimo atto di “guerra ibrida” ispirata dalla Russia. A 24 ore di distanza, dopo aver vagliato i risultati degli accertamenti, il ministro per gli affari digitali, Krzysztof Gakowski, dichiara senza mezzi termini: “Il modus operandi è chiaramente russo”. Il 10 ottobre, in Germania, i reparti speciali tedeschi arrestano due cittadini turchi: Umit E. 38 anni, e Müslüm T., 34 anni, alla stazione di Neurtingen (Baden-Württemberg); una terza persona, che avrebbe fatto da autista secondo la ricostruzione del quotidiano tedesco Bild, è stata fermata a Berlino.
I cronisti di Der Spiegel si concentrano sulle personalità dei due arrestati, giungendo ad una conclusione: Umit e Müslüm farebbero parte della gang criminale turca Dalton. I giornalisti scrivono: “La notizia è stata confermata da fonti indipendenti di diversi paesi”. Il capo dell’organizzazione criminale, Berat Can Gokdemir, poco meno di 30 anni, in patria è ricercato per scontare una condanna a due ergastoli per omicidio plurimo, istigazione all’omicidio, rapine, aggressioni a mano armata. Nel 2024, Can Gokdemir è stato arrestato in Russia. Ankara ha chiesto a Mosca di estradarlo, ma non ha ottenuto soddisfazione. Come spesso accade, il dramma della guerra Ucraina si intreccia con avvenimenti collaterali. Dopo l’arresto dei due turchi, il ministro Siemoniak ha detto al quotidiano di Varsavia Gazeta Wyborcza: “Non abbiamo dubbi che i servizi segreti russi siano dietro questo atto di sabotaggio: e vale la pena aggiungere che i servizi segreti russi si avvalgono sempre più spesso di persone legate alla criminalità organizzata. Non si servono mai dei propri cittadini”.
A provare in modo inappellabile la connessione tra i due arrestati, l’attentato alla stazione Starlink, e la loro appartenenza alla gang turca, dovranno essere investigatori e magistrati. Certamente l’approfondimento di Der Spiegel apre uno scenario fino a questo momento inedito e riporta l’attenzione sui nuovi clan cresciuti sul Bosforo, che diversi media hanno ribattezzato: “I gangster della generazione Z”. Di questa corrente una figura apicale è quella di Berat Can Gokdemir, la cui locazione non è certa. Dopo la richiesta di estradizione da parte della Turchia, non è chiaro se Gokdemir sia rimasto in Russia. Alcuni giornalisti tedeschi che sono entrati in contatto con un “portavoce” della banda, avrebbero avuto conferma che Gokdemir si trova in Russia e da una località non specificata continua a coordinare le attività del suo gruppo che non sono concentrate solo in Turchia, ma hanno avuto una forte espansione anche in Germania – oltre Polonia e Grecia – dove si sono specializzati in estorsioni ed altri reati.
La possibile connessione tra la criminalità turca e le attività dei servizi segreti russi ha attirato l’attenzione non solo dei giornalisti tedeschi. I Verdi hanno approfondito il tema con il documento “Risultati dell’indagine del governo federale sulla cooperazione della Russia con la criminalità organizzata in Germania e in Europa” presentato il 26 marzo 2026, e Konstantin von Notz, deputato dello stesso partito e responsabile della supervisione dei servizi segreti, ha lanciato un monito riguardante i governi autoritari che utilizzano gruppi criminali per portare a termine sabotaggi.
L'articolo Attentato a Starlink in Polonia, la pista verso il clan turco Dalton e il suo capo: mai estradato dopo l’arresto in Russia proviene da Il Fatto Quotidiano.
Trump-boosting billionaire was sued over promise to give away $1m per day to random signatories of petition
Elon Musk and his America Pac political action committee said recently that they agreed to settle two proposed class actions alleging the billionaire entrepreneur defrauded residents in closely contested states before the 2024 US election by promising voters a lottery-style daily $1m giveaway.
The plaintiffs, Musk and America Pac told the judge overseeing the two related lawsuits in federal court in Austin, Texas, on Thursday that they have reached settlements subject to court approval.
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© Photograph: Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP
© Photograph: Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP
© Photograph: Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP
Pensavate che le auto volanti fossero solo fantascienza? E invece eccoci qua. Dopo nove anni di rinvii e promesse disattese, Elon Musk ha deciso di forzare il confine ingegneristico che separa il settore automobilistico da quello aerospaziale. Durante un evento organizzato nella notte italiana presso il centro di collaudo di SpaceX a McGregor, in Texas, il magnate ha svelato la seconda generazione della sportiva Tesla Roadster. “In sostanza, può volare come un razzo”, ha dichiarato il miliardario presentando la vettura come il frutto della collaborazione tra “la miglior Casa automobilistica e la miglior compagnia di razzi spaziali”.
Per supportare le affermazioni, Musk ha allestito un’esibizione dal vivo, eseguita dalla vettura in modalità autonoma per rigorose ragioni di sicurezza. Equipaggiata con dieci micro-razzi a gas freddo sviluppati con SpaceX, la Roadster è salita su una rampa curva, ha spiccato il volo, ha saltato cinque veicoli parcheggiati eseguendo una piroetta a mezz’aria, per poi atterrare in modo controllato.
L'articolo “Ecco la prima auto volante, può sfrecciare come un razzo”: l’annuncio choc di Elon Musk e la dimostrazione delle acrobazie in aria della Tesla Roadster – VIDEO proviene da Il Fatto Quotidiano.
There is still over an hour before the protagonist appears, but the line already wraps around the block. Dozens of people wait patiently for their turn to see the man who has become the great hope of the Democratic left wing. When he begins to speak, pandemonium breaks out: “My name is Abdul El‑Sayed and I am going to be your next senator in Washington.” Over the next hour, the hundreds gathered in this venue will applaud, laugh, and cheer every word from the mouth of the new star of American politics, who has already made a fitted black T‑shirt and jeans his trademark look. We are in Lansing, Michigan’s capital, where one of the most gripping battles of the midterm elections — just over two weeks away — is being fought.
© Paul Sancya (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
Most of the planet with incomes equivalent to €5,000 a month (nearly $5,600) by 2100. Average temperatures only 1.8 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels. Less meat, industry and mining. More health care and education. And who would lose out? The world’s Jeff Bezos, Larry Ellisons and Elon Musks. A tiny group of billionaires representing 0.001% of the population would see their share of global wealth fall from the current 6.4% to 0.05%, while the poorest 50% of the planet would rise from holding just 2% to 30%.
© Edgar Sapiña Manchado (EFE) (EL PAÍS)
© JIM LO SCALZO/EPA
Elon Musk approached US President Donald Trump with a proposal to limit the speed of Starlink satellite communications in Ukraine, disrupting Kyiv’s ability to counter Russian drone attacks, The Telegraph reported on 16 October, citing four sources familiar with the discussions.
The restrictions had immediate consequences for Ukraine’s defenses, forcing some drone missions against Russian positions to be called off and threatening the ability to intercept Russian jet-powered drones as they targeted Ukrainian cities at the time.
According to The Telegraph, Trump agreed with Musk’s suggestion, paving the way for the Pentagon to impose restrictions on Starshield, the military-grade version of SpaceX’s satellite network used by Ukrainian forces.
The report contradicts Musk’s public claim that the US military and ultimately Trump were responsible for deciding any limits on the system. However, Trump denied that either he or Musk was responsible for Ukraine losing access, while an anonymous US official told AFP that the president had not requested the reduction in service.
The reported restrictions come amid tensions between Washington and Kyiv over Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries. The episode has raised concerns about Ukraine’s dependence on privately controlled communications infrastructure and the risk that changes to US support could weaken its battlefield capabilities.
Starshield is the military-grade version of Starlink, SpaceX’s satellite internet network. It allows Ukrainian drone operators to maintain communications with aircraft moving at high speeds, supporting both defensive interception missions and strikes against Russian targets.
The speed limit imposed on Ukrainian drones using Starshield was around 160 kph, making it difficult for them to intercept Russian jet-powered drones and missiles traveling at roughly twice that speed.
According to The Telegraph, a senior source said Musk had become concerned about potential backlash from European consumers following the restrictions. A high-ranking European official and two Ukrainian sources reportedly corroborated the account that Musk and Trump were both involved in the decision.
The Pentagon has not publicly explained the restrictions. The report’s account also remains disputed: Trump said on 16 October that he did not believe either he or Musk was responsible for Ukraine losing access, while an anonymous US official cited by AFP said the president had not requested the reduction.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on 16 October that restrictions on SpaceX’s Starshield satellite communications system had disrupted several military operations, including efforts to intercept Russian jet-powered Geran drones attacking Ukrainian cities.
Zelenskyy said Ukraine did not use Starlink to support attacks inside Russia, but relied on the system to intercept drones targeting civilians, conduct mid-range strikes against Russian military targets in occupied Ukrainian territory, and deliver food and water to frontline troops using drones.
“When the speed was reduced, we were unable to intercept a certain number of jet-powered ‘shaheds,’ [Gerans - ed.]” Zelenskyy wrote on X, adding that Ukrainian forces had lost the ability to carry out some operations while the restrictions were in place.
Zelenskyy said Ukraine’s Defense Ministry was in contact with partners and had received signals from the White House that the capabilities would be restored. However, he stressed that speeds had not yet returned to their previous levels, although restoration was underway.
We don’t use Starlink for our responses inside Russia. We use Starlink to intercept jet-powered “shaheds” that attack our civilians and kill families.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) October 16, 2026
Starlink wasn’t turned off – its speed was reduced. And when the speed was reduced, we were unable to intercept a certain number…
The latest episode has renewed European concerns about relying on Musk and SpaceX for critical communications infrastructure. Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski warned Musk on social media that European customers were watching his actions, The Telegraph reported.
The European Union is developing its own satellite communications system, IRIS², intended to provide an alternative to Starlink, according to The Telegraph. The system is planned to become operational by 2030, leaving Ukraine and European governments dependent on existing providers in the meantime.
The report adds to concerns that decisions made in Washington or by private technology providers could directly affect Ukraine’s ability to defend itself against Russian attacks.
Diventa un mistero la decisione di depotenziare il sistema Starlink necessario all’Ucraina per avere comunicazioni tempestive anche sulla linea del fronte e riuscire a intercettare in tempo gli attacchi lanciati dalla Russia. L’esercito e i vertici del governo, nei giorni scorsi, avevano denunciato il funzionamento parziale del sistema che si è protratto per giornate intere lasciando il Paese sotto il tiro dei missili e dei droni di Mosca. Inizialmente, si era pensato a una scelta presa da Elon Musk, che nelle stesse ore stava attaccando il presidente ucraino su X, ma poi il miliardario americano aveva smentito dicendo che la responsabilità era da attribuire completamente al Pentagono. Dopo giorni di comunicazioni a singhiozzo, il nuovo colpo di scena: Trump, scrive Axios, ha detto che gli Stati Uniti non sono coinvolti nel depotenziamento dei servizi Starlink in Ucraina.
Come detto, Musk è stato il primo ‘indiziato’ per la decisione di penalizzare le comunicazioni ucraine tramite il sistema satellitare di SpaceX, essendone il fondatore e avendo espresso, nelle stesse ore, considerazioni critiche nei confronti di Zelensky, dicendo ad esempio che “è andato troppo oltre” e, più chiaramente, che “deve dimettersi“. Ma era stato lui stesso a spiegare che il funzionamento del sistema implica che solo l’esercito Usa possa disporre un depotenziamento del genere. La versione militare di Starlink è infatti Starshield, un sistema progettato e sviluppato sempre da Starlink, ma di proprietà e gestione esclusiva del Pentagono. Ed è quindi solo il Dipartimento della Guerra Usa a decidere se e quali limiti imporre, tenendo conto che è quella la tecnologia in uso all’esercito di Kiev.
Nella serata di venerdì, però, è arrivata la smentita direttamente dal presidente Trump. Una smentita che alimenta il mistero dietro allo sgambetto all’esercito di Zelensky.
L'articolo Trump smentisce Musk: “Non siamo stati noi a depotenziare Starlink all’Ucraina” proviene da Il Fatto Quotidiano.
As the Trump administration's short-lived Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) project implemented its plan to downsize the federal workforce, there was much wailing from the liberal institutions in Washington, D.C.
Federal employee unions filed lawsuits to block the effort. NPR ran profiles of federal workers who, for the first time, faced the prospect of potentially not having absolute job security forever. The Brookings Institution wondered how many jobs the federal government could shed before it crashes.
The answer: plenty. The Trump administration has cut more than 10 percent of the federal workforce, and the government hasn't crashed. Indeed, it hasn't even shrunk—if you're counting by dollars spent instead of people employed.
In a new article for City Journal, Manhattan Institute senior fellow Judge Glock highlights the tremendous gap between the dire predictions about DOGE's cuts and the reality that has emerged, more than a year after DOGE was shut down. Despite having only a modest impact on spending, Glock writes, DOGE "had a massive impact on the federal civil service."
This is true—to a point, more on that in a moment—and notable. Aside from a modest downsizing in the 1990s, the number of people employed by the federal government has been steadily growing for decades. Reversing that trend is one of the few genuinely libertarian accomplishments by the Trump administration.
The cuts to the federal workforce prove that "DOGE worked," argues Glock.
Well, hold on.
Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy (who departed the DOGE project before Trump's inauguration and is now running for governor of Ohio) set some very ambitious goals after being appointed DOGE co-chairs in late 2024. In an op-ed for The Wall Street Journal in November 2024 where they promised "we won't just write reports or cut ribbons. We'll cut costs."
Musk repeatedly attached some rather absurd numbers to that promise. He said DOGE would cut $1 trillion or even $2 trillion in federal spending. In the end, it didn't come close. By DOGE's own (questionable) accounting, it cut $170 billion. Meanwhile, overall federal spending has increased in each of Trump's first two years in office, and the budget deficit has widened as well.
Yes, Musk and Ramaswamy also said they would reduce the federal workforce. But that was presented as a natural consequence of cutting spending, not as the primary goal.
Think about it like this. If I spent months promising my friends and family that I would lose 50 pounds on a new diet, and then didn't lose any weight, would it be fair to say the diet worked?
What if I reduced the number of donuts I eat every day, but still didn't lose any weight? Sure, that might be good for my health in some way—just like reducing unnecessary workers in the federal government is good for America's fiscal health—but it certainly wouldn't mean I had achieved the goal of losing weight.
Finally, even the claim that DOGE cut the federal workforce requires an asterisk. As Glock also notes in his report, the decline in federal workers has been offset by an increase in federal contractors.
It's not a one-for-one trade, of course. The new contractors are overwhelmingly concentrated in places like the Department of Homeland Security and the Pentagon, while the cuts mostly targeted other areas, like the Department of Health and Human Services.
"Most of that increase came from the buildup in homeland-security and defense contracting, including purchases such as surveillance aircraft and tanks, rather than substitutes for government workers," Glock writes. "DOGE achieved real contract savings, but these were more than offset by higher spending elsewhere, reflecting a shift in priorities rather than an overall reduction in contracting."
So, the government is eating fewer donuts but more pizza.
There might be libertarian reasons to prefer contractors over government employees. They are less likely to hold those jobs for life, for one. But there's nothing inherently good about a government policy that cuts jobs in some areas just to create more room in the budget for poorly trained immigration enforcement agents and defense contractors. That may even be a negative outcome for liberty.
In the end, the DOGE project looks less like a meaningful attempt at cutting government spending or employment levels and more like a way to purge parts of the federal workforce likely to get in Trump's way during his second term. "As long as [Trump's] larger commitment is to extending his power rather than rolling back power itself, you shouldn't expect the government to stop growing," as Reason's Jesse Walker wrote last year in comparing DOGE to President Richard Nixon's attempted purge of the civil service.
Did DOGE work? Only if you grade it on a pretty dramatic curve.
Yes, it proved that a president can slash bureaucratic jobs—particularly the bloated managerial and administrative types—without doing much damage to the government's core responsibilities. That's a lesson future administrations should remember.
Maybe, someday, a president will try applying the same logic to government spending too.
The post DOGE Worked? Only If You Grade on a Curve. appeared first on Reason Magazine.
Tesla vuelve a situar su deportivo Roadster en el centro de la atención con una propuesta que combina propulsores desarrollados junto a SpaceX y que promete llevar la conducción a otro nivel. La nueva generación del vehículo, desarrollada con la participación de SpaceX, podrá separarse del suelo y ejecutar movimientos en el aire. Su versión más potente promete, además, alcanzar casi los 100 kilómetros por hora en menos de un segundo.
El fabricante estadounidense ha mostrado el automóvil este jueves en las instalaciones de pruebas de cohetes de SpaceX en McGregor, Texas, donde mostró algunas de las capacidades del automóvil. El proyecto, anunciado inicialmente en 2017, acumula casi nueve años de retrasos y Tesla prevé comenzar su producción en 2028, aunque todavía no ha concretado el precio definitivo.
La presentación incluyó una demostración en la que el deportivo utilizó sus propulsores para completar una maniobra acrobática. El vehículo recorrió una estructura curva, quedó momentáneamente boca abajo, salió impulsado al aire y efectuó un giro antes de volver al suelo de forma totalmente controlada. La prueba pretendía mostrar las posibilidades del sistema que Tesla ha desarrollado junto a los ingenieros de SpaceX.
En lugar de emplear combustible como el utilizado habitualmente en los cohetes, el mecanismo recurre a aire comprimido almacenado a una presión muy elevada. Su liberación genera el empuje necesario para impulsar el automóvil y permitir movimientos que no forman parte de la conducción convencional.
La variante Performance dispondrá de dos asientos, podrá alcanzar aproximadamente los 100 km/h desde parado en menos de 1,6 segundos e incorporará un sistema de aspiración bajo la carrocería destinado a incrementar el agarre al asfalto. Esta variante ya se puede reservar a través de la página oficial de Tesla mediante un primer pago de 5.000 euros, íntegramente reembolsable. Diez días después deberá abonarse una segunda cantidad de 45.000 euros.
El modelo Thrust también contará con dos plazas, pero añadirá propulsores traseros para reducir el tiempo de aceleración hasta menos de 0,9 segundos. Su reserva requiere igualmente un primer desembolso de 5.000 euros, seguido de un segundo pago de 245.000 euros a los diez días. Según informa EFE, la compañía aseguró que esta versión podrá superar los 370 kilómetros por hora y ofrecer una autonomía mayor a 480 kilómetros.
Por último, la variante Rocket será la más exclusiva de la gama. Tendrá una sola plaza y contará con un "sistema de vuelo completo" según presenta la empresa en su página web. Para esta versión la aceleración de 0 a casi 100 km/h se producirá en menos de 0,59 segundos. Este coche "listo para volar" solo se puede reservar en su página oficial mediante invitación.
Elon Musk ha explicado que este deportivo será el único que cuente con conducción manual dentro de la estrategia de Tesla, ya que la marca pretende orientar buena parte de su futuro hacia los vehículos autónomos y la robótica.
El Roadster de segunda generación lleva casi nueve años pendiente de llegar al mercado. Tesla dio a conocer el proyecto en 2017 y entonces contemplaba su lanzamiento en 2020, con un precio inicial previsto de alrededor de 200.000 dólares. Sin embargo, el calendario se fue modificando mientras la compañía concentraba recursos en otros vehículos y en nuevas líneas de desarrollo tecnológico.
Entre las prioridades que han ocupado a Tesla durante este periodo figuran el Model Y, el Cybertruck y sus iniciativas vinculadas a la conducción autónoma y los robots humanoides. La nueva demostración permite volver a conocer detalles del deportivo, pero la empresa mantiene 2028 como horizonte para comenzar a fabricarlo y todavía no ha publicado los precios definitivos de las tres versiones.
El empresario ha reconocido que el diseño del nuevo Roadster no esta necesariamente "optimizado para la seguridad", una cuestión que genera dudas sobre su homologación para circular por carreteras públicas, según ha informado la agencia EFE.
Desde las primeras horas del miércoles, el Ejército ucraniano ha observado restricciones a la hora de usar Starshield, la versión militar de Starlink, clave para interceptar los ataques con misiles y drones de Rusia. Los diplomáticos ucranianos en Washington se movieron a toda velocidad para activar a los congresistas más afines a la causa de Kiev. No sabían a qué obedecía la limitación, pero se temían lo peor. Donald Trump había dado un paso más en su pacto con Putin, quien le ofreció suministrarle diésel a cambio de una mayor presión a Ucrania. Trump necesita desesperadamente que baje el precio del galón, pero así no lo va a conseguir.
El anuncio sorprendió al presidente ucraniano, Volodimir Zelenski, en Londres, donde se encontró con el primer ministro, Andy Burnham, firme defensor de la causa ucraniana. Zelenski, en una muestra de desesperación, acusó de traición a Trump. El presidente de Estados Unidos ha arremetido contra Zelenski en Truth Social este jueves, poco después de despertarse. En resumidas cuentas, le llama desagradecido, y le echa en cara la ayuda prestada por EEUU a Ucrania, aunque baila todas las cifras. Trump dice que EEUU ha aportado 350.000 millones de dólares, y han sido 132.000, la mayor parte en armas y préstamos. La UE ha dado más del doble, al contrario de lo que asegura Trump.
Dado que Rusia sigue atacando las infraestructuras energéticas de Ucrania, Zelenksi ha anunciado que Kiev volverá a considerar un objetivo las refinerías. Es decir, lo que Trump vendió como una tregua energética es de nuevo un espejismo. Lo injusto es que Trump vuelve a culpar a Ucrania y a Zelenski. Y esta vez no es por no tener buenas cartas, sino por jugarlas con astucia y herir donde más duele a Putin.
El líder ruso ha respondido buscando cómo hacer más daño a la población. A la vez intenta dividir a los aliados. Con Trump lo tiene fácil, ya que tiene debilidad por los "hombres fuertes". Quizá haya algo más en la trastienda.
Estamos en un momento de extraordinaria gravedad en el que la ruptura de Trump y Zelenski tendría graves consecuencias. Habría muchos más muertos en Ucrania. En Washington, donde hay muchos partidarios de Ucrania incluso entre los republicanos, se intenta recomponer la situación. También los europeos mueven sus fichas para que la tensión se resuelva sin ceder ante Washington. La última ocurrencia de los mediadores de Trump, Jared Kushner y Steve Witkoff, es que descongelen 100.000 millones de dólares de activos rusos y los transfieran a un fondo controlado por Washington. Los europeos se han negado.
En este momento es clave lo que pase con Starshield, una unidad de negocio de SpaceX que desarrolla sistemas de satélites militares y de inteligencia para el Pentágono. El servicio de Starshield es independiente del servicio comercial de banda ancha de Starlink, aunque en ocasiones la distinción resulta difusa. En X, Elon Musk ha dejado clara la diferencia y ha especificado que si Starschield está limitado es por decisión del Pentágono, y en última instancia del presidente Trump. Las comunicaciones seguras de Starshield se basan en Starlink, la amplia red de 11.000 satélites que Musk y SpaceX han lanzado al espacio desde 2019.
El asesor de la Presidencia ucraniana en materia de drones, Serguí Beskrestnov, informó el miércoles de que las terminales de Starlink que emplea el Ejército ucraniano en algunos de sus ataques (Starshield es la versión militar) dejaron de funcionar cuando los drones que las utilizan sobrepasaron la velocidad de 100 millas (unos 160 kilómetros) por hora. El sistema de comunicaciones por satélite está fabricado por SpaceX, propiedad de Elon Musk, pero lo gestiona el Pentágono. Los receptores Starshield en los drones funcionan como un sistema de guía a bordo.
Ha tenido dos consecuencias inmediatas: dejó inoperativos, en la práctica, la mayoría de los drones utilizados por Ucrania para atacar detrás de las líneas del frente y obstaculizó el funcionamiento de los sistemas de defensa aérea que impiden que los drones rusos bombardeen Kiev.
Ucrania utiliza los sistemas Starlink para dirigir muchos drones de medio alcance hacia sus objetivos, lo que constituye una capacidad ofensiva fundamental en primera línea. Los Shahed rusos vuelan a velocidades cercanas a las 200 mph, por lo que la nueva restricción implica que los drones interceptores ucranianos no tienen ninguna posibilidad de darles caza. Sin embargo, para las misiones ucranianas de largo alcance que han atacado con éxito refinerías de petróleo rusas en los últimos meses no se utiliza.
El ministro de Asuntos Exteriores de Polonia, Radoslaw Sikorski, preguntó a Elon Musk si estaba "haciendo política" con Starlink en Ucrania, tras conocerse las limitaciones a sus servicios al país víctima de la agresión rusa. Polonia sostiene que corre con los gastos de la suscripción a Starlink de Kiev.
Los países europeos han prestado un firme apoyo a Ucrania, pero los problemas relacionados con datos cruciales ponen de relieve la dependencia que tienen tanto Ucrania como Europa de la tecnología estadounidense en materia de comunicaciones por satélite y sistemas de alerta de misiles. Las soluciones europeas, como las que ofrece el operador de satélites Eutelsat, no se pueden adaptar directamente a las necesidades en tiempo de guerra, ya que la tecnología está obsoleta y no está diseñada para uso militar.
Musk is the big Paxton funder: According to campaign filings released yesterday, Elon Musk sent $158 million in September to a super PAC that immediately gave that amount of money to a group backing Texas Republican Ken Paxton's Senate bid against Democrat James Talarico.
"On Sept. 9, the first day of the GOP midterm convention in Dallas, Musk gave $75 million to SLF," reports The Texas Tribune. "The next day, SLF put $75 million into a new entity called Texas PAC. By the weekend after the convention, the new super PAC was up on the air with a positive spot about Paxton's work on sex trafficking and a negative ad attacking Talarico as being for 'they/them, not you.'"
Then, two weeks later, "Musk gave an additional $83 million to SLF, according to the group's filing. Sure enough, SLF deposited $83 million into Texas PAC's coffers the following day."
It would be wild if Paxton still loses. Paxton has been embroiled in rolling scandals for years, and some current polls have him underwater by 13 points. A New York Times/Siena survey found only 38 percent of likely Texas voters believe he has "good character," versus 56 percent for Talarico.
Paxton was indicted on securities fraud charges in 2015, and that case dragged on for most of a decade before ending in a pretrial agreement. Then the Texas House, led by Republicans, accused him of bribery and abuse of public trust and successfully impeached him in 2023. The charges centered on allegations that he used his office to help donor Nate Paul—so you can imagine why Musk might want to curry favor with Paxton. Though Paxton was later acquitted by the state Senate, scandal keeps chasing him: Last year, his wife, state Sen. Angela Paxton, filed for divorce on "biblical" grounds, citing adultery as one of the reasons.
Of course, many Republican voters at the state level saw the impeachment as nothing more than a political hit job, one echoing what's happened to President Donald Trump at the national level. But what far-right, already-convinced Republicans believe about Paxton is sort of beside the point: He needs turnout, and he needs to win over more moderate Republicans and maybe even some fence-sitters if he hopes to beat Talarico. It's possible Musk's cash infusion will help, but it's also possible a cash infusion of many millions of dollars won't be enough to rehabilitate Paxton's shitty image.
A poll from the University of Texas and Texas Politics Project conducted in August "contained four major warning signs for Paxton: a drop in his support from June, lagging GOP motivation to vote, worse favorability numbers than Talarico and Trump's approval being underwater in the state."
Scenes from New York: "When Gov. Kathy Hochul first ran for re-election, Republicans in New York tried to prey on fears over crime, rising inflation and illegal immigration to boost the chances of their ticket statewide in the critical 2022 midterms," reports The New York Times. "The strategy seemed to work. Republicans flipped four House seats in New York, while putting a scare into Ms. Hochul, who eked out a six-point victory over Lee Zeldin, then a Long Island congressman who now leads the E.P.A." This year, Republicans have picked Bruce Blakeman, the Nassau County executive, as the guy with the best odds of beating Hochul, and they're running on crime fears again. But it's not working so well.
The crime and public disorder is, to my mind, still a problem, but it's not as rampant as it once was during the peak pandemic years. And it's certainly not perceived as very bad right now.
The post Musk's Meddling appeared first on Reason Magazine.
White House officials instructed Pentagon leaders to limit Starshield, SpaceX’s military-grade satellite service used by Ukrainian forces, Reuters reported on 15 October, citing three officials. The report came a day after a senior US official told Axios the Trump administration had nothing to do with the alleged Starlink restrictions.
Ukrainian forces rely on US-controlled satellite technology for battlefield operations and for intercepting Russian drones aimed at Ukrainian cities, so the latest restrictions have raised questions about how reliably they can depend on it.
Asked about the order, a senior US official replied, “No such request was ever made by the president.” The White House did not respond to questions about whether other administration officials might have made the request.
Ukrainian officials contacted the White House, State Department and Pentagon on 13 and 14 October and were told it was a White House decision
European officials raised concerns about the restrictions. German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul criticized the throttling and said Ukraine must continue to receive full support, Spiegel reported on 15 October. Wadephul said Germany had questions for the US, noting that Germany finances part of the Starlink technology used in Ukraine.
On 16 October, UK Defense Secretary Wes Streeting said US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had assured him in a face-to-face meeting that Starlink was back up and running, the Guardian reported. However, a Ukrainian Defense Ministry source said that military-grade terminals were working in motion again, but only at speeds of up to 160 km/h.
The military Starshield package previously had no data-speed restrictions, Ukraine’s 7th Rapid Response Corps told Novynarnia. Ukrainian officials said that after the restrictions were imposed, terminals disconnected when drones exceeded 160 km/h and sometimes at 80 km/h.
The Corps also reported 10–20-second connection drops at 110–120 km/h on the Huliaipole front, which made drones harder to control. One unit had to cancel some missions.
The restrictions came as US President Donald Trump pressed Kyiv to stop striking Russian oil refineries, blaming them for soaring energy prices ahead of November’s midterm elections. Ukraine suspects SpaceX imposed the restrictions to pressure Kyiv over the refinery strikes, but that motive has not been confirmed.
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