Steve Davis left DOGE in May, but officials say he's still running the show
TechCrunch reached out earlier Wednesday to The Boring Company, Musk's tunneling company where Davis has held the president role, for comment.
This behind-the-scenes involvement suggests that Davis — who is reportedly so frugal that he has sometimes signed off on costs as low as a few hundred dollars, and so loyal to Musk that he reportedly slept in the offices of X with his wife and newborn child after Musk took over the social media platform — remains more engaged than outsiders might realize.
Given Musk's exit and his ongoing feud with President Trump, Davis's influence has created internal tension, adds the Journal, with staffers reportedly facing loyalty tests between Trump and Musk in closed meetings as the department battles White House efforts to shrink its power.
The outlet cites current and former officials who say Musk allies want to establish 'DOGE 2.0,' focusing on government IT systems rather than job cuts, but adds there are critics who believe the team's continued involvement serves primarily to benefit Musk's business interests, including SpaceX, Tesla, and X.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
25 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Caitlin Clark's WNBA rookie card fetches $660,000 at auction in a record-breaking sale
Caitlin Clark has set yet another record, this time with her 2024 WNBA rookie card selling for the most money yet for a female athlete at a public auction. Clark's Rookie Royalty WNBA Flawless Logowoman 1/1 card sold Thursday night for $660,000. That sale price tops the previous mark of $366,000 for Clark's 2024 Panini Prizm WNBA Signatures Gold Vinyl 1/1 PSA 10 in March. The card that sold Thursday night is signed and inscribed with Clark's scoring total for her rookie season. The card also includes a Logowoman patch seen on WNBA jerseys, making such cards a top pick for collectors. This card entered extended bidding at $336,000 before reaching the final sale price. The Flawless Logowoman was one of seven Clark cards sold at Fanatics Collect on Thursday night and one of four cards from Panini America's 2024 Rookie Royalty WNBA collection. Now 14 cards featuring Clark have sold at public auction easily topping her salary this season with the Indiana Fever, with the latest going for more than Clark is scheduled to make over her rookie contract with Indiana. This mark may be challenged Aug. 9 when an Immaculate Logowoman 1/1 Clark card is scheduled for sale. The price for that card was at $180,000 on Thursday night before a buyer's premium on 17 bids. ___ AP WNBA:
Yahoo
25 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Trump says he hasn't considered pardoning Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell
WASHINGTON − President Donald Trump said he hasn't considered pardoning Ghislaine Maxwell, an associate of Jeffrey Epstein who is serving 20 years in prison for conspiring to sexually abuse minors and who is meeting with federal prosecutors seeking more information about the case. Lawmakers and others have led a public outcry for more information about Epstein's clients, for more potential charges in the case. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche met July 24 and 25 with Maxwell to ask what more she could say, which led critics to question whether Trump would pardon her. 'It's something I haven't thought about,' Trump told reporters at the White House about a possible pardon before leaving the United States for a trip to Scotland. "I'm allowed to do it, but it's something I have not thought about." Rep. Dan Goldman, D-New York, suggested Blanche's effort was to protect Trump 'by tacitly floating a pardon for Maxwell in return for information that politically benefits President Trump.' Trump, when asked if he could trust what Maxwell says, called Blanche "a great lawyer" and "a great guy." Blanche previously served as Trump's personal lawyer in the New York criminal trial where Trump was convicted of falsifying business records, which he is appealing. "I certainly can't talk about pardons," Trump told reporters before leaving on a trip for Scotland. Epstein was federally charged with sexually trafficking minors and died by suicide while in detention in 2019 and long before any criminal trial. Trump attended parties with Epstein during the 1990s and repeatedly flew on his private jet but has distanced himself in the public uproar about whom Epstein's clients were. Lawmakers and others who followed the case have continued to push for the release of the investigative files in the case. Trump's name reportedly appears in the files, but he said he never went to Epstein's private island, where minors were allegedly sexually abused 'I have nothing to do with the guy,' Trump said. "I never never went to the island." Trump said reporters should focus instead on other political leaders and hedge fund managers who spent more time with Epstein. "I'll give you a list," Trump said. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump says he hasn't considered pardoning Ghislaine Maxwell
Yahoo
25 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Valero Energy reports decline in Q2 2025 profits
Valero Energy has declared net income attributable to its stockholders of $714m, equating to $2.28 per share, for the second quarter of 2025 (Q2 2025). This figure represents a decrease from net income of $880m, or $2.71 per share, for the same period in the previous year. The renewable diesel segment, including the Diamond Green Diesel joint venture, experienced an operating loss of $79m, contrasting with operating income of $112m in Q2 2024. The refining segment, however, showed resilience with operating income of $1.3bn for Q2 2025, a slight increase from $1.2bn in Q2 2024. Valero chairman, CEO and president Lane Riggs said: 'We delivered solid financial results for the second quarter, driven by our strong operational and commercial execution. 'In fact, we set a record for refining throughput rate in our US Gulf Coast region in the second quarter, demonstrating the benefits of our investments in growth and optimisation projects.' The Ethanol segment reported operating income of $54m, a decrease from the $105m recorded in the previous year. General and administrative expenses rose to $220m, up from $203m in Q2 2024. Net cash from operating activities stood at $936m in Q2 2025, encompassing an unfavourable effect of $325m from changes in working capital. Adjusted net cash provided by operating activities, excluding certain items, was $1.3bn. Capital investments reached $407m, with the majority allocated to sustaining the business. The company continued to return value to stockholders, with $695m returned in Q2 through dividends and share repurchases. Quarterly cash dividend on common stock was announced at $1.13 per share, payable on 2 September 2025. Lane Riggs said: 'We remain committed to maintaining our track record of commercial and operational excellence, which has been a hallmark of Valero's strategy for over a decade. 'Our commitment remains underpinned by a strong balance sheet that also provides us plenty of financial flexibility.' The company also repaid a $251m outstanding principal balance of its senior notes and ended the quarter with $8.4bn of total debt and $4.5bn in cash and cash equivalents. Despite the mixed financial performance, Valero is investing in the future with a $230m FCC Unit optimisation project at the St. Charles Refinery, scheduled for completion in 2026. Valero intends to operate its refineries at a level approaching 94% of their aggregate capacity in Q3. Earlier in the year, Valero Energy announced the closure of its Benicia and Wilmington refineries in California, citing a challenging regulatory environment and rising costs. "Valero Energy reports decline in Q2 2025 profits" was originally created and published by Offshore Technology, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Sign in to access your portfolio