Jess Bidgood

1 week ago | afr.com | David Fahrenthold |Eric Lipton |Jess Bidgood

David A. Fahrenthold, Eric Lipton and Jess BidgoodMay 30, 2025 – 4.50pm or Subscribe to save articleSubscribe to gift this articleGift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe. Subscribe nowAlready a subscriber? Just three months ago, Elon Musk stood before a crowd of roaring conservatives and held up a chain saw. He was at the height of his influence, swaggering in a self-designed role with immense power inside and outside the government.

1 week ago | nytimes.com | David Fahrenthold |Eric Lipton |Jess Bidgood

The world's richest man created disruption and fear before giving up on revamping government. But his companies will now face less oversight. Just three months ago, Elon Musk stood before a crowd of roaring conservatives and held up a chain saw. He was at the height of his influence, swaggering in a self-designed role with immense power inside and outside the government. "We're trying to get good things done," he said, using the chain saw as a metaphor for the deep cuts he was making in government.

2 weeks ago | nytimes.com | Jess Bidgood |Michael Schmidt

The Trump administration's attempt to block international students from attending Harvard University was a sharp escalation in the showdown between the federal government and one of the nation's oldest and most powerful institutions. It also showed how the younger side - the government - is the one with the upper hand. Harvard has won praise for fighting back, and many legal experts believe the law is squarely on its side.

1 month ago | nytimes.com | Jess Bidgood

We want to hear your questions about the Trump administration - and we want to know how the administration's moves so far have changed your life and your community. Your answer may be featured in an upcoming newsletter. I'll read every response I receive, and reach out to some of you to learn more. I will not publish any part of your response without first contacting you and hearing back from you.

1 month ago | nytimes.com | Jess Bidgood

One month into his chaotic tenure as a special government employee and a right-hand man to President Trump, Elon Musk basked in the cheers of an adoring public at CPAC. The episode is best known for the chain saw he wielded onstage, a gift from President Javier Milei of Argentina. But Musk did something else just as outlandish and revealing that day.