Sylvia Varnham O'Regan

East Coast United States, New Zealand

Reporter at The Information

Journalist @theinformation covering tech and politics • Talk to me: [email protected] • Signal: sylviavo.11

Articles

Trump Plans to Extend TikTok Deadline For Third Time

3 weeks ago | theinformation.com | Sylvia Varnham O'Regan

Source: The Wall Street JournalPresident Donald Trump is planning to sign another executive order extending the deadline to enforce a law to ban or force a sale of TikTok in the U.S., according to the Wall Street Journal. This will be the third time the president has pushed off the deadline, the latest of which is approaching on June 19. Talks have been underway for several months involving the White House and potential investors to broker a deal to keep TikTok alive.
Musk Says he will Remain ‘Friend and Advisor’ to Trump After DOGE Exit

4 weeks ago | theinformation.com | Sylvia Varnham O'Regan

Source: The InformationPresident Donald Trump said that “almost all” the employees with Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency are staying behind in the administration after Musk leaves this week. Trump made the comments at a joint press conference with Musk in the Oval Office Friday, during which Musk said he planned to remain a “friend and advisor” to the president.
Musk Lieutenant and other DOGE Leaders to Exit Administration

4 weeks ago | theinformation.com | Sylvia Varnham O'Regan

Source: The InformationLess than 24 hours after Elon Musk announced he was leaving the Trump administration, several other prominent figures involved in the Department of Government Efficiency have made plans to leave as well. A White House official confirmed Thursday that Steve Davis, a longtime Musk lieutenant and key leader in the cost-cutting effort, James Burnham, DOGE’s general counsel, and Katie Miller, a spokesperson for DOGE, are all leaving the administration.
Elon Musk Leaving the Trump Administration

1 month ago | theinformation.com | Sylvia Varnham O'Regan

Source: The InformationElon Musk is leaving the Trump administration after a tumultuous period leading an effort to cut government spending that involved dismantling federal agencies and laying off thousands of federal workers.
Elon Musk Tried to Derail Sam Altman’s Middle East AI Deal

1 month ago | theinformation.com | Sylvia Varnham O'Regan

Source: The Wall Street JournalElon Musk sought to block an OpenAI deal to build a huge artificial-intelligence data center in Abu Dhabi, The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday. According to the report, Musk on a call told officials from AI firm G42, which is developing the data center site, that the plan would not get the green light from President Donald Trump unless Musk’s firm, xAI, was involved.
Instagram Head Testifies in Meta Antitrust Case

1 month ago | theinformation.com | Sylvia Varnham O'Regan

Source: The InformationInstagram head Adam Mosseri took the stand Thursday in the Federal Trade Commission’s antitrust lawsuit against Meta Platforms, telling the court that “for us, growth is everything; you’re either growing or you’re slowly dying.”The executive, whose testimony followed that of Meta’s Chief Marketing Officer Alex Schultz, addressed Instagram’s strategy, internal tensions between the photo-sharing app and Facebook, as well as the impact of TikTok on Instagram’s business.
Trump Orders Investigation into Former Cybersecurity Chief

2 months ago | theinformation.com | Sylvia Varnham O'Regan

Source: The InformationDonald Trump signed an order Wednesday that targets Christopher Krebs, a critic of the president and the former head of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency during the first Trump administration. In the Wednesday order, Trump took aim at Krebs for disputing Trump’s baseless claims that the 2020 election was “stolen.” The president ordered an investigation into Krebs’ activities and revoked his security clearance.
Musk Heading Home

2 months ago | theinformation.com | Sylvia Varnham O'Regan

Is Elon Musk’s run as a government cost cutter coming to an end? According to a new Politico report, President Donald Trump has been telling members of his inner circle that Musk will step back in the coming weeks and return to his businesses, most notably his struggling electric vehicle maker, Tesla. The White House has downplayed the report, saying Musk will leave in spring as planned. But there have been mounting signs that Musk is becoming a bit of a liability for Trump.
Zuckerberg Lobbies Trump to Settle Antitrust Lawsuit

2 months ago | theinformation.com | Sylvia Varnham O'Regan

Source: The Wall Street JournalMeta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg is lobbying President Donald Trump and his administration to settle a lawsuit that could force the company to sell Instagram or WhatsApp, The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday. That lawsuit, filed in 2020 by the Federal Trade Commission under Trump’s first administration, is scheduled to go to trial on April 14 and has started impacting operations for Meta and its executives.
Some Musk Government Recruits Quietly Return to His Companies

2 months ago | theinformation.com | Sylvia Varnham O'Regan

When Elon Musk bought Twitter in 2022, employees from SpaceX, Tesla and his other companies followed him there temporarily to help shake up the operations of the social media company. It wouldn’t be surprising, then, to see Musk employees who have decamped to Washington to assist his Department of Government Efficiency eventually go back to their employers. That already appears to be happening.