MATT BERG
& CROOKED MEDIA

FRIDAY
MAY 23, 2025

A reckless mogul bending systems.”

 
— Grok, Elon Musk’s chatbot, describing how some people might view the centibillionaire.

YOU'VE BOT TO BE KIDDING

Elon Musk’s private AI chatbot, Grok, is being deployed within the federal government, according to an unnerving new report. Even Grok says that’s a bad idea.  

- Artificial intelligence chatbots are finding their way into every cranny of daily life these days. Students are using it to do their homework, with an enthusiasm that’s driving teachers to despair. Adults use it to write pesky work emails, figure out what to cook for dinner, [make friends]([link removed])… [or find love]([link removed]). But tech-weirdo Elon Musk has reportedly found an even sketchier idea: Inserting his personal chatbot, Grok, [into the federal government]([link removed]) to analyze data.
 

- Musk’s team is using a customized version of the chatbot with the apparent aim of finding a more efficient way to sift through information, while asking it to prepare reports and provide analysis, one source told Reuters. Also, DOGE staff reportedly told officials at the Department of Homeland Security to use the software, even though it hasn’t been approved there. The White House disputed the report: “You have bad information. DOGE hasn’t pushed any employees to use any particular tools or products,” a DHS spokesperson said in a statement to What A Day. 

- Is this… a good idea? Grok itself says: Hell no! The mouthy chatbot, which is known for throwing shade on its creator and his ideas, didn’t hold back: “Elon Musk and DOGE should not use Grok to analyze federal government data in its current form due to significant risks of privacy violations,” the chatbot wrote in response to an inquiry from What A Day, also citing potential “conflicts of interest.”
 

- Spot on, Grok! Musk runs SpaceX and Tesla, which compete for billions in government contracts. Gaining unfettered access to federal data — including contracting information that’s not public — could benefit his businesses, experts warn[​]([link removed]). He may be able to train Grok on the data, giving the software an advantage over other chatbot competitors. There also aren’t clear rules about how American’s private data would be used.

 
Some Democrats want President Donald Trump to [ensure Musk doesn’t profit off]([link removed]) the data he collected after leaving government. Do we really think Mr. Qatari Jumbo Jet Plane is gonna fight corruption?

- Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) is leading that effort: “Elon Musk’s AI chatbot ‘Grok’ isn’t approved to use in the federal government due to glaring privacy and national security concerns – but that’s not stopping him from pushing his product on government agencies,” she told What A Day.

- Even Grok argues for guardrails. The software should be used under strict security, ethics and transparency standards, “which DOGE currently lacks.” There needs to be independent oversight and compliance with federal laws — not to mention rules to prevent Musk’s companies from using the data for its own benefit. The potential for abuse and harm to public trust are “too high” until these guardrails are in place, Grok wrote.

- “The two concerns are privacy and self-dealing,” Jim Lewis, a prominent tech expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told What A Day. One fundamental question that’s unanswered: Why did they choose Grok over other chatbots? “There has to be a fair process. It has to be a transparent process,” he added. “It can’t just be, ‘this is my company.’”

Side note: I asked Grok to tell me a joke about Elon Musk, and rest assured, they weren’t funny. Humanity is safe, for now… or, at least, we’ve still got the best jokes.

 

FOUR DAYS TO SAVE THE WORLD

Ah, the three-day weekend! That means cold drinks, beach blankets… and saving the planet. Climate correspondent Anya Zoledziowski explains. 

The four-day workweek may just be the single most underrated way to fight climate change. And as we roll into Memorial Day weekend, it’s worth breaking down why. 

Lots of folks are already touting shorter working weeks for more than their obvious advantage of creating an objectively superior weekend experience. 

Some companies have experimented with the idea only to find [productivity]([link removed]) actually increased. Pilot programs in the [U.K.]([link removed]) and [South Africa]([link removed]) reached the same conclusion. In some cases, corporate revenue [even went up]([link removed]). Naturally, progressives like Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) are all-in on this idea.

But shorter weeks also appear to be great for the planet. 

Several studies have found that trimming the work week — without pay loss, importantly — offers a ton of environmental benefits. Countries with fewer working hours tend to have lower emissions. A [U.K.-based study from 2021]([link removed]) found that a standardized four-day work week could reduce the UK’s carbon footprint by 127 million tons per year — equal to taking 27 million cars off the road!

Why does it work? For one thing, that’s one more day of not driving to the office, which means less car exhaust in the atmosphere. Office buildings, likewise, guzzle less electricity. People with spare time can cook or walk to the store — which means less delivery from UberEats, DoorDash and Amazon. 

A day off also means more time for reading, yoga, practicing guitar, meeting your friends at the park for some beers and other awesome low-carbon activities. It turns out that curing millennial burnout also means giving the earth a much-needed rest.

So, go ahead. Ask your boss for a shorter work week… for the planet :) 

This story is supported by our nonprofit partner Crooked Ideas.

WHAT A SPONSOR

 
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WHAT ELSE?

[A federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration’s ban]([link removed]) on Harvard University’s enrollment of international students. “With the stroke of a pen, the government has sought to erase a quarter of Harvard’s student body, international students who contribute significantly to the University and its mission,” Harvard wrote in a lawsuit filed today. The Trump administration’s move, if allowed to go ahead, would force 6,000 students to transfer to other schools or lose their legal status. 
 
[Donald Trump threatened to place 50 percent tariffs]([link removed]) on the European Union starting June 1 — and warned Apple that foreign-made products could likewise be heavily tariffed. So… anyone planning to upgrade their iPhone and eat a lot of croissants this summer can thank Donnie for his consideration.
 
[The White House placed more than 100 staffers]([link removed]) from its National Security Council on administrative leave this afternoon. It’s part of a major restructuring of the council to align with Trump’s foreign policy agenda. Staffers were given 30 minutes to clean out their desks.
 
[The total cost of security for Trump border]([link removed]) czar Tom Homan costs about $1 million per month, CBS News reports. 
 
[The Federal Trade Commission is probing Media Matters]([link removed]), a left-leaning watchdog journalism organization, after Elon Musk accused the group of helping to orchestrate protests of X, his social media platform. “If the roles were reversed — if a Democratic administration were using the FTC to target a conservative media watchdog because George Soros didn’t like its reporting — outlets like Fox News would never stop covering it,” media reporter Oliver Darcy wrote. (FTC Chair Andrew Ferguson was appointed by Trump. Shocker!) 
 
[Trump has raised more than $600 million]([link removed]) in political donations since taking office, which is extremely unusual for a president who can’t (legally) run again. But he has a goal to raise $1 billion by next year’s midterms, in an effort to maintain total dominance over the Republican Party, the Associated Press reports. 

[There are new satellite images of a North Korea warship]([link removed]) that was damaged yesterday following a disastrous shipyard launch, and it looks totally fucked up. North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un called the failed launch a “criminal act,” while state media tried to downplay the matter: Part of the ship “was scratched and a certain amount of seawater flowed into the stern section through the rescue channel.” That was one helluva scratch!!

WE'RE ALL FRIENDS HERE
 

Can the democrats recapture the Senate? On the newest episode of [Pollercoaster]([link removed])[​]([link removed]), Dan spoke with Lakshya Jain, political data analyst and co-founder of Split Ticket, about the Democrats’ difficult path to doing so. They dug into whether it's strategic to run independent campaigns in deep-red states like Montana and Idaho—and how partisanship and polarization are shaping the political landscape. To hear the full episode, subscribe to Friends of the Pod at [crooked.com/friends]([link removed]).

 
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[A federal judge blocked the Trump administration]([link removed]) from conducting mass firings across federal agencies, arguing that the White House needs permission from Congress first. Trump’s team appealed the decision.

[The U.K. officially ceded most of the Chagos Islands,]([link removed]) a small chain in the Indian Ocean, to the African country Mauritius. It’s a huge win for indigenous Chagossians, who have long fought for the right to return to their homeland after they were expelled decades ago. “If you commit something wrong to other people, find a solution,” one Chagossian activist told me [two years ago]([link removed]). We love to see it.

[Kermit the Frog delivered the University of Maryland’s]([link removed]) “Ker-mencement” address last night: “Life is not a solo act; no, it’s not. It’s a big, messy, delightful ensemble piece, especially when you are with your people,” he said. “Life is better when we leap together.” And no, Miss Piggy was not in attendance. Instead, she was “summering on a beach somewhere exotic,” Kermit told CBS before the speech. Order me a Mai Tai, Miss Piggy! I’m on my way!

[A fisherman equipped with a sonar radar discovered]([link removed]) a century-old shipwreck at the bottom of Lake Michigan. “I was like, ‘Oh, yeah, that’s a shipwreck,’” a maritime archaeologist said after viewing images of the remnants. Stunning analysis! 

[A Norwegian man’s house is safe]([link removed]) after a massive cargo ship, which somehow ran ashore, missed it by only a few yards. The most mystifying part? The guy slept through the whole thing, only to be awoken by a neighbor ringing his doorbell. This man is my new hero, and my new goal is to sleep that well this weekend!

You might remember [Janet the Snail]([link removed]). Well, meet the reader’s new shelled gastropod: Splendid Speckled Mosscap (Mosscap for short)! 

“Mosscap was out on a stroll on a rainy morning in California in a high foot traffic area, when the snail’s parents-to-be came to the rescue and set them up with a terrarium — equipped with plenty of dirt, a stick for climbing exercise, and a pool for drinking and relaxing. 

Mosscap LOVES greens. Carrots are cool, but lettuce, collards and romaine are the favorites. They get the zoomies in the morning before and after breakfast. Mosscap also loves napping — and will often sleep for days at a time before running around the terrarium — but stays active between naps and mealtime.”

— Sibyl

 
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