Elon Musk News Live: X experiences significant outage affecting feeds and direct messages

Elon Musk's X platform experienced a significant outage on May 24, 2025, with users unable to load feeds or access direct messages, as per a report in The Verge. This widespread disruption, which began shortly after 8 AM ET, follows user complaints about network issues over the preceding days. A fire involving batteries was reported at an X-owned data center in Oregon on Thursday, May 23, 2025, a past event that reportedly caused a smaller, earlier outage, though it is currently unclear if this incident is connected to the more recent, larger-scale service interruption. X, where Elon Musk is the owner, has not yet provided an official comment on the current situation.

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), an initiative headed by Elon Musk, who also serves as a senior advisor to President Donald Trump, stated this week its decision to terminate five U.S. Census Bureau surveys, which cost $16.5 million and were conducted for other federal agencies, as per a report in AP. The specific surveys cut by DOGE, a group established to reduce federal spending, were not identified in the announcement. This development has led to worries among users of federal data regarding the potential impact on the health and reliability of the nation's statistical infrastructure.

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a group launched by Elon Musk to identify federal spending cuts in anticipation of a potential second Trump administration, announced this week its targeting of five U.S. Census Bureau surveys, claiming they have been 'terminated,' as per a report in AP. This declaration from DOGE, a private initiative without official government authority, concerns surveys costing $16.5 million conducted by the statistical agency for other federal departments, though the specific surveys were not identified. The move has sparked alarm among users of federal data, who fear for the integrity of the nation's statistical infrastructure and the potential disruption to research, policy-making, and economic analysis reliant on such data.

The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court has placed a temporary hold on a lower court's order that mandated the disclosure of internal records from Elon Musk’s government efficiency team, known as the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) which he heads, and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), according to a report in The New York Times. This stay prevents, for now, the enforcement of the ruling that would have compelled Elon Musk, in his capacity as senior advisor to President Donald Trump and head of DOGE, and the OMB to turn over the documents. The Supreme Court's action is a procedural pause, not a final decision on the merits of the records dispute, allowing the court further time for review.

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), headed by Elon Musk who also serves as a senior advisor to President Donald Trump, announced this week its decision to 'terminate' five U.S. Census Bureau surveys costing $16.5 million, deeming them 'wasteful', as per a report in AP. These unspecified surveys are conducted by the statistical agency for other federal agencies. The announcement has sparked concerns among data users regarding the health of the nation's statistical infrastructure, with DOGE's stated aim being to cut federal spending.

The U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP) retook possession of its headquarters on Wednesday, May 21, 2025, two days after a court declared illegal the March firings of its board and employees by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), AP said in a report. Elon Musk, who serves as de facto head of DOGE and is a senior advisor to President Donald Trump, saw his department's actions overturned. George Moose, acting president of USIP, re-entered the building with security and legal counsel, marking the first time since their removal during the DOGE takeover, which was part of broader efforts described in the article as "mass slashing of the federa[l government]".