Author: Elon Mark

A brand is more than just its products—it’s the community that surrounds it. A strong community turns occasional buyers into loyal advocates, driving sustainable business growth. Think about the brands you trust: What keeps you coming back? It’s often more than just quality products. It’s likely the sense of belonging and shared values. In fact, 66 percent of companies claim their community significantly impacts customer retention. To help you get started on building a brand community, here’s a guide that explains what a brand community is, how to create one that propels growth, and real-world examples of businesses that have…

This story contains mentions of suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, please call 1-800-273-8255 for free, 24-hour support from the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.Twenty-three-year-old Arnold Robert Haro addressed his final words to the phone in his hand. “If I die, I hope you guys turn this into a memecoin,” he said. Then Haro took his own life.Haro died on February 21 at his family home in Madera County, California, a death certificate obtained by WIRED shows. His suicide was broadcast live to his followers on X, where he went by the handle @MistaFuccYou. Footage of Haro’s death…

For nearly 60 days, Gazans did not have to tally the newly dead as a fragile truce between Israel and Hamas held. Hostages and prisoners were freed, food and supplies returned to markets, and people picked their way through ruins they had called home.On Tuesday, after weeks of fruitless talks to extend the cease-fire, Israeli warplanes bombarded cities up and down the Gaza Strip, and the counting began again.More than 400 people were killed in the strikes, according to Gaza’s health ministry, whose figures do not distinguish between civilians and combatants. Among the dead were 130 children, the U.N. Children’s…

Elon Musk has made the maximum allowable donation to Republican members of Congress who support impeaching federal judges who are impeding actions taken by President Trump, according to five people with knowledge of the matter.Mr. Musk has given what had been until recently the legal maximum hard-dollar donation — $6,600 — to the campaigns of seven Republicans who have either endorsed judicial impeachments or called for some form of “action” in response to recent rulings against the Trump administration, including a weekend decision by Judge James E. Boasberg of Federal District Court in Washington.On Saturday, Judge Boasberg ordered the administration…

Elon Musk has pledged that the work of his so-called Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, would be “maximally transparent.” DOGE’s website is proof of that, the Tesla and SpaceX CEO, and now White House adviser, has repeatedly said. There, the group maintains a list of slashed grants and budgets, a running tally of its work.But in recent weeks, The New York Times reported that DOGE has not only posted major mistakes to the website—crediting DOGE, for example, with saving $8 billion when the contract canceled was for $8 million and had already paid out $2.5 million—but also worked to…

A North Dakota jury on Wednesday awarded hundreds of millions of dollars in damages to the Texas-based pipeline company Energy Transfer, which had sued Greenpeace over its role in protests nearly a decade ago against its Dakota Access Pipeline.The verdict was a major blow to the storied environmental organization. Greenpeace had maintained that it played only a minor part in demonstrations led by the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. It had portrayed the lawsuit as an attempt to stifle oil-industry critics, but a jury apparently disagreed.The nine-person jury in the Morton County courthouse in Mandan, N.D., about 45 minutes north of…

Follow the latest news on the Trump administration.Since taking office, President Trump and his advisers have explained the president’s aggressive economic approach to tariffs with a litany of conflicting ideas. Other countries are “ripping off” America and need to be stopped. The United States is fighting a drug war with Canada, Mexico and China. Tariffs will help pay down the nation’s $36 trillion debt load.The messaging hodgepodge comes as the U.S. economy shows signs of strain in response to Mr. Trump’s steep tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China and as he prepares to enact “reciprocal” tariffs on imports from around…

Whether you’re worried about the open network at your local coffee shop or want to get around geo-restrictions when you’re traveling, NordVPN can help. A virtual private network (VPN) is like a protective tunnel, keeping your data safe from prying eyes. VPNs aren’t perfect protection (you need to trust your VPN provider), but they’re always going to be better than nothing when you’re using a public hotspot. They also make it easy to continue to watch your favorite shows even when you’re on vacation. If you want to learn more about how to protect yourself online, see our guide to…

Putin said he’d accept a cease-fire for energy targetsDuring a call with President Trump, President Vladimir Putin said yesterday that he would accept a halt to strikes on energy infrastructure in Russia’s war with Ukraine, as long as both sides honored it, according to the Kremlin. But the Russian leader did not agree to a broader, 30-day cease-fire proposed by the U.S. and Ukraine.President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine said he was open to suspending attacks on energy targets, but he, too, insisted that the deal not be one-sided. “It cannot be the case that Russia attacks our energy sector, and…

President Trump fired the two Democratic members of the Federal Trade Commission on Tuesday, a rejection of the corporate regulator’s traditional independence that may clear the way for the administration’s agenda.The White House told the Democrats, Rebecca Kelly Slaughter and Alvaro Bedoya, that the president was terminating their roles, according to statements from the pair. The F.T.C., which enforces consumer protection and antitrust laws, typically has five members, with the president’s party holding three seats and the opposing party two.Members of the F.T.C. and other independent regulatory boards are protected from removal under a 1935 Supreme Court precedent that says…