Elon Musk has shown interest in a proposal that suggests using the savings generated by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to issue a “DOGE dividend”—a tax refund payment for hardworking American taxpayers. This idea was put forward by James Fishback, a user on X, who argued that 20% of the savings identified by DOGE should be returned to taxpayers in the form of a check.

Fishback’s post laid out a scenario where, if DOGE successfully cuts $2 trillion in federal spending, approximately 78 million taxpaying households in the United States could each receive around $5,000. The remaining savings, under this plan, would be allocated toward reducing the national debt. Musk responded to this suggestion by saying, “Will check with the President,” indicating that he was open to discussing the idea further with Donald Trump.

Musk has been vocal about the importance of reducing the national deficit. Speaking on Fox News’ “Hannity” during a joint appearance with Trump, Musk explained that DOGE aims to cut a trillion dollars from the deficit. He warned that if the deficit is not brought under control, the United States could face financial ruin, comparing the country’s financial situation to that of an individual.

“The overall goal is to try to get a trillion dollars out of the deficit,” Musk said. “If the deficit is not brought under control, America will go bankrupt. A country is no different from an individual in that if an individual overspends, they can go bankrupt. And so can a country.”

He highlighted the massive waste, fraud, and abuse contributing to the country’s growing deficit, which currently stands at around $2 trillion annually. Musk believes that addressing these inefficiencies is crucial to ensuring the country’s financial stability.

DOGE, which has been working to identify and eliminate unnecessary federal expenditures, claims to have already achieved approximately $55 billion in savings. These savings have come from actions such as canceling unused federal leases and contracts, selling off government assets, identifying and eliminating fraud, streamlining regulations, and reducing workforce redundancies.

While Musk appeared to support the idea of a DOGE dividend when he first responded to Fishback’s post, he later clarified his stance. On Wednesday morning, he posted a response to Scott Adams, the creator of Dilbert, who raised concerns that the DOGE dividend might result in the government treating DOGE savings as a “piggy bank” instead of focusing on necessary budgetary discipline. Musk’s reply emphasized that balancing the budget should be the first priority. “We need to balance the budget as first priority,” he wrote, signaling that while returning money to taxpayers is an appealing idea, his primary concern remains tackling the overall deficit.

The federal government reported a budget deficit of over $1.8 trillion in the fiscal year 2024, according to data from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). Projections indicate that this deficit is expected to exceed $2 trillion annually in the coming years. This poses a significant challenge for both DOGE and the Trump administration, should they aim to close the budget gap entirely.

During Musk’s interview with Trump on Hannity, the conversation revolved around fiscal responsibility and government spending. Musk argued that the key to saving taxpayer money lies in two essential factors: competence and genuine care for the country’s financial health. He pointed out that many government inefficiencies stem from bureaucratic mismanagement and a lack of accountability in spending decisions.

DOGE has also taken steps to involve the public in its cost-saving mission. The agency recently launched accounts on X that allow citizens to submit tips on ways the government could reduce wasteful spending. This crowdsourced approach aims to identify inefficiencies that might otherwise go unnoticed by bureaucratic oversight.

Despite the growing conversation around the potential for a DOGE dividend, Musk’s latest comments indicate that he believes it is more important to focus on balancing the budget rather than issuing refund checks. While some Americans may have welcomed the idea of a tax refund generated from government savings, the broader fiscal challenge remains at the forefront of Musk’s and DOGE’s priorities.

Musk’s position underscores the importance of addressing the root causes of the deficit before considering additional financial incentives for taxpayers. Although he initially appeared intrigued by the proposal, his subsequent statement suggests that he views budgetary responsibility as the more pressing issue. The coming months will determine whether DOGE can achieve its ambitious cost-cutting goals and whether any portion of those savings will ultimately be returned to taxpayers.

For now, the focus remains on reducing unnecessary spending, tackling fraud, and ensuring that the federal government operates with greater efficiency. With the national deficit continuing to rise, the success of DOGE’s mission will be crucial in determining the country’s financial trajectory in the years ahead.

Travelers on board a Delta trip on Monday encountered a startling and exceptionally surprising occasion when their plane turned over after arriving at Toronto Pearson Global Air terminal. The episode, which included a Bombardier CRJ900 airplane, brought about 80 individuals being cleared from the plane, with 18 detailed wounds, the majority of which were viewed as minor to direct. While the possibility of an airplane winding up on its back is almost unfathomable, specialists have said something regarding the variables that added to both the mishap and the protected departure of travelers.

Mike McCormick, an academic administrator and air traffic the board organizer at Embry-Puzzle Aeronautical College in Florida, made sense of that business airplane are designed to deal with outrageous situations like this. Primary components, for example, the wings and tail are intended to split away in case of a spill, limiting extra harm and possible wounds to travelers inside. The seats inside the lodge are worked to endure powers up to multiple times the power of gravity, which assists them with remaining set up in any event, when a plane is topsy turvy. This, he said, is the reason travelers are constantly encouraged to wear safety belts during departure and arriving, as the security bridle can keep them from being tossed around in case of an unexpected effect.

McCormick additionally called attention to that while airline stewards are frequently connected with serving rewards and helping travelers, their most pivotal job becomes an integral factor during crises like this. The thoroughly prepared group assumed an imperative part in quickly emptying the travelers from the upset airplane, guaranteeing that everybody left in a methodical way in spite of the bewildering circumstance. He underscored that while mishaps including airplane have stood out as truly newsworthy as of late, air travel stays the most secure method of transportation.

Flying wellbeing master Arnold Barnett from the Massachusetts Organization of Innovation said he was shocked to see a business airplane flip on landing. The occasion, he noted, could additionally fuel flight uneasiness among voyagers, particularly after late avionics mishaps close to Washington, D.C., in The Frozen North, and in Philadelphia. He looked at the experience of travelers on the Delta trip to a stunning exciting ride however brought up that the little size of the CRJ900 fly probably assumed a part in decreasing the seriousness of wounds. The airplane’s generally low lodge level, at roughly six feet, implied that when the plane turned over, travelers didn’t have far to tumble from their seats to the roof, which had out of nowhere turned into the floor.

Quite possibly of the greatest worry in any plane accident ashore is the gamble of fire. Najm Meshkati, a teacher of designing and a flight security master at the College of Southern California, featured how basic it is for travelers to be emptied as fast as conceivable in such circumstances. He refered to a sad occurrence in South Korea wherein a business plane strayed away from the runway, struck a wall, and burst into flames, at last prompting 179 passings. In Monday’s episode, the quick reaction of crisis faculty and the flight team guaranteed that everybody had the option to leave the airplane without a fire breaking out.

Hassan Shahidi, president and Chief of the Flight Wellbeing Establishment, adulated the crisis responders at Toronto Pearson Global Air terminal for their nearby activity. Fire groups showed up inside minutes and started splashing the plane with heat proof froth to forestall any potential eruptions. The impressive skill and readiness of the air terminal’s crisis groups assumed a critical part in monitoring what is happening and forestalling further risk to travelers. Shahidi additionally recognized the airline stewards for their capacity to keep everything under control and guide travelers securely out of the airplane regardless of the outrageous conditions. He noticed that lodge teams go through thorough preparation for crisis clearings, including techniques for taking care of flipped airplane.

Airplane are intended to endure a wide assortment of outrageous tensions, and Shahidi made sense of that they go through broad pressure tests prior to being guaranteed for business flight. These tests represent situations including crisis arrivals, crashes, and underlying disappointments, it are pretty much as protected as conceivable to guarantee that planes. The way that the travelers on board Monday’s flight had the option to leave without any fatalities is a demonstration of the viability of these wellbeing measures.

The occurrence has driven specialists to think about what travelers can gain from circumstances like this to work on their own possibilities remaining protected in a crisis. Mike Shertz, a trauma center doctor from Oregon who spends significant time in injury the executives, focused on the significance of appropriately securing a safety belt while flying. A cozy safety belt, he said, can have a huge effect in forestalling serious wounds in case of an unexpected stop or effect.

Shertz called attention to that finding oneself topsy turvy in an airplane is like being in an upset vehicle — it is enormously muddling and not something the vast majority are ready for. Prior to unfastening a safety belt.

Saturday Night Live denoted a great achievement with its 50th commemoration exceptional on Sunday, February 16, 2025, at 30 Rockefeller Place. The almost four-drawn out occasion united north of 180 previous cast individuals, popular visitor stars, and famous figures from the universe of satire to commend the tradition of the notable sketch show. Notwithstanding, while the extraordinary was loaded up with sentimentality and chuckling, there were a couple of eminent unlucky deficiencies that left fans asking why certain dearest cast individuals were absent from the celebrations.

Among the main unlucky deficiencies were Dan Aykroyd and Bill Hader. Aykroyd, a unique cast part who aided send off SNL in 1975, had caused disturbances via web-based entertainment only days before the commemoration extraordinary. On February 14, Aykroyd posted a message on X (previously Twitter), communicating pride in his part in helping to establish SNL. He thought back about the early years, calling the commemoration broadcast “as verifiable as the following moon arriving.” While Aykroyd’s post showed his profound association with the show, he didn’t make reference to that he wouldn’t go to the extraordinary. His nonattendance caused a commotion, particularly given his vital job in SNL’s creation and early achievement.

Charge Hader, who was essential for the cast from 2005 to 2013 and became known for his noteworthy characters like Stefon, was one more key figure who declined the challenge to join in. As per reports from Puck News’ Matthew Belloni, Hader obligingly turned down his greeting, offering no really great explanations for his choice. Nonetheless, Hader was as yet present in a business section during the exceptional, close by previous SNL castmates Kristen Wiig and Fred Armisen, advancing Volkswagen. However he wasn’t there face to face, his short appearance in the business permitted fans to get a brief look at the star.

There were additionally other remarkable nonattendances that blended interest. Dana Carvey, who was a piece of the SNL cast from 1986 to 1993 and stayed a regular visitor on the show, was absent from the occasion. In spite of his famous sudden spike in demand for the show and late appearances, for example, his depiction of Joe Biden in the 2024 season, Carvey didn’t address the commemoration or offer any contemplations about it via web-based entertainment. His quiet, joined with his nonattendance from the exceptional, was astounding to fans who had expected to see him back in front of an audience for the festival.

Colin Quinn, who facilitated SNL’s “Weekend Update” from 1998 to 2000, additionally didn’t go to the 50th-commemoration occasion. While he had been essential for one of the most adored fragments in SNL history, Quinn was one more star who was absent to praise the achievement. As the night advanced and the representations moved on, obviously not every one of the show’s graduated class could come to the unique, however their commitments to SNL’s celebrated history were praised.

Notwithstanding these nonappearances, the occasion highlighted a ritzy setup of returning cast individuals. Charge Murray, Tina Fey, Jimmy Fallon, Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph, and Chevy Pursue every single showed up, no doubt arousing a lot of joy for the crowd. The unique likewise incorporated a large group of other visitor stars, including Sabrina Craftsman, Paul McCartney, Ayo Edebiri, Tom Hanks, and Kim Kardashian. Their presence added to the feeling of event, guaranteeing that the unique was a genuine festival of SNL’s mind boggling run.

One of the most over the top contacting snapshots of the night came when Garrett Morris, a unique cast part who is presently 88 years of age, showed up in front of an audience. Morris presented a video sketch that was initially performed by John Belushi, named “Don’t Think Back Out of resentment.” Morris, who has stayed an apparatus of SNL’s set of experiences, kidded about the quantity of get-together shows he had been approached to show up in, downplaying his age while adding a feeling of warmth and humor to the night.

The SNL50 extraordinary additionally highlighted a lot of important portrayals, returning to a portion of the show’s most notorious minutes and characters. Yet again fans were blessed to receive appearances from dearest characters like killjoy and Kate McKinnon’s outsider abductee, who was taken in a sign of approval for the show’s rich history of important repeating jobs. The almost four-drawn out broadcast was a nostalgic excursion as the years progressed, uniting both new and old fanatics of the show to praise its social effect.

While the unlucky deficiencies of Aykroyd, Hader, Carvey, and Quinn were outstanding, the unique was as yet a great recognition for the 50 years of chuckling, parody, and social impact that SNL has had. The shortfall of these figures didn’t eclipse the ritzy gathering, reminding everybody that SNL’s inheritance isn’t just about individuals who show up in front of an audience however the permanent imprint the show has left on satire and mainstream society.