Tesla CEO Elon Musk has reportedly made personal appeals to U.S. President Donald Trump over his aggressive tariffs policy.

The report was initially shared by The Washington Post, which cited two anonymous sources reportedly familiar with the matter.

The WaPo’s Claims

As per the Post, Musk’s personal appeals to Trump have not been successful so far, with the U.S. President stating on Monday that he could add new 50% tariffs on imports from China on top of the 34% he previously announced.

Trump did, however, also hint that he was open to negotiations on some aspects of his policy.

Musk and the Trump Administration

Musk’s alleged reservations about Trump’s tariffs would mark yet another time the CEO has found himself opposing some members of the U.S. President’s administration. Previously, Musk had also disagreed with some of Trump’s allies over issues like H1-B visas for skilled immigrants.

Recent reports have also suggested that Elon Musk’s role as a special government employee is ending, though the Trump administration has noted that the Tesla CEO will still play a pivotal role in the efforts of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

What the White House Press Secretary Says

In a statement, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that the Trump administration is comprised of individuals who bring different ideas to the table. 

“The President has put together a remarkable team of highly talented and experienced individuals who bring different ideas to the table, knowing that President Trump is the ultimate decision maker. When he makes a decision everyone rows in the same direction to execute. That’s why this Administration has done more in two months than the previous Admin did in four years,” she stated.

SpaceX will take over a U.S. Space Force launch mission for a GPS satellite from United Launch Alliance (ULA). The GPS III lineup boosts accuracy, anti-jamming, and syncing with global navigation systems.

On April 7, the Space Systems Command announced that the GPS III SV-08 satellite, the eighth in its series, will lift off no earlier than late May on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The shift aims to clear a backlog of stored satellites initially slated for United Launch Alliance.

This isn’t the first time the U.S. Space Force has reassigned a ULA mission to SpaceX. Last year, SpaceX took over the launch of the GPS III SV-07 from ULA’s Vulcan. The GPS III SV-07 was initially scheduled to launch with the Vulcan in late 2025. However, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket successfully launched the GPS satellite on December 16, 2024, under the Rapid Response Trailblazer mission.

Col. Jim Horne, the leader of launch execution at Space Systems Command explained that SpaceX’s upcoming mission “executes a launch vehicle trade of the GPS III-7 mission from Vulcan to a Falcon 9 rocket, and swaps a later GPS IIIF-1 mission from Falcon Heavy to Vulcan, showcasing our ability to launch in three months, compared to the typical 24 months.”

The United States Space Force will reassign a future GPS IIIF-1 launch for SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy to ULA to balance contracts and maintain its obligations with launch providers. The Vulcan rocket recently earned a certification under the National Security Space Launch Program (NSSL).

However, the Vulcan has been plagued with development delays. The Vulcan also has a backlog of military launches due to its NSSL Phase 2 contract, which it received in 2020.

The reassignment flexes the NSSL program’s agility, slashing standard two-year timelines to months. As SpaceX gains ground, ULA faces pressure to ramp up its Vulcan launches.

NIO’s Hong Kong shares climbed 8.6% to HK$26.60 following news that Chinese battery titan CATL is negotiating to acquire a controlling stake in Nio Power

No Power runs over 3,000 battery-swapping stations in China. Last month, CATL pledged up to RMB 2.5 billion ($342 million) to Nio Power, according to Reuters’ sources. Nio Power was valued at over RMB 10 billion ($1.3 billion) after a 2024 fundraising. However, CATL’s offer remains undisclosed.

CATL has stayed mum about obtaining a controlling stake in Nio Power. Meanwhile, NIO has sidestepped specifics but noted it’s fostering battery swap station growth “with multiple investors, including CATL.”

“Nio and CATL will deepen collaboration on capital and business and further consolidate the strategic partnership to jointly build the largest battery swapping network globally,” noted NIO.

CATL’s push aligns with chairman Robin Zeng’s vision to morph the firm into a green-energy leader. Fresh off a deal with Sinopec to build 10,000 swap stations—500 this year—CATL aims to supplant a third of China’s gas stations. Nio Power, a linchpin for NIO, serves its drivers and rivals like Tesla and BYD. However, NIO’s hefty investments have dented profitability.

NIO’s 3,240 swap stations, mainly in China, swap batteries in under three minutes, tackling EV range woes. With co-development efforts expanding swap-compatible EVs, a CATL deal could reshape NIO’s footing against intensifying competition from BYD and others in China.