Axios

Elon Musk tells biographer Walter Isaacson in a new podcast interview that the fizzled DOGE experiment, which the SpaceX and Tesla CEO once headed, proved there's "no way we were gonna solve the deficit from within the government."

• "The only way we're going to solve the national debt is with AI and robots," Musk tells the author for a new podcast series, "The Builders with Walter Isaacson," premiering Tuesday. "We're not gonna solve it by trying to save our way there."

Why it matters: Musk's comments to Isaacson — author of the definitive 2023 biography, "Elon Musk" — admit that DOGE was a flop, but point to the chance that some future administration will take a new stab at the problem using ever-more-capable AI.

Black voters may determine whether Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) can build on breakthroughs in the 2026 elections.

Why it matters: This year's primaries showed that DSA's path runs through older Black voters who wield enormous influence in Democratic primaries — particularly in the South — but have been slower to embrace insurgent candidates.

White House press secretary Katie Zacharia was ousted Friday after just five days on the job, according to two senior Trump administration officials.

Why it matters: Zacharia will be the shortest-tenured press secretary in modern history, with her first and only week in the White House marked by speculation about her legal credentials and criticism of her first press briefing.