DOGE steps out of the shadows

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Good morning. When was the last time you used a fax machine? They're surprisingly popular in Japan, according to someone who moved there three years ago. They shared the things they found surprising about the culture and office quirks. Work happy hours look pretty different — involving a lot of alcohol, and pressure to drink it.

In today's big story, Elon Musk and his top allies talked all about DOGE on Fox News last night — without its actual leader.

What's on deck

Markets: The winners and losers of Trump's auto tariffs.

Tech: ChatGPT is letting some users generate Ghibli-style images, but not others.

Business: Florida may abolish property taxes. Here's what they are in every state.

But first, who's DOGE is this?

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The big story

DOGE in the spotlight

"This is a revolution, and I think it might be the biggest revolution in the government since the original revolution," Elon Musk, flanked by seven DOGE colleagues, told Fox News in a rare interview.

The DOGE office has for weeks been the dominant story of the first 100 days of President Donald Trump's second term, BI's Brent Griffiths writes. Working alongside DOGE, the Trump administration has implemented mass cuts targeting thousands of employees.

Amid these efforts, the DOGE office has operated with what a federal judge described as "unusual secrecy."

Last night, we got a good look at some of Musk's top lieutenants. Those include:

• Steve Davis, a longtime Musk associate who spent years helping Musk cut costs at businesses such as SpaceX. He is now DOGE's chief operating officer.
• Joe Gebbia, an Airbnb cofounder, who is focused on overhauling the retirement system for federal workers. "We really believe that the government can have an Apple Store-like experience," Gebbia told Fox News host Bret Baier.
• Anthony Armstrong, a former Morgan Stanley banker, who is now working at the Office of Personnel Management.

One person was noticeably absent.

No, it wasn't Edward Coristine, Musk's 19-year-old advisor who once went by the nickname "Big Balls" online.

It was Amy Gleason, the official leader of DOGE. Not only was she not among the seven people who surrounded Musk — her name wasn't even mentioned once.

Gleason and another White House official have said in federal court that Musk is not a DOGE office employee, let alone the initiative's leader.

Nonetheless, Musk continues to act as the de facto top dog. As Brent writes, last night was just the latest example of how Musk, the White House, and others have blurred the lines of his purview.

3 things in markets

1. Who is (and isn't) riding high on Trump's auto tariffs. About half of the 16 million cars sold annually in the US are made abroad, and these carmakers stand to lose the most from Trump's new tariffs. Rivian, Lucid, and Tesla, however, manufacture domestically — and their stocks accelerated after the announcement.

2. Buying the dip. Retail investors have been buying at near-record levels since the stock sell-off picked up last month. Nvidia has emerged as a favorite.

3. However, Nvidia investors should beware the ides of May. New AI chip rules are rolling out May 15. They would impose restrictions on some sales of Nvidia chips and potentially narrow its market — but it could actually boost the stock.

3 things in tech

1. DC plugs into tech. Silicon Valley may be known as the tech capital, but DC's tech scene is burgeoning under the Trump administration. Local startups are gaining traction, with defense tech leading the charge.

2. Meta loses two senior execs. Dan Neary, the company's VP for Asia-Pacific, and Kate Hamill, the managing director of retail and e-commerce in North America, are leaving in separate departures. They each spent more than a decade in key leadership roles.

3. ChatGPT can't decide if its Ghibli-style images violate copyright. If you want to generate images that resemble Studio Ghibli's style, you'll need OpenAI's new 4o. But there seems to be some confusion with the company's "content policy." BI's Alistair Barr and Pranav Dixit experimented with the tools.

3 things in business

1. Are property taxes clouding the Sunshine State? Florida could be the first US state to ax property taxes after homeowners faced sharp surges recently. Here's what the cut could mean — and how your state compares.

2. DOGE cuts have arrived at America's disaster prevention agency. NOAA, which tracks extreme weather, has lost over 1,000 employees since Trump took office. Current and former employees told BI they worry about how the cuts will affect air travel forecasts and hurricane alerts.

3. Looking for a used Tesla? Listings for the EV are up 33% so far this year, according to Cox Automotive. One industry expert says CEO Elon Musk's actions continue to have an impact.

In other news

• I'm a former intelligence official. The Signal fiasco was as risky as leaving the nuclear codes in a Starbucks.
• Is the tech industry ready for AI 'super agents'?
• Mark Zuckerberg wants to bring back 'OG Facebook' — so there's a new Friends-only feed.
• Now Robinhood says it will deliver cash to your door.
• App stores are set to verify ages under a new Utah law — and Meta, Snap, and X are thrilled.
• Columbia suspends student who created AI tool that helps people cheat in coding interviews.
• Lending money can earn you passive double-digit returns — but you'll need two things to survive in the competitive space.
• MrBeast tells Mark Zuckerberg what he'd change about Facebook if he were CEO.
• Peter Kafka: Just how big a hit is 'Severance,' after all?

What's happening today

• Bureau of Labor Statistics releases state employment and unemployment reports.

The Insider Today team: Dan DeFrancesco, deputy editor and anchor, in New York (on parental leave). Hallam Bullock, senior editor, in London. Grace Lett, editor, in Chicago. Amanda Yen, associate editor, in New York. Lisa Ryan, executive editor, in New York. Ella Hopkins, associate editor, in London. Lina Batarags, bureau chief, in Singapore. Elizabeth Casolo, fellow, in Chicago.