Congressman Calls Out Musk, Who Threatens to Sue

One of the nastier public fights of the week has been unfolding between Elon Musk and Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna. After Khanna accused Musk of endangering the lives of millions of children because of foreign aid cuts via DOGE, Musk threatened to sue and said Khanna should be in prison. Khanna then challenged Musk to a televised debate, and Tesla's chief has yet to accept or reject the challenge, reports the Hill. Some of the particulars:

• Khanna: "There needs to be accountability for Elon Musk," Khanna said on the IHIP News podcast. "You know, they're celebrating that he created 4,400 millionaires, but they don't talk about the 4.5 million children around the world who he possibly sentenced to death by dismantling USAID." Musk "needs to answer for that. He needs to be subpoenaed. He needs to face investigation."
• Musk: He responded by asserting that USAID money "was being sent to corrupt politicians under the guise of aid!"

• Big number: Khanna was accurately citing a peer-reviewed study in the Lancet evaluating the impact of USAID cuts through 2030, notes a post at the Argument. Musk's defenders call that figure "absurdly false."
• Free speech: At Tech Dirt, Mike Masnick takes Musk to task for threatening to sue Khanna over his remarks even though Musk claims to be a "free speech absolutist."