Tesla Awards Elon Musk $29 Billion Pay Package Despite Stock Decline and Legal Challenges
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Netanyahu Plans Gaza Occupation as Trump Envoy Announces End of Ceasefire Negotiations
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has indicated plans to expand military operations to occupy the entire Gaza Strip, effectively ending current ceasefire negotiations as President Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff announced a shift away from "piecemeal" agreements toward an "all or nothing" approach.
Netanyahu will convene his security cabinet this week to direct the Israel Defense Forces on achieving three war objectives: defeating Hamas, releasing hostages, and ensuring Gaza never again threatens Israel.
The decision comes as Hamas released videos showing severely emaciated hostages, while Israel already controls more than 75 percent of the densely populated territory of 141 square miles.
The new U.S. approach represents a significant departure from previous phased frameworks that achieved temporary ceasefires and the release of more than 200 hostages under the Biden administration.
Witkoff told hostage families in Tel Aviv that Trump "now believes that everybody should come home at once" after concluding that existing proposals were ineffective. However, the expanded military operations raise concerns among hostage families and security officials, as freed captives have reported that their captors were under orders to kill them if Israeli troops approached, potentially endangering the estimated 20 living Israeli hostages still held by Hamas in Gaza.
Tesla Awards Elon Musk $29 Billion Pay Package Despite Stock Decline and Legal Challenges
Tesla's board of directors has approved a $29 billion compensation package for CEO Elon Musk, granting him 96 million company shares at $23.34 per share despite ongoing legal challenges and declining stock performance. The package comes several months after a Delaware court rejected Musk's controversial 2018 performance award worth approximately $56 billion following shareholder litigation.
Tesla board members Robyn Denholm and Kathleen Wilson-Thompson defended the decision, stating that Musk has received no meaningful compensation for eight years and has delivered the transformative growth required to earn the original milestones, despite the company's legal efforts to reinstate the previous package remaining unresolved.
The compensation decision occurs amid Tesla's challenging year, with shares declining 25% as Musk's political involvement and campaign spending drew criticism from shareholders and hurt the company's sales performance. Political protests at Tesla dealerships and President Trump's policy changes eliminating EV tax incentives have further pressured the electric vehicle manufacturer.
However, Musk has recently committed to returning full-time focus to his companies, while Tesla transitions from its traditional electric vehicle emphasis toward artificial intelligence, robotics, and autonomous vehicle services, including the rollout of its much-publicized robotaxi program in a scaled-back format from original projections.
Korean University Student and Priest's Daughter Detained by ICE After Manhattan Visa Hearing
Yeonsoo Go, a 20-year-old South Korean student at Purdue University and daughter of Episcopal priest Rev. Kyrie Kim, was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents following a visa hearing in Manhattan last Thursday.
Go, who moved to the United States in 2021 on a religious worker dependent visa, was arrested outside the federal building and subsequently transferred to the Richwood Correctional Center in Monroe, Louisiana.
The Department of Homeland Security claims Go overstayed a visa that expired more than two years ago and has been placed in expedited removal proceedings, while her attorney disputes this timeline, stating her current visa doesn't expire until December.
Faith communities across New York and South Korea have mobilized to condemn Go's treatment and demand her immediate release, with supporters gathering at Manhattan's Federal Plaza on Saturday for prayers and demonstrations.
The case highlights tensions surrounding the Trump administration's aggressive immigration enforcement policies, particularly in sanctuary cities like New York. South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed it is providing consular assistance and communicating with U.S. officials regarding the detention, while Go's family appeals to the South Korean government for intervention in securing their daughter's release from federal custody.
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