Tesla is planning to show off its long-delayed next-generation Roadster on Thursday, almost a decade after Elon Musk’s company started taking deposits for the electric sports car.
The event will be livestreamed from a SpaceX test site in McGregor, Texas, near Waco. It’s expected to begin at 7:55 local time (8:55 ET).
Tesla’s original Roadster, designed and engineered by a team led by founding CEO Martin Eberhard, used a Lotus Elise chassis and was first delivered in 2008, selling for roughly $100,000 in small volumes until 2012.
The next-generation Roadster is expected to be a high-end, low-volume model that relies on SpaceX technology, such as cold gas thrusters, to enable it to hover. Musk fanatics have been gearing up for the demonstration, expressing their excitement on social media, but the Roadster isn’t likely to have any material financial impact on the company.
Tesla reopened reservations for the refreshed Roadster in recent weeks, accepting $50,000 deposits from prospective buyers in the U.S., Canada and China. Executives are expected to disclose specific pricing, details and production targets.
Musk first promoted the refreshed Roadster concept at an event in November 2017, and the following June in a series of tweets. He wrote at that time, “SpaceX option package for new Tesla Roadster will include ~10 small rocket thrusters arranged seamlessly around car.” The engines would improve speed and braking, and may “even allow a Tesla to fly.”
Tesla started taking $50,000 deposits in 2017, but has since missed every targeted delivery date. As recently as last October, Musk was hyping a Roadster demo that he hoped would happen before the end of 2025. That didn’t take place either.
Musk’s former friend and OpenAI co-founder Sam Altman mocked the Tesla CEO in posts on X last year over the extreme delays, showing screenshots of his own reservation and refund requests.
“I really was excited for the car! And I understand delays,” Altman wrote. “But 7.5 years has felt like a long time to wait.”
Altman got his refund, and the two ended up in court over a separate matter earlier this year related to OpenAI’s governance and ownership structure.
According to filings with the Federal Aviation Administration, Tesla established a no-fly zone around the SpaceX facility where it plans to show off the vehicle. The company had to scrap a demo on Oct. 1 due to weather issues.
Tesla is scheduled to report third-quarter results after the bell on Wednesday.

VAN BUREN TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WXYZ) — Despite months of opposition from residents, Van Buren Township officials approved plans Wednesday for a controversial Google data center campus, clearing the way for a project that is already under construction and expected to bring years of development activity to the area.
The hyperscale data center campus will span 282 acres north of I-94 between Haggerty Road and I-275.
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Van Buren approves Google data center, other communities move to slow similar projects
Residents packed public meetings leading up to the decision, raising concerns about everything from noise and dust to environmental impacts, property values and water usage.
“I have repeatedly expressed concern about the potential effects of continuous low frequency humming and total noise,” one resident told officials.
Another resident argued that “noise and nuisance do not belong in residential neighborhoods.”
Many residents said they felt their concerns were being ignored throughout the approval process.
Developers, however, said the project has been significantly modified in response to community feedback.
“We’ve worked hard over the last three years to take as much community feedback into the site plan and the design,” said Adam Kramer, president of Panattoni Data Centers.
Kramer said the company has invested tens of millions of dollars into changes aimed at reducing impacts on nearby neighborhoods.
“Most residents won’t even know that the data center is there just because visually you’re not going to see it. Out of sight, out of mind. But you will feel the benefits from this,” Kramer said.
Developers say the development will create jobs and generate substantial tax revenue. Township officials said that state law limits their ability to reject projects that meet zoning requirements.
“The planning commission, per Michigan state law, is required to approve site plans that satisfy the ordinance standards,” one township official said during the meeting.
Construction Timeline
While debate over the project continues, construction activity is already underway.
According to project documents, underground utility work associated with the development will be completed in eight phases. Most of the work will require temporary road closures near the I-94 Service Drive, Van Buren Street and Old Haggerty Road.
The early phases of construction are expected to continue through the end of 2026, with additional work planned into early 2027.
The final phases are scheduled for March 2027 and will affect Haggerty Road traffic. Rather than full closures, drivers can expect alternating one-way traffic controlled by flaggers while work is underway.
A Growing Statewide Debate
According to reporting by GovTech, Springfield Township in Oakland County approved a 180-day moratorium on new data center applications while officials rewrite zoning regulations and study potential impacts on utilities, public safety and natural resources. Township leaders said they were not prepared to evaluate a large-scale data center proposal without additional rules in place.
Detroit is also weighing restrictions. According to Planet Detroit, the Detroit City Council approved a resolution urging a two-year pause on new data center permits while the city studies issues including power demand, water usage, noise and land-use impacts.
Oxford Township has gone a step further. According to Hoodline, township officials enacted a one-year moratorium while developing regulations related to noise, cooling systems, power demand, generators, water usage and eventual decommissioning requirements. Public interest has been high, with hundreds of residents attending meetings on the issue.
Similar conversations have also taken place in Washington Township and Wixom. According to DataCenterBans.com, Wixom previously adopted a temporary moratorium before implementing stricter zoning requirements, including setbacks from homes, sound studies and water protection measures.
The trend suggests local governments are no longer debating only whether to allow data centers. Instead, many communities are focusing on whether they have regulations in place before major proposals arrive.
For some Van Buren Township residents, that conversation is happening after the fact.
Township officials have maintained that the Google data center met existing zoning requirements, leaving them with no legal basis to deny the project. As construction moves forward, the development is expected to remain a focal point in the broader discussion over how Michigan communities should prepare for future data center proposals.

Harvard’s endowment grew up by more than $11 billion to nearly $68 billion in fiscal year 2026 after posting a roughly 27 percent investment return, its highest since 2021, according to the University’s annual financial report released Thursday.
Harvard also reported a $100 million operating surplus — a modest 1.5 percent margin on $6.7 billion in revenue — following a major deficit last year. The $2.6 billion endowment distribution now makes up nearly 40 percent of the University’s operating revenue.
But Harvard reported a $78.7 million deficit in unrestricted funds, which support the University’s general operations. Because restricted funds are designated for specific purposes and cannot be reallocated at will, Chief Financial Officer Ritu Kalra and Treasurer Timothy R. Barakett ’87 wrote the surplus is “an insufficient measure of Harvard’s financial health.”
Harvard also faced the first accounting impact of an increased endowment tax, which is set to rise from 1.4 percent to 8 percent under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, enacted by Republicans in July 2025.
Even at the previous 1.4 percent rate, which applied in fiscal year 2026, Harvard’s taxes on investment income for the year more than quadrupled, from $47.3 million to roughly $207 million, reflecting higher realized investment gains. Nearly $181 million was attributable specifically to the endowment’s investment income.
The returns followed Harvard’s August disclosure of its $2.2 billion stake in SpaceX, which went public in June in the largest initial public offering in history. The position was worth more than all of the endowment’s other reported public holdings combined.
Harvard’s tax liability jumped from $317 million to $1.9 billion, most of which reflects estimated future taxes on unrealized investment gains under the new rate. The tax is expected to cost Harvard roughly $300 million each year. Though the higher rate will take effect in fiscal year 2027, the University is required to book the effect of the law this year.
The modest surplus follows the operating loss of $113 million the University reported in fiscal year 2025 — its first since the pandemic and its largest deficit since 2011 — amid the Trump administration’s mass cuts to federal research funding earlier that year.
Kalra and Barakett attributed the modest 1.5 percent margin to “elevated legal costs along with other pressures that show little sign of abating.”
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Harvard reported a 58 percent increase in legal fees in fiscal year 2025, according to University tax returns, a dramatic rise amid court battles with the Trump administration and multiple federal investigations. Harvard President Alan M. Garber ’76 acknowledged the surge at a Sunday event, calling the costs “mind-boggling.”
But efforts to cut costs were effective in some areas, according to the report. “All other expenses,” a category that includes legal fees, rose just 1 percent, with continued increases in legal costs “partially offset by broader cost-saving initiatives.”
Salaries and wages — the University’s largest expense — declined by $104 million, a nearly 4 percent decrease that Kalra and Barakett attributed to “a hiring freeze, attrition and restructurings” that reduced the University’s workforce. The report also cited a wage freeze for the University’s non-union employees. Overall expenses fell more than 2 percent to $6.64 billion.
The decline, which reflects the fiscal year ending June 30, came just before the Faculty of Arts and Sciences eliminated 165 positions over the summer in a massive restructuring. The changes could save roughly $20 million annually for the FAS, Dean Hopi E. Hoekstra said earlier this month.
“Those two facts — a surplus, and a smaller community — sit uneasily together,” Kalra and Barakett wrote. “Yet they cannot be separated.”
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Harvard also increases its operating liquidity to $3 billion in 2026 — up 25 percent from fiscal year 2025 — providing a cash cushion amid the ongoing federal financial pressure.
Operating liquidity has risen steadily over the last two years, increasing 50 percent from $2 billion in fiscal year 2024.
Harvard spent $969 million on capital projects, including undergraduate and graduate house renewal, deferred maintenance, academic spaces, and continued developments in Allston, according to the report. The report also highlighted the opening of the Enterprise Research Campus in Allston, a development built by a third party on land leased from Harvard. The buildings are not owned by the University.
Letters of credit — financial guarantees issued by banks — jumped to $39.1 million from $3 million in 2025, reflecting “contingent obligations supporting various contractual and regulatory requirements,” according to the report. The letters of credit remained undrawn, meaning the University arranged guarantees but has not used them.
The 27 percent return marks a rare high for Harvard. The endowment returned 33.6 percent five years ago, its highest return since the 32.2 percent recorded in 2000.
But Harvard’s return still trailed those reported by several major peer institutions. Stanford reported a 31.7 percent return, while the University of Pennsylvania returned 27.4 percent. Brown University returned a return of nearly 20 percent, while MIT trailed with just over 10 percent.
HMC has expanded its presence in the technology sector, opening a satellite office in San Francisco. Harvard Management Company Chief Executive Officer N.P. “Narv” Narvekar publicly acknowledged the opening for the first time in the report, writing that the decision to open the office one year ago has “aligned well with the extraordinary progress in artificial intelligence.”
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Narvekar wrote that this year’s return was driven primarily by venture capital, public equities, and hedge funds, and that the endowment has earned an annualized 11.4 percent over his nine-year tenure.
Narvekar also confirmed he had begun discussions with HMC’s board of directors earlier this year to plan for his eventual retirement. He told members of the board in May that he planned to retire as early as 2027.
Harvard also continued to move toward private equity, which now makes up 46 percent of its portfolio. Venture capital and growth venture investments, part of that category, rose from 24 percent to 31 percent of the portfolio.

JetBlue ‘s new domestic first class, BlueFirst, is now available for booking on flights across more than 30 routes, the airline said Thursday.
This option will be available on domestic flights that are not currently served by the airline’s lie-flat Mint business class, which it offers on longer flights. It’s part of an overhaul of the carrier’s fare options, which will include basic options that don’t come with things like seat assignments, a standard option, and a “flex” option, which is refundable and more easily changed.
The new first-class section comes as JetBlue seeks to return to steady profitability by growing its higher-priced offerings amid strong demand for more expensive and roomier seats.
The first flight with BlueFirst seats will be on Dec. 8, between Boston and Fort Lauderdale, Florida, followed by routes between Fort Lauderdale and New York’s LaGuardia Airport, with additional flights being rolled out in the following weeks and months.
JetBlue is offering some introductory fares for BlueFirst seats for select flights, including a $299 flight from Boston to Fort Lauderdale, a $249 option from New York to Fort Lauderdale and a $299 option from New York to Liberia, Costa Rica.
The first-class tickets will offer seats that recline up to 5 inches and have up to 7 inches more legroom than Main seats, JetBlue said. Other perks include Bluetooth-connected seatback screens, food and beverage options, Group 1 boarding and expedited security.
Within the BlueFirst class, there are three tiered fare options:
BlueFirst Base, a lower-cost option, includes one checked bag, priority check-in and security, and Group 1 boarding. Seat selection is free within 24 hours of departure, but there are fees for changes and cancellations.
BlueFirst includes two checked bags, free seat selection, and no change or cancellation fees.
BlueFirst Flex has the same perks as BlueFirst and additionally offers refunds if you cancel your flight ahead of the departure, with no fees for same-day switches or standby.
“We designed BlueFirst to deliver a more accessible first-class experience that combines the thoughtful hospitality and service customers expect from JetBlue with exceptional value and comfort. We’re excited that customers can now start making BlueFirst part of their travel plans,” JetBlue CEO Joanna Geraghty said in a news release.

Social Security beneficiaries could face a 22% across-the-board benefit reduction in 2032 without congressional action, according to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget (CRFB), as a new cost-of-living adjustment renews debate over the program’s financial future.
The warning comes as Social Security’s retirement trust fund approaches a projected 2032 depletion date, putting pressure on lawmakers to address the program’s long-term funding shortfall.
Social Security recipients will receive a 3.6% cost-of-living adjustment in 2027, raising the average retired worker’s monthly benefit by about $75, from $2,095 to $2,170, according to estimates cited by AARP.
The increase, announced by the Social Security Administration on Wednesday, will take effect with December benefits, which are paid in January.
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The 2027 increase is the highest COLA in four years and compares with a 2.8% adjustment this year. It reflects inflation readings from the third quarter, including a 3.9% year-over-year increase in the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers in September.
The boost comes as many older Americans continue to face higher costs for groceries, utilities, insurance and healthcare. The standard Medicare Part B premium is also projected to rise by $6.60 per month in 2027, to $209.50, according to AARP.
CRFB estimates the 3.6% adjustment will add about $900 annually to the average retiree’s benefits, even as the program’s projected funding shortfall raises questions about the sustainability of future payments.
But the increase will not be distributed equally in dollar terms. CRFB estimates that while the average retiree will receive about $900 more annually, the highest-benefit recipients could see increases exceeding $2,200. The group said the highest-earning couples who retired this year at normal retirement age could receive a combined $3,600 increase, pushing their annual benefits above $100,000.
AMERICA’S $40T NATIONAL DEBT IS ‘STEALING FROM OUR NEXT GENERATION,’ ECONOMIST WARNS
The larger dollar increases come amid a broader generational economic divide. A Federal Reserve report released in May found that just 63% of adults ages 18 to 29 reported doing okay financially or living comfortably in 2025, compared with 83% of adults ages 60 and older. Nearly half of adults under 30 received financial assistance from someone outside their household to cover expenses during the year.
The financial pressures facing younger Americans add another dimension to the debate over Social Security’s future. Current workers help fund the program through payroll taxes, even as its retirement trust fund faces a projected shortfall. According to the Social Security trustees’ 2026 report, the fund is expected to exhaust its reserves in 2032, leaving continuing income sufficient to cover about 78% of scheduled retirement and survivor benefits without changes to the law.
CRFB has advocated for changes to the way COLAs are calculated, including using a different inflation measure or placing a dollar cap on increases for higher-income beneficiaries. The group also supports additional revenue and other benefit reforms to improve the program’s finances.
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AARP, however, opposes proposals to reduce or cap annual COLAs, arguing that the adjustments already fall short of keeping pace with the costs older Americans face.