Musk and Trump Bullish on New Tech Beyond AI

Elon Musk is heavily invested in a cutting-edge new technology. In fact, Musk has turned the new president on to this breakthrough. And President Trump could make an announcement any day that could spike the price of stocks in this sector.

Thomas Tighe reflects on 24 years leading the international health nonprofit Direct Relief

GABRIELA AOUN ANGUEIRA
January 20, 2025

SANTA BARBARA, Calif (AP) -- Just days before ending his 24-year tenure as president and CEO of Direct Relief, Thomas Tighe was still so energized talking about delivering free medications to people who couldn't afford them that he seemed to forget he was standing inside an enormous "cold room," set to a crisp 39 degrees Fahrenheit (4 degrees Celsius).

Tighe, 64, leaned over boxes of Granix, a $1,500-per-dose cancer-related medication on its way to clinics in Central America and Africa. Each container had an advanced sensor to track its location, measure light exposure and monitor temperature.

"Medications and therapies are increasingly sophisticated," he said. "If we don't address that gap, then the only people who will benefit from advances in medical science will be people who can pay for it."

Direct Relief's mission is to expand healthcare access. Founded in 1948, the group supplies free medical resources across the U.S. and globally. Tighe helped transform its operations, embracing technology and courting corporate partners, guided by the idea that a nonprofit health venture could and should run as efficiently as a commercial one.

Today, Direct Relief runs out of a 155,000-square-foot headquarters reminiscent of an Amazon warehouse. It is the 5th largest charity in the United States, and distributed $1.6 billion in medicine and supplies last year.

Tighe spoke to The Associated Press in December about Direct Relief's growth and responding to crises like Ukraine and climate change. His answers have been edited for length and clarity.

Q: You were a lawyer and a Senate staffer, a Peace Corps volunteer and later one of its chief staff members. How did you find yourself at Direct Relief?

A: In the Peace Corps, I got a sense of the absence of opportunity that exists in life. You see personally how many great people, just by virtue of where they were born and their circumstances, that dictates the course of their life.

Directionally, the opportunity at Direct Relief was familiar to the Peace Corps, because here's an organization with a strong history started in a different era. So how do you retain the purpose, the spirit, the sense of service? But the risk is always looking backwards. It's not 1948 and new opportunities exist, new tools exist.

Q: It was 2000, when much of the technology we rely on today was in its nascency. Yet you embraced innovation early on, why?

A: We're trying to make a charitable site as efficient as if it were a commercial site. If you look in our distribution center, you can't tell that this is all done free of charge, and that is by design.

The idea was to bring the best that we're learning in the commercial sector to bear in something that is philanthropy. We were not necessarily the first, but a relatively early adopter for nonprofits using many of the techniques and systems that are common in the business setting.

Q: Corporate partnerships and philanthropy seem to have played a big role in Direct Relief's success.

A: There's no way forward without the involvement of the talent and the resources in the private sector. The one dimensional thing that corporations are bad and nonprofits are good ... I never accepted that premise. Why not invite everyone? It's their world too.

When the 2004 Asian tsunami happened, Google had a link to help the victims and Direct Relief was one of the groups that showed up. We received more support from people in one day than we had in 20 years.

It was a big eye opener. We saw the opportunity to not make everything about obtaining money, but encourage the contribution of services. FedEx has been the instrument through which we've been able to do much of the distribution. SAP provided their enterprise system. Extending those services to us is far more valuable than if they just gave us a cash equivalent.

Q: Direct Relief donates medicines and supplies, but now it also funds rooftop solar and backup battery systems for health clinics. What led you there?

A: We're trying to make sure there's a resilient power source for the most vulnerable people. In Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria, unless power was restored, health services were not going to be restored. It was an easy call to recognize the unanimity among its health professionals that we had to get power restored.

When we thought back, versions of that always had happened. Healthcare is highly dependent on power, with electronic medical records, the diagnostic tools, cold-storage medications.

We were trying not to do it because we thought, 'We're not a power provider.' But it's integral to health services. And like anything, if you say 'Someone needs to fix that' enough times and no one does, you think, 'I guess it's us. Let's lean into it.'

Q: You just got back from Ukraine, your last trip as CEO.

A: I've been to Ukraine a dozen times. Direct Relief has been able to provide a lot of support to backstop the medical supply as well as fund some of the activities there.

There's no quit in the Ukrainian people. To see these people really embodying courage to defend themselves, their families, their homeland, it's moving. It's also heartbreaking because of the number of young men in particular, and just people who have been victimized by the bombing.

I was there in part to just tell them that they still have Direct Relief support. People continue to contribute for Ukraine. I think it's probably been over $100 million in cash since the war began nearly three years ago. The contribution of products in the corporate sectors is about $1.5 billion.

It's by far the largest thing Direct Relief has done in its history.

Q: In your 24 years here, what are you most proud of?

A: It's been rewarding to be part of the evolution of the organization. To see a relatively small group of people tackle tough issues and do it as well as more prominent groups or bigger places, all from a warehouse in Goleta.

Almost everyone I encounter in this job in 24 years is trying to do something positive, with great motivation. So it's hard to be cynical about the future prospects of the world when literally almost everyone I meet is like, 'How can I help? What can we do? I'm concerned about this.'

My personal experience here has been about positive things and generosity, empathy, desire to help. So it's a weirdly positive view of our species.

----

Associated Press coverage of philanthropy and nonprofits receives support through the AP's collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. For all of AP's philanthropy coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/philanthropy.

Continue Reading...

Popular

South Carolina treasurer calls questions of his role in $1.8 billion accounting error a witch hunt

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — South Carolina Treasurer Curtis Loftis said Wednesday that calls for him to resign over that left the state trying to figure out what happened to a $1.8 billion fund amounted to a witch hunt.

Nvidia faces a reckoning as an upstart rival raises questions about Wall Street's darling

NEW YORK (AP) — The superstar run for Nvidia’s stock the last few years has been astonishing. So was its tumble Monday, which caused $595 billion in wealth to vanish. That’s about as much as PepsiCo, McDonalds, Starbucks and Target are worth, combined.

Legendary Tech Investor: "Forget Nvidia, Buy This Instead" - Ad

In February 2016, Jeff Brown picked Nvidia as one of his favorite stocks. Since then, shares have jumped enough to turn $1,000 into more than $230,000. If you missed out on those massive gains...

Dubai's ceaseless boom is putting strains on its residents

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — — and some residents are starting to feel burned.

Tired of Losses? Try Gigapips! - Ad

Stop losing and start earning on Forex with GigaPips MT4 EA. This expert advisor avoids risky strategies like Grid, Hedge, Arbitrage or Scalping. With WinRate above 66%, DrawDown below 38% and yearly profits averaging over 100%. GigaPips is well optimized for XAUUSD H1 using high-quality tick data from DukasCopy since 2016 till present. Features include spread filters, slippage protection, and equity safeguards.

NASA's 2 stuck astronauts take their first spacewalk together

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — NASA’s took their first spacewalk together Thursday, exiting the International Space Station almost eight months after moving in.

Japanese automaker Nissan says it plans job and production cuts in the U.S.

TOKYO (AP) — Nissan is slashing production at its U.S. plants and offering buyouts to factory workers there as part of the Japanese automaker’s urgent efforts to return to profitability.

Crypto Stocks Surge Amid Market Boom - Ad

Crypto stocks are on fire as Bitcoin hits all-time highs. One under-the-radar company is leading the charge, managing $2.1 billion in client assets and seeing record trading volumes. With crypto adoption skyrocketing, this could be a game-changing opportunity.

Asset allocation when you have enough

I recently chatted with a retired couple who were looking for a second opinion about their portfolio’s . The key question: Is 65% in stocks too high for someone in their situation? Here, I’ll walk through some ideas about how to think through these issues.

Did DeepSeek copy ChatGPT? Trump adviser thinks so

Did the upstart copy ChatGPT to make the artificial intelligence technology that this week?

Top AI Stocks for 2025 - Ad

My 2025 AI Blueprint features three of what I call Nvidia's "Silent Partners." Some of the world's hottest companies are working with AI's undisputed leader, Nvidia. And I've identified three of them that appear to be well-positioned for the next AI boom in 2025. Everything you need to know about them in my 2025 AI Blueprint.

6 Clean Energy Stocks Face Challenges, Opportunities Ahead Of Earnings

Analyst revises ratings/price forecast on clean energy stocks ahead of earnings release. Highlights key areas to watch for each company.

Stryker's Strategic Moves Impress Analysts, Spine Implant Sale and NARI Deal Set to Drive Future Growth

Wall Street analysts upgraded Stryker Corp (NYSE: SYK) after its Q4 report beat expectations, with strong sales and earnings growth projected for 2025.

Love or Hate Him -- You Have To See What Elon Could Do Next - Ad

It's not electric vehicles, green energy or space travel that Elon Musk will be remembered for.

UK Treasury chief backs third runway at London's Heathrow Airport

LONDON (AP) — The U.K. government is backing the construction of a third runway at London’s Heathrow Airport, Treasury chief Rachel Reeves said Wednesday.

Crypto Stocks Are Heating Up - Ad

At the center of this transformation is a game-changing platform that's experiencing explosive growth with $41 million in revenue in just nine months. The stock has doubled in the last 45 days, but this is only the beginning.

Bill Ackman Questions Whether DeepSeek AI's Hedge Fund Affiliate Profited From Nvidia's Sell-Off: 'A Fortune Could Have Been Made'

Billionaire investor Bill Ackman questioned whether DeepSeek's hedge fund affiliate potentially profited from Monday's tech stock rout, which saw Nvidia Corp. shares plunge 17% following the Chinese artificial intelligence startup's emergence as a potential disruptor.

"Trump Coins:" the Next Big Thing - Ad

Have you heard of "Trump Coins?" Even though these coins are associated with or endorsed by President Trump... Tech legend Jeff Brown believes his policies will help send these coins higher than anyone can imagine in 2025.

'Mona Lisa' will get its own room under a major renovation of the Louvre

PARIS (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron announced Tuesday that will get its own dedicated room inside the Louvre museum under a major renovation and expansion of the Paris landmark that will take up to a decade.

Judge Blocks Trump's Order To Freeze Federal Grant Money

A federal judge in the District of Columbia on Tuesday afternoon temporarily blocked an executive order given by President Donald Trump that imposed a freeze of all federal grants and loans, putting $3 trillion in funding in jeopardy and entire industries on edge. 

More AI Patents Than Nvidia, OpenAI and Tesla Combined? - Ad

Most people have no idea this company exists. That's because it's on the inside of your smartphone, your computer, and everything else... 99% of Americans don't even know its name. Billionaires have been buying this $50 AI stock hand over fist...

MrBeast And Group Of Investors, Including Roblox CEO, Lock In Over $20 Billion For TikTok Takeover

A group of American investors, including YouTube star MrBeast and Roblox CEO David Baszucki, has secured over $20 billion for a potential TikTok takeover, but ByteDance has yet to respond to their bid.

Ozempic Receives FDA Approval To Treat Kidney Disease

The FDA on Tuesday approves Ozempic, the weight loss drug made by Novo Nordisk, for the treatment of chronic kidney disease in patients who also have type 2 diabetes. 

Elon's Next Millionaire-Making Project? - Ad

This could create more wealth than all of his previous ventures... combined.

Who can share seeds? As climate change and counterfeits hurt Kenyan farmers, it's a growing question

KIKUYU, Kenya (AP) — Tucked away in a lush, forested area of central Kenya's Kikuyu town, the National Seed Bank stands as a crucial safeguard for the future of the country's agriculture. Inside two chilly rooms of a government building, more than 50,000 seed varieties are cataloged and stored.

Nvidia Says DeepSeek An 'Illustration' Of How New AI Models Can Be Created While Being Export-Control Compliant Amid $600 Billion Market Value Plunge

Nvidia Corp. has thrown its support behind China's DeepSeek R1 artificial intelligence model, calling it "an excellent AI advancement" even as the startup's emergence triggered a historic $600 billion plunge in the chipmaker's market value on Monday.

What Bill O'Reilly Said Floored Me - Ad

Bill O'Reilly has trusted one expert for investment advice for over 20 years... Alexander Green. Now, Alex is revealing Trump's impact on YOUR Money, like how AI technology could amplify Trump's policies and details on 3 stocks that could rise 20-fold by 2029.

Robert Kiyosaki Foresees Bitcoin Surpassing US Dollar As 'Good Money'

Robert Kiyosaki, the acclaimed author of “Rich Dad Poor Dad,” has reiterated his preference for Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) over

Seven Unknown AI Stocks That Could Dominate the Next Six Years - Ad

The original "Magnificent Seven" stocks generated 16,800% over the last 20 years. But now a new set of AI stocks is set to take over. Alex Green dubs them "The Next Magnificent Seven." And he's arguing that just $1,000 in each could turn into more than $1 million in less than six years.

Stock market today: Asia shares mostly rise while some regional markets stay closed for holidays

TOKYO (AP) — Asian shares mostly rose Thursday after the U.S. Federal Reserve opted for the first time since it began trying to help through easier rates in September.

Trains canceled across Bangladesh as rail union goes on strike

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — Trains were canceled across Bangladesh on Tuesday as railway staff went on strike for higher pensions and other benefits, affecting tens of thousands of passengers and freight transport.

3 AI Stocks Tied to President Trump's White House Return - Ad

Trump's return to the White House coincides with AI's -- and Nvidia's -- continued boom. That's why the President is crucial to Michael Robinson's 2025 AI Blueprint. Michael is a 40-year veteran of Silicon Valley has an AI Blueprint featuring three companies working with Nvidia who could be poised to benefit now that Trump is back in the White House.

Spain's leader wants the EU to 'make social media great again.' Here's how

DAVOS, Switzerland (AP) — Spanish Prime Minister is launching a crusade against what he sees as the downsides of .

Tesla Stock Rises 5% After-Hours On FSD And New Vehicle Promises Despite Q4 Revenue Miss

Tesla Inc stock rose as much as 5% after hours over the company's promises of launching new and "more affordable" models in the first half of 2025, in addition to other promises regarding the deployment of autonomous vehicles and licensing of the company's full self-driving (FSD) driver assistance software to rivals.

Struggling to Get By? This Could Be a Godsend - Ad

If you knew with 90% certainty, Amazon was about to tack on 22.5% to its share price... AND you also knew exactly when that climb would start and end... how much money do you think you'd be able to rake in? $1,000... $5,000... $25,000... Maybe even more? If you'll give me 5 minutes... I'd like to help you answer that question.

DeepSeek Suffers 'Degraded Performance,' Says Hit By 'Large-Scale Malicious Attacks' After Rapidly Emerging As App Store Chart Topper

Chinese AI startup DeepSeek faced significant cyberattacks amid its rapid rise, including topping the U.S. App Store and challenging AI giants with its cost-effective R1 language model.

Trending Now

Information, charts or examples are for illustration and educational purposes only and not for individualized investment management This message contains commercial elements, such as advertising. We only send these offers to those who have opted in to our newsletter. Past performance is not indicative of future results. For these reasons we strongly suggest trading in a DEMO/Simulated account. The information provided by us is for educational and informational purposes only. We make no representations or warranties concerning the products, practices or procedures of any company or entity mentioned or recommended and have not determined if the statements and opinions of the advertiser are accurate, correct or truthful. If you use, act upon or make decisions in reliance on information contained or any external source linked within it, you do so at your own peril and agree to hold us, our officers, directors, shareholders, affiliates and agents without fault.

Copyright priceactionea.net
Privacy Policy | Terms of Service