Author: openjargon

• Intuit is paying more than $555,000 in back wages to workers who missed overtime payments.
• The Labor Department said it hadn't kept accurate pay records and didn't pay workers for required training.
• This affected nearly 15% of its global workforce. The company this week announced 1,800 job cuts.

Intuit, a Silicon Valley company that provides financial software for employers, is paying back more than half a million dollars to thousands of its own workers after failing to pay them for some required training.

The announcement came just a week before the company announced it was laying off 10% of its workforce.

The US Department of Labor said in early July that an investigation by its Wage and Hour Division had found that about 2,600 US employees had collectively missed more than $555,000 in overtime pay because Intuit hadn't kept accurate pay records and hadn't paid workers for some time spent on required training.

As a result, Intuit failed to pay these workers the correct amount of overtime pay — which is one-and-a-half times normal wages for hours worked over 40 in a workweek — which violated the Fair Labor Standards Act, the DOL said.

A group of 2,610 workers — all based in the US — is getting between $76 and $694 each in back pay, with an average of about $200, a DOL spokesperson told Business Insider. Based on its employee count of about 18,000 before the layoffs, this makes up nearly 15% of its global workforce.

The case, which was settled administratively, covered the period from September 2021 to July 2023, the DOL spokesperson said.

"All current and former employees who took QuickBooks ProAdvisor certification between September 2021 and August 2023 were notified that they would be compensated for the time they spent completing the course and they have now all been compensated," an Intuit spokesperson told BI.

Separately, Intuit announced Wednesday that it was laying off 1,800 employees, or about 10% of its workforce, including 1,050 who it said weren't meeting performance expectations. Its CEO said that this wasn't down to cost-cutting measures, noting that Intuit planned to hire about 1,800 more workers.

Intuit also said that it would be closing two offices: one in Boise and another in the Canadian city of Edmonton.

Intuit's products include TurboTax, QuickBooks, Credit Karma, and Mailchimp. It says it has about 100,000 customers globally.

• While Biden continuously fails to reassure voters of his fitness, Harris has been doing the opposite.
• On Thursday, Harris did her level best to shore up support at a rally in North Carolina.
• Harris may be one of the most likely replacements for Biden if he were to step aside.

While President Joe Biden tried to keep it together at his big boy press conference on Thursday, his vice president was at a rally in North Carolina putting up a much stronger show.

The pressure to perform well was high in Biden's live press conference — his first unscripted dialogue since the disastrous CNN debate that had Democratic lawmakers and donors questioning his fitness to run for reelection.

And Biden did not provide much reassurance to his supporters. During the event, he fumbled — with gaffes like calling Vice President Kamala Harris "Vice President Trump," and mistakenly addressing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as "President Putin."

In contrast, Harris was out on the campaign trail in North Carolina, delivering strong, articulate messages about the president's capabilities.

"If there is one single person who deserves credit, in the world, for strengthening NATO, making it stronger, making it more united and more effective, that is Joe Biden," she said.

"And having made it more effective, then together with our allies around the globe, we are standing up to the dictator Putin. All to ensure that America is strong and Americans are safe," she added with her voice raised, to loud applause and cheers.

Harris's performance, particularly in contrast with Biden's, did not go unnoticed.

Rep. Jared Huffman of California reposted Harris' North Carolina campaign speech on X on Thursday, writing: "VP Harris is on fire. She's vetted, tested, and has been Democrats' strongest messenger throughout this campaign.

He added: "Let me be very clear: if/when President Biden passes the torch, I'm all-in for Kamala Harris!"

Former CNN correspondent and political commentator Brian Stelter echoed Huffman's sentiments, saying on X: "Many powerful sound bites from VP Kamala Harris on the nightly newscasts right now."

Harris may be quietly gearing up for a 2024 run

Rumors have been brewing that Harris may be quietly preparing to take over the Democratic presidential ticket from Biden.

For one, her staff changed her schedule after the debate, having her appear alongside Biden for the Fourth of July fireworks and picnic at the White House, something she has not done before, The New York Times reported.

She had always traditionally celebrated the day at a local fire station.

And Al Sharpton, a civil rights leader who spoke to Harris on July 5, told The Times that people around Harris were gearing up for the possibility that they might have to make her the Democratic candidate.

"I think there are some that are independent of her that are getting ready," he told The Times.

And surveys have shown that Harris may be a viable Biden replacement.

A new Thursday poll, conducted jointly by ABC News, Washington Post, and Ipsos, showed that if Harris ran for the top job instead of Biden, she would have a two-percentage-point edge over former President Donald Trump.

Biden's campaign manager has also said that if Biden quits, most of his campaign's sizable war chest will go to Harris.

It's not just members of the Democratic Party. In a video posted on his Truth Social account on July 3, Trump, too, acknowledged the possibility of running against Harris rather than Biden.

"I got him out the race, and that means we have Kamala," Trump said in the clip.

In anticipation of a switch of candidates, Trump is already trialing some nasty nicknames for Harris, including "Laffin' Kamala Harris" and "Cackling Copilot Kamala Harris."

Harris has remained loyal — for now

Despite mounting pressures on Biden to step aside in favor of a younger and more viable candidate, Harris has stood resolutely behind the president.

And to be sure, while Harris is Biden's most likely replacement, other names have been floated, like Gov. Gavin Newsom of California, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, and more.

Newsom and Whitmer have both publicly affirmed their support for Biden, saying they would not challenge him in the race.

And Biden, too, is hanging in there despite at least 16 House Democrats and one Democratic senator calling on him to quit.

In a letter to House Democrats on Monday, he said: "I wouldn't be running again if I did not absolutely believe I was the best person to beat Donald Trump in 2024."

Representatives for Harris did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Business Insider sent outside regular business hours.

• When I was first diagnosed with diabetes, I felt ashamed.
• I didn't tell anyone for a while and didn't identify as diabetic internally, either.
• But eventually, I accepted my diagnosis, and doing my insulin shots in public helped.

Last week, I was in a chic restaurant with colleagues blustering through semi-fake smiles, feeling acutely distracted. I needed to run to the bathroom for an insulin shot before the appetizers arrived. Life as a type 1 diabetic requires stealth, timing, discipline, and, above all, humility.

I inadvertently learned I was diabetic over a decade ago during a routine physical appointment in my early 20s when my triglycerides had suddenly skyrocketed to dangerous levels. My primary care physician did more blood work, diagnosed me with insulin resistance — or type 2 diabetes — and swiftly sent me to a specialist.

A specialist diagnosed me with type 1 diabetes

It took over nine months of working with a specialist to be diagnosed with type 1 diabetes rather than type 2. The primary difference is that the bodies of people with type 2 diabetes produce insulin and can't effectively process it. In contrast, people with type 1 don't produce insulin, so it needs to be injected subcutaneously.

Once I was first diagnosed, my entire life changed. I was markedly ashamed of the disease. I saw the way diabetes was described in mainstream media as something that primarily affected people who were overweight. And I've always been overweight. Though it's type 2 diabetes that was medically linked with obesity, I still worried most people didn't know the nuance of diabetic diagnoses and would make assumptions about me.

For a while, I felt shame about my diagnosis

I spent the first years of my diagnosis isolated in shame. I wore an insulin pump under my clothing. The bulky device clipped into my bra and was tethered to the injection site by a long, clear tube that got caught on everything. I started hugging people at a distance, worried they'd feel it pressing on them. I went to education classes on medical equipment required by my insurance carrier. But I didn't identify as a diabetic internally to myself, or to others. I wanted to keep my condition at an emotional distance, even from myself.

I eventually got a continuous glucose monitor, but it was conspicuous, either on the back of my arm or presenting as a visible lump under my waistline. I hated getting questions at the gym when I wore a tank top: "Oh, what's that for?" Or from the woman fitting my wedding dress: "You might want to pick a different style if you wear this on the big day."

Eventually, my perspective changed

It took me another decade to slowly let people in on my diabetic secret. I realized that for every prying question, like, "Is that for allergies?" followed by, "Oh, I didn't know you were DI-A-BE-TIC! (gasp)," when I'd give the answer, there was rarely a follow-up. People were curious about the medical equipment, but the deriding comments I was afraid of often didn't materialize.

Maybe it was wisdom that came with age, but eventually, I simply stopped caring what other people thought about my condition and how I was managing it. Plus, I knew I was doing great, maintaining a healthy A1C — which measures average blood glucose levels over three months — under 6.1%. This was down from 9.1% when I was first diagnosed; for context, a non-diabetic A1C is around 5.7%.

Owning the emotional reality of my condition also helped me make better choices for my care. I switched from an insulin pump to shots, which makes me feel more in control of my dosing. I have authentic conversations when people ask me how I manage my blood sugar.

Soon, I was surprised to find that the shame that kept me from hugging people years ago, scared they'd feel my insulin pump, had evaporated. Now, not only do I not care if people know I have diabetes, but sometimes, at business dinners, I pull out my insulin pens, screw in the needle, and push the required units into my belly right through my blouse at the table.

I ward off prying questions with a confident smile and a remark that sends us back to the conversation at hand. I'm not as annoyed by inquiries as I once was, but I rarely speak at length with acquaintances or strangers. I reserve in-depth conversations for my partner, close friends, and endocrinology team.

Over 20 years, I've learned that owning my condition means leaning into pragmatism rather than emotion. After all, I'm the one living with diabetes, not anyone else.

• China just issued draft regulations to rein in solar cell production.
• This shows Beijing knows and is concerned about industrial overcapacity.
• China and the West have been mired in a trade dispute over overcapacity, which Beijing has pushed back on.

China and the West are in disagreement over claims that the East Asian giant is producing too much stuff and depressing global prices.

China has pushed back against this notion, saying the West is trying to contain its economic growth.

But Beijing recently released a new set of draft rules that show China knows and is concerned about overcapacity too — specifically in solar cell production.

On Tuesday, China's industry ministry released new draft regulation to promote "high-quality development" in the industry. The draft rules are open for public consultation until Monday.

The ministry did not explicitly target excess capacity but said in its proposal that it aims to guide solar cell companies to reduce manufacturing projects that "simply expand production capacity" while improving innovation, production, quality, and reducing production costs.

China's industry ministry is looking to increase the ratio of capital that shareholders must invest in projects. This could limit the speed of industry expansion and curb overproduction.

The new rules come as the solar industry deals with a glut of panels following years of breakneck growth. The sector is one key pillar of the country's "new three" economic drivers, so Beijing would want it to be sustainable.

China is producing more solar panels than the world can absorb

As it stands, China is producing way more solar panels than its power grid can handle. There's such a huge glut of solar panels worldwide that some people are using them as garden fencing.

China's solar module manufacturing capacity nearly tripled in 2022 alone before gaining another 84% in 2023, commodities consultancy Wood Mackenzie wrote in a report in April.

Ed Crooks, the vice-chairman of energy at Wood Mackenzie, called the surge "most dramatic."

Last year, China — the world's largest solar energy producer — installed fewer panels than it produced, per Wood Mackenzie.

The oversupply caused a plunge in solar cell prices that even Chinese manufacturers are up in arms about.

In May, the China Photovoltaic Industry Association called for more mergers and acquisitions, as well as restrictions on domestic competition to control capacity.

On Monday, Longi, a major Chinese solar maker, said in a stock filing that 2024 will be a "difficult year" for the company and industry. The company laid off thousands of workers earlier this year.

"The entire industry does not have the ability to support further price declines in the short term," Longi said on Monday.

• Russia is targeting Ukrainian airfields before the first of Ukraine's F-16s arrive.
• Experts told BI that Russia is wary of the boost the aircraft will likely give to Ukraine.
• One expert said Russian forces are "going to go for every F-16 base they can find."

Russia is targeting Ukraine's airfields before the first F-16 fighter jets arrive in the country, and air warfare experts told Business Insider it's because it's worried about what Ukraine can achieve once it has them.

Ukraine has been promised dozens of F-16s by Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway, and Belgium, with the exact number due in the first wave not publicly known.

The F-16s, the first of which are due to arrive this summer, will be more advanced than the Soviet-era aircraft Ukraine has been using since Russia launched its invasion.

Ukraine has not confirmed where it will keep its F-16s, but Russia said after one recent airbase strike that it was targeting airfields it believes Ukraine will use to house the planes.

Russian strikes have been recorded at multiple Ukrainian bases in recent weeks.

This includes Russia claiming to have hit Ukraine's Mirgorod air base, 100 miles from the border with Russia, destroying five Sukhoi Su-27 fighter jets.

Ukraine confirmed the attack and said there were some losses, "but not the ones the enemy claims."

Michael Clarke, a Russia and Ukraine expert and a UK national security advisor, said Russia is "very worried about the F-16s because of their capabilities, no question about that."

He also warned that Russian forces "are going to go for every F-16 base they can find."

Rajan Menon, a senior research scholar at Columbia University's Saltzman Institute of War and Peace Studies, said that Russia is focused on the advanced weaponry coming from the West.

"I think their belief is that the more Western weaponry Ukraine has of all sorts, the more formidable its military will become," he said.

Meanwhile, Tim Robinson, a military aviation specialist at the UK's Royal Aeronautical Society, said Russia's military likely believes the F-16s are "going to change the balance slightly against us."

He said that once they arrive, Russian aircraft will probably have to be more cautious over Ukrainian territory. That means efforts to limit the jets' effects now present a tempting prospect for Russia.

Ukraine has steps it can take

The potential impact of Russia's efforts, and whether it manages to damage or destroy more air bases, is unclear.

F-16s need particular long and smooth runways, as well as protective hangars.

Matthew Savill, the director of military sciences at the UK's Royal United Services Institute, said the answer from a Ukrainian perspective is obvious: more air defenses.

Ukraine has repeatedly asked for more air defenses from its allies, to better enable it to stop Russian drone and missile attacks.

Ukraine also says it is building underground stores and bunkers at its bases to prepare for the F-16s, and will disperse the jets to different bases to make it harder for Russia to detect them.

A Ukrainian Air Force official also said in June that Ukraine would store some of its F-16s abroad, so Russia cannot attack them.

It's hard to take out airfields

Robinson said that destroying air bases is not an easy task.

"Is it very, very difficult to shut an air base completely down," he said, especially given that they can be repaired.

To keep one out of commission, he said, you have to strike again and again — something that would be particularly hard if Ukraine uses more air defenses to protect bases where it has its F-16s.

Still, Ukraine's F-16s being destroyed soon after they arrived — or not being able to be used because airfields are destroyed — would be a huge practical as well as symbolic blow for Ukraine.

Clarke said the past Russian airbase strikes indicate "incompetence" by Ukraine, but said that the "silver lining" was that it was a good lesson — one that has taken place before any F-16s arrive.

F-16s are expected to aid Ukraine

F-16s are not expected to be a game changer for Ukraine, but analysts say they should boost its fightback against Russia.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said this week that the F-16s will allow Ukraine "to effectively defend themselves."

As well as replenishing aircraft Ukraine has lost so far, the F-16s are expected to work as defenses that can stop Russian drone and missile attacks.

They can also launch attacks on Russian weaponry and troops, though experts say Ukraine has not been promised enough to be able to use them in such an attacking role, and that it would be politically damaging to lose one because so few have been committed.

Robinson also previously told BI that the F-16s would "make Russian pilots there a little bit more kind of wary, a little bit more careful about what they're going up against."

• Janika Cook spent eight years going to college off and on before dropping out with $25,000 in loans.
• She started a paid apprenticeship program in tech, which provided practical skills and experience.
• Cook now works as a data analyst, earning $67,000 annually, and is paying off her student loans.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Janika Cook, a 28-year-old data analyst in Cleveland. It has been edited for length and clarity.

I graduated from high school in 2014 and felt like my only option was to go to college, so I enrolled at Ohio University as a political science major.

I only attended classes for a year before my family couldn't pay the outstanding tuition balance — even with the $10,000 in loans I took out for living expenses — so I had to unenroll and move from Athens back to Cleveland, where I'm from.

I decided to try community college

I started working 40 hours a week at Chick-fil-A, and a few months later, I enrolled in a community college as a political science major again because I still wanted to make college work.

I took out more loans, but I was also getting financial aid, and to continue to qualify, I had to complete a certain number of classes. I wasn't getting satisfactory grades because I was also working and overwhelmed with juggling both work and school. I stopped qualifying for aid.

I went back and forth for eight years in that cycle and ultimately took out $25,000 in student loans but didn't graduate. Sometimes, I would have money to pay out of pocket for community college classes, but not always.

I tried to get internships, but many were unpaid. It felt like a double-edged sword where I didn't have the experience or education to progress in my career, but it was also difficult to get that experience unpaid while needing to work.

I then found an apprenticeship program

In the summer of 2022, I saw an ad on TikTok for Multiverse, a company that provides paid apprenticeships to those looking for careers in tech.

I kept scrolling, but a couple of days later, I saw the same video again and decided to look into it more because, at the time, I was underemployed doing DoorDash and looking for a new opportunity.

Initially, it sounded too good to be true because it was free, and you didn't need any experience to get started. I felt like there had to be a catch. I set up an info session, and it turned out to be exactly what I was looking for.

After holding some data-focused positions at nonprofits, my interest in data grew and I wanted to gain experience with more technical data roles. I signed up for the advanced analytics apprenticeship program.

I landed a position making $55,000 a year

Within a few weeks, I interviewed with Intermountain for a data analyst position. I got an offer for a $55,000 base salary and started my 12-month apprenticeship with a cohort of about 30 people.

Many of the people in my cohort are people of color, and I liked that Multiverse focuses on helping people of color gain skills needed for tech jobs.

During the program, we met with a data coach for a couple of hours every month, and the rest of the time, we learned on the job. It worked well that we could learn something from our data coach one day and start implementing it at work the very next day.

After graduation, I moved up to $67,000

I graduated from the program last summer and received a full-time offer for a $67,000 base salary with the company I apprenticed with. I'm still working there now, but I'm on a different team at Castell, a company owned by Intermountain.

My colleagues and I try to lower medical costs and improve patient outcomes. Helping people motivates me, and I use data to do it, which is really cool. I see myself staying at this company for a long time. I also enjoy that I'm still learning every day, and the company fosters professional development.

I'm making more than I've ever made. It's been life-changing to be able to pay my bills and start paying off my student loans, which I've already gotten down to under $22,000. I'm paying a few hundred dollars a month, and I'm hoping to be able to pay them off in the next few years.

My company also gives us money toward additional education, so I'm considering getting my data analytics degree. My local community college has a new program I'd like to start in the fall.

College is not the only option

I wish I had known when I graduated from high school that apprenticeships were an option. I think they're great for people who don't learn as well in the classroom and instead learn better on the job and with hands-on projects.

I've realized there's no age limit to change your career. Through this program, I've met people who are 50 or 60 years old completely turning their careers around. You can always start over and try something new — even if you've spent five or 10 years going toward a certain path, you can pivot and do something else if it's not working.

While I do think I gained things from going to college — mostly interpersonal skills like how to work with others, resolve conflict, and work on a team — I think I could've also gained those skills in my career. I don't think I retained much of the classroom knowledge I learned in college, and I wish I had pursued an apprenticeship earlier.

• Japan is investigating one of its naval destroyers after it sailed into Chinese waters near Taiwan.
• Japanese media reported that the incident occurred on July 4 as China conducted live-fire drills.
• Authorities say it might have been a mistake, but are still questioning the warship's captain.

Japan's defense ministry is investigating officers of a naval destroyer that entered Chinese territorial waters for about 20 minutes on July 4, according to local reports.

Kyodo News reported on Thursday that the Maritime Self-Defense Force destroyer Suzutsuki was monitoring Chinese live-fire drills on the coast of China's Zhejiang province when it pushed into Chinese territory.

Zhejiang's maritime authority issued a notice on July 3 saying it would conduct live-fire drills from 6 a.m. on July 4 to 10 p.m. the next day, designating a no-sail zone on the coast.

Per Kyodo News, the Suzutsuki approached the no-sail zone on July 4 and was told by Chinese vessels to turn back, but accelerated and continued deeper into Chinese territory.

The vessel was about 12 nautical miles from Zhejiang's coast, the outlet reported, citing two anonymous officials.

Zhejiang is one of mainland China's closest provinces to Taiwan.

The Suzutsuki departed Chinese waters about 20 minutes later, and Kyodo News sources said they suspected the accident may have been caused by a "procedural error."

However, Japanese authorities have yet to publicly explain exactly what caused the maritime incident. Kyodo News reported that the captain of the Suzutsuki is being questioned by Japan's defense ministry.

International law allows ships from one state to pass through another's territory as long as the vessel does not threaten the latter's security.

"At the very least, there is no legal problem," a Japanese government official told local outlet Sankei Shimbun.

However, Kyodo News cited Chinese diplomatic officials saying that Beijing believes the Suzutsuki broke Chinese laws by failing to request entry.

According to Reuters, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Thursday that his office had lodged a complaint with Japan's government over the Suzutsuki's "illegal and improper actions."

The Suzutsuki is an Akizuki-class destroyer, which is about 500 feet long and can take a crew of about 200.

Sankei Shimbun reported that the destroyer was scheduled for several public viewings in Akita, Hachinohe, and Aomori throughout July, but these showings have since been canceled.

The maritime incident comes as Sino-Japanese relations remain tense over territorial disputes in the East China Sea.

China has repeatedly sent armed coast guard vessels to patrol waters around the Senkaku islands, which are under Japanese control. Beijing claims the islands are China's, and calls them the Diaoyu islands.

Chinese naval ships have also entered Japanese waters before, including in February 2023, when a survey vessel encroached into Japan's territorial waters near Kagoshima prefecture.

Press centers for the Japanese government and China's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment sent by Business Insider.

• Elon Musk resumed using a government program to hide his private jet travels in June. 
• A special FAA privacy program allows private planes to fly incognito with temporary IDs.
• Musk had briefly used the program in 2022.

Two years after appearing to give up on hiding his private jet travels, Elon Musk has once again taken steps to keep his travel history private.

According to data from the flight-tracking site JetSpy, the billionaire started using a government program designed to allow aircraft to fly incognito in late June.

His jet, a Gulfstream G650ER, has been on 14 different flights since the, JetSpy data shows.

Musk first signed up for the free "privacy ICAO aircraft address" program, also known as PIA, through the Federal Aviation Administration in 2022, but hadn't used it since August 20, 2022.

The special program allows private jet owners to fly cloak their travels using a temporary aircraft registration number. In 2022, Musk applied for a new aircraft registration number four times, JetSpy told Business Insider.

The FAA first launched PIA in 2019. Last year, the FAA told BI it had about 390 alternate ID codes since the program began.

A representative for Musk did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Mark Dombroff, a partner and aviation attorney at Fox Rothschild LLP and a former FAA lawyer, told Business Insider that it's unclear why Musk would begin using the program again, as the FAA has yet to make any apparent changes to it that could further benefit Musk.

Jet-tracking personality Jack Sweeney was the first to point out Musk's new PIA. The college student, who gained popularity for his social media accounts that track celebrities, including Musk and Taylor Swift, pointed out that Musk's team appeared to face some hiccups using the program.

The PIA program is far from perfect. According to the FAA, it allows aircraft owners to switch out their registration numbers every 20 days, but it can be a laborious process.

Christian Renneissen, Collins Aerospace's manager for flight deck connectivity, previously told the trade publication AV Buyer that while the PIA program is essentially free, it's a hassle due to a substantial amount of paperwork. What's more, the entire process would have to start all over again if the new registration number is exposed and tied to the owner.

Planes are also required to ditch the PIA for their permanently assigned ICAO address when they fly internationally.

"The PIA program limits the ability to identify an aircraft in real-time using inexpensive, commercially available receivers," an FAA spokesperson previously told BI. "This does not prevent parties from using alternative methods (plane spotting, movement correlations, etc.) to identify PIA participants."

However, growing security concerns from the likes of Musk and Swift prompted the FAA to further its camouflage efforts, thanks to new language in the FAA Reauthorization passed in May. This includes adding PIA protections for international flights, among other privacy enhancements.

But it's still likely not enough to fully block private planes from the public view. Sweeney previously told BI that celebrity private aircraft can still be spotted using context clues, such as the airports their jets commonly fly from.

• President Zelenskyy has been in the middle of several awkward moments in US history.
• Biden on Thursday mistakenly called Zelenskyy "President Putin."
• In 2019, he was put in a tough spot when Trump told him to "get together" with Putin to solve their problems.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has, through no fault of his own, found himself in some of the most acutely awkward moments in modern US history.

On Thursday during a NATO summit in Washington DC, he stood onstage as President Joe Biden made an embarrassing gaffe — calling him "President Putin."

"And now I want to hand it over to the President of Ukraine, who has as much courage as he has determination," he said, introducing Zelenskyy. "Ladies and gentlemen, President Putin."

As the summit audience launched into awkward applause, Zelenskyy looked conflicted as he stood rooted on his spot instead of moving to the podium.

Biden backtracked quickly, correcting himself by saying: "President Putin? He's going to beat President Putin. President Zelenskyy."

He added: "I'm so focused on beating Putin, we gotta worry about it."

Zelenskyy quipped: "I'm better," as he shook Biden's hand and walked to the podium.

Biden responded: "You're a hell of a lot better."

The Ukrainian president has endured other embarrassing exchanges with US politicians.

While speaking with former President Donald Trump at the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in 2019, he maintained a cold silence when Trump leaned towards him and loudly said: "I really hope that you and President Putin get together and can solve your problem.

Trump added: "That would be a tremendous achievement, and I know you're trying to do that."

Ukraine is at the center of one of the most complex geopolitical conflicts unfolding now

Much like how he has been caught in awkward moments, Zelenskyy has, at numerous occasions, been at the heart of major political tensions in the US.

The president and his country were majorly embroiled in Trump's first impeachment. In 2019, Trump was impeached on accusations that he solicited the interference of the Ukrainian government in the 2020 election.

The articles of impeachment also accused him of withholding vital military aid and a White House meeting that Zelensky desperately wanted.

Trump was later acquitted of the charges.

At present, Zelenskyy finds himself at the center of one of the biggest geopolitical conflicts of the modern day as the Russia-Ukraine war stretches into its third year.

The US has stood with Ukraine since the start of Russia's invasion in February 2022 and has committed to sending more than $52 billion worth of aid.

And Biden said in June that the US will back Ukraine for a decade.

Representatives for Zelenskyy didn't immediately respond to requests for comment sent outside regular business hours.

• Elon Musk couldn't hide his amusement at President Joe Biden's latest gaffe. 
• Biden accidentally referred his Vice President Kamala Harris as "Vice President Trump."
• "This is real!!??" Musk said in an X post on Thursday.  

President Joe Biden's press conference on Thursday was hotly watched by the nation, including one Elon Musk.

The billionaire, who has frequently derided the president and his administration, couldn't stop himself from poking fun at Biden's gaffes on his social media platform, X.

"This is real!!??" Musk said in response to a clip where Biden had accidentally referred to Vice President Kamala Harris as "Vice President Trump."

During the press conference, Biden was asked if he had any concerns about Harris' ability to beat Trump if she took over from him when he misspoke.

"I wouldn't have picked Vice President Trump to be vice president, if she's not qualified to be president," Biden said on Thursday.

Musk also poked fun at the muted facial expressions Biden's Cabinet members had when he made the mistake.

"Reality is beyond parody!" he wrote a few minutes later.

"The most entertaining outcome is the most likely," Musk said in another post referencing the incident.

The mixed reaction to Thursday's press conference would probably be a downer for Biden, whose team saw it as an opportunity for him to quell the growing doubts surrounding his mental acuity.

During a press briefing on Monday, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby repeatedly referred to the event as Biden's "big boy press conference," a term coined by Bloomberg reporter Justin Sink.

Musk's amusement shouldn't come as a surprise to many. The mercurial businessman has been an outspoken critic of Biden ever since Tesla was excluded from the president's electric-vehicle summit in 2021.

Musk, who said he voted for Biden in 2020, has slammed Biden for his approach toward the Southern border crisis and accused the Democratic Party of being "controlled by the unions."

That said, Musk has stopped short of endorsing Biden's rival, former President Donald Trump.

"I think I would not vote for Biden. I'm not saying I'd vote for Trump," Musk told moderator Andrew Ross Sorkin at The New York Times Dealbook Summit in November.

It's worth noting that Musk has used X to platform several GOP figures. In May 2023, he helped launch Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' failed presidential bid via an X stream riddled with technical difficulties.

And while Musk has stopped short of endorsing Trump, he's admitted to meeting privately with the GOP candidate.

"I was at a breakfast at a friend's place, and Donald Trump came by, that's it," Musk told former CNN host Don Lemon in an interview that aired on March 18. "I'm not paying his legal bills in any way, shape or form. And he did not ask me for money."

During a June 13 Tesla shareholder meeting, Musk revealed that Trump does "call me out of the blue for no reason."

"I don't know why, but he does," Musk said.

Representatives for Musk and Biden did not immediately respond to requests for comment from BI sent outside regular business hours.