Elon Musk Says Tesla's Suing County Over COVID-19 Rules

As Alameda County health officials extend restrictions until June 1st, Tesla founder Elon Musk files a lawsuit and threatens to move the company to another state.

BYAron A.
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Elon Musk sparked outrage after expressing his views on the current restrictions placed in Alameda County in California where the Tesla HQ is located. Over the weekend, Elon Musk touched Twitter with a hot take on the current social distancing rules and how they've not just impacted all businesses across the state but his business specifically.

"Tesla is filing a lawsuit against Alameda County immediately. The unelected & ignorant “Interim Health Officer” of Alameda is acting contrary to the Governor, the President, our Constitutional freedoms & just plain common sense," he wrote on Twitter in response to the extension of social distancing rules until June 1st.

"Frankly, this is the final straw," he added in a separate tweet. "Tesla will now move its HQ and future programs to Texas/Nevada immediately. If we even retain Fremont manufacturing activity at all, it will be dependent on how Tesla is treated in the future. Tesla is the last carmaker left in CA."

Tesla was forced to close down their factory on March 23rd. Musk has been vehemently against the stay-at-home orders, especially towards the end of April when quarterly earnings statements were released. But a rep for the county's health department revealed they were devising a plan with Tesla. “We look forward to coming to an agreement on an appropriate safety plan very soon,” the statement said. “It is our collective responsibility to move through the phases of reopening and loosening the restrictions of the shelter-in-place order in the safest way possible, guided by data and science."

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Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.