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Today — 24 February 2025Main stream

‘Uncertainty is rising’: Financial analysts warn that market shows worrisome signs with Trump in office

By: Io Dodds
24 February 2025 at 22:43

Share values and cryptocurrency prices have been buoyant since Trump’s election, but some on Wall Street believe the party could be over soon

© Kena Betancur/AFP via Getty Images

Federal watchdog Trump wants to oust moves to stop firing of 6 probationary workers

24 February 2025 at 23:01

A government watchdog special counsel who oversees federal workers' whistleblower reports said Monday his office is seeking to halt some of the Trump administration's mass firings of federal workers.

The big picture: Hampton Dellinger, who's suing the administration after President Trump tried to remove him from his role leading the Office of Special Counsel, said he's requested that the firing of six probationary agency workers be halted due to concerns the action may violate the law — and he indicated he may intervene in more cases.


Driving the news: Dellinger filed a request on Friday for a 45-day stay in the probationary workers' firings "across various executive branch agencies" with the independent agency the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board, which reviews the Office of Personnel Management actions, per a statement from the special counsel's office.

  • "Firing probationary employees without individualized cause appears contrary to a reasonable reading of the law, particularly the provisions establishing rules for reductions in force," Dellinger said in a statement.
  • "I believe I have a responsibility to request a stay of these actions while my agency continues to investigate further the apparent violation of federal personnel laws," he added, citing a Congressional direction for watchdogs to protect government employees from prohibited personnel practices.
  • "The Special Counsel believes other probationary employees are similarly situated to the six workers for whom he currently is seeking relief. Dellinger is considering ways to seek relief for a broader group without the need for individual filings."
  • Representatives for the Trump administration did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment in the evening.

Go deeper: Supreme Court delays Trump's firing of agency head

A "Goldilocks" electric pickup truck with 700 miles driving range

24 February 2025 at 14:44

Stellantis is calling its upcoming Ram 1500 extended-range Ramcharger the Goldilocks of pickup trucks — an electric truck with a backup gas-powered generator good for nearly 700 miles of worry-free driving.

Why it matters: Extended-range EVs, already popular in China, are a bridge technology for consumers who aren't ready to commit to a fully-electric vehicle whether because of cost, charging access or other concerns.


  • And, because they use a much smaller battery, they're also thousands of dollars cheaper than a fully-electric equivalent model.
  • The Ramcharger will be the first extended-range pickup for sale in the U.S.

Driving the news: Amid slowing demand for electric pickups, Stellantis in December shuffled its product plans, pulling the Ramcharger ahead of the Ram 1500 REV, its first battery-electric truck.

  • The Ramcharger will be available for sale in the second half of 2025, while the fully-electric version is pushed to 2026.

Zoom in: The Ramcharger's 92-kw battery is good for 145 miles of pure electric driving, after which a 3.6-liter gasoline engine kicks on to power an onboard generator.

  • Total range is expected to be up to 690 miles.
  • The truck only runs on electricity; the engine powers the generator, but not the wheels.

Between the lines: One of the complaints about electric pickup trucks is that the driving range drops significantly when towing or hauling, or climbing up a steep grade.

  • The advantage of the backup generator is that performance doesn't suffer, Stellantis said.
  • The Ramcharger can tow 14,000 pounds and carry more than 2,600 pounds of cargo.
  • "There are absolutely no downsides," Ram brand CEO Tim Kuniskis said.

What to watch: Pricing has yet to be announced.

  • In a briefing for reporters Monday, Kuniskis floated a hypothetical price of $69,995.
  • That's higher than a typical gasoline pickup, but would be $8,000 to $14,000 below a fully electric model with a larger battery, he said.

Denny's menu prices 2025: Some restaurants add temporary egg surcharge amid bird flu

24 February 2025 at 13:46

Denny's is temporarily adding an egg surcharge at some of its restaurants because of the nationwide egg shortage and increased prices, the chain confirmed to Axios Monday.

Why it matters: The bird flu has ravaged the nation's supply of eggs, leading to shortages and higher prices at grocery stores and restaurants.


  • Avian influenza has affected at least 18.9 million birds in the last 30 days, according to USDA data.

State of play: Denny's would not say how many of its 1,500-plus restaurants are adding the "surcharge to every meal that includes eggs" and how much the fees are.

  • "Our pricing decisions are being made market-by-market, and restaurant-by-restaurant due to the regional impacts of the egg shortage," Denny's said in a statement.
  • "We understand our guests' desire for value, and we will continue to look for ways to provide options on our menu, including our $2 $4 $6 $8 value menu, while navigating these rapidly changing market dynamics responsibly," the company said.

The big picture: Restaurants are starting to crack under the weight of the nation's egg crisis.

  • The Waffle House became the first national restaurant chain to add a temporary surcharge earlier this month. Its fee is 50 cents per egg.
  • Smaller, more local chains and individual restaurants have also added surcharges for eggs, said Amanda Oren, a vice president at supply-chain platform RELEX Solutions.
  • Many stores have instituted limits on how many eggs consumers can buy each day, including Trader Joe's, Costco and Sam's Club.

More from Axios:

Beijing says DeepSeek isn't meant to compete against US AI giants like OpenAI and Google

24 February 2025 at 22:23
DeepSeek AI
China's embassy in Washington said DeepSeek "complements, rather than competes against" AI firms in the US.

Jonathan Raa/NurPhoto

  • China has officially praised its rising star, DeepSeek, as a success.
  • But instead of framing DeepSeek as a challenger, Beijing said it would "complement" American firms.
  • While DeepSeek upended beliefs about AI costs, US firms are focused instead on a race to reach AGI.

China on Monday lauded DeepSeek's much-hyped AI model, but said the Hangzhou-based company isn't competing with America's leading AI firms.

"As AI continues to reshape industries and everyday life of humanity, DeepSeek complements, rather than competes against, existing AI leaders like OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google DeepMind," Beijing's embassy in Washington said in a statement seen by Business Insider.

DeepSeek has continued to raise its profile in Beijing since its reportedly low-cost AI model stunned the tech world. It's quickly become a star at home, with the startup's founder, Liang Wenfeng, given a front-row seat at a symposium hosted last week by Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

The symposium has been a rallying point for the tech scene in China, which saw Xi's supportive remarks — and the attendance of once-shunned Alibaba founder Jack Ma — as a positive sign after years of industry crackdowns.

In yet another moment of official recognition for DeepSeek, the Chinese embassy's statement on Monday praised the company as a success, saying it "significantly lowered AI development costs."

DeepSeek has said that it spent less than $6 million on "official training" for its latest model, but the scope of those expenses isn't clearly defined. SemiAnalysis, a semiconductor analytics firm, estimated in late January that the company may possess $500 million worth of GPUs.

American firms at the forefront of AI have also called the Western panic over DeepSeek overblown.

Google DeepMind's CEO, for example, said that the Chinese model is impressive but showed "no real new scientific advance" toward the true goal among AI leaders — reaching artificial general intelligence.

Still, DeepSeek is seriously undercutting pricing models for American AI firms like OpenAI, with Bernstein tech analysts estimating that DeepSeek's prices are 20 to 40 times cheaper.

But Beijing's official line adopted a conciliatory tone, framing China's foray into AI as a chance for collaboration rather than outmuscling US firms.

"AI companies across different regions contribute unique strengths, leading to better, more inclusive solutions for users everywhere," the embassy said in its statement. Emphasizing a desire to collaborate and avoid conflict has long been central to China's public image.

On the other hand, the US has warned that its race with China to develop more sophisticated AI would be a difference-maker in Beijing's push for superiority.

The Chinese embassy did not respond to a request for additional comment sent by BI outside regular business hours. DeepSeek and the startup's parent company, HighFlyer, did not respond to similar requests for comment.

Read the original article on Business Insider

Andy Cohen Talks Kelly Bensimon's ‘RHONY’ Replacement List, ‘RHONJ’ Rumors

24 February 2025 at 16:15
Andy Cohen Talks Viral RHONY Replacement List Kelly Bensimon Sent Him RHONJ Casting Rumors 237
Andy Cohen, Kelly Bensimon. Jason Mendez/Everett Collection ; Taylor Hill/FilmMagic

Andy Cohen took a minute to quiet a few rumors within the Real Housewives universe — starting with Kelly Bensimon’s viral Real Housewives of New York City casting idea.

“Well, she did send me a list,” Cohen, 56, revealed during the Monday, February 24, episode of SiriusXM’s Andy Cohen Live.

When asked who was on her list of who he could cast in a new season of the Bravo hit, Cohen got tongue-tied. “Well, I mean, a couple of them were …” he told cohost John Hill.

Hill chimed in, wondering, “Was she on that list?” Cohen confirmed, “Oh, yeah. She’s on the list. It was, I think, being kind of anchored by her.”

Andy Cohen Says 'RHONY' Reboot Is Here to Stay: 'Looking to the Future'

Cohen noted that he does like Bensimon — who starred on RHONY from 2009 to 2011 and later made appearances in 2014 and 2015— but wouldn’t divulge who she wanted to join her on the proposed upgraded show. (Bensimon, 56, also appeared on season 4 of The Real Housewives: Ultimate Girls’ Trip.)

“Funnily enough, she does email me more than you might expect,” Cohen told his listeners, admitting, “I can’t find this email babe, but she pitched [me a list].”

The Bravo producer added that one of the people on Bensimon’s dream casting lineup is “someone that I’ve known and someone you know who is not going to do it.”

Andy Cohen Talks Viral RHONY Replacement List Kelly Bensimon Sent Him RHONJ Casting Rumors 236
Sara Jaye/Getty Images for 21Seeds Tequila

“So, I got the email. That’s all I’ll say,” he confessed.

Cohen and the rest of the RHONY team have gotten some heat lately after season 15’s low ratings and controversial story lines. Bravo even put out a casting call for RHONY in January before the season reunion. (At the January reunion, the cast seemingly moved on from Brynn Whitfield’s claim that she told Ubah Hassan about her sexual assault and Hassan ignored it. Whitefield’s alleged stretching of the truth caused a rift among the whole group.)

In response, Bensimon told Page Six on Sunday, February 23, that she would happily return to the franchise and help bring it back to life.

“Everybody says I should be back on Housewives,” Bensimon said. “And I’m happy to do it with — not to be mean, but, like, not this cast. I sent a whole list to Andy. I was like: Here’s the mothership.”

Andy Cohen Addresses Speculation There's Plans to Reboot 'RHONJ'

She didn’t name names but teased that her list included women who were all “very New York,” explaining, “My biggest criticism — and it’s been the same thing throughout since I was on — is that the ultimate character on the show is New York and we’re not seeing New York.”

RHONY’s cast and future isn’t the only franchise that has fans talking. The Real Housewives of New Jersey stars are currently in limbo as to whether or not they’ll be back for a season 15.

Cohen weighed in on the rumors that Teresa Giudice, Dolores Catania and Melissa Gorga were the only current Housewives coming back.

“Bravo has said nothing. No one has any information. There is no information,” Cohen said during Monday’s SiriusXM episode of Andy Cohen Live. “I cannot stress this enough. Y’all are not going to hear anything for a while.”

He also shut down the rumors about Giudice, 52, getting her own spinoff, saying only when fans read a story that says “Bravo has announced” or “Andy said on his radio [show]” will they be factual.

Cohen’s statements back up Us Weekly’s previous report that the RHONJ stars are awaiting a decision on casting.

Frustrated Andy Cohen Tells Disgruntled 'RHONJ' Fan We'll 'Reboot' the Show

“All of them have been in contact with production, but not with any news,” a source exclusively told Us earlier this month. “There’s still an open line of communication but no news on who is coming back or who is not coming back.”

Season 14 of the series starred Guidice, Gorga, 45, Catania, 54, Jennifer Aydin, Margaret Josephs, Rachel Fuda and Danielle Cabrael. Jackie Goldschneider and Jennifer Fessler also made appearances as “friends.”

The insider noted that although there’s no news about what’s next for RHONJ, “Production wants the show to come back.”

A spokesperson for Bravo told Us in a statement that “no decisions have been made around casting for RHONJ.”

Everything you need to know about Disney, ESPN, and Bob Iger’s return as CEO

24 February 2025 at 22:20

Disney has had a tumultuous run since Bob Iger’s return as the company’s CEO, which came just two years after he handed the reins over to Bob Chapek. Iger has since worked to undo some of Chapek’s changes as the company contends with a streaming-focused future.

Iger has big plans for the future of Disney and has already combined the Disney Plus and Hulu apps for bundle subscribers in the US. Disney is also gearing up to launch a streaming-only version of ESPN that will exist in addition to a new live sports streaming partnership with Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery.

Outside of streaming, Iger is hoping to boost Disney’s slate of films and reinvigorate interest in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But with Iger’s contract set to expire in 2026, a lot remains unclear about what’s next for the future of Disney. Here are all the major changes Iger has made so far.

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