• McDonald's is offering $1 Egg McMuffins on its app on Sunday to celebrate the product's 50th year in the market.
• A company executive said McDonald's would not add surcharges to its egg products.
• Egg prices hit a record high in the US in January, with a dozen large Grade A eggs costing an average of $4.95.

As the food industry grapples with the skyrocketing price of eggs in the US, McDonald's is going the other way — and selling $1 Egg McMuffins.

A Tuesday news release on McDonald's website said that on Sunday, customers can get an Egg McMuffin or a Sausage McMuffin with Egg for $1 on its app.

The release said the promotion is being held to celebrate the Egg McMuffin's 50th birthday — the product was introduced in the US in 1975.

The company's North America impact officer, Michael Gonda, wrote a LinkedIn post on Tuesday about the deal. Referencing egg prices, Gonda said that customers "definitely WON'T see McDonald's USA issuing surcharges on eggs."

McDonald's $1 deal comes as egg prices in the US have soared, partly due to supply chain issues stemming from an H5N1 bird flu outbreak in the US.

The average price of a dozen large Grade A eggs in the country hit an all-time high of $4.95 in January.

Given the short supply of eggs, supermarket chains have seen their egg cartons sell out minutes after store openings. Some, like Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, and Costco, have also imposed limits on the number of cartons each customer can purchase.

Restaurant chain Waffle House announced earlier this month that it would start including a $0.50 surcharge on each egg it sold.

Shake Shack's CEO, Rob Lynch, said on Thursday that restaurant chains with big breakfast businesses might dial back on eggs and offer more beef and chicken products instead.

McDonald's McMuffin deal is smart, marketing and branding experts say

Dipanjan Chatterjee, a vice president at Forrester, a New York-based market research company, told BI that the deal fits right into McDonald's value strategy, which includes its $5 meal deals and $1 items.

Chatterjee said that with egg prices hitting all-time highs, marketing a "$1 value item" that uses eggs "may seem like an odd choice."

But it's more of an opportunity — because McDonald's now has a chance to position itself as a company that "prioritizes its customers over profit," Chatterjee said.

The move is "likely to pay off handsomely for McDonald's," said Mário Braz de Matos, the cofounder of the Singapore-based branding consultancy agency Flying Fish Lab.

"McDonald's doesn't just stand for fast food, it also stands for value," he said. "In good times, it matters, but in harder economic climates, it makes this particular aspect of the brand more attractive to consumers."

Alexandra Leung, the founder of Monogic, a food-and-beverage marketing and PR agency in Singapore and Hong Kong, told BI that while the deal will be attractive to attract cost-conscious consumers, its real value isn't in the sales bump, but in "digital customer acquisition."

"I think that the measure of success for this promotion might be better evaluated through metrics like app downloads and digital engagement rather than sustained McMuffin sales post-promotion," she said.

Representatives for McDonald's did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider, sent outside regular business hours.

• Elon Musk said he wants to "send another email" to federal workers to get them to account for what they do.
• The White House said it received over a million responses, less than half of the entire government.
• President Donald Trump said that sending another email is a "good idea."

Elon Musk said on Wednesday that the Department of Government Efficiency will "send another email" to federal workers asking them to summarize their accomplishments.

"You know, we got a partial response. We are going to send another email," Musk told reporters while attending President Donald Trump's first cabinet meeting.

On Saturday, the Office of Personnel Management emailed federal employees, asking them to submit a list of what they've achieved by 11:59 p.m. ET on Monday.

Musk said on Saturday that failure to respond by the deadline "will be taken as a resignation."

Later, on Monday, Musk said that employees who have yet to respond will be given "another chance," but "failure to respond a second time will result in termination."

Musk's email request sparked confusion across the government. At least eight agencies, including the Department of Defense and State Department, told their workers not to respond to OPM's email.

The White House said on Tuesday that more than one million workers responded to the email, less than half of the entire federal workforce.

"I wouldn't say that we are thrilled about it," Trump said of the remaining federal workers who did not respond during Tuesday's press conference.

"Maybe they are going to be gone. Maybe they are not around, maybe they have other jobs," Trump added.

Trump also said at the same press conference that he thinks Musk's plan to send a follow-up email is a "good idea."

"You got a lot of people that have not responded, so we are trying to figure out, do they exist? Who are they? And it's possible that a lot of those people will be actually fired," Trump said.

Trimming the federal workforce has become one of Trump's priorities in his second term.

Last month, the Trump administration gave federal employees from January 28 to February 6 to accept a buyout offer if they did not want to work in his administration. A spokesperson for the OPM told Business Insider on February 6 that over 40,000 workers took the buyout.

Then, on February 11, Trump signed an executive order to limit federal hiring. The order said that each federal agency can only hire one new employee if four employees leave. The restriction does not apply to jobs related to public safety, immigration enforcement, or law enforcement.

"There are too many federal employees. Excluding active-duty military and Postal Service employees, the federal workforce exceeds 2.4 million," the White House said in a fact sheet about the order.

Representatives for the White House and DOGE did not respond to a request for comment from BI.

Meta has admitted to CNBC that Instagram is experiencing an error that's flooding users' accounts with Reels videos that aren't typically surfaced by its algorithms. "We are fixing an error that caused some users to see content in their Instagram Reels feed that should not have been recommended," the company told news organization. "We apologize for the mistake." Users have taken to social media platforms to ask other people whether they've also recently been flooded with Reels that contain violent and sexual themes. One user on Reddit said that their Reels pages was inundated with school shootings and murder. 

Others said they're getting back-to-back gore videos, such as stabbings, beheadings and castration, nudity, uncensored porn and straight-up rape. Some said they still see similar videos even if they had enabled their Sensitive Content Control. Social media algorithms are designed to show you videos and other content similar to ones you usually watch, read, like or interact with. In this case, though, Instagram has been showing graphic videos even to those who haven't been interacting with similar Reels, and sometimes even after the user has taken the time to click "Not Interested" on a Reel with violent or sexual content. 

The Meta spokesperson didn't tell CNBC what exactly the error was, but some of the videos people have reported seeing shouldn't have been on Instagram in the first place, based on the company's own policies. "To protect users... we remove the most graphic content and add warning labels to other graphic content so that people are aware it may be sensitive or disturbing before they click through," the company's policy reads. Meta's rules also state that it removes "real photographs and videos of nudity and sexual activity."

The cast of Buffy the Vampire Slayer is paying tribute to their costar and friend Michelle Trachtenberg.

After news broke on Wednesday, February 26, that the actress was found unconscious inside her New York City apartment at the age of 39, many colleagues were quick to share their favorite memories working alongside Trachtenberg.

“My heart is heavy today. We have lost a beautiful soul,” James Marsters, who played Spike, wrote via Instagram. “Michelle was fiercely intelligent, howlingly funny and a very talented person. She died much too young, and leaves behind scores of people who knew and loved her. … Godspeed Michelle. You are missed.”

Between 2000 and 2003, Trachtenberg had the opportunity to play Dawn Summers — Buffy’s sister — on the hit series. Once the show wrapped, the actress went on to star in various projects, including Gossip Girl and Six Feet Under.

Stars React to Michelle Trachtenberg’s Death at Age 39

“Michelle touched a generation of television fans throughout her career, including in her unforgettable role as the independent and strong-willed Dawn Summers in Buffy,” a rep for 20th Television, the studio behind the series, said in a statement to TVLine. “She brought depth, heart, and authenticity to every performance and will be remembered for her remarkable talent. Our sincere condolences go out to her family and friends — she will be deeply missed.”

As friends and costars continue paying tribute to Trachtenberg online, keep reading to see the heartfelt posts from the Buffy family:

James Marsters

“My heart goes out to her family who are good people, and are suffering the greatest loss anyone could bear,” the actor wrote via Instagram. “I hope everyone can give them space to heal in this most difficult time.”

David Boreanaz

“So very sad…horrible news,” the actor, who played Angel, wrote via his Instagram Story. “RIP and prayers to her and her family.”

Emma Caulfield

“I’m so sorry your bright light died so young,” the Anya actress shared via her Instagram Story. “Our Buffy family lost a little sister today…Rest in peace lovely Mish Mish. You were loved.”

Alyson Hannigan

“I am deeply saddened by the news of Michelle’s passing,” Hannigan, who starred as Willow Rosenberg, shared with her Instagram followers. “She brought a loving energy to the set of Buffy. My thoughts are with Michelle’s family and friends.”

Clare Kramer

“Peace out little one. ,” the actress, who played Glory on Buffy, wrote via Instagram. “A talented & kind soul gone way too soon!You’re free to fly now… .”

‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ Cast: Where Are They Now?

Amy Acker

Although Trachtenberg never appeared on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer spinoff Angel, several stars from the show also paid tribute to the late actress on social media. “Sending love to Michelle’s family and friends,” Acker, who portrayed Fred, wrote via her Instagram Story.

 J. August Richards 

“Just heard about the passing of Michelle Trachtenberg… So young,” the Angel star, who played Gunn, wrote via Instagram. “My heart goes out to her family and loved ones. What a beautiful spirit who left an amazing legacy… Rest In Peace, dear one…”

Some might say I travel like a celebrity — minus the private jet, security detail and entourage (see, we’re practically the same). I’m constantly on the move, hopping between planes, trains and cars with this weekend bag in tow. It’s stylish, spacious, durable and practical for quick trips.

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7 Rich Mom Duffel Bags to Look Expensive in Transit — Starting at Just $36

Some travel bags fall apart after just a few uses, but this one is built to last. I’ve visited dozens of cities and numerous countries with this weekend bag by my side; and still, it looks and works like new! But don’t only take my word for it. Hundreds of shoppers have raved about its durability and quality design!

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Get the The Weekender Bag for $108 at Beis!

The creator economy is still growing rapidly but that growth isn’t always a benefit to creators.

It’s already difficult to maintain a living as a full-time creator — even more so in recent years as new creators continue to flood the market. An estimated 3% of the U.S. population in 2022 was considered an influencer, up from about 2% in 2020, per influencer marketing platform Influencity — with places like New York (6.45% of its population considered an influencer) and California (5.42% of its population considered an influencer) leading in influencer density in the state.

Meanwhile, influencer agency Neoreach found that only around 15% of 2,000 creators surveyed in 2023 made more than $100,000 per year, and about 69% made less than $50,000 annually. Some 48% made less than $15,000 per year, per the company’s data. Given the competitive landscape as well as an uncertain economic market and the stability of platforms like TikTok, some creators are considering re-joining the traditional workforce for more stability.

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The number of retailers launching their own media, commerce, financial, travel (you get the point) networks continues to grow. At this point, more than 250 retail media networks exist globally, according to retail media intelligence platform Mimbi, and they’re all fighting for the same ad dollars.

To better compete, retail marketing networks have spent the past few months rebranding their names and logos, hosting events and retooling their offerings. At the same time, RMNs are moving beyond on-site search and display ad opportunities and opening up ad formats with creators and streaming services. All signs point to retail media networks wanting to be seen as all out media networks, according to the five RMN agency experts Digiday spoke with for this piece.

Related Insights

Retail Revolution

In the pitch for brand dollars, retail media networks turn to creators Read More

Last March, The Home Depot rebranded its retail media network Retail Media+ to Orange Apron Media at its inaugural infronts presentation (its response to upfront negotiations). Home Depot plans to host the second installment of its infronts presentation this year. Lowe’s made a similar move in August, rebranding from Lowe’s One Roof Media Network to Lowe’s Media Network and debuting a new logo with beefed up channels, like email and in-store audio.

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