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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
Ayesha Curry says she puts her relationship with her husband, Steph Curry, before their kids.
Jerritt Clark/Getty Images for Gentleman's Cut
Ayesha Curry says she prioritizes her relationship with Stephen Curry over their four children.
"And that works for us because then you have two happy people raising the kids in the house," she said.
Prioritizing each other involves making time for each other, such as going on date nights, she said.
Ayesha Curry believes that partners should put each other first in order to be good parents.
In an interview with People, Curry spoke about prioritizing her relationship with her husband, NBA player Stephen Curry, over their kids.
"I think for us, our relationship always comes first. Then we're parents," Curry told People. "And that works for us because then you have two happy people raising the kids in the house. So the family sector in our lives always comes first."
The couple, who tied the knot in 2011, share four kids: Riley, Ryan, Canon, and Caius — whom they welcomed in May.
This isn't the first time that Curry has spoken about how she and her husband make their marriage work.
In a 2019 interview with HelloGiggles, Curry shared that her parents and her in-laws were the ones who showed the couple the importance of prioritizing each other.
"And then also the biggest thing, both of our parents are still married and have been married for 30-plus years, and the one thing that they both shared with us — some through learning it the hard way, some through just making sure that they do it — is just making sure that we put each other first, even before the kids, as tough as that sounds," Curry told HelloGiggles.
This involves making time for each other, including date nights, she said.
"Because when you become a parent, you want to put your kids first, and we do, but we do it second to our relationship. Because ultimately, when our relationship is good, the kids are happy, and they're thriving, and our family life is good," Curry said.
At the end of the day, their relationship sets the basis for their family life.
"We have to put that into perspective and realize that it's not us being selfish, it's making sure we set a strong foundation," she said.
The Currys aren't the only celebrity couple who've spoken about making time for each other despite their busy schedules.
"In our relationship, having little kids again, our present to each other on our last anniversary was, we have to go to the theater once a month, and we have to go out three times a month, and we're not allowed to wear trainers," Tana said.
A representative for Curry did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent by BI outside regular hours.
"Subject to the discretion of the President, they will be given another chance," Elon Musk said of federal workers who did not email a list of their accomplishments from the past week.
Andrew Harnik via Getty Images
Federal workers were told to send a list of accomplishments by midnight on Monday or lose their jobs.
However, some federal agencies told their employees not to respond.
President Donald Trump and Elon Musk appeared intent on moving forward with the request.
In the lead-up to the deadline, federal employees received conflicting guidance from President Donald Trump, DOGE leader Elon Musk, and government agencies on how — and if — they should respond to the request from the Office of Personnel Management.
At a press conference on Monday, Trump said he thought the OPM's email was "great."
"So by asking the question, 'Tell us what you did this week,' what he's doing is saying, 'Are you actually working?'" Trump said.
Trump wasn't clear on what happens if federal workers don't send in their emails.
"And then, if you don't answer, you are sort of semi-fired, or you're fired," Trump said.
When asked about the conflicting guidance agencies have given on the request, Trump said the State Department and FBI were "working on confidential things."
Guidance from the departments had been given "in a friendly manner" and not "in any way combatively with Elon," Trump added.
In a Truth Social post published on Saturday hours before the OPM sent out its email, Trump praised Musk's work with DOGE but said he would like to see Musk "get more aggressive."
Musk's latest comments on the DOGE ask
In an X post on Saturday, Musk wrote that failure to respond to the OPM's email "will be taken as a resignation."
By Monday, Musk's wording had changed.
Musk wrote in an X post on Monday that federal workers who have yet to respond to the request "will be given another chance."
"Subject to the discretion of the President, they will be given another chance. Failure to respond a second time will result in termination," Musk wrote.
In a Monday morning X post responding to Garry Tan, the president and CEO of Y Combinator, Musk said the DOGE request was "basically a check to see if the employee had a pulse and was capable of replying to an email."
"This mess will get sorted out this week," Musk wrote. "Lot of people in for a rude awakening and strong dose of reality. They don't get it yet, but they will."
The request echoes one that Musk made to employees at X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. Shortly after he bought the social network in October 2022, Musk asked software engineers to print out their latest code for review.
Representatives for the White House and DOGE did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Business Insider.
Guidance varies across departments
In a memo to heads of departments and agencies on Monday, the OPM reiterated its deadline for employee emails and said all emails should be addressed to agency heads with OPM copied.
At least eight agencies, including the Department of Defense, the State Department, and the Department of Health and Human Services, have told workers they don't have to respond to DOGE's email.
Some government departments have told workers that responses about productivity will be handled by the agencies, not staff.
Other departments have told employees they can respond to OPM if they wish, but that not responding will not incur penalties.
On Monday, the Social Security Administration reversed course on its messaging to employees. On Sunday, it told employees the OPM email was a "legitimate assignment." On Monday afternoon, it told employees responding is "voluntary."
"Non-responses are not considered a resignation," the agency's email to employees read.
It is unclear how the White House and DOGE plan to reconcile the conflicting guidance.
This turmoil comes after a chaotic few weeks for government employees, as Musk's DOGE proposed broad head count cuts across government agencies.
Thousands of federal workers have been fired. Some of these workers received termination notices saying that the job cuts were based on performance, per documents BI viewed.
Alex Karp said if he wasn't leading Palantir he'd be leaning into his hobbies, like Tai Chi and shooting guns.
Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images
Alex Karp said if he were not running Palantir, he'd move to his "hermit-like location."
At the Economic Club of New York, Karp said he'd lean into hobbies like Tai Chi, shooting guns, and reading.
Karp, known for being an eccentric leader, has run Palantir since 2004.
Alex Karp said if he were not running Palantir, he probably wouldn't be running another company — he'd be living like a "hermit" and focusing on his hobbies.
The billionaire CEO of the big-data analytics company made the comments on Monday while speaking at the Economic Club of New York.
When asked what he'd be doing if he wasn't leading Palantir, Karp said that while he is suited to running the defense contractor, he wasn't "built to run another company."
"I am a little bit of a hermit, and the minute they fire me, I'm going to be moving back to my hermit-like location and doing my hermit dance," he said, adding that involved things like reading, shooting guns, Tai Chi, and cross country skiing.
Karp also said he's an "introvert" and is not interested in running for office.
He added that he'd also spend time with some friends and might engage in some "debaucherous behavior," prompting laughter from the crowd.
Karp has gained a reputation as an eccentric leader in Silicon Valley known for being a health and wellness fanatic who keeps Tai Chi swords in his office.
Karp has been CEO of Palantir, which he cofounded, since 2004, building it into a multi-billion-dollar company and major government contractor.
During its earnings call earlier this month, the company reported US revenue growth of 52% year-over-year in the fourth quarter of 2024, beating analyst expectations. However, Palantir's stock has taken a hit over the past week due to the possibility of defense spending cuts.
During the talk on Monday, Karp also shared why he left academia. After attending law school at Stanford University, Karp pursued a Ph.D. in philosophy at a university in Germany.
"I left academia because I felt like I was almost always right, and it didn't matter because it was all politics," Karp said. "So I had to go into business because in business there is a deliverable."
A pair of former major league catchers on the 'Foul Territory' podcast expect the New York Yankees to land Nolan Arenado if the third baseman is traded.
The list of no's is growing for House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), and time isn't on his side.
Why it matters: Flipping votes on a budget resolution isn't impossible, but it could force Johnson to delay bringing it to the floor.
⏰ That would further undermine the House's effort to get "one big, beautiful bill" over to the Senate by the end of April.
💥 Two current public "no" votes, Reps. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) and Victoria Spartz (R-Ind.), say the spending cuts aren't enough.
🙉 At least one other Republican is a private "no" vote, Burchett told reporters Monday evening.
Johnson and his leadership team are projecting public confidence they will be able to pass the resolution Tuesday evening.
"There's a couple of folks who just have lingering questions," Johnson told reporters Monday, "but I think all those questions can be answered and we'll be able to move forward."
"We'll see," Johnson told reporters when asked if the vote is still on for Tuesday night. "But it'll happen this week."
🚨Johnson says he won't negotiate ahead of a vote, including with moderates who are concerned by Medicaid cuts.
"Everybody needs to understand that the resolution is merely the starting point for the process," Johnson said Monday, per Politico.
The big picture: Johnson sided with his most conservative lawmakers in building this budget package. Now they're threatening to leave him hanging.
"If the Republican budget passes, the deficit gets worse, not better," Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) posted on X.
Zoom in: Johnson is trying to fuse together 218 votes with the unusual combination of a huge debt limit increase, deep spending cuts and Trump's wish list on tax cuts.
Johnson has freaked out his moderates with the depth of the spending cut targets, which will be hard to hit without cuts to Medicaid and nutrition programs.
That's for naught if conservatives tank the bill first.
Zoom out: Some senior Republicans remained optimistic that the current framework — which will also add up to $4.5 trillion in tax breaks if Congress cuts $2 trillion in spending — will eventually find enough votes for passage.
"It's going to reduce the debt to GDP ratio," Budget Committee Chair Jodey Arrington (R-Texas) told reporters. "It's important to me and important to our president."
"I don't expect it to change," he said. "I feel like we landed at a really good place."
The federal agency that sent out an email over the weekend asking workers what they accomplished last week can't fire those workers for not responding, claims an amended lawsuit filed Monday on behalf of federal employees.
Why it matters: It's the latest potential legal stumbling block for DOGE and Elon Musk's slash-and-burn workforce strategy.
Catch up fast: Over the weekend, at President Trump's prodding to be more aggressive, Musk announced that workers would get an email asking what they'd done in the past week. "Failure to respond will be taken as a resignation," he said.
The email went out on Saturday to millions of workers — subject line "What did you do last week"? — causing confusion and an array of responses inside federal agencies, with many telling employees not to respond.
Crucially, the email did not threaten workers with termination.
Where it stands: On Monday afternoon, President Trump appeared to back Musk's threat — if employees don't respond to that email, "you're sort of semi-fired or you're fired," he said, answering reporter questions during an event with French President Emanuel Macron.
"A lot of people are not answering because they don't even exist."
Reality check: Musk and the White House have provided no evidence to back up that claim.
Zoom in: The Monday lawsuit amends an earlier complaint filed by a coalition of unions, including the AFL-CIO and American Federation of Government Employees.
It challenges the legality of mass firings of probationary workers — those that have been employed in their current roles for only a short time. Tens of thousands of such workers have been terminated, per the suit.
Only federal agencies have the ability to hire and fire their workers, the lawsuit says.
The Office of Personnel Management, the federal government's HR office, which sent out the email over the weekend, does not have that authority, the suit alleges.
"In creating OPM and delegating duties to its Director, Congress did not authorize OPM or its Director to order the termination of employees at any other federal agency."
The intrigue: Several federal agencies have told their workers not to respond to the email request.
If their agency does require a response, workers have until 11:59 pm Monday to do so.
After that, it's up to federal agencies to decide next steps, a White House official told Axios Monday afternoon — before President Trump's "semi-firing" comment.
What to watch: Also on Monday, an independent federal oversight agency said that some of the administration's mass firings of probationary workers were unlawful, per a report in Government Executive.
The bottom line: It's a confusing time to work for the federal government.
Editor's Note: This story has been updated with additional reporting on the firings of probationary workers.
"It has been so long since I have had a big crush or felt the butterfly feelings for a man. It's a little bit of a fairytale and my heart's happy," Juliana, 28, says during week three.
By week five of the show, Juliana is one of the seven remaining women. After patiently waiting all season, she finally gets to spend solo time with Grant during a one-on-one date in Scotland on Monday night's episode, and their connection grows even stronger.
Here's everything to know about Juliana.
Juliana has a job in finance
"The Bachelor" season 29 contestant Juliana during week one.
ABC
Grant is a day trader, and Juliana also has some ties to the financial sector. According to her LinkedIn profile, Juliana has been working as a client service associate at Winthrop Wealth, a wealth management firm, since May. She's also a social media manager for La Beautique Salon.
She graduated from Lasell College with a degree in marketing in 2018.
Juliana's family is the most important thing to her
"The Bachelor" season 29 contestant Juliana during week one.
ABC
In her intro package during the season premiere, Juliana says, "My family is like the center of my life."
"We're big, Italian, loud, crazy,'" she adds. "We really support each other."
Juliana also explains that she was cheated on a lot during a long relationship, which led her to a "dark place," but she credited her family with picking her up.
Juliana's ABC bio says that her parents were high school sweethearts, and she hopes to similarly find lasting love.
Based on the caption of one of her Instagram posts, Juliana's older sister signed her up for "The Bachelor" without telling her. Given how things are going with Juliana and Grant so far on the show, she may have to thank her sister.
She loves dogs
Juliana has a dog named Charlie and her ABC bio says that she "wants to own a dog-friendly bar one day."
"For a random $5-Walmart-parking-lot purchase, you sure turned out to be one of the biggest blessings," Juliana wrote in part on Instagram.
Juliana's bubbly disposition gets Grant's attention from the start
Juliana and Grant during "The Bachelor" season 29 premiere.
ABC
After sharing a cannoli with Grant during her limo entrance on night one, Juliana impresses the Bachelor with her piano skills later that evening.
"Juliana immediately has my attention," Grant says. "She has some skills that I definitely don't have. Not to mention, she's gorgeous. She's a talented woman and I love that."
Juliana also tells Grant that she's a bubbly person because of the love she got from her family. Although the competition begins with 25 women, Grant tells her that he has his eyes on her.
"I like your personality and you're beautiful," he tells her before they share their first kiss.
Their connection gets overshadowed by some of the drama throughout season 29, but Juliana does eventually get to spend time with Grant at a castle in Scotland.
"I just feel like a princess," Juliana says. "Cinderella can take a full backseat because this is like, next-level type of love."
New episodes of season 29 of "The Bachelor" premiere on Mondays.
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