• I made frozen fries using my oven, air fryer, grill, and stove to find the best cooking method.
• The air-fryer fries were the easiest to make, but the oven fries were the crispiest.
• Surprisingly, the winners were the panfried fries, which were the juiciest of the bunch.

French fries are hands down one of my top comfort foods. I can never resist picking up a small fry from a fast-food chain or heating some up after a night out. 

I usually make fries in the microwave when I'm feeling lazy, but I wanted to try leveling up.

I prepared a bag of frozen Ore-Ida shoestring fries in my oven, air fryer, pan, and grill to see which method would yield the best results. 

All I needed to panfry the frozen fries was a pan and some cooking oil.

I figured I'd start with the easiest household appliance to find — a simple pan. The Ore-Ida instructions said to heat ¼ cup of cooking oil in a large skillet over medium to high heat. 

I had vegetable oil handy, so I poured it into a pan and waited a few minutes for it to sizzle. 

After spreading out the fries in a thin layer, I waited for them to turn a nice golden brown.

I burned my first batch of panfried potatoes.

I'll admit, I wasn't paying close enough attention, and before I knew it, my pan was filled with dark brown, burned french fries. 

I forgot the most essential part of panfrying fries — turning them over frequently to avoid mishaps like this. I was too busy preheating my oven for the baked fries. 

Luckily, both my brother and father love crunchy fries, so they devoured this failed first batch.

This was a good opportunity to reuse the oil for my second batch.

Lacking confidence after my first attempt, I decided to stick with the amount of leftover oil in my pan and give the stove another chance. 

This time, I watched the pan and flipped my fries as often as I could. After about 10 minutes, I was satisfied with the golden, crispy fries and laid them out on a paper towel to soak up the extra oil. 

These fries were all-round perfection.

The stovetop fries were warm and juicy thanks to the vegetable oil, but they had a slightly toasty outer layer.

I couldn't imagine anything that could top this.

Next, I laid a layer of fries on a baking sheet to put in the oven.

My oven was already cranked up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit, so all I had to do was arrange the fries in a single layer on a baking sheet. 

I wasn't quite sure how long to leave these fries in the oven.

Following the instructions, I heated up half of the fries in the bag for 13 to 21 minutes until they were a light golden color. 

This seemed like such a wide range, so I punched in 15 minutes and hoped for the best.

The oven-baked fries were the most aesthetically pleasing.

I was pleasantly surprised by the end result of the baked fries — especially since I was hesitant about the cooking time. They looked practically perfect, similar to my favorite McDonald's version.

I completely forgot to flip them while they were cooking, but apparently, this wasn't a super necessary step for good results. 

They were warm and tasty but a little drier than the juicy panfried fries.

I turned to my air fryer for the next taste test.

Although I had high hopes for the air fryer at the start of this test, right off the bat, I knew this option was the least practical cooking appliance.

I could only fit a handful of fries in my small basket.

The air fryer was super easy to use.

I sprayed the basket with olive oil and cranked it to 400 F for 10 minutes.

This was actually one of the easiest appliances to use since I didn't have to monitor the fries as closely as the pan or oven.

The air-fried fries were almost perfect.

I was amazed at how easy it was to make fries in the air fryer. It required almost zero effort, and they came out nearly perfect with minimal cleanup.

These fries had a nice, crunchy outer layer and a soft middle. However, they weren't as juicy as the panfried fries.

Lastly, I used my grill to cook some fries.

Making frozen fries on the grill doesn't seem much different than searing potato wedges.

I also thought it might be a nice option if I'm already grilling hot dogs, burgers, or chicken for dinner. 

The grill was easy to use, and it cooked the fries quickly.

I covered the grates with aluminum foil and threw a fistful of fries on top for 15 minutes.

They cooked pretty quickly and even had some nice char marks on them. 

I could imagine these fries served Greek-style, with lots of lemon juice and oregano.

These fries were also crispy with some nice smoky flavor, but they were still too dry and tough for my taste.

Although the small char marks were nice, the fries didn't turn golden brown and stayed somewhat pale despite being cooked thoroughly.

The stove was an easy winner, but the air fryer was a close second.

Although I struggled the most with the pan, it yielded the juiciest, crispiest fries. They got a bit soggy after a few minutes, but I honestly like them like that, too.

The air fryer was a close second, even though I could only cook a small pile of fries at a time. I could see future uses for my oven and grill as well.

Regardless of the method, next time, I'll definitely spice up the frozen fries by tossing them with salt and pepper or even oregano.

This story was originally published in August 2023 and most recently updated on February 24, 2025.

Click to check out the other appliances we've put head-to-head so far.

• I have enjoyed visiting Italy, and one of my favorite spots for avoiding tons of crowds is Bologna.
• The walkable city welcomes fewer crowds than its popular neighbors, such as Florence and Rome.
• Bologna also has world-renowned cuisine, rich history, and beautiful architecture.

While in Italy, I wanted to experience the country's finest food, art, and architecture while doing my best to avoid crowds. I was very successful at doing this in Bologna.

First of all, I appreciate that the city is far less visited than some of Italy's most popular destinations. Last year, Bologna welcomed millions fewer visitors than Florence and over 20 million fewer than Rome.

The walkable Northern Italian city also won me over with its beautiful rose- and rust-colored buildings that blend in with the hues of a sunset.

Although Bologna's relatively fewer tourists make it an appealing travel destination, that's just one of many reasons to plan a trip here.

It's a culinary haven

Bologna is affectionately nicknamed "La Grassa," which translates to "the fat" and reflects what the city is best known for: its amazing cuisine.

In fact, Bologna and the surrounding Emilia-Romagna region are the original home to many famous Italian foods such as Parmigiano Reggiano, tagliatelle al ragù, balsamic vinegar, tortellini, and mortadella.

One way to explore the famous local cuisine is by taking a food tour. However, it's not necessary. I took a spontaneous approach, dining at various restaurants ranging from big spots with the best reviews to smaller, lesser-known ones that I stumbled upon during my trip.

No matter where I ate in Bologna, I had a cozy, authentically-Italian-feeling experience. I didn't feel like I encountered dining tourist traps, which wasn't the case in Florence.

A culinary highlight of the trip was the fresh handmade pasta I ate at Sfoglia Rina, a cozy trattoria with a long tradition of producing and serving handmade pasta since its inception in 1963.

Lastly, I highly suggest taking a stroll in the medieval streets of Quadrilatero, Bologna's ancient market. It's the perfect place for a culinary adventure with its fresh produce and street food.

Bologna is also a must-visit destination for art and architecture lovers

If you appreciate beautiful architecture and are an aesthete, Bologna should be a must-visit city. It's also pedestrian-friendly, so pack your comfiest walking shoes and get ready to explore.

Start at the Piazza Maggiore, the city's central square, and check out one of its most important buildings, the Basilica di San Petronio. Then, stop by and marvel at the famous Neptune Fountain in Piazza del Nettuno, just a short distance away.

Enjoy walking below Bologna's famous porticoes, which have been recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. They're said to be a symbol of Bologna's hospitality and sociability, offering visitors shelter in all seasons.

The Archiginnasio, which dates back to the 16th century, is another must-visit place in Bologna. It houses a centuries-old municipal library and a theater hall that was once used for anatomical displays and lectures.

Many will also appreciate its proximity to other popular spots in Italy

You could easily spend a few days here, leisurely taking in its old-world charms. While in the area, you can check out other nearby towns in the Emilia-Romagna region, like Modena or Parma.

This year, Bologna may be an especially attractive city to include in your Italian itinerary if you want to dodge the millions of pilgrims expected to congregate in Rome for the Jubilee.

Once you feel you are ready to brave more hordes of tourists, though, take advantage of the city's location and the fact that it is one of the main railway hubs in Italy.

By train, Bologna is less than an hour from Florence, about two hours from Rome, and an hour and a half from Venice.

• The Office of Personnel Management asked federal workers to email a list of their accomplishments over the past week.
• A number of federal agencies told their employees that they were not required to respond.
• Some agencies said a response is voluntary, while others said they would respond on employees' behalf.

Some federal agencies' response to Elon Musk's worker productivity email: thanks, but no thanks.

A growing number of agencies are telling their workers that they are not required to respond to the email sent from the Office of Personnel Management over the weekend asking for a list of accomplishments from the past week.

According to emails reviewed by Business Insider, some of the agencies told employees that they would respond to OPM on their behalf. Others said a response is voluntary, and failure to respond will not result in any penalties.

In a post on X on Saturday, Musk said that "failure to respond will be taken as a resignation," but the initial email didn't make the same claim. This comes after a tumultuous past few weeks for federal workers; a number of agencies terminated thousands of employees last week following directions from President Donald Trump and Musk's DOGE to slash government waste.

These are the federal agencies BI has verified that have so far told their workers that they do not need to respond to OPM's email ahead of the 11:59 p.m. Eastern time deadline on Monday night.

Department of Defense

The Department of Defense posted on X on Sunday that its employees should "pause any response" to the OPM's email.

"The Department of Defense is responsible for reviewing the performance of its personnel and it will conduct any review in accordance with its own procedures," the statement said.

Social Security Administration

On Sunday, the Social Security Administration sent an email to its employees telling them that the OPM email is "a legitimate assignment" and those who received it were required to respond.

However, the agency followed up on Monday afternoon telling employees that any response is "voluntary."

"Non-responses are not considered a resignation," the email said.

NASA

NASA emailed its employees on Monday afternoon saying, "You are not required to respond, and there is no impact on your employment with the agency if you choose not to respond."

The agency said it would respond on employees' behalf and that "employees should continue to feel empowered to report their activities and accomplishments" to their supervisors.

Department of Justice

Jolene Ann Lauria, acting assistant attorney general for administration at the DOJ, emailed employees on Monday: "Due to the confidential and sensitive nature of the Department's work, DOJ employees do not need to respond to the email from OPM."

Bloomberg Law reported that this was a reversal of Lauria's earlier guidance that instructed employees to respond to the email.

Department of Agriculture

The USDA told employees on Monday afternoon that responding to the email is "voluntary," and that "there is no penalty for not responding to the request."

The USDA guidance said that those who do choose to respond should refrain from submitting any sensitive or confidential information.

State Department

The State Department told employees that it would respond on behalf of the agency.

"No employee is obligated to report their activities outside of their Department chain of command," the department said.

Department of Energy

The Department of Energy emailed its employees on Sunday night, instructing them to "pause" any responses to the OPM email.

"The Department of Energy is responsible for reviewing the performance of its personnel and will conduct any review in accordance with its own procedures," the department said. "When and if required, the Department will provide a coordinated response to the OPM email."

Are you a federal worker? Got a tip? Contact these reporters securely on Signal at the usernames asheffey.97 or alicetecotzky.05, or email them at [email protected] or [email protected].

• Nvidia finally has a chance to tell investors why their violent reaction to DeepSeek was a mistake.
• The chip giant's Wednesday earnings are the first since DeepSeek's AI sparked market panic.
• Key areas to watch are data center revenue, Blackwell's ramp-up, inference demand, and policy.

When Nvidia reports earnings on Wednesday, the chip giant will have the chance to tell investors why it thinks their intense reaction to the rise of DeepSeek was a mistake — or change the subject entirely.

Heading into 2025, Nvidia's rule looked unassailable as Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, and others lined up for its chips. That is until Chinese startup DeepSeek released R1, an open-source reasoning model with benchmark results to rival OpenAI's o1 model.

Critically, R1 was reportedly produced with fewer and less powerful chips than o1.

"DeepSeek's remarkable feat has shaken the industry's assumptions about how much capital or GPU chips a company needs to stay ahead of the competition," Barclays analysts wrote last month.

Although Nvidia has largely recovered from the violent reaction markets had to DeepSeek — the chip firm lost $600 billion in market capitalization in one day to mark the biggest single drop in US market history — CEO Jensen Huang will need to show investors the party is nowhere near over and that the promise of AI isn't overhyped. Huang previewed his argument at a virtual event broadcast Thursday where he said investors had misinterpreted the signals of DeepSeek.

As Nvidia prepares to address investors officially for the first time since the DeepSeek saga, here's what to look out for in its earnings.

Data center revenue

Analysts predict Nvidia's revenue, especially in its all-important data center business, will keep rising — bolstered by already-announced forthcoming data center buildouts.

From Stargate, with $500 billion in expected spending, to Meta forecasting an additional $65 billion in data centers this year, to Amazon forecasting $100 billion more computing power earlier this month, Nvidia's customers are still lining up.

It will offer Nvidia fresh evidence to present to investors concerned that DeepSeek's claim to use chips more efficiently — a key driver in lowering costs — would hurt demand.

"Despite DeepSeek's supposed 'revolutionary' optimizations, there is no change thus far to spending intentions at NVDA large customers including Microsoft and Meta," Bank of America analyst Vivek Arya wrote in a note to investors in early February.

Model improvements, paired with big data center buildouts, are another favorable evidence point for Nvidia.

Grok 3, Musk's latest model from xAI, is receiving praise for its performance. Musk's firms also recently collaborated on its second data center with roughly 12,000 Nvidia GPUs, BI exclusively reported.

Musk has been aggressively adding to the fleet of GPU-packed data centers supporting Grok, suggesting a link between progress and infrastructure.

Model builders and hyperscalers still have their eyes on artificial general intelligence, and cheaper, highly functional models like DeepSeek won't impact that pursuit, Morgan Stanley analysts told investors in a note from last week.

Blackwell ramp-up

Nvidia's latest and most powerful chip series, Blackwell, has struggled with a slow rollout due to manufacturing and overheating issues. Analysts, however, are expecting the company to report a strong ramp-up.

"Demand for Blackwell is very strong and will outstrip supply for several quarters," Synovus senior portfolio manager Daniel Morgan said in an investor note last week.

UBS's Timothy Arcuri wrote that after much consternation, investor fears of a botched rollout are relaxing, and strong sales numbers could put them fully at ease.

UBS analysts also said the fourth quarter was the last in which Blackwell chips won't make up the majority of Nvidia's GPU sales. Investors will likely favor that shift because Blackwell brings with it higher profit margins.

Nvidia's buzzy GTC conference will take place in San Jose, CA, next month, marking the first anniversary of Blackwell's debut.

Inference and applications

Further growth in inference demand would also be a proof point for Huang's theory of investor error surrounding the DeepSeek rout. Demand for inference, the process of using and improving models once they've been trained, increases when consumers and businesses find value in AI tools.

Investors will likely want to see the share of AI workloads continue to shift to inference, which also requires GPUs to run. On the company's last call in November, Huang repeatedly said that inference across Nvidia's platforms was growing.

Growth in the software layers of Nvidia's tech stack would be a good sign, too. This would suggest maturity in AI products and lend strength to a part of its business that's potentially even more difficult to compete with than the chips themselves.

"What Nvidia talks about on its long-term moats and its possible deployment on the AI application side probably matters more this time," Morgan Stanley analysts wrote in a note to investors Friday.

Worldwide wild card

Investors will also be looking for any signals from Nvidia about the company's approach to China as President Donald Trump threatens to upend business relations with the country.

Just before the end of his term, former President Joe Biden initiated new regulations on the export of high-powered chips like Nvidia's GPUs, which are in the midst of a 120-day comment period. Many policy analysts expect Trump to allow the rules to take effect as they align with his "America First" agenda, though Trump has yet to directly address them.

As Trump said last month, AI leadership is critical to ensuring "economic and national security."

Last month, Trump also threatened to impose tariffs on Taiwan, home of Nvidia's chip manufacturing partner, TSMC. Tariffs could lead to increased costs for Nvidia. Huang met with the president at the White House last month, but neither party provided details of the discussion.

Although Nvidia's share price has recovered much of its DeepSeek-induced losses, the $3 trillion juggernaut faces various potential headwinds. Huang's job Wednesday will be to reassure investors that those headwinds will be mild and reaffirm that Nvidia remains fundamental to the AI story.

• Rep. Rich McCormick faced a town hall full of constituents angry over DOGE last week.
• Now, he seems the government-efficiency initiative is moving too quickly.
• "I'm concerned that maybe we're moving a little bit too fast," he said.

Last week, Rep. Rich McCormick faced a town hall full of voters angry about President Donald Trump and the Department of Government Efficiency's swift reshaping of the federal government.

Now, the Georgia Republican says he's worried the government-efficiency initiative is moving too quickly.

"I'm not against anything he's doing, but I'm concerned," McCormick said on the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's "Politically Georgia" podcast on Monday. "I'm concerned that maybe we're moving a little bit too fast."

At a town hall in Roswell, Georgia on Thursday night, McCormick fielded a variety of contentious questions about the Trump administration's recent moves, with many of the questions focusing on the firing of federal workers and the cutting of certain programs.

The Georgia congressman, who represents a conservative-leaning district, said on Monday that he'd prefer a more methodical approach to cutting than the rapid pace that Elon Musk's DOGE is setting, including the shuttering of entire government agencies.

"We should have impact studies on each department as we do it, and I'm sure they can do that," McCormick said. "But I think if we're moving really, really rapidly, we don't know the impact."

McCormick also suggested that he's not the only House Republican who's concerned by the pace of DOGE's work.

"I think there's debate of how rapidly we're moving," McCormick said. "Some people who are very conservative also think we should move much more slowly."

In response to a request for comment, White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said in a statement to BI that Trump has "enjoyed broad support" for his cost-cutting initiatives.

"The spending freeze is already uncovering waste, fraud, and abuse across federal agencies and ensuring better stewardship of taxpayer dollars, including for American farmers and families," Kelly said. "Ultimately, President Trump will cut programs that do not serve the interests of the American people and keep programs that put America First, just as 77 million voters elected him to do."

• Some 60,000 DoorDash delivery workers will split a $16.75M settlement, NY officials said Monday.
• The settlement ends a probe into deceptive tipping practices and works out to $10K-$14K per driver.
• DoorDash used tips to offset driver salaries, deceiving customers and workers, AG Letitia James said.

DoorDash will pay a $16.75 million settlement to resolve a probe led by New York officials into the delivery platform's tipping practices.

The settlement will be split among some 60,000 delivery workers — known as "Dashers" — and works out to between $10,000 and $14,000 per worker, New York Attorney General Letitia James said Monday.

For years, DoorDash used tips to offset what it paid its Dashers, James told reporters in announcing the settlement.

In an example provided by James, if Dashers were offered a guaranteed amount of $10 for a delivery, and the customer did not tip, DoorDash would pay the Dasher the promised $10.

But if the customer tipped $3, then DoorDash would let the Dasher keep that tip and pay only $7 out of its own corporate coffers.

The practice was kept secret from customers and DoorDash delivery workers, James said. Dashers did not know that their tips were not adding to their income, she said. And customers had no idea that their tips were not subsidizing their Dashers' incomes and were instead helping the company save money.

New York, which also worked with Illinois and DC on the probe, gained access to communications among DoorDash executives who worried that their Dashers would "figure out" what was going on, James told reporters.

"Doordash executives knew how deceptive this policy was," she said. "They knew it wasn't right but they did it anyway."

Under the settlement, the New York AG's office will set up a website for Dashers to use to claim their money. DoorDash will be required to end the tip-sharing practice and lack of transparency in how tips are handled, and for the next three years must report to the AG's office every 6 months on compliance.

A DoorDash spokesperson could not immediately be reached for comment.

The world's supply of Brie and Camembert could be in danger. One mold, called Penicillium camemberti, is responsible for the cheeses' iconic white rinds and creamy, tangy centers. But the qualities that once made it a star of the cheese world are becoming a liability — driving some to hunt for colorful fungi in the wild to make completely new cheeses. So, are these famous French cheeses really facing catastrophe? And what does this mean for cheese lovers around the world?

• Donald Trump is threatening Europe on behalf of Big Tech.
• Donald Trump is also telling Big Tech to watch its step.
• Does Trump mean both things? Or maybe one thing at one time, and a different thing at another? Maybe.

Fact: The Trump administration is fighting with European regulators, arguing that they are too harsh on American tech companies.

Also a fact: The Trump administration says it is going to regulate American tech companies because they have "too much power."

That's a confusing, but accurate, summary of the new administration's relationship with Big Tech. On the one hand, it is gearing up for a brawl with European lawmakers who have been punishing the likes of Apple, Google, and Meta for perceived antitrust violations. On the other, it is warning Big Tech companies that it will be watching for signs that the platforms are behaving badly.

We got to see both sides of that positioning last week, via two memos from the administration. On Thursday, Trump's Federal Trade Commission announced an "Inquiry on Tech Censorship," aimed at "technology platforms [that] deny or degrade users' access to services based on the content of their speech or affiliations."

Platformer's Casey Newton speculates that the FTC's effort "seems designed to unearth cherry-picked anecdotes that favor one political party," and that seems right to me. I would certainly be surprised if the FTC spends a lot of time looking at the way Twitter/X has shifted very far to the right under Elon Musk's ownership.

But a day later, team Trump also offered Big Tech companies a chance at something they really, really want: Relief from European regulation, in the form of a memo announcing that the federal government will be "defending American companies from extortion."

The short summary of that one: Trump says he will threaten tariffs against countries that use "taxes, fines, practices, and policies that foreign governments levy on American companies."

Which happens to be exactly what tech leaders, including Mark Zuckerberg, have been asking Trump to do (and why Zuckerberg and his Meta reps have been referring to European regulation as "almost like a tariff" for the last few weeks).

One way to look at the two different tech messages coming out of Trump's White House could be a basic carrot and stick: We'll fight the Europeans on your behalf — but you'd better toe the line at home.

But another lens could simply be about different messages for different audiences: Trump tells the men running some of the biggest companies in the world — the ones lined up behind him at his inauguration — that he'll work on their behalf. Meanwhile, his proxies tell Trump voters that they're keeping up the pressure on Big Tech, just like they promised. Like last month's JD Vance interview with CBS' "Face the Nation", when the vice president announced that "we believe fundamentally that Big Tech does have too much power," and that the companies need to "stop engaging in censorship."

As always, we'll need to see what Trump et al actually do because announcing investigations and threatening tariffs are one thing — following up is another. Seeing where the administration puts its energy will be telling.

• I had doubts about attending the University of Connecticut, a state school.
• Before jumping at the chance to transfer, I decided to try to make the best of my current college.
• I ultimately decided transferring to urban Boston University was the best decision for me.

I always knew that the University of Connecticut wasn't the right place for me.

Despite UConn's stellar academics, its rural campus offered little appeal to me. Plus, its emphasis on science and engineering didn't align with my creative interests.

I had been rejected from all three of my top schools and only landed on UConn because it was the cheapest tuition. With my decision to attend UConn, my dreams of leaving Connecticut and going to school in a city came to a swift end. That was a hard pill to swallow.

Nevertheless, in August 2023, I packed up my bags, stuffed them into the back of my mom's car, and started my college journey. I joined clubs, made friends, and even pushed myself to take on new challenges. However, despite trying to make the best of UConn, my desire to go to a different school persisted.

I originally struggled to adapt as a freshman

As someone who never quite found their place in high school, I romanticized the idea of college. Coming to UConn, I had very rigid expectations for myself and my experience.

I never stopped to consider the challenges I might face or the possibility that I wouldn't love every minute of my time there. I expected everything to fall into place as soon as I arrived, and when it didn't, I felt lost.

I knew I wanted to be somewhere else, but I had no idea what that place was or how to get there.

I turned to a close friend, who had transferred the year before, for advice. She told me that the key to a successful transition was to "make sure the reason you're transferring has something to do with the school."

This advice stuck with me. The transition to college is hard, and it's important to acknowledge that it's not always going to be a smooth ride. I had to make sure that the problem was the school itself — not my struggle to adapt to this new life change.

I knew then that I couldn't just flee UConn because I was struggling. I had to settle in and see if it really was the wrong place for me.

I tried to make the best of UConn, but it just wasn't the right school

Coming back from winter break, I decided to give my second semester at UConn my best shot. I came into the spring semester with a more open-minded approach. I hosted my own radio show, became the social media manager of one of my clubs, and continued to develop deep connections.

By the time April came, I had turned my experience around. Yet, despite my newfound happiness, my desire to transfer continued to linger.

The moment I truly knew it was time to transfer came in the middle of March. I was walking back to my dorm room after a night spent with friends, laughing. I remember taking in my surroundings, the cool winter air, and thinking to myself, "This is great, but I have to go."

I ultimately transferred because I was unhappy in a rural environment.

I'm glad I transferred colleges based on something I could fix — not because I was searching for something unrealistic or intangible. If I had, I might have experienced the same challenges I did at UConn.

I'm glad I gave myself the time to explore my options

I transferred to Boston University, and the urban environment was the right fit for me.

During my process as a transfer, I've learned that it's easy to want to leave when the going gets tough. But I quickly realized it wasn't just a difficult transition; my school of choice was the problem. It just wasn't the right fit.

Ultimately, you know what's best for you, but it's also important to give yourself time to settle and adjust — and then you can make a definitive decision.

The time I spent at UConn was definitely transformative. It taught me a lot about myself — how I handle stress, how I deal with new environments, and what I value in a community.

But it also reinforced the idea that if something doesn't feel right, it's OK to move on.

• JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon defended some of his previous comments on DEI and WFH.
• He said he he's not against work from home, but he's against it where it doesn't work.
• He identified some DEI efforts as wasteful, but he said the bank is committed to diverse communities.

Many people have piled into the work-from-home debate that's been amplified by Jamie Dimon's testy comments. Now Dimon has something he wants to say back to them.

During a CNBC interview from JPMorgan's global leveraged finance conference in Miami, Dimon was quick to acknowledge some of his faults.

"I should never curse, ever. That — OK. And I shouldn't get angry or stuff like that," Dimon said.

But he also didn't waste much time before defending his stance on pulling employees back to the office five days a week, a mandate that is set to go into effect for most employees starting March 3.

"I completely respect people that don't want to go to the office all five days a week. That's your right. It's my right. It's the citizen's right. But they should respect that the company is going to decide what's good for the client, the company, et cetera, not an individual," Dimon said.

"They can get a job — I'm not being mean — to get a job elsewhere, I totally understand that it may make total sense for them to do that," he added.

Dimon was defending some fiery comments he made during an internal town hall meeting in February, the audio of which was leaked by Barron's. In it, Dimon complained that there's "not a god-damn person" he can get a hold of on Fridays, and griped about employees not paying attention on "fucking Zoom."

Dimon pointed out that "we do have 10% of jobs that are full-time at home," highlighting virtual call centers in Baltimore and Detroit.

"I'm not against work from home. I'm against where it doesn't work," Dimon said.

Employees during the town hall and afterward have spoken out about some of the drawbacks of being back in the office full time. A petition against the in-office mandate has collected more than 1700 signatures. During the town hall, Dimon said he didn't care about how much support the petition garnered and reiterated that during the Monday interview.

"That's fine. They have the right to feel that way. But we're not going to change. We're going back to the office and I'm sure when we do, there'll be some seats not available. But for the most part, most of our people understand why we need to do it."

During the town hall, Dimon also sounded off on the bank's DEI-related programs, reportedly saying "I saw how we were spending money on some of this stupid shit, and it really pissed me off," and threatening to cancel them because "I don't like wasted money in bureaucracy."

He expanded Monday that what he found specifically wasteful was training programs that don't work, or too many of them, and hiring outside consultants for meetings and events. He also said a lot of small programs grew over time and should be consolidated.

"All very rational," he said about those inefficiencies.

He maintained that the bank is "still going to reach out to the black, Hispanic, LGBT, veteran, disabled communities. We're not changing that."

• Based in Houston, 3 Men Movers is a privately owned moving company.
• The small business uses AI to reduce driver distraction and find the most efficient routes.
• This article is part of "How AI is Changing Everything: Small Business," a series exploring how small businesses are using AI for success.

More than 25 million Americans move each year. And they expect their most precious items to arrive in one piece — whether they're traveling hundreds or thousands of miles.

So moving companies such as Texas' 3 Men Movers are increasingly turning to AI to meet these expectations.

Founded in 1985, long before artificial intelligence was ubiquitous, 3 Men Movers has adapted its business for the digital age. The company started testing and implementing AI-powered solutions in the late 2010s, its CEO, Jacky Fischer, said.

Today, 3 Men Movers uses the technology to detect distracted drivers and optimize route planning. It's just one of the millions of small businesses in the US that leverage AI in their everyday operations, illustrating how much the technology has redefined business.

Creating an AI-powered moving company

Higher insurance costs and steadily growing accident rates led Fischer's team to implement AI. The company also wanted to improve efficiency and reduce costs, critical in the fiercely competitive moving industry.

"To prosper, we had to focus on safety and liability as early as possible," Fischer said in an email interview.

To improve safety, the company installed cameras in the driver's cabin. Live video is transferred to its server through an AI-enabled distracted-driver detection system. The system is trained to recognize when a driver is using a smartphone, eating, drinking, doing some personal grooming, smoking, or even yawning. If it detects distracted behavior, both the driver and the supervisor receive a notification.

In addition, 3 Men Movers uses advanced open-source routing-machine technology, which identifies the best routes between points.

"There is a big misconception that AI was born in 2020 with the launch of ChatGPT," Fischer said. "While it was a major turning point in AI adoption, machine learning and data analytics for OSRM were already used in pioneering industries such as finance, telecommunications, and logistics."

The tech helps drivers at 3 Men Movers avoid high-traffic areas, high-crime zones, places with high crash rates, restricted areas, and even environmental hazards. It also allows the company to route in the most optimal way that will avoid liability and reduce risks, Fischer said.

Balancing AI benefits and risks

So far, implementing AI has paid dividends for 3 Men Movers. Comparing the AI detection reports to manual reports, the company has determined that the distracted driver detection system has an accuracy of 91% and prevents 80% of distractions. In the first three months of use, the system reduced the company's accident rate by 4.5%, according to Fischer.

Despite these results, implementing AI wasn't seamless. One of the biggest challenges, Fischer said, was integrating the distracted-driver detection system. Some of the initial products the company tried returned too many false positives, such as misinterpreting a driver's moving patterns at different speeds.

"It was quite challenging to keep the balance between staying competitive and avoiding more drawbacks than benefits due to adopting bleeding-edge tech," Fischer said. "This is why we always keep an eye on the benchmarks and do microtests before adopting any tech, including AI."

Fischer added that testing is key for any small business adopting AI. She urges other small-business owners to remember the risks of AI. To validate the technology, companies should always ask tech providers for proof points, such as case studies, information on how their results compare with industry benchmarks, and who will be responsible for implementation and false positives or hallucinations, meaning when AI tools deliver misleading or inaccurate results.

Along with testing, Fischer said transparency is critical for AI implementation. Her company is transparent with its team about when, how, and why the AI solution is interacting with them and their data. The company has also created a feedback loop so that every team member can share their suggestions and complaints about each solution.

"AI will only augment and empower," Fischer said, "but it will never replace or lead the people."

• MrBeast discussed his propensity for extreme risk and discomfort on "The Diary of a CEO" podcast.
• He said negativity has led him to cultivate a stronger sense of self.
• Donaldson also said attention to detail has been key to the growth of his chocolate startup Feastables.

What are MrBeast's secrets to business success?

From his propensity for risk and discomfort to his obsession with detail, Jimmy "MrBeast" Donaldson shared some of the traits behind his success in a wide-ranging interview on "The Diary of a CEO" podcast.

Donaldson discussed his tips for hiring and detailed how navigating negativity both inside and outside his companies has helped him develop a deeper sense of self.

A representative for MrBeast declined to comment.

Here are five of the biggest takeaways:

1. Long-term employee retention is the 'eighth wonder of the world'

Donaldson said a core component of his success is the people that he surrounds himself with.

"I feed off the energy of the people around me," he said. "I start to talk like them, I become interested in the things they're interested in."

In terms of hiring, he said he seeks coachable candidates who see the value in his mission. The worst trait in a potential hire? Mediocrity.

He said cultivating employees who stick around for the long haul is like the "eighth wonder of the world" in business.

"What I like is I train someone for a year, and then I get nine years of dividends on the back-end where they crush at their job — and I'm constantly paying them more because they're becoming more valuable with time," he said.

2. Negativity has helped him cultivate a stronger sense of self

Given the scale of his reach, Donaldson said that negativity — including from former employees and viewers — is inevitable.

But it's taught him not to let the whims of the internet determine who he is.

He also said that, ultimately, his motivations are simpler than the rumor mill might suggest.

"It's funny — the more good you do, the more people think you're secretly evil," Donaldson said. "In my opinion, a world where I help people is just more fun than a world where I don't."

3. An obsession with detail

While Donaldson rose to renown as a YouTuber, he said building his chocolate company, Feastables, now scratches a similar itch.

"I just really love solving consistent, complex, hard problems," he said. "I think that's what gets me out of bed — and the harder the problem, the more exciting it is."

Donaldson said that Feastables does "nine figures" and emphasizes ethical sourcing.

As an example of his attention to detail, he said he noticed early on that boxes on store shelves were toppling due to their design and weight distribution. So, Donaldson said he paid people to put GoPro cameras in Walmart aisles to investigate the issue, and then he hired a package engineer to right the ship.

"All these little things add up," he said.

4. 'I don't really feel risk'

Early on in his YouTube career, when he was reinvesting most of his earnings into future videos, Donaldson said his mother balked at his propensity for risk, secretly setting aside $5,000 in his bank account for savings.

When he found out, he ended up reinvesting it in his YouTube business.

"I don't really feel risk — if anything, risk excites me, and I have a very high threshold for it," he said.

As time went on and he became increasingly successful, Donald said his mother learned to trust him.

5. A willingness to be uncomfortable sets him apart

From burying himself alive to spending time on a deserted island — to traveling for a majority of the year in order to film all of his ambitious stunts — Donaldson said his willingness to endure hard things sets him apart from competitors.

"If my mental health was a priority, I wouldn't be as successful as I am," he said.

And remaining uncomfortable over the years has created a unique advantage.

"Something I always tell myself," he continued, "is 'How you feel right now is why no one else does what you do — and if you push through this, that's just even more reason why no one will ever be who you are.'"

• DOGE has asked federal workers to list five things they did last week in an email due Monday night.
• Would you do it? Or just be mad about it?
• We want to know! Tell us in this form.

Let's say you're a great employee. You're diligent, hardworking, effective, and well-liked around the water cooler. You file your expense reports on time, remember the names of your coworkers' kids, and never microwave fish in the kitchenette.

Or maybe you're bad at your job and a nightmare to be around. I don't know your life, and I don't judge. Either way.

Suddenly, your boss's boss's boss (or some vague HR group but not quite HR) is asking you for a list of five things you did last week. And if you don't respond to the email by midnight, it will count as your resignation.

I know this sounds improbable, but just close your eyes and picture it.

So, what do you do?

Do you say, "screw this," and not reply because it seems like a ridiculous mind game meant to intimidate you and devalue the actual work you do?

Do you respond with some form of malicious compliance, listing off some stupid answer — maybe just a single word for each bullet point, or something 10,000 words long and trollish? Maybe use this AI chatbot?

Or do you just accept that this is another annoying requirement at work, like a two-hour compliance training webinar or eating sheet cake at 11 a.m. for the boss's birthday, and just do the thing because you have to?

Or perhaps you view this completely differently — a welcome chance to boast about your accomplishments and remind your managers that you are a valued contributor to the team and the mission.

Perhaps it's even a chance to point out that you've been doing duties that are above and beyond your job description. Hey, you could even use it as a chance to knife your colleagues in the back and write down, "Taught Steve how to add rows in Excel (again)."

(Steve, you know what you did, and you had it coming.)

I want to know what you, an actual human person, would do in this situation. Obviously, there are many federal workers who are figuring this out and weighing these options right now. But, honestly, think hard within yourself and, like … what would you do?

Tell us! Here's a Google form to fill out. It's got a poll and space for you to tell us what you'd say. It's anonymous (unless you want to tell us who you are) and easy. Or at least I guarantee it'll be more painless than actually having to do your real job.

Tell Us What You Did Last Week. [Google Form]

• Joann said it has reached a deal to sell its assets and wind down operations.
• Earlier this month, the company planned to close around 500 stores.
• The fabric and crafts chain experienced two rounds of Chapter 11 bankruptcy in less than a year.

Joann has reached the end of its thread.

The fabric and crafts chain said Sunday that it has reached a deal to sell its assets and wind down operations, including closing around 300 remaining stores.

"We deeply appreciate our dedicated Team Members, our customers and communities across the nation for their unwavering support for more than 80 years," the company said in a statement.

Earlier this month, the company planned to close around 500 stores as it navigated its second round of Chapter 11 bankruptcy in less than a year.

Eight in 10 Joann shoppers surveyed earlier this month by Numerator said they were upset about the news that some of the chain's stores were closing.

Numerator said that three-quarters of those said they were most likely to shop at Michael's or Hobby Lobby as an alternative, about half said they'd shop online, and nearly 40% said they'd go to large stores like Walmart or Target.

The news follows a rough start to the year for retailers, including Party City and Big Lots, which said they are closing 700 and 480 stores, respectively. A Business Insider tally finds more than 2,500 locations are set to close this year so far.

• Starbucks announced on Monday it would be laying off 1,100 corporate employees.
• The coffee chain also said it would be removing 13 menu items on March 4.
• Among the menu items disappearing are nine of the chain's Frappuccino drinks.

Starbucks is shaking up its menu, trimming down offerings as part of a wave of bigger changes at the company.

A Starbucks representative told Business Insider the chain is removing several items from its menu that are less popular with guests, can be difficult or time-consuming to make, or are similar to other items on the menu.

"As part of our plan to get back to Starbucks, we're simplifying our menu to focus on fewer, more popular items, executed with excellence," the chain told Business Insider in an email. "This will make way for innovation, help reduce wait times, improve quality and consistency, and align with our core identity as a coffee company."

Starbucks plans to reduce its menu by roughly 30% by September.

The changes will make room for new menu items, as well as Starbucks' soon-to-be-released spring menu, which includes its lavender beverages lineup and a new drink, the Iced Cherry Chai.

A majority of the cut menu items include its Frappuccino offerings, as well as its matcha lemonade and Honey Almondmilk Flat White.

The changes come amid other shakeups at the company as it seeks to turn around declining sales. On Monday, Brian Niccol, who joined Starbucks as its CEO in September, announced the company would lay off 1,100 corporate employees this week.

"We are simplifying our structure, removing layers and duplication and creating smaller, more nimble teams," Niccol said in a letter sent to employees. "Our intent is to operate more efficiently, increase accountability, reduce complexity and drive better integration."

The company said that employees affected by the layoffs will be notified by midday Tuesday. Starbucks store employees will not be affected by the layoffs.

Here's the full list of Starbucks menu items being removed on March 4

1. Iced Matcha Lemonade
2. Espresso Frappuccino
3. Caffè Vanilla Frappuccino
4. White Chocolate Mocha Frappuccino
5. Java Chip Frappuccino
6. Chai Crème Frappuccino
7. Caramel Ribbon Crunch Crème Frappuccino
8. Double Chocolaty Chip Crème Frappuccino
9. Chocolate Cookie Crumble Crème Frappuccino
10. White Chocolate Crème Frappuccino
11. White Hot Chocolate
12. Royal English Breakfast Latte
13. Honey Almondmilk Flat White

• An AI-generated video of Trump sucking Musk's toes was shown on TVs at the HUD office.
• The video was emblazoned with the text: "LONG LIVE THE REAL KING."
• "Another waste of taxpayer dollars and resources," a HUD spokesperson said about the video.

When some employees at the Department of Housing and Urban Development came into work on Monday morning, they were greeted with an unexpected sight: office TVs showing what appeared to be an AI-generated video of President Donald Trump sucking the toes of Elon Musk underneath a text that read, "LONG LIVE THE REAL KING."

It's unclear how widely the video was distributed or how long it was displayed. One HUD employee said that by the time they arrived at the building, just before 9 a.m., the video was no longer showing.

"Another waste of taxpayer dollars and resources. Appropriate action will be taken for all involved," HUD spokesperson Kasey Lovett said in a statement to Business Insider.

The White House and Musk did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment.

Two recordings seen by BI seem to show different monitors in the building displaying the video. AFGE union officials also said that they had verified the video was shown at HUD.

According to one HUD worker, the video was all the buzz among staffers this morning, with coworkers passing along their own accounts of the monitors. That worker said that they hadn't received any official communications on the monitors or video. Footage also quickly made its way to reporters, with several posting the video on X and Bluesky.

Monday was the first day that bargaining unit employees at HUD were to return to the office.

One former HUD worker, who was recently terminated as part of probationary worker cuts, said the video was "funny as hell."

"I have been in shock since seeing it," they said. "And immediately shared it with anyone I could."

The video comes as workers across the federal government contend with large-scale terminations of probationary employees. The Associated Press has reported that HUD could see sweeping cuts, with half of the workforce reportedly set to be slashed.

Over the weekend, the Office of Personnel Management emailed federal workers under the subject line "What did you do last week?" The email asked workers to submit five bullet points on what they had accomplished the past week. Some federal agencies directed their workers not to respond to the email, while at least one — the Social Security Administration — told workers to reply and treat it as an opportunity to highlight their work.

For now, according to another HUD worker, the monitors have been turned off, and people have moved on.

"Everyone was talking about it this morning," the worker said, "and then it's back to business on housing policy."

Are you a federal worker with a story or tip to share? Contact this reporter on Signal at julianakaplan.33, or via email at [email protected].

• The 2025 SAG Awards were hosted in Los Angeles on Sunday.
• A handful of celebrities missed the mark with their outfits.
• For example, Jamie Lee Curtis and Zooey Deschanel wore looks that overwhelmed them.

Awards season continued on Sunday with the 2025 Screen Actors Guild Awards.

Many stars arrived at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles in stunning fashion. Some experimented with daring looks, while celebrity couples coordinated to perfection.

Unfortunately, a few attendees stood out because their outfits missed the mark.

Here's a look at the night's fashion moments that could have been better.

Zooey Deschanel's dress blended menswear and womenswear — but she should've stuck with one style.

Her black Giorgio Armani gown was perfect for a matching menswear moment with her fiancé Jonathan Scott.

However, when she walked the blue carpet alone, the long-sleeve piece with a white bib overpowered her petite frame.

It would have been better if Deschanel had fully leaned into a feminine or masculine style — like a classic black gown or a strong power suit.

Jamie Lee Curtis was going for glamour, but one piece of her outfit overwhelmed her.

She arrived at the event wearing a black, sparkling gown from Dolce & Gabbana — and it looked stunning on her.

Unfortunately, though, the dress and Curtis herself were overshadowed by a long-sleeved shawl covered in feathers. It was so puffy that it shielded her neck and almost covered her hands.

The piece seemed to wear Curtis rather than the other way around.

Tyler James Williams wore a suit that was stunning in color but also ill-fitting.

Williams' signature red-carpet style often includes oversize suit jackets styled with perfectly tailored trousers.

At the SAG Awards, he paired a large blazer featuring statement shoulder pads with long, loose-fitting pants. Together, the outfit appeared ill-fitting and a little messy.

Its maroon color, however, looked phenomenal on the actor.

Jeremy Strong made a bold fashion choice, but it didn't exactly pay off.

He posed for photographs in a sage-green outfit that was custom-made for him by Haans Nicholas Mott.

Though its unique shade worked for Strong, other various details did not. Its jacket, for example, had a string tie that was too casual for the overall look, while its satin lapels were too elevated.

His outfit might have been better if styled with a different jacket altogether.

Kerry Washington's shimmering gown had so much potential.

From the waist down, Washington's pink Armani Privé gown was fit for a princess. It was made with a shining silk fabric and embellished with a sheer, pearl-covered overlay.

Its long-sleeved top was also pretty, with a high neckline, all-over silver appliqués, and more pearls. That said, it was also see-through, which distracted from the gown's elegance.

A satin bra made from the same material as her skirt would have completed the outfit.

Millie Bobby Brown wore a peach dress that was underwhelming.

Louis Vuitton custom-made the actor's gown, which was sleeveless with a cowl neckline, floor-length skirt, and short train.

Though she elevated the look with some diamond jewelry, her gown's silhouette was ultimately too simple for the red-carpet event.

Its pale color also appeared to wash Brown out when paired with her bleach-blonde hair.

There was one simple problem with Demi Moore's edgy gown.

She wore a custom look from Bottega Veneta that should have worked for her. Its black color was classic, and its strapless neckline highlighted her gold jewelry.

Its bodice was made from leather and extended to create a drop-waist silhouette. But the harsh material didn't work as well as a softer one would have, especially considering the pleated peplum skirt it was paired with.

• Ad companies targeted by a Rumble lawsuit say it's an attempt to "weaponize" antitrust laws.
• Rumble accused Diageo, WPP, and an ad trade group of colluding to boycott the platform.
• The ad companies say Rumble wasn't an attractive ad platform and that there was no conspiracy.

Advertisers targeted by the video platform Rumble in a lawsuit are hitting back.

Drinks giant Diageo, WPP and its media buying arm GroupM, and trade body the World Federation of Advertisers are seeking to dismiss a lawsuit filed against them last year by Rumble. They accuse the platform, which is popular among conservative audiences, of trying to "weaponize" antitrust laws to force advertisers to do business with it.

In Rumble's complaint, initially filed in a Texas court in August, the platform alleged that advertisers and agencies "collectively agreed to restrict the output of digital advertising on social media platforms"
through the WFA's now-defunct initiative, the Global Alliance for Responsible Media.

Rumble's lawsuit said this conspiracy resulted in higher advertising costs, reduced earnings for content creators, and inhibited the platform's growth and profitability.

In their response filed Friday, the WFA, WPP, and Diageo said the case should be dismissed because it didn't successfully allege an agreement, a relevant market, or harm to competition.

The filing says there are "perfectly good non-boycott reasons" why those advertisers and others "have chosen not to advertise on Rumble, which prides itself on lax content moderation and brand-safety measures."

Rumble, the WFA, and Diageo didn't respond to requests for comment. WPP declined to comment.

Rumble's case and the response from advertisers are notable in part because of the suit's similarities to one filed by Elon Musk's X, also in August last year. X is suing the WFA and almost a dozen advertisers who were GARM members — including big names like Mars, Shell, and Nestlé — alleging they conspired to pull ad dollars from X following Musk's takeover of the company formerly known as Twitter.

Those advertisers haven't yet filed a response.

Founded in 2019, GARM was a US-based initiative that aimed to provide frameworks and common language for the ad industry regarding harmful and sensitive content categories like hate speech, online piracy, and violence. Adherence to its Brand Safety Framework was voluntary, and it didn't single out any websites for advertisers to avoid by name.

However, some conservatives argued that GARM had an anti-conservative bias. The House Judiciary Committee, led by its chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, published an investigation last summer that alleged GARM and its members colluded to boycott platforms, podcasts, news outlets, and other content they disfavored, such as X and Joe Rogan's podcast on Spotify.

The WFA has maintained that it will contest the allegations and is confident that it adhered to competition rules.

In August, GARM ceased operations in the wake of Rumble and X's lawsuits, with the WFA saying at the time that the not-for-profit organization only had limited resources.

Advertisers avoided Rumble because its content was risky, the filing says

On its website, Rumble says its video platform grew amid the rise of "cancel culture" and as other services tightened their content moderation rules. Rumble says it supports "diverse opinions, authentic expression, and the need for open dialogue."

The motion to dismiss the suit from Diageo and others says this commercial decision also made Rumble riskier for brands.

"No sweeping conspiracy is needed to explain why brands would have separately and unilaterally chosen not to advertise on Rumble, which prides itself on allowing content other sites will not allow," the legal filing reads. It also says Rumble's lawsuit doesn't sufficiently provide evidence of a group boycott.

In its complaint, Rumble said that starting in June 2023, it contacted GroupM and Diageo separately about advertising on the site, but both parties declined to do so. Rumble speculated in its complaint that Diageo and GroupM didn't advertise with the company because it hadn't implemented policies based on GARM's brand safety standards.

In their legal filing, the advertising companies contend that this didn't amount to a collective agreement to withhold ad dollars from Rumble. While marketers used the GARM framework to inform their ad decisions, GARM didn't direct them to boycott a platform that didn't adhere to it or dole out consequences to advertisers who ignored it, the legal filing says.

"Rumble tries to convert a trade association initiative's short-lived, voluntary 'Brand Safety Framework' into a global conspiracy," the filing says.

The filing argues that brand-safety standards are pro-competitive rather than harming competition because they help protect advertisers and make it easier to transact across various platforms.

"The fact that Rumble did not grow as fast as it wanted does not suggest that the advertising it wished to host evaporated as opposed to landing at a different platform that is more attractive to advertisers," the legal filing says.

Advertisers being sued by Rumble say the case could have 'troubling' First Amendment implications

Rumble is seeking a "permanent injunction" against the WFA, WPP, and Diageo, prohibiting them from continuing their alleged conspiracy to withhold ad dollars from the platform.

The companies argue in their filing that this would have "troubling" First Amendment, or free speech, implications.

"Just as it would violate the First Amendment for the government to tell Rumble what content it must host on its website, it would be similarly unconstitutional for this Court to order Defendants to speak on Rumble," the WFA, WPP, and Diageo argue in their filing.

In addition, they argue that Rumble's choice of court is inappropriate because the case "has nothing to do with Texas, much less the Northern District of Texas" because none of the companies operate their businesses out of the state. The Northern District of Texas has become a favored venue among conservatives, with many of its judges appointed by Republican presidents. Rumble itself is headquartered in Canada.

X's lawsuit against advertisers was also filed in the same court in the Northern District of Texas.

Advertising industry executives are closely following the X and Rumble cases and the House Judiciary Committee's ongoing probe of GARM and its members. Some industry insiders previously told BI that while they felt the cases were without merit, the outcomes of the separate actions could stymie future responsible advertising initiatives.

• Donald Trump's political operation is cashing in on DOGE.
• Trump's group is selling official Trump DOGE membership cards.
• Some merchandise also features Elon Musk.

President Donald Trump's political operation is selling DOGE membership cards, part of an effort to capitalize on the popularity of the White House DOGE office and Elon Musk's role in it.

"Today, I'm announcing that YOU can become an OFFICIAL TRUMP DOGE MEMBER!" Trump's political operation wrote in an email to supporters Sunday night.

For a minimum $47 donation, supporters can get their name on a black metal card that says "Trump DOGE member." If that is too pricy, there are also Trump DOGE T-shirts. One shirt for $40 depicts Trump and Musk. Another for $28 shows Trump, Musk, and the Shiba Inu dog, which inspired the original doge meme.

The White House's efficiency initiative is one of the most visible parts of Trump's second term.

DOGE has been the subject of numerous lawsuits from federal workers, Democratic state attorneys general, and good government groups. Trump initially appointed Musk to co-lead the "Department of Government Efficiency," though a top White House official recently declared in a legal filing that Musk is not the DOGE administrator. Musk is a senior White House advisor and remains closely linked to DOGE.

Over the weekend, Musk upended federal agencies by claiming that employees would be fired if they did not respond to an email asking, "What did you do last week?" A number of departments have since told federal workers to pause potential responses ahead of the midnight deadline.

Musk spent over $290 million on the 2024 election to elect Trump. Trump and his allies have featured Musk prominently. Trump's emails to supporters often seize on the latest DOGE headline, including Democratic lawmakers' calls for Trump to rein in the world's richest man.

Trump is term-limited out of the White House, but his political operation has remained active. According to Axios, it plans on using the money to back candidates ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. Republicans hold narrow majorities in Congress. Historically, incumbent presidents have lost seats in both chambers, though the GOP currently has a much easier path to retaining control of the US Senate.

Trump could also use his war chest to remain active in the GOP once he leaves office in 2029.

• Federal employees are now suing to stop Musk's midnight "What did you do last week" email and threat.
• DOGE and the Office of Personnel Management failed to follow protocol, an updated lawsuit says.
• The new lawsuit was filed by unions representing hundreds of thousands of federal workers.

Federal employees have answered the DOGE inquiry — "What did you do last week?" — with a new, amended lawsuit.

As a midnight ET deadline to respond looms, unions representing hundreds of thousands of federal workers on Monday filed the amended lawsuit in federal court in California.

The lawsuit accuses billionaire Trump advisor Elon Musk of violating the law by demanding, via an email on Saturday titled "What did you do last week," that they justify their jobs or face firing.

The lawsuit names as defendants the Office of Personnel Management and its acting director, Charles Ezell.

It was first filed Wednesday to challenge what it called the agency's "assembly-line fashion" firing of tens of thousands of probationary employees, meaning those within the first two years of their current federal jobs.

Monday's updated version of the lawsuit adds a dozen paragraphs addressing the "What did you do last week" email.

The email was sent to all federal workers by the OMB on Saturday from a new [email protected] address, and under a "High Importance" designation. It demanded five bullet points listing "what you accomplished last week," and set an 11:59 p.m. ET deadline.

It was not signed by a government official, but it had Elon Musk's blessing, Monday's amended lawsuit said. The billionaire's @elonmusk X account had heralded the email's arrival, the updated lawsuit said.

"Consistent with President @realDonaldTrump's instructions, all federal employees will shortly receive an email requesting to understand what they got done last week," Musk's post said.

Failure to respond by midnight Monday would be considered a resignation, Musk's post said.

The demands and threats made by Musk and the OPM are illegal, just as the mass firing of probationary employees was illegal, lawyers for the AFL-CIO, and for groups supporting national parks and veterans, said in Monday's updated lawsuit.

It alleges that the OPM failed to publish notice of the new directive "in the Federal Register or anywhere else," in violation of federal procedural requirements.

"Subsequent to the OPM email notification on February 22, 2025, at least some federal agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, began telling their employees not to respond to this OPM surprise request," it said.

The Pentagon told employees to pause any response.

The amended lawsuit seeks an immediate halt to the firings and the "What did you do last week" directive.

A White House representative did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the updated lawsuit.