Denny’s reportedly adds egg surcharge amid rising prices and bird flu shortages
Denny’s, the popular American diner chain, has reportedly joined a growing number of restaurants responding to the nationwide egg shortage by adding a temporary surcharge to its egg-based meals at some locations. The egg shortage is driven by an ongoing bird flu outbreak that has decimated flocks across the US since the beginning of 2022. Egg supplies have dwindled and prices have soared as a result, forcing many businesses to adapt.
Anthropic unveils advanced AI hybrid reasoning model
Anthropic launched an advanced AI model on Monday that can produce faster responses or display its step-by-step reasoning process, as it looks to gain a competitive edge in the generative artificial intelligence industry. The introduction of Anthropic’s hybrid model, which combines multiple reasoning approaches to solve complex problems more effectively, comes amid fierce competition in AI development, with US tech firms vying against each other and Chinese companies such as DeepSeek and Alibaba.
MSNBC announces major lineup overhaul, new Washington bureau as Joy Reid exits company
MSNBC on Monday announced a major overhaul to its primetime lineup that will go into effect in April even as it shared that Joy Reid will part ways with the network. The overhaul comes as the progressive news network looks to maintain a jump in viewership in the first few weeks of the Trump administration. As part of a sweeping effort to consolidate production operations and add big names to woo audiences, the network is making major changes to its weekday and weekend lineups and canceling two Miami-based shows as it ends broadcast operations in the city and expands in others. The shakeup follows reports on Sunday that the network would cancel “The ReidOut,” which Reid has hosted since 2020.
DOGE wants access to your tax and Social Security data. These two laws are supposed to protect you
Reports of the Department of Government Efficiency’s so-called “tech bros” accessing federal systems that hold vast troves of Americans’ personal data have raised many questions about whether they can legally see – never mind copy, alter or share – such sensitive details on hundreds of millions of people. Efforts by DOGE to get access to the reams of “personally identifiable information” (PII) on individuals housed at the IRS, Social Security Administration, Office of Personnel Management, Department of Education and other federal agencies – not to mention the federal payments system at Treasury – are now the subject more than a dozen lawsuits. (And in at least two, judges have granted temporary restraining orders on DOGE getting access to some sensitive data.)
Robinhood trading app says SEC dismissed crypto investigation in latest sign of easier regulation for industry
The Securities and Exchange Commission is dropping its investigation into Robinhood’s crypto arm, the company revealed Monday. Robinhood said it received a letter from the SEC’s enforcement division on Friday, detailing in a blog post that the agency has closed its investigation into the crypto business with no intention of moving forward with an enforcement action. The news comes three days after Coinbase similarly announced that the SEC has agreed to end its enforcement case against it. Shares of Robinhood were last higher by about 1%.
Starbucks to lay off 1,100 corporate workers as sales sag
Starbucks will lay off 1,100 corporate employees and will not fill several hundred other open positions, the coffee chain’s CEO Brian Niccol said Monday. The cuts will not affect workers at the company’s cafes. In a message to corporate employees, Niccol said Starbucks is “simplifying our structure, removing layers and duplication and creating smaller, more nimble teams.” “Our intent is to operate more efficiently, increase accountability, reduce complexity and drive better integration,” Niccol wrote. “All with the goal of being more focused and able to drive greater impact on our priorities.”
Apple boosts U.S. investment plans with $500 billion pledge amid Trump tariff threat
Apple on Monday reaffirmed a commitment to invest hundreds of billions of dollars in the U.S. over the coming years amid pressure from President Donald Trump and the growing threat of his tariffs The tech giant said it planned to spend $500 billion over the next five years in the United States, with intentions to hire 20,000 new workers and produce AI servers. The plans include a server factory in Houston slated to open in 2026 and a manufacturing academy in Detroit. The company also said data centers in Arizona, California, Iowa, Nevada, North Carolina, Oregon and Washington would see expansions from the investment plans.
Live updates: Merz’s conservatives win Germany election as far-right AfD makes historic gains
YORK, Pa. (AP) — The man who authorities say entered a Pennsylvania hospital with zip ties and a pistol over the weekend had recent contact with the hospital’s intensive care unit, where he took staff members hostage and was killed in a shootout that left a police officer dead and others injured. Investigators released no new information Sunday about a possible motive for the shooting at UPMC Memorial Hospital in York on Saturday, in which a doctor, nurse, custodian and two other officers were injured.
Zelenskyy says progress made on reaching an agreement with the US on rare minerals deal
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — A contentious Trump administration proposal to give the U.S. $500 billion worth of profits from Ukraine’s rare earth minerals as compensation for its wartime assistance to Kyiv has been taken off the table, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Sunday, indicating a more equitable deal is in the works. Zelenskyy had earlier declined a U.S. draft agreement on exploitation of his country’s valuable minerals such as lithium used in the aerospace, defense and nuclear industries because it did not contain security guarantees and came with the $500 billion price tag. “The question of $500 billion is no longer there,” Zelenskyy told a news conference at a forum of government officials in Kyiv marking the three-year anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
No passengers, no planes, no benefits. Pakistan’s newest airport is a bit of a mystery
GWADAR, Pakistan (AP) — With no passengers and no planes, Pakistan’s newest and most expensive airport is a bit of a mystery. Entirely financed by China to the tune of $240 million, it’s anyone’s guess when New Gwadar International Airport will open for business. Located in the coastal city of Gwadar and completed in October 2024, the airport is a stark contrast to the impoverished, restive southwestern Balochistan province around it. For the past decade, China has poured money into Balochistan and Gwadar as part of a multibillion dollar project that connects its western Xinjiang province with the Arabian Sea, called the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor or CPEC.