Category: Business

  • During Super Bowl LIX, fans will eat a staggering amount of chicken wings

    During Super Bowl LIX, fans will eat a staggering amount of chicken wings

    Super Bowl Sunday is slated to be a big day for chicken wings.

    During Super Bowl LIX, Americans are poised to gobble up 1.47 billion chicken wings, some 20 million more than last year, according to a forecast from the National Chicken Council (NCC).

    The trade association’s estimate came ahead of the highly anticipated Big Game, when the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles will go head-to-head in New Orleans for the NFL championship title.

    During Super Bowl LIX, Americans are expected to gobble up 1.47 billion chicken wings. (  / iStock)

    Those wings “would stretch to and from GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo. to Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pa. about 63 times,” the NCC said.

    THROWING A SUPER BOWL PARTY? WHAT THIS YEAR’S FOODS WILL COST

    In the lead-up to the Super Bowl, the playoffs were a boon for chicken wing sales. They rose 12% nationwide for the four weeks ending Jan. 19 “versus the prior period,” the NCC reported, citing Circana retail data. 

    Over two-thirds of American consumers tuning into the Big Game on Sunday plan to spend money on food and beverages for the occasion, according to a recent LendingTree survey. 

    SUPER BOWL ADS FEATURE BILLY CRYSTAL, SHANIA TWAIN, POST MALONE AS STARS GEAR UP FOR THE BIG GAME

    Wells Fargo estimated a spread of Super Bowl food and drinks for 10 people will cost $139 this year. When it comes to chicken wings, consumers are seeing 7.2% higher prices compared to last year, the bank’s Super Bowl food report found. 

    Buffalo wings are the most-popular snack for Super Bowl LIX in 32 states, according to Casino.org.

    Chicken wings arranged at a restaurant in Hastings-on-Hudson, New York, US, on Friday, Feb. 10, 2023. The price of chicken wings has plunged 22% from last January while avocado prices are down 20% versus a year ago due to increased plantings and strong crop yields. Photographer: Tiffany Hagler-Geard/Bloomberg via Getty Images

    Chicken wings arranged at a restaurant in Hastings-on-Hudson, New York, on Feb. 10, 2023. (Tiffany Hagler-Geard/Bloomberg via / Getty Images)

    When the Chiefs and Eagles take the field on Sunday, it will be a Super Bowl rematch. The two teams played each other in the Big Game in 2023, with Kansas City coming out on top. 

    SUPER BOWL LIX BATTLE: CHIEFS AND EAGLES ARE BOTH VALUED IN THE BILLIONS

    If Kansas City wins Super Bowl LIX, it would mark the team’s fourth Super Bowl title and their third back-to-back. Meanwhile, victory for the Eagles would add a second title to their record.

  • US workers staying put as fewer quit their jobs

    US workers staying put as fewer quit their jobs

    The great resignation appears to have come to an end as more Americans are staying put in their jobs.

    A business looking to hire workers on May 5, 2023, in Miami, Florida. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images / Getty Images)

    The number of U.S. workers that quit their job in 2024 tumbled 11% in 2024 to 39.6 million from the year before, according to Labor Department data released this week and analyzed by The Wall Street Journal. 

    PRIVATE SECTOR ADDS 184K JOBS IN JANUARY, ABOVE EXPECTATIONS, ADP SAYS

    The outlet noted that is 22% less than in 2022, when the post-pandemic great resignation was at its peak.

    US jobs report for November

    A “now hiring” sign is displayed on a shop on Oct. 21, 2022, in New York City. (Leonardo Munoz/VIEWpress / Getty Images)

    Although the labor market is still strong, with layoffs remaining low, work opportunities are becoming scarcer for those who are unemployed. The government reported on Tuesday that there were 1.1 job openings for every unemployed person in December, down from a high of two in March 2022.

    WALMART TO CUT JOBS, RELOCATE SOME EMPLOYEES TO MAIN HUBS

    Though business sentiment perked up in the aftermath of President Donald Trump’s victory in November, hiring plans have remained lackluster amid expectations that demand will slow this year because of still-restrictive monetary policy and high prices from tariffs.

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    The Labor Department’s nonfarm payrolls report that is due on Friday morning is expected to show an increase of 170,000 jobs added in January, down from the much larger than anticipated gain of 256,000 in December.

    Reuters and FOX Business’ Matthew Kazin contributed to this report.

  • Mattel considers raising prices on toys to mitigate tariff impact

    Mattel considers raising prices on toys to mitigate tariff impact

    Mattel is looking at potentially upping toy prices as part of its efforts to mitigate President Donald Trump’s tariffs on imports from China, Mexico and Canada. 

    Over the past weekend, the president signed executive orders seeking to bring a 10% levy on imports from China and a 25% tariff on imports from Mexico and Canada. 

    The tariff against China went into effect on Tuesday; however, the Trump administration paused the levies against America’s northern and southern neighbors for one month after Mexico and Canada both agreed to take steps to heighten enforcement on their borders with the U.S. 

    WHAT’S HAPPENING WITH TRUMP’S TARIFFS ON CHINA, CANADA AND MEXICO?

    Leaders at Mattel said Tuesday that “leveraging the strength of our supply chain” and possible price actions were among the measures that the toy company was looking at implementing to deal with the tariffs. 

    Mattel is looking at potentially upping toy prices as part of its efforts to mitigate President Donald Trump’s tariffs on imports from China, Mexico and Canada. (Armando Arorizo/Bloomberg via / Getty Images)

    “Our teams have been fully engaged in analyzing and planning for a range of scenarios,” CFO Anthony DiSilvestro told analysts and investors. “And in terms of the financial impact on Mattel, our 2025 guidance includes the anticipated impact of the new tariff based on what we know today and mitigating actions we plan to take, including those leveraging the strength of our supply chain and potential pricing.”

    Mattel, known for Barbie, Hot Wheels, Fisher-Price and other brands, makes toys in seven countries, he said, adding that the toy company has been “continuously optimizing and diversifying our manufacturing footprint” in recent years. 

    barbie dolls on store shelves

    A shopper views Mattel Barbie dolls for sale at a Target store in Chicago. (Christopher Dilts/Bloomberg via / Getty Images)

    Less than 40% of Mattel’s global toy production is expected to occur in China this year, a much smaller share than the industry average of roughly 80%, according to DiSilvestro.

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    “With the U.S. representing about half of our global toy sales, our tariff exposure in the U.S. related to China should be about 20% of global production,” the Mattel CFO said. “And with respect to Mexico and Canada, we currently source less than 10% of our toys from Mexico and have no sourcing from Canada.”

    The toy company plans for “no single country” to have more than 25% of production by 2027, DiSilvestro added.

    Ticker Security Last Change Change %
    MAT MATTEL INC. 21.39 +0.56 +2.66%

    Regarding the tariff mitigation actions, he said Mattel “work[s] closely” with its retail partners to “achieve the right balance and always keep consumers in mind when we consider pricing actions.” 

    The toy company forecasted 2%-3% growth in net sales for fiscal 2025, as well as adjusted earnings per share in the range of $1.66 to $1.72, factoring in any potential impact from the tariffs and the company’s response to them.

    hot wheels

    Hot Wheels cars by Mattel are offered for sale at a store on April 23, 2024, in Chicago. (Scott Olson / Getty Images)

    Mattel works with some 500,000 retail stores to sell its various toy products, according to CEO Ynon Kreiz. It also uses e-commerce avenues for toy sales.

    AUTOMOTIVE GROUPS REACT TO TRUMP TARIFFS ON IMPORTS FROM CANADA, MEXICO, CHINA

    The company generated nearly $5.38 billion in net sales over the course of 2024. Its annual net income, meanwhile, came in at $541.8 million. 

    “Our 2025 priorities are to grow the top and bottom line, while increasing investment in our digital game self-publishing business to drive long-term growth, in line with our capital allocation priorities to invest in organic growth,” Kreiz told analysts.

  • Trump to meet with CEOs of US Steel, FedEx at White House

    Trump to meet with CEOs of US Steel, FedEx at White House

    President Donald Trump is set to meet with the CEO of U.S. Steel on Thursday as Nippon Steel’s CEO touts its proposed bid to buy the struggling steelmaker as meeting the president’s objectives.

    U.S. Steel CEO David Burritt will meet with Trump at the White House, administration officials said, according to a Reuters report.

    Trump has previously expressed opposition to the deal, which former President Joe Biden blocked before leaving office.

    The meeting comes as Nippon Steel said Thursday that its bid to buy U.S. Steel aligns with Trump’s goal of a stronger U.S. ahead of a meeting between the president and Japan’s prime minister.

    Trump is also expected to meet with FedEx CEO Raj Subramaniam at the White House on Thursday, according to the report.

    Reuters contributed to this report.

    This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

  • FAA to slow arrivals at DCA to reduce risks after crash

    FAA to slow arrivals at DCA to reduce risks after crash

    • The Federal Aviation Administration plans to reduce flight arrivals at Washington Reagan National Airport to address safety concerns after a deadly collision between a military helicopter and a passenger jet, according to an email seen by Reuters.
    • The FAA told airlines late Wednesday that the reduction from a maximum rate of 28 to 26 arrivals per hour would reduce risk but also increase average delays from 40 minutes to 50 minutes.
    • The NTSB and FAA are briefing members of the Senate Commerce Committee on Thursday on the investigation into the crash.

    The Federal Aviation Administration plans to announce it is reducing flight arrivals at Washington Reagan National Airport to address safety concerns after a deadly collision between a helicopter and an American Airlines AAL.O regional jet killed 67 people, according to an email seen by Reuters.

    The FAA told airlines late Wednesday that the reduction from a maximum rate of 28 to 26 arrivals per hour would reduce risk but also increase average delays from 40 minutes to 50 minutes. The email said investigators from the FAA and National Transportation Safety Board “have expressed concern for our tower personnel on duty, who have an increased level of stress while also having a front row view of the accident recovery.”

    EXPERT PUTS ONUS ON FAA FOR AMERICAN AIRLINES, HELICOPTER CRASH: ‘BAD MANAGEMENT’ IS ‘PUTTING US AT RISK’

    The email added that reducing the rate from 28 to 26 “will reduce risk and allow a little space for extra coordination.” It is unclear if the reduction will force airlines to cancel some flights.

    The NTSB and FAA are briefing members of the Senate Commerce Committee on Thursday on the investigation. An FAA spokesperson did not immediately comment on how long the restrictions would be in place, but noted it is slowing traffic into and out of Reagan due to weather conditions and recovery efforts in the area.

    A plane flies overhead as people attend a candlelight vigil for the victims of the collision between an American Airlines regional jet and a Black Hawk helicopter that crashed into the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, in (Reuters/Eduardo Munoz/File Photo / Reuters)

    In the aftermath of the crash, the FAA has imposed significant restrictions on helicopter flights around Reagan National until at least late February and two of the lesser-used runways remain closed. When police, medical or presidential transportation helicopters must use the airspace, civilian planes are not allowed to be in the same area, according to an FAA advisory.

    U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said on Wednesday he is reconsidering rules that allowed air traffic control supervisors to reduce staffing before the fatal collision.

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    Duffy noted that before the crash, two air traffic control positions were consolidated for helicopters and aircraft.

    “We’re going to pull that authority back to make sure that we have the right policies in place inside our towers to make sure when you fly you’re safe,” Duffy said.

    Duffy also plans to announce in the coming days steps to surge more air traffic control training and applicants. The FAA is about 3,000 controllers short of staffing levels and nearly all control towers have staffing issues.

  • Mortgage rates edge down | Fox Business

    Mortgage rates edge down | Fox Business

    Mortgage rates moved slightly lower this week, but long-term rates remain elevated in the upper-6% range.

    Freddie Mac’s latest Primary Mortgage Market Survey, released Thursday, showed that the average rate on the benchmark 30-year fixed mortgage edged down to 6.89% from last week’s reading of 6.95%. The average rate on a 30-year loan was 6.64% a year ago.

    Elevated mortgage rates are dragging down demand in the housing market. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images / Getty Images)

    “Mortgage rates have been stable over the last month and incoming data suggest the economy remains on firm footing,” said Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s chief economist. “Even though rates are higher compared to last year, the last two weeks of purchase applications are modestly above what we saw a year ago, indicating some latent demand in the market.”

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    The average rate on the 15-year fixed mortgage fell to 6.05% from 6.12% last week. One year ago, the rate on the 15-year fixed note averaged 5.9%.

  • Argentina’s Milei follows Trump and ditches World Health Organization, others to follow?

    Argentina’s Milei follows Trump and ditches World Health Organization, others to follow?

    Argentine President Javier Milei, a close ally of President Donald Trump, on Wednesday announced his intent to withdraw from the World Health Organization (WHO), echoing steps taken by the U.S.’s Commander-in-Chief last month.

    A spokesman for Milei announced the order and said the withdrawal from the world’s top health and safety agency was due to “profound differences” with the United Nations organization due to its advice during the COVID-19 pandemic that led to the largest shutdowns “in the history of mankind.”

    Milei’s decision came just 2 weeks after Trump, for the second time, issued an executive order to pull the U.S. out of WHO, again citing its handling of the coronavirus pandemic. 

    Argentina’s President Javier Milei said at a Bloomberg event on January 22, 2025, that “The world should celebrate the arrival of President Trump.” (Photo by FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)

    TRUMP LAUNCHING US SOVEREIGN WEALTH FUND: WHAT TO KNOW

    WHO, which issued a statement immediately following Trump’s announcement noting that it “regrets” his decision to end U.S. involvement in the organization, has yet to comment on Milei’s move to end Argentina’s participation in the organization.

    While the U.S. withdrawal could prove detrimental to the organization as it is the WHO’s single biggest contributor and is reported to have provided nearly 15% of the agency’s total two-year budget, donating $958 million towards the $6.5 billion budget ending in 2025, Argentina’s withdrawal is far less significant, the Associated Press reported. 

    According to local news outlet, the Buenos Aires Times, Argentina contributed between $8-$9 million a year to the WHO during 2022-2023 and 2024-2025, accounting for roughly a quarter of a percent of the budget annually.

    “We Argentines are not going to allow an international organization to intervene in our sovereignty, much less in our health,” a spokesman for Milei’s office said during a Wednesday press conference, according to multiple reports.

    COVID lockdowns in Argentina

    Customers shop for produce at a vendor stall in a market in the Recoleta neighborhood of Buenos Aires, Argentina. (Anita Pouchard Serra/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)

    WHO, GOOGLE TO COMBAT CORONAVIRUS MISINFORMATION

    Despite the spokesman’s comments, the WHO holds no legal authority over a nation’s internal decisions, like issuing quarantine orders amid a pandemic, which both the first Trump administration and Milei’s predecessor issued. 

    But Argentina might not be the only country considering leaving the international health organization, as Italy’s deputy prime minister, Matteo Salvini, last month also proposed a bill that would follow Trump’s executive order. 

    Italy’s Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, also a top ally of Trump and who attended his inauguration alongside Milei, has not publicly commented on the recent internal push to leave WHO. 

    Milei is expected to face opposition at home as his decision to withdrawal from WHO would require congressional approval – an argument that some have made in opposition to Trump’s unilateral move to sever ties with the international health organization.

    Argentina's Milei and Italy's Meloni attend Trump's inauguration

    Argentina President Javier Milei, left, speaks with Italy Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni before walking the Capitol Rotunda on Capitol Hill in Washington, on January 20, 2025. (Photo by Tom Brenner for The Washington Post via Getty Images / Getty Images)

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    Trump’s first attempt to withdraw the U.S. from WHO in 2020 was unsuccessful as President Biden took up the top job six months after he issued the order, and according to the charter signed by the U.S. in 1948, Washington must give the international body one year’s notice before leaving. 

    As the U.S. entered the U.N. organization by an act of Congress, it is believed that Trump would need Congress to agree to the withdrawal, which means he could face a future lawsuit over his attempts to remove the U.S. unilaterally from the WHO. 

    The WHO did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s questions.

  • Anheuser-Busch CEO wants beer to be called ‘American’ made

    Anheuser-Busch CEO wants beer to be called ‘American’ made

    Anheuser-Busch is encouraging its distributors and partners to replace the term “domestic” with “American” when marketing beer, arguing that the term better reflects the industry’s identity. 

    In a Wednesday letter titled “A Call for American Beers,” CEO Brendan Whitworth expressed his dissatisfaction with the longstanding use of “domestic” to describe American-made beer, saying it shows up on bar menus, at beer stands, in grocery aisles and is used by syndicated data providers “too frequently.”

    Whitworth starts the letter with six words, “I don’t like the word ‘domestic.’”

    “I’m asking the Anheuser-Busch team and our wholesalers to make the change. Change the bar menus, change the venue boards, change the signs, change their reports, change their jargon, and insist upon American. I hope other American brewers and wholesalers will join us,” Whitworth also wrote.

    He is also calling on marketing and research firms such as Circana and Nielsen to do so as well.

    FROM CIA TO BEER: BRENDAN WHITWORTH’S PATH TO CEO OF ANHEUSER-BUSCH

    While the word is not “necessarily an incorrect adjective to use,” Whitworth said. “It just doesn’t fully capture the spirit and passion that’s intrinsic to the American beer industry and its brands.”

    It also falls short of capturing “the pride we should all take in products made right here in this great country,” Whitworth continued.

    Anheuser-Busch CEO Brendan Whitworth started his letter to wholesale partners with six words, “I don’t like the word ‘domestic.’” (Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

    The move comes amid a patriotic push from the White House. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on his first day in office to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. Whitworth did not mention Trump’s executive order in his letter.

    Whitworth – who served in the Marines before joining the CIA – was named as the Anheuser-Busch chief executive in July 2021 and led the company through challenges associated with its controversial 2023 Bud Light marketing campaign featuring transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney, which sparked backlash and a significant boycott by consumers and public figures. 

    BUD LIGHT TO SPEND ‘HEAVILY’ ON MARKETING AFTER DYLAN MULVANEY CONTROVERSY

    Whitworth tried moving beyond the controversy by launching a slew of patriotic or humorous marketing campaigns focused on the company’s broader role in American culture. Those also highlighted the workers responsible for making the company’s beer and its contributions to the economy and communities. 

    Anheuser-Busch Beer

    Anheuser-Busch CEO Brendan Whitworth expressed his dissatisfaction with the longstanding use of “domestic” to describe American-made beer. (Photographer: Daniel Acker/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)

    In the Wednesday letter, Whitworth underscored that American beers should better advertise that the product is made by “American hands.” 

    FOR TAP BEER, THIS ANHEUSER-BUSCH BRAND IS NOW TOPS

    “They are brewed by American workers who receive American wages. They rely on American farmers and on American raw material suppliers. They support American causes like the military and first responders,” he said. “They pay American taxes. And they exist because of decades of capital investments made in hundreds of local communities, right here across this great country.” 

    Ticker Security Last Change Change %
    BUD ANHEUSER-BUSCH INBEV 50.30 +1.20 +2.44%

    Whitworth said that 99% of the beers that Anheuser-Busch sells in the U.S. are made in the country. Additionally, 99% of the ingredients the company uses come from American farmers. 

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    “Together, let’s leave ‘domestic’ in the rear-view mirrors of those good ol’ American pick-up trucks. Let’s all take more pride in our American beers,” Whitworth said in the letter.

  • Royal Caribbean cruise passengers, crew members experience gastrointestinal illness symptoms

    Royal Caribbean cruise passengers, crew members experience gastrointestinal illness symptoms

    Eighty-nine passengers and two crew members experienced gastrointestinal illness symptoms aboard a Royal Caribbean cruise ship returning to Tampa, Florida, on Saturday, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said.

    The Radiance of the Seas departed Florida for a seven-day western Caribbean cruise on Feb. 1, according to cruise tracking website CruiseMapper. Its planned stops included two in Mexico, one in Honduras and one in Belize. 

    The outbreak was reported to the CDC’s vessel sanitation program on Tuesday. Those who have fallen ill have experienced diarrhea and vomiting. At this time, the CDC says the cause is unknown. 

    Royal Caribbean did not immediately respond to a FOX Business request for comment, but told USA Today, “Enhanced measures have been implemented onboard in an abundance of caution to protect the health and comfort of all our guests and crew.”

    NATIONAL PLAN FOR VACATION DAY ENCOURAGES AMERICANS TO ARRANGE TRAVEL PLANS

    Royal Caribbean’s Radiance of the Seas docked at Sydney Harbour in Sydney, Australia. (Royal Caribbean / Fox News)

    Ill passengers and crew were isolated from others, the CDC said, and “increased cleaning and disinfection procedures” were implemented.

    Cruise ships must report gastrointestinal illnesses to the CDC, the agency noted.

    “Cases reported are totals for the entire voyage,” the CDC’s website states. “It does not mean all people are sick at the same time, such as when they arrive or leave a port or ship.”

    NOROVIRUS OUTBREAK ON PRINCESS CRUISE SHIP LEAVES DOZENS OF PASSENGERS, CREW SICK: CDC

    Radiance of the Seas 2011 dry dock

    Royal Caribbean International’s Radiance of the Seas enters the Victoria Shipyards in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, to start her 22-day dry dock on May 23, 2011. (Royal Caribbean / Fox News)

    While Norovirus is “often a cause of gastrointestinal illness outbreaks on cruise ships,” the CDC says determining the cause “can take time.” Stool specimens from impacted passengers were collected to aid in the investigation.

    The CDC provides tips for healthy cruising here. 

    Radiance of the Seas outdoor movie screen

    Radiance of the Seas’ outdoor movie screen on June 9, 2011. (Royal Caribbean / Fox News)

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    Radiance of the Seas is an almost 24-year-old ship which underwent improvements during a 2011 dry dock, according to Royal Caribbean’s website. It can hold 2,143 guests under double-occupancy conditions and up to 894 international crew members. 

  • House lawmakers push to ban DeepSeek from US government devices

    House lawmakers push to ban DeepSeek from US government devices

    House lawmakers are introducing legislation Thursday to ban the Chinese AI DeepSeek from U.S. government devices, arguing that the software is “directly linked to the Chinese Communist Party” and poses a “five-alarm national security fire.” 

    The bipartisan legislation, titled “No DeepSeek on Government Devices Act,” is being led by Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., and Rep. Darin LaHood, R-Ill., who are both members of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. It comes after Congress banned TikTok on government devices during the Biden administration over similar data-sharing concerns. 

    The proposed ban is based on new research highlighting how “DeepSeek’s code is directly linked to the Chinese Communist Party, with the capability to share user data with China Mobile,” a company “owned by the Chinese government and with close ties to the Chinese military [that] has been banned by the Federal Communications Commission for use in the United States,” according to a statement from Gottheimer’s office. 

    “The Chinese Communist Party has made it abundantly clear that it will exploit any tool at its disposal to undermine our national security, spew harmful disinformation, and collect data on Americans. Now, we have deeply disturbing evidence that they are using DeepSeek to steal the sensitive data of U.S. citizens,” Gottheimer said. “This is a five-alarm national security fire.” 

    US REPORTEDLY INVESTIGATING WHETHER CHINA’S DEEPSEEK USED RESTRICTED AI CHIPS 

    House lawmakers are introducing legislation Thursday to ban DeepSeek from U.S. government devices, citing data-sharing concerns. (Avishek Das/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images / Getty Images)

    “The national security threat that DeepSeek — a CCP-affiliated company — poses to the United States is alarming. DeepSeek’s generative AI program acquires the data of U.S. users and stores the information for unidentified use by the CCP,” added LaHood. “Under no circumstances can we allow a CCP company to obtain sensitive government or personal data.” 

    DeepSeek did not immediately respond Thursday to a request for comment from FOX Business. 

    The research both lawmakers cited as allegedly exposing DeepSeek’s ties to the Chinese government was carried out by Feroot Security, a Canadian cybersecurity company, according to The Wall Street Journal. 

    TRUMP’S AI CZAR FLAGS REPORT QUESTIONING DEEPSEEK’S COST OF DEVELOPING AI MODELS 

    Rep. Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey

    Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., is calling DeepSeek’s alleged ties to the Chinese Communist Party a “five-alarm national security fire.” (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images / Getty Images)

    On the web version of DeepSeek, researchers found hidden code on the login page that has connections to computer infrastructure owned by China Mobile, the Associated Press reported. 

    “It’s hard to believe that something like this was accidental. There are so many unusual things to this. You know that saying ‘Where there’s smoke, there’s fire’? In this instance, there’s a lot of smoke,” Ivan Tsarynny, the CEO of Feroot Security, told the AP. 

    “The implications of this are significantly larger because personal and proprietary information could be exposed,” he added. “It’s like TikTok but at a much grander scale and with more precision. It’s not just sharing entertainment videos. It’s sharing queries and information that could include highly personal and sensitive business information.” 

    DeepSeek's AI chatbot

    The DeepSeek app is displayed on an iPhone screen on Jan. 27 in San Anselmo, Calif. The newly-launched Chinese AI app has surged to the top in Apple’s App Store. (Photo Illustration by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images / Getty Images)

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    Gottheimer’s office said “Americans are sharing highly sensitive, proprietary information with DeepSeek — contracts, documents, and financial records,” and “In the wrong hands, this data is an enormous asset to the CCP, a known foreign adversary.”