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Trump is ‘right’ to order US to ditch ‘stupid’ penny, Kevin O’Leary says

O’Leary Ventures Chairman Kevin O’Leary shares whether he’s concerned about President Donald Trump’s tariffs on steel and aluminum, the fate of the U.S. penny and the handling of the TikTok sale.

President Donald Trump is one cent away from scrapping the U.S. penny and ‘Shark Tank’ star Kevin O’Leary is agreeing with him.

“For far too long, the United States has minted pennies which literally cost us more than 2 cents,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “This is so wasteful! I have instructed my Secretary of the US Treasury to stop producing new pennies.”

During an appearance on “Varney & Co.,” Monday, O’Leary said the president is “right” in his request to stop minting.

ELON MUSK’S DOGE FACES FIRST LEGAL CHALLENGE WITHIN HOURS OF TRUMP INAUGURATION

“It’s stupid. Why would you pay $0.02 for a commodity that’s worth one?,” O’Leary questioned.

In fiscal year 2024, the U.S. had to pay $3.69 to make one penny, $5.76 to make a dime, $13.78 to make a nickel and $14.68 to make a quarter, according to the U.S. Mint.

FOX Business’ Lydia Hu reports on the Department of Government Efficiency’s latest plan to cut spending during an appearance on ‘Varney & Co.’

“Who uses a penny anyways? Unless you’re putting them in your loafers and nobody does that anymore. Get rid of it. It’s useless,” O’Leary expressed.

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which is led by billionaire Elon Musk, posted on ‘X’ that producing the penny is costing American taxpayers tens of millions of dollars, suggesting that it may be one of the items the department may consider eliminating.

ELON MUSK WARNS FEDERAL RESERVE MAY FACE DOGE AUDIT

However, there are some critics who are pushing back on this move by the president.

Americans for Common Cents Executive Director Mark Weller told FOX Business that “eliminating the penny will cost the government more – not less.”

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent addresses President Donald Trump’s economic and fiscal goals during his first interview on ‘Kudlow’ since joining the administration.

He went on to mention that “without the penny, nickel production could double, compounding the Mint’s financial losses. Any structural change to U.S. coinage should include revamping the nickel and evaluating Mint overhead.”

In the U.S., the penny was one of the first coins made by the U.S. Mint after its establishment in 1792. When it was first produced, the coin was larger and made of pure copper. Today’s smaller coin is made mostly of zinc, according to the U.S. Mint.

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Fox News’ Greg Wehner and FOX Business’ Daniella Genovese contributed to this report

February 11, 2025
Former Interior Secretary Deb Haaland announces bid for New Mexico governor

Former Interior Sec. Deb Haaland has announced a New Mexico gubernatorial bid.

The politician, who served in a cabinet post during most of former President Joe Biden’s White House tenure, previously served in the U.S. House of Representatives.

“But the problems we face now are bigger than ever, and we must be fierce to solve them. That’s why I am running for governor of the great state of New Mexico,” she said in a video.

STRANGE LAWS IN NEW MEXICO, INCLUDING TROUBLE FOR TRIPPING A HORSE

President Joe Biden greets Department of the Interior Sec. Deb Haaland during the 2022 White House Tribal Nations Summit at the Department of the Interior on Nov. 30, 2022 in Washington, D.C. (Pete Marovich/Getty Images)

“New Mexico is rich in tradition and spirit, rich in natural resources. So why can’t our families pay our bills? Crime, poverty, homelessness, addiction — they will keep pulling us down if we do the same things and expect a different result,” she declared.

Last month on Jan. 20 — the day President Donald Trump was inaugurated — Haaland suggested in a post on X that the new administration does not care about “regular people.”

VIDEO CAPTURES COURTROOM BRAWL AS TWO MEN ATTACK MURDER SUSPECT DURING HEARING

Interior Secretary Deb Haaland speaks at a ceremony with President Joe Biden at the Department of Labor on Dec. 16, 2024 in Washington, D.C. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

“With the inauguration of President Trump, there’s a lot at stake. He surrounds himself with super-rich people who look down on us and our communities. We will need to do the hard work of getting important things done and pushing back against an administration that couldn’t care less about regular people,” Haaland tweeted.

Current New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, a Democrat who has served as governor since 2019, is not eligible to run in 2026.

2028 WATCH: HERE ARE THE DEMOCRATS WHO MAY EVENTUALLY JUMP INTO THE NEXT WHITE HOUSE RACE

The American flag and state of New Mexico flag fly side-by-side at the New Mexico Museum of Art in Santa Fe, N.M. (Robert Alexander/Getty Images)

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The state went to Democrats in the 2008 through 2024 presidential elections. But its prior governor, Susana Martinez, was a Republican.

Alex Nitzberg is a writer for Fox News Digital.

February 11, 2025
Trump, Elon Musk share love of plastic straws

‘Kudlow’ panelists Art Laffer and Rep. Claudia Tenney, R-N.Y., discuss tariff policy and efforts to end waste.

It looks like President Donald Trump and Elon Musk are bonding over their distaste for paper straws.

Musk, the billionaire CEO of automaker Tesla and Trump’s head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has opined about paper straws and strawless lids in the past.

In 2022, for instance, he wrote on X, “Stop the war on straws!” Musk also called paper straws “the worst” in a more-recent August 2024 post on the social media platform.

Paper straws and other alternatives to plastic straws have gained steam over the past 10 years or so because of concerns about the environment and plastic pollution.

TRUMP TREASURY HEAD DEFENDS ELON MUSK’S DOGE DESPITE ‘SQUAWKING’ FROM CRITICS

Now, Trump has issued an executive order to “end the procurement and forced use of paper straws.”

“

President-elect Donald Trump arrives to speak during an election night event on Nov. 6, 2024 in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images)

“We’re going back to plastic straws. These things don’t work. I’ve had a many times and on occasion they break, they explode. If something’s hot, they don’t last very long. Like a matter of minutes. Sometimes a matter of seconds. It’s a ridiculous situation. So we’re going back to plastic straws,” Trump said Monday as he signed the executive order.

Trump’s executive order came after he signaled late last week on Truth Social that he would issue one “ending the ridiculous Biden push for Paper Straws, which don’t work.”

“BACK TO PLASTIC!” he wrote.

Trump’s announcement prompted Musk to praise Trump as the “Greatest President ever.”

President-elect Donald Trump and Elon Musk attend a launch of the SpaceX Starship rocket in Brownsville, Texas, Nov. 19, 2024. (Brandon Bell/Pool via / Reuters)

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During July of last year, the Biden administration pushed to sunset “federal procurement of single-use plastics from food service operations, events, and packaging by 2027, and from all federal operations by 2035.” It cited an ongoing “plastic pollution crisis” as the reason behind that move and other efforts.

Straws, cups, forks, knives and spoons are some common single-use plastics used for food.

‘BACK TO PLASTIC!’: TRUMP VOWS EXECUTIVE ORDER ENDING ‘RIDICULOUS’ PUSH FOR PAPER STRAWS

Prior to the Biden administration’s July 2024 efforts to phase single-use plastics out of the government’s operations, the Department of Interior had issued a 2022 order seeking to move away from single-use plastics on lands it managed by 2032 by working to “reduce the procurement, sale and distribution” of such products.

Even as some studies found 90% of paper straws tested contained forever chemicals compared to 75% of plastic straws.

Some studies found 90% of paper straws tested contained forever chemicals compared to 75% of plastic straws. ( / iStock)

The Interior Department’s actions were part of an executive order signed by Biden in December 2021.

Fox News Digital’s Aubrie Spady contributed to this report.

February 11, 2025
Don’t fall for that sneaky iCloud storage alert in your inbox
iCloud scams are becoming increasingly sophisticated, targeting unsuspecting users with urgent messages about their accounts. Our team recently received two suspicious iCloud emails. We want to share our experience and provide comprehensive steps on how to identify and protect yourself from these scams.

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iCloud email scam (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

The anatomy of iCloud scams

iCloud scams typically follow a pattern designed to create a sense of urgency and fear. Let’s break down the two emails our team received below. Here is the urgent wording that the scammers used, “Payment Failure for iCloud Storage Renewal” and “iCloud Suspended. Fix it before Mon, 13 January 2025.” Both emails share common characteristics of phishing attempts, including urgent language, threats of account suspension or data loss, requests to update payment information, links to external websites and vague or incorrect account details. These emails are crafted to look legitimate, often mimicking Apple’s branding and tone. However, they contain several red flags that indicate they are scams.

iCloud email scam (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

BEST ANTIVIRUS FOR MAC, PC, IPHONES AND ANDROIDS – CYBERGUY PICKS

How to identify iCloud scams

To protect yourself from falling victim to these scams, look out for these telltale signs:
- Check the sender’s email address: Legitimate Apple emails will always come from “@apple.com” or “@icloud.com” domains. The scam email address is not even close to that.
iCloud email scam showing the sender’s bogus email address (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
- Look for spelling and grammatical errors: Scam emails often contain mistakes that official communications wouldn’t have.
- Be wary of urgent deadlines: Scammers create arbitrary deadlines to pressure you into acting quickly without thinking.
- Verify account details: If the email mentions account information, check if it matches your actual iCloud details.
- Hover over links without clicking: This allows you to preview the URL and check if it’s legitimate, as in the example below, which, as you can see, is not from Apple.
iCloud email scam showing the URL preview being bogus (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

Steps to protect yourself

If you receive a suspicious email claiming to be from Apple or iCloud, follow these steps:
- Don’t click any links or download attachments: These could lead to phishing sites or install malware on your device.
- Use strong antivirus software: Consider installing reputable antivirus software to help protect against malware. The best way to safeguard yourself from malicious links that install malware, potentially accessing your private information, is to have antivirus software installed on all your devices. This protection can also alert you to phishing emails and ransomware scams, keeping your personal information and digital assets safe. Get my picks for the best 2025 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices.
- Check your account directly: Instead of using links in the email, go directly to appleid.apple.com or check your device settings.
- Update your Apple ID password: If you suspect your account may have been compromised, change your password immediately.
- Enable two-factor authentication (2FA): 2FA adds an extra layer of security to your Apple ID.
- Report the phishing attempt: Forward suspicious emails to [email protected].
iCloud email scam (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
- Invest in personal data removal services: While no service promises to remove all your data from the internet, having a removal service is great if you want to constantly monitor and automate the process of removing your information from hundreds of sites continuously over a longer period of time. Check out my top picks for data removal services here.
THAT APPLE ID DISABLED MESSAGE? IT’S A DANGEROUS SCAM

What to do if you’ve been scammed

Follow these steps if you think you may have fallen for an iCloud scam.

1) Change your Apple ID password immediately: Ensure you create a strong, unique password that you haven’t used on other accounts.

2) Check for any unauthorized changes to your account settings or payment information: Go to account.apple.com and review any devices, personal information or security settings that look unfamiliar.

3) Contact Apple Support directly through official channels for assistance: Forward the suspicious email to [email protected] or [email protected] to help Apple track and block these scams.

4) Monitor your financial accounts for any suspicious activity: If you provided payment information, cancel and replace your credit card immediately and pay close attention to even small unauthorized charges.

5) Consider placing a fraud alert on your credit reports: Report the scam to the Federal Trade Commission and Internet Crime Complaint Center to help combat these fraudulent activities.

6) Use an identity theft protection service: Identity theft companies can monitor personal information like your Social Security number, phone number and email address and alert you if it is being sold on the dark web or being used to open an account. They can also assist you in freezing your bank and credit card accounts to prevent further unauthorized use by criminals. See my tips and best picks on how to protect yourself from identity theft.

FBI’S NEW WARNING ABOUT AI-DRIVEN SCAMS THAT ARE AFTER YOUR CASH

Kurt’s key takeaways

Remember, Apple will never ask you to provide personal information, passwords or security codes via email, text message or phone call. If you’re ever in doubt about the legitimacy of a communication from Apple, always err on the side of caution and contact Apple directly through their official website or support channels. By staying vigilant and following these guidelines, you can better protect yourself from iCloud scams and keep your personal information secure. Don’t let the urgency of these messages cloud your judgment. Take a moment to verify before you act, and you’ll be much safer in the long run.

Have you ever been targeted by an iCloud or Apple-related scam? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact.

For more of my tech tips and security alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by heading to Cyberguy.com/Newsletter.

Ask Kurt a question or let us know what stories you’d like us to cover.

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Copyright 2025 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved.

Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on “FOX & Friends.” Got a tech question? Get Kurt’s free CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.
February 11, 2025
Trump NIH and FDA nominees debut new scientific journal aimed at spurring debate

President Donald Trump’s nominees to run the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are part of a group of scientists who just launched a new research journal focused on spurring scientific discourse and combating “gatekeeping” in the medical research community.

The journal, titled the Journal of the Academy of Public Health (JAPH), includes an editorial board consisting of several scientists who complained of facing censorship during the COVID-19 pandemic.

JAPH’s co-founders include Martin Kulldorff, a former Harvard Medical School professor who is a founding fellow at Hillsdale College’s Academy for Science and Freedom, and Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, a professor of health policy at Stanford University who is also Trump’s nominee to be the next NIH director. Kulldorff and Bhattacharya became known during the pandemic for authoring The Great Barrington Declaration, which sought to challenge the broader medical community’s prevailing notions about COVID-19 mitigation strategies, arguing that – in the long run – the lockdowns that people were facing would do more harm than good.

CDC STAFF TOLD TO REMOVE TERMS LIKE ‘NON-BINARY,’ ‘THEY/THEM,’ ‘PREGNANT PEOPLE’ FROM PUBLIC HEALTH MATERIAL

Dr. Marty Makary, a surgeon and public policy researcher at Johns Hopkins University, who is Trump’s nominee to be the next director of the FDA, is on the journal’s editorial board as well.

Stanford’s Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, left, appears alongside Johns Hopkins University’s Dr. Marty Makary. (Getty Images/Fox News)

JAPH is adopting a novel approach by publishing peer reviews of prominent studies from other journals that do not make their peer reviews publicly available. The effort is aimed at spurring scientific discourse, Kulldorff said in a paper outlining the purposes of the journal’s creation.

The journal will also seek to promote “open access” by making all of its work available to everyone in the public without a paywall, he said, and the journal’s editorial leadership will allow all scientists within its network to “freely publish all their research results in a timely and efficient manner,” to prevent any potential “gatekeeping.”

“Scientific journals have had enormous positive impact on the development of science, but in some ways, they are now hampering rather than enhancing open scientific discourse,” Kulldorff said. “After reviewing the history and current problems with journals, a new academic publishing model is proposed – it embraces open access and open rigorous peer review, it rewards reviewers for their important work with honoraria and public acknowledgment and it allows scientists to publish their research in a timely and efficient manner without wasting valuable scientist time and resources.”

‘WHAT A RIPOFF!’: TRUMP SPARKS BACKLASH AFTER CUTTING BILLIONS IN OVERHEAD COSTS FROM NIH RESEARCH GRANTS

Kulldorff, Bhattacharya, Makary and others on the new journal’s leadership team have complained that their views about the COVID-19 pandemic were censored. These were views that were often contrary to the prevailing ideas put forth by the broader medical community at the time, which related to topics such as vaccine efficacy, natural immunity, lockdowns and more.

(Censorship was a common complaint from medical researchers like Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, Dr. Marty Makary and Dr. Martin Kulldorff, who were among the few scientists who promoted ideas like herd immunity and challenged the efficacy of lockdowns and vaccine mandates.)

“Big tech censored the [sic] all kinds of science on natural immunity,” Makary said in testimony to Congress following the pandemic. During his testimony, Makary also shared how one of his own studies at Johns Hopkins during the pandemic that promoted the effectiveness of natural immunity, which one scientific journal listed as its third most discussed study in 2022, “was censored.”

“Because of my views on COVID-19 restrictions, I have been specifically targeted for censorship by federal government officials,” Bhattacharya added in his own testimony to Congress the same year.

Kulldorff, who has also complained about censorship of his views on COVID-19, argued he was asked to leave his medical professorship at Harvard that he held since 2003, for “clinging to the truth” in his opposition to COVID-19 lockdowns and vaccine mandates.

CONSERVATIVE LAW FIRM LAUNCHES PROBE INTO FIVE MAJOR UNIVERSITIES FOR ALLEGED ‘CENSORSHIP REGIME’

Dr. Martin Kulldorff is a former Harvard Medical School professor. (Getty Images)

“The JAPH will ensure quality through open peer-review, but will not gatekeep new and important ideas for the sake of established orthodoxies,” Andrew Noymer, JAPH’s incoming editor-in-chief told Fox News Digital.

“To pick one example, in my own sub-field of infectious disease epidemiology, we have in the past few years seen too little published scholarship on the origins of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID. Academic publishing as it exists today is too often concerned with preservation of what we think we know, too often to the detriment of new ideas.”

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Bhattacharya and Makary did not wish to comment on this article.

February 11, 2025
Trump orders immediate end to Biden’s crackdown on household appliances, return to ‘common sense standards’

President Donald Trump is ordering the immediate reversal of Biden-era green energy regulations on household appliances and the reinstatement of environmental orders issued under his first term.

During his term, former President Joe Biden issued more stringent climate standards for various household appliances, such as gas stoves, washing machines and dishwashers, which energy experts and manufacturers have warned could lead to more expensive alternatives that are far less effective than current models.

Trump, in a Truth Social post early Tuesday morning, called on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), led by former Rep. Lee Zeldin, to immediately undo Biden’s climate mandates and return to “common sense standards.”

“I am hereby instructing Secretary Lee Zeldin to immediately go back to my Environmental Orders, which were terminated by Crooked Joe Biden, on Water Standards and Flow pertaining to SINKS, SHOWERS, TOILETS, WASHING MACHINES, DISHWASHERS, etc., and to likewise go back to the common sense standards on LIGHTBULBS, that were put in place by the Trump Administration, but terminated by Crooked Joe,” Trump wrote.

ENERGY EXPERTS BLAST FAILED BILLION-DOLLAR DOE PROJECT AS ‘FINANCIAL BOONDOGGLE,’ ‘DISASTER’

President Donald Trump called on the EPA to immediately reverse Biden’s climate standards for household appliances. (Getty Images)

“I look forward to signing these Orders,” the president said. “THANK YOU!!!”

PRESIDENT TRUMP’S PRO-ENERGY AGENDA WILL UNLEASH AMERICAN JOBS AND ENERGY SECURITY

Republican lawmakers, who have the majority in both the House and the Senate, have also started taking actions in Congress to derail Biden’s green energy standards for appliances.

Lee Zeldin serves as President Donald Trump’s head of the Environmental Protection Agency. (Al Drago)

Rep. Stephanie Bice, R-Oka., introduced a joint resolution of disapproval against the standards for coolers and freezers enacted by the Biden administration that were set to go into effect in February, reported first by Fox News Digital.

Additionally, Rep. Gary Palmer, R-Ala., introduced a resolution to block Biden’s ban on water heaters, which was announced first by Fox News Digital.

In this photo illustration, flames burn on a natural gas-burning stove on Jan. 12, 2023 in Chicago. (Scott Olson)

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Also in January, the House passed the “Liberty in Laundry Act” to prevent the Energy secretary and Department of Energy from “implementing new or amended energy efficiency standards for clothes washers that are not technologically feasible and economically justified.”

Aubrie Spady is a Writer for Fox News Digital.

February 11, 2025
Fever make number of moves to give Caitlin Clark help, including superstar she had playoff spat with

The Indiana Fever needed to make some upgrades to the roster in order to vie for a WNBA championship and give Caitlin Clark extra firepower on both sides of the ball.

The team has done just that.

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Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark, #22, brings the ball up court against the Chicago Sky during the first half at Wintrust Arena in Chicago on Aug. 30, 2024. (Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports)

The Fever re-signed Kelsey Mitchell, acquired Sophie Cunningham from the Phoenix Mercury and added Natasha Howard, DeWanna Bonner and Sydney Colson. In an offseason that saw the Las Vegas Aces trade Kelsey Plum to the Los Angeles Sparks, the Fever may have made some of the shrewdest moves that have gone under the radar.

“I got to work out with DB. As some offseason leagues and overseas stuff kinda wraps up, a lot of them will start getting back and I think it will be a lot of fun to get in the gym and be with my teammates and just starting putting the pieces together and see what works or what doesn’t,” Clark said at Bonner’s introductory press conference, via CBS Sports. “But I think we’re going to have a lot of different options to do a lot of different things. I think that’s what’s super exciting.”

CAITLIN CLARK RESPONDS TO CRITICS AHEAD OF IOWA JERSEY RETIREMENT: ‘I REALLY DON’T CARE’

Connecticut Sun forward DeWanna Bonner, #24, works toward the basket as Minnesota Lynx guard Natisha Hiedeman, #2, defends during the first half of Game 5 of a WNBA basketball semifinals on Oct. 8, 2024 in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr, File)

Clark, Mitchell and Aliyah Boston shined bright in the 2024 season. Clark won the Rookie of the Year award and received some MVP votes. Mitchell was an All-Star for the second straight season. Boston was also an All-Star for the second time and built momentum after her rookie year.

Add players with playoff experience and a coach in Stephanie White, who coached the Connecticut Sun the last two seasons to at least 27 wins, and the Fever have turned into formidable contenders for the WNBA title in 2025.

Bonner is a six-time All-Star and two-time WNBA champion in her own right. She is also not one to be intimidated or messed around with, as she has proven to back up her teammates no matter which team she is playing for. She proved that in the playoffs last season when she and Clark had an in-game spat.

“I think it’s just two competitive players that want to win and push their team to get over the finish line. It was the playoffs, so emotions are high, tensions are high,” she recalled, via the Indy Star.

Bonner added she and Clark had a good workout to build chemistry with Clark.

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark, #22, drives the ball against Connecticut Sun forward DeWanna Bonner, #24, in the first quarter at Mohegan Sun Arena on May 14, 2024 in Uncasville, Connecticut. (David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports)

“I’m just here to hopefully give my leadership advice,” Bonner added. “I don’t think I need to push her to be any type of player that she isn’t already is, and I’m just happy to be here, and I hope I can give her some knowledge to bring her game to a different level.”

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Expectations will be high for Clark and the Fever in her second WNBA season.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Ryan Gaydos is a senior editor for Fox News Digital.

February 11, 2025
Nokia picks Intel’s AI and data center leader Justin Hotard as new CEO
Vice President JD Vance told world leaders in Paris that AI must be ‘free from ideological bias,’ and that American tech won’t be a censorship tool. (Credit: Reuters)
- Nokia CEO Pekka Lundmark will step down and be replaced by Justin Hotard, the Finnish telecoms company said on Monday.
- Hotard is currently the executive vice president and general manager of Data Center & AI Group at Intel, according to the chipmaker’s website.
- Nokia shares are up 27.85% over the past year, but are down more than 90% since peaking in June 2000.
Finnish telecoms company Nokia on Monday said Pekka Lundmark would step down as CEO, and that it has appointed Justin Hotard to take over his role.

Hotard, who will take up the position on April 1, is currently the executive vice president and general manager of Data Center & AI Group at Intel, according to the chipmaker’s website.

Telecom gear makers, struggling with lower sales of 5G equipment, have been looking for ways to diversify their markets and break into growing areas such as artificial intelligence.

AI WILL HELP LOWER PRICES, BUT COULD BE USED BY AUTHORITARIAN GOVERNMENTS, OPENAI CEO SAM ALTMAN SAYS

“He has a strong track record of accelerating growth in technology companies along with vast expertise in AI and data center markets, which are critical areas for Nokia’s future growth,” Nokia’s Chair Sari Baldauf said in a statement.

Shares were up 1.6% at 4.7 euros by 0854 GMT on Helsinki’s stock exchange, which was up just 0.45%.

JPMorgan analysts called the CEO transition a surprise as they said Lundmark had been successful at “steadying the ship.”

Nokia’s current President and Chief Executive Officer, Pekka Lundmark, Nokia’s Chair of the Board of Directors Sari Baldauf and the next President and Chief Executive Officer of Nokia, Justin Hotard, attend the company’s press conference in Espoo, Fi (Lehtikuva/Markku Ulander/via Reuters / Reuters)

“Given that a new CEO has already been appointed, it looks like this transition was in the works for some time. With the Datacentre and AI background of the new CEO, it is clear which areas Nokia wants to focus on,” they said in a note.

This view was echoed by analysts at Inderes, who see the change as a strategic shift towards Nokia’s Network Infrastructure unit, where data centers and AI investments are fostering new growth opportunities.

Last year, Nokia made a move to buy U.S. optical networking gear maker Infinera in a $2.3 billion deal to gain from the billions of dollars in investment pouring into data centers to cater to the rise of artificial intelligence.

Lundmark, who was appointed as Nokia’s CEO in 2020, will stay on as an advisor to Hotard until the end of the year, the company said.

In September, Nokia declined media reports saying the company was looking for a new chief executive.

“The planning for this leadership transition was initiated when Pekka indicated to the Board that he would like to consider moving on from executive roles when the repositioning of the business was in a more advanced stage, and when the right successor had been identified,” Baldauf said.

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Nokia shares are up 27.85% over the past year, but are down more than 90% since peaking in June 2000.

Its infrastructure business, increasingly integrating AI technologies, focuses on building and maintaining communication systems, including data centers, servers and routers.

Its mobile networks unit concentrates on technologies and services enabling mobile communication, including the development and management of cell towers and 5G technologies.
February 11, 2025
Vance tells world leaders AI must be ‘free from ideological bias,’ American tech won’t be censorship tool

Vice President JD Vance told world leaders in Paris that AI must be free from ideological bias, and that American tech wont be a censorship tool. (Credit: Reuters)

Vice President JD Vance told world leaders in Paris on Tuesday that the United States intends to remain the dominant force in artificial intelligence (AI) and warned that the European Union’s far tougher regulatory approach to the technology could cripple it.

Vance warned that the technology should be free from ideological bias and that President Donald Trump’s administration would ensure that the most powerful artificial intelligence systems would be built in the United States. He added that Washington wanted to partner with the world in the industry.

“We feel very strongly that AI must remain free from ideological bias and that American AI will not be co-opted into a tool for authoritarian censorship,” said Vance, at his first scheduled trip abroad since taking office.

Vice President JD Vance told world leaders in Paris that the United States intends to remain the dominant force in AI and warned that the EU’s far tougher regulatory approach to the technology could cripple it. (REUTERS/Benoit Tessier / Reuters)

MUSK-LED GROUP OF INVESTORS SUBMIT UNSOLICITED BID OF $97.4B TO TAKE OVER OPENAI: REPORT

“We believe that excessive regulation of the AI sector could kill a transformative industry just as it’s taking off, and we’ll make every effort to encourage pro-growth AI policies and I’d like to see that deregulatory flavor making its way into a lot of the conversations at this conference.”

Vance was speaking at the AI Action Summit where world leaders, top tech executives and policymakers gathered to discuss the technology’s impact on global security, economics and governance. French President Emmanuel Macron, Indian Prime Minister Shri Modi and Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing were among those in attendance.

The summit comes weeks after Trump announced a new $500 billion AI infrastructure project called Stargate.

Vance said that Europe’s online privacy rules, known by the acronym GDPR, meant endless legal compliance costs for smaller firms.

European lawmakers last year approved the bloc’s AI Act, the world’s first comprehensive set of rules governing the technology. Tech giants and some capitals are pushing for it to be enforced leniently.

Vice President JD Vance speaking at the summit on Tuesday. (LUDOVIC MARIN/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)

ELON MUSK AND TECH LEADER SAM ALTMAN GET INTO WAR OF WORDS OVER AI INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT

Vance has previously suggested the U.S. should reconsider its NATO commitments if European governments impose restrictions on Elon Musk’s social media platform, X.

“Many of our most productive tech companies are forced to deal with the EU’s Digital Services Act and the mass of regulations it created about taking down content and policing so-called misinformation,” Vance said.

“And of course, we want to ensure that the internet is a safe place, but it is one thing to prevent a predator from preying on a child on the internet, and it is something quite different to prevent a grown man or woman from accessing an opinion that the government thinks is misinformation.

Vance said that hostile foreign adversaries have weaponized AI software to rewrite history, surveil users, censor speech and undermine other nations’ national security. He said the Trump administration will work to safeguard American AI and chip technologies from theft and misuse.

He also said American workers will be central to the United States’ policies on AI.

Vance said American workers will be central to the United States’ policies on AI. (iStock / iStock)

“We believe – and we will fight for policies that ensure – that AI is going to make our workers productive, and we expect that they will reap the rewards, with higher wages, better benefits and safer and more prosperous communities,” Vance said. “From law to medicine, manufacturing, the most immediate applications of AI almost all involved supplementing – not replacing – the work being done by Americans.”

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The U.S. and the U.K. did not sign the Paris AI Summit’s declaration entitled “Statement on Inclusive and Sustainable Artificial Intelligence.”

The communiqué prioritizes “ensuring AI is open, inclusive, transparent, ethical, safe, secure and trustworthy, taking into account international frameworks for all” and “making AI sustainable for people and the planet.”

It wasn’t immediately clear why the U.S. and the U.K. did not sign up.

Reuters contributed to this report.

February 11, 2025
Democrat lawmaker freezes on House floor after suffering adverse reaction to medication

Rep. John Larson, D-Ct., appeared to freeze mid-remarks on the House floor on Monday. In the middle of impassioned remarks aimed against President Donald Trump and his team, including Elon Musk, Larson took a long pause and when he resumed speaking his speed was noticeably slower. The lawmaker was also slurring his words.

Following the incident, Larson’s D.C. office put out a statement expressing the congressman’s gratitude to those who reached out and clarifying a possible reason for the lawmaker’s long pause.

“Congressman Larson appreciates the well wishes from everyone who has reached out. This afternoon, he had what was likely an adverse reaction to a new medication and is having tests administered by the House Attending Physician out of an abundance of caution,” Larson’s office wrote in a statement.

“He later participated in multiple meetings in his office and was alert and engaged. The Congressman remains in touch with his staff and in good spirits.”

Rep. John Larson, D-Conn., arrives for the House Ways and Means Committee “Hearing with the IRS Whistleblowers: Hunter Biden Investigation Obstruction in Their Own Words” in the Longworth House Office Building on Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

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The 76-year-old lawmaker’s office, however, did not provide details on what the medication was or why the congressman was purportedly taking it. Larson also reportedly skipped two House votes held on Monday night, according to Axios.

American voters have grown increasingly concerned over lawmakers’ ages. The issue of age in politics is not new, as former President Ronald Regan combated questions about his age when running for re-election in 1984. Reagan famously joked about the issue in a debate against former Vice President Walter Mondale.

“I want you to know that also I will not make age an issue of this campaign. I am not going to exploit, for political purposes, my opponent’s youth and inexperience,” Reagan joked during the debate, eliciting laughs from the audience and Mondale.

Republican candidate Ronald Reagan, left, and Democrat Walter Mondale debate before the 1984 presidential election. (Corbis via Getty Images)

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However, the 2024 election brought age back into the spotlight as many questioned then-President Joe Biden’s cognitive abilities. When the president dropped out of the race in July 2024, some Democrats tried to flip the age question onto Trump, but this mostly fell flat.

Additionally, just days before Larson’s incident, Senator Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who will turn 83 later this month, left the Capitol in a wheelchair as a precautionary issue after falling twice.

“Senator McConnell is fine. The lingering effects of polio in his left leg will not disrupt his regular schedule of work,” a spokesperson for the senator said in a statement.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., concludes a news conference in the U.S. Capitol after the senate luncheons on Tuesday, September 24, 2024. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

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The average age of America’s lawmakers is changing, according to a report from the Pew Research Center. In January, Pew reported that the average age of voting members in the House and the median age in the Senate had dropped. The House’s median age went from 57.9 years in the 118th Congress to 57.5 years in the 119th, while the median age in the Senate went from 65.3 to 64.7 years.

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Pew shows that the majority of the House in the 119th Congress is made up of Baby Boomers and Gen Xers, with the younger generation slowly outpacing the older one. Baby Boomers are no longer the largest generation in the House, now accounting for just 39% of the legislative body. Their numbers have also dropped in the Senate, despite Baby Boomers still making up a majority of the chamber.

Rep. Maxwell Frost, D-Fla., is the only Gen Z lawmaker in Congress. Members of Frost’s generation are not yet eligible to run for Senate, where the minimum age to serve is 30 years old.

Rachel Wolf is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital and FOX Business.

February 11, 2025