As House Republicans scrambled to get a revised stopgap spending bill to a vote this afternoon, a central question still lingers from yesterday's chaos:

• If Elon Musk can effectively veto a congressional budget deal, imagine how much influence he might wield over more arcane policy issues affecting his pantheon of business interests.

The big picture: The incoming Trump administration and Congress could soon take action on a litany of regulatory and spending matters affecting the self-proclaimed First Buddy's business empire, including self-driving cars, space and AI.

• The reality that Musk is capable of turning his political influence into action suggests that investors have been right to believe that his companies will benefit from a Trump administration and Republican Congress.
• Musk's net worth has climbed by nearly $200 billion since Election Day to $458 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

What we're watching: His influence could play out in a variety of ways:

• Tesla — and other autonomous vehicle companies — would benefit from a national regulatory framework for self-driving cars, rather than the patchwork of rules that currently exists.
• SpaceX would benefit from a continued flow — or perhaps even an increase — in federal funding for its interstellar endeavors.
• xAI, Musk's increasingly valuable startup, could be affected by any congressional action — or, perhaps more significantly, inaction — on AI regulation.

The bottom line: After Musk wielded a cudgel with the federal budget, there's no reason to believe he won't deploy a pencil and eraser to federal regulations.

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Casual dining chains aren't gone for good if the Olive Garden owner's earnings report today is any indication.

Why it matters: The sector's been struggling as consumers have been looking for savings on food, leading to the bankruptcies of chains like TGI Fridays and Red Lobster.

Driving the news: Darden Restaurants topped earnings estimates and posted an overall same-restaurant sales increase of 2.4% for the latest quarter, compared with a year earlier.

• That included a blistering 7.5% jump for LongHorn Steakhouse and a 2% increase for Olive Garden — chains that collectively represent about 69% of the company's revenue.

Yes, but: Fine dining's slump continued.

The impact: Darden's stock rose nearly 15% today.

🌳 Dollar Tree appointed its third CEO in two years after its stock plunged in 2024. (Barron's)

💉 The FDA confirmed that the active ingredient in Eli Lilly's Mounjaro and Zepbound is no longer in shortage. (CNBC)

📺 Fox News host Neil Cavuto is leaving after 28 years. (AP)

The Teamsters union launched a strike against Amazon this morning, with workers at seven facilities in New York City, Atlanta, Illinois and California taking to the picket line in a push for better wages, benefits and working conditions.

The big picture: The strike, which the union is calling the largest against Amazon in U.S. history, coincides with the final week of holiday shopping — one of the company's busiest times of year.

• "If your package is delayed during the holidays, you can blame Amazon's insatiable greed," Teamsters president Sean O'Brien said in a statement.

Zoom in: The union says workers decided to walk out after Amazon ignored a Dec. 15 deadline for contract negotiations.

Reality check: Those striking are just a small percentage of Amazon's massive workforce.

• Amazon said in a statement that the Teamsters' claims of representing thousands of the company's employees are misleading.

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Our hearts are melting after we saw this viral tweet about a Ty Beanie Baby someone spotted recently at CVS.

State of play: After 18-year-old Devin Silva posted on X about mercy-buying Cookie last week, sales have soared, NBC News reported.

• The post — which has now been seen some 28 million times — "had the internet in a state of cuteness-induced hypnosis over the past week," USA Today wrote.
• The gingerbread plushie — which appears to be an ornament? — is listed for sale for $3.99 on TY's website, though X users have reported it's been periodically sold out.

💭 Nathan's thought bubble: I rushed over to the CVS near the Axios office this morning in Arlington, Virginia, and I'm sad to report Cookie wasn't there.

• I am devastated.