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A worker unloads a 24-kilowatt Generac home generator off a truck at Captain Electric on February 18, 2021 in Orem, Utah. 

George Frey | Getty Images

Shares of backup power generation company Generac Holdings surged more than 7% on Monday as Hurricane Milton rapidly strengthened into a Category 4 storm.

Milton is forecast to move north of the Yucatan Peninsula Monday and Tuesday before crossing the Gulf of Mexico to approach Florida by Wednesday, according to the National Hurricane Center. Tampa Bay could face a storm surge of eight to 12 feet, according to forecasters.

Insurance stocks that have weather catastrophe exposure, meanwhile, are falling on potential insured losses tied to Hurricane Milton. AllstateTravelers and Chubb saw their shares fall more than 3%, while Progressive and AIG all declined more than 1%.

Universal Insurance, based in Fort. Lauderdale, plunged more than 20% as the catastrophe-prone carrier with Gulf Coast exposure could see heightened hurricane risks.

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

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Trump’s World Liberty Financial crypto project says it sold $550 million in tokens

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Trump's World Liberty Financial crypto project says it sold 0 million in tokens

The World Liberty Financial website arranged on a smartphone in New York, US, on Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025. 

Gabby Jones | Bloomberg | Getty Images

President Donald Trump’s World Liberty Financial crypto project said on Monday that it raised $250 million in its second token sale, bringing the total amount of coins sold to $550 million.

WLFI, a venture backed by the first family that describes itself as a sort of crypto banking platform, launched in October, weeks before Trump’s election victory. In a document published at the time of launch, WLFI said the Trump family could take home 75% of net revenue.

In Monday’s release, WLFI said more than 85,000 participants underwent so-called know-your-customer verification to gain access to the token sale. Co-founder Zach Witkoff, son of billionaire U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff, is quoted in the release as saying that “WLFI is on track to supercharge DeFi,” or decentralized finance.

In January, Tron blockchain founder Justin Sun upped his stake in WLFI tokens to $75 million. A court filing the following month showed that Sun and the SEC were exploring a resolution to the regulator’s civil fraud case against the crypto entrepreneur.

WLFI is one of several crypto projects in the Trump family that are kicking off just as the president is pushing a crypto-friendly agenda. Earlier this month, President Trump signed an executive order to establish a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve.

According to a memo from the White House last week, David Sacks, the Trump administration’s AI and crypto czar, sold over $200 million worth of digital asset-related investments personally and through his firm, Craft Ventures, before starting the job. Sacks said in a podcast that he “didn’t want to even have the appearance of a conflict.”

At the end of February, the SEC declared that meme tokens are not securities. The announcement came after the president and First Lady Melania Trump launched their own meme coins in the days leading up to the inauguration.

WATCH: Trump’s bitcoin reserve leaves crypto investors disappointed

Trump's bitcoin reserve leaves crypto investors disappointed

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Volkswagen just revealed the 2025 ID.4’s initial pricing and trim [update]

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Volkswagen just revealed the 2025 ID.4's initial pricing and trim [update]

Volkswagen of America announced the initial pricing and trim for the 2025 Volkswagen ID.4 – here’s the lowdown on the latest rebate.

March 17, 2025: The 2025 VW ID.4 is already arriving on dealer lots, and VW is already offering it with a $5,000 Retail Customer Bonus across all 2025 ID.4 trims. However, the rebate is only available when paying cash or financing at a standard rate, which means it can’t be combined with VW’s 72-month 0% APR offer also available for the 2025 ID.4.

CarsDirect crunched the numbers and estimated that over a 72-month term, consumers will save “about $61 per month by choosing the 0% deal over the $5,000, which adds up to almost $4,400 over the course of the term.”

But if you want a better deal on an ID.4, then opt for a 2024 model, because you can stack 0% APR for 72 months with the $5,000 bonus.

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The offers are good until the end of April.

Click here to find a local dealer that may have the Volkswagen ID.4 in stock. –trusted affiliate link

February 3, 2025: Volkswagen has restarted production of the ID.4 at its Chattanooga, Tennessee, plant with 82 kWh models rolling off the line. The 62 kWh version will follow later, and all models are set to get additional features starting midyear. Pricing and more details are coming soon.

The 82 kWh ID.4 models stick to a similar trim lineup as 2024. Both the Entry and S trims come in rear-wheel or all-wheel drive, while the top-tier S Plus is exclusively all-wheel drive.

Without further ado, let’s get to it. Here’s the meat-and-potatoes pricing and trim of the 2025 Volkswagen ID.4:

Entry

RWD Pro: starting at $45,095 MSRP

AWD Pro: starting at $48,995 MSRP

Exterior features

  • 19-inch alloy wheels on RWD models
  • 20-inch wheels on AWD models
  • Gloss black grille
  • LED head- and taillights
  • Automatic headlights with rain-sensing wipers
  • Heated windshield (AWD only)
  • Heated washer nozzles
  • Heated mirrors
  • Black roof rails
  • 3-door KESSY® with proximity unlocking
  • Tow hitch (AWD only)

Interior features

  • 12.9-inch Discover Pro Max infotainment display with navigation and backlit sliders
  • Wireless App-Connect (AndroidAuto, CarPlay, and MirrorLink) and charging with compatible devices
  • 45W USB-C charging
  • Intuitive voice control
  • 5.3-inch ID. Cockpit
  • Volkswagen Car-Net with Plus Nav and Plus Speech packages included at no additional charge for three years
  • SiriusXM® with three-month Platinum Plan trial subscription included
  • Manual cloth and leatherette seats
  • Heated front seats
  • Dual-zone Climatronic
  • 10-color ambient lighting ID. Light
  • Auto-dimming interior mirror
  • Stitched dashboard
  • Variable cargo floor cover.
  • Driver assistance features include standard IQ.DRIVE; plus Park Distance Control; Park Assist (Parking Steering Assistant); Dynamic Road Sign Display; and Light Assist (High Beam Control for headlights).

S

RWD Pro S: starting at $50,195 MSRP

AWD Pro S: starting at $54,095 MSRP

Exterior features

  • The equipment set from the entry models
  • 20-inch wheels
  • Illuminated front and rear VW logo and light line in the front fascia
  • Premium LED projector headlights with Adaptive Front-lighting System (AFS)
  • Poor weather lights
  • Mirrors with memory function

Interior features

  • 30-color ambient lighting
  • Perforated leatherette seats
  • Door-panel stitching
  • Heated steering wheel
  • 12-way power seats with memory
  • Ventilated front seats
  • Rear-seat pass-through
  • Center armrest with cupholders
  • Panoramic fixed glass roof with electric sunshade
  • Power tailgate with Easy Open and Close

S Plus

AWD Pro S Plus: starting at $57,295 MSRP

Exterior features

  • Features build on the S models
  • 21-inch wheels
  • Black roof with silver roof accents, C-pillar, and roof rails
  • Silver accents on front and rear bumpers
  • Power-folding mirrors with signature lighting

Interior features

  • Additional features include heated rear seats
  • Three-zone Climatronic
  • Harman Kardon premium audio with 14 total speakers including subwoofer
  • Area View (Overhead View Camera)

Click here to find a local dealer that may have the Volkswagen ID.4 in stock.–trusted affiliate link


If you live in an area that has frequent natural disaster events, and are interested in making your home more resilient to power outages, consider going solar and adding a battery storage system. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. They have hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.

Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisers to help you every step of the way. Get started here. –trusted affiliate link*

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Kia’s first electric hatch actually looks pretty cool in real life [Video]

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Kia's first electric hatch actually looks pretty cool in real life [Video]

Is the hatchback finally coming back? Kia’s first electric hatch, the EV4, looks like the one we’ve been waiting for. It almost looks more like a low-riding crossover on the road, but it could be a cheaper option. Check it out for yourself in the video below.

Kia’s first electric hatch is almost here

We finally got our first look at the EV4 during Kia’s 2025 EV Day last month. Four models, two sedans and two hatchbacks, were showcased.

Both will kick off new segments in Kia’s rapidly expanding EV lineup. The EV4 is part of Kia’s new mass-market electric car lineup, with prices starting at $30,000 and even lower in some markets.

After opening orders for the EV4 sedan in Korea last week, the hatchback version is expected to arrive later this year. The EV4 hatch was recently spotted driving on the road for the first time in Korea, giving us our best look at its bigger backside.

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You can immediately see this is not your average Ford Focus or VW Golf. In Kia’s words, the “EV4 introduces a new typology” for sedans and hatchbacks. And that it does.

Kia-EV4-first-electric-hatch
Kia EV4 hatchback GT-Line (Source: Kia)

The video from ShortsCar shows the EV4 hatch from all angles as it drives by on a public street. It looks about the same as the sedan from the front, but you can’t miss the extended backside.

While the sedan has more of a sports car-like back end, the hatch almost looks like a mini crossover, and not in a bad way.

Kia EV4 hatch spotted on the road in Korea (Source: ShortsCar)

The EV4 sedan starts at about $29,000 (41.92 million won) in Korea. Although the sedan is built at Kia’s Autoland Gwangmyeong EVO Plant in Korea, the hatch will be built in Slovakia, as it’s primarily aimed at Europe.

Kia plans to begin building hatchback models in the second half of the year. The sedan model will also launch in Europe later this year. It will be offered with two battery options, 58.3 kWh or 81.4 kWh, for up to 630 km (391 miles) WLTP range. The hatchback is rated with up to 590 km (366 miles) range by WLTP standards.

For those in the US, don’t worry. Kia confirmed that the EV4 sedan will launch in the US. However, no specific date has been set. When it arrives, it’s expected to be among the most affordable EV options at around $35,000 to $40,000.

The hatchback will start at around 37,000 euros ($40,000) in Europe. Sorry to disappoint anyone, but it’s not expected to arrive in the US.

Would you buy the electric hatch if it was sold in the US? I actually like the look. It reminds me of a smaller, low-riding EV6. Let us know what you think of it in the comments below.

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