American citizens across the Middle East are attempting to follow official advice and evacuate as conflict escalates in the region following US and Israeli attacks on Iran on Saturday. "If you choose to avail yourself of this option to depart, the US government cannot guarantee your safety," said the US embassy, adding that they were sharing the information "as a courtesy to those wishing to leave Israel." President Donald Trump was asked in the Oval Office on Tuesday why evacuations hadn't been planned beforehand, and whether he would charter planes to evacuate Americans from the region. "It happened all very quickly," Trump said. "I thought we were going to have a situation where we were going to be attacked." Dylan Johnson, the Assistant Secretary of State for Global Public Affairs, wrote on X on Tuesday that the State Department is "actively securing military aircraft and charter flights for American citizens who wish to leave the Middle East" and has been in contact with "nearly 3,000 Americans abroad." In Qatar, where Iranian retaliatory strikes have hit key energy facilities, the country's US embassy issued a travel advisory on Tuesday, also warning American citizens they were unable to help them evacuate, saying that they should "take advantage of commercial transportation options." The US embassy in Qatar advised Americans who chose to stay to create a contingency plan, but said that "these alternative plans should not rely on the US government for assisted departure or evacuation." Most US embassies in the region have suspended normal operations as staff shelter in place, and some have shut down entirely due to heightened security risks. On Tuesday, the US Embassy in Saudi Arabia issued a stark warning to citizens to stay away from its consulate in Dhahran, a coastal city in the east of Saudi Arabia, due to "a threat of imminent missile and UAV attacks" over the city. On Monday, the US embassy in Jordan announced that all its personnel had temporarily departed the Embassy compound "due to a threat." Iran has launched a barrage of retaliatory missiles against US allies in the region, hitting sites including US military bases, Dubai's Burj Al Arab hotel, and the US embassy in Riyadh. The list of countries Americans are being urged to depart from immediately is as follows: Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Qatar have closed their airspaces. Wealthy travelers and expats in the UAE have turned to private jets and chauffeured drivers to help them flee the region, but many have been caught up in lengthy border crossings amid the rush to Saudi Arabia and Oman, where some flights were still departing. Monica Marks, a professor at NYU Abu Dhabi, posted on X, wondering how Americans are supposed to leave the Middle East without government help.

Apple on Tuesday rolled out new MacBook Pro and MacBook Air models with its latest M5 chips, along with an updated Studio Display lineup, in its biggest Mac refresh in more than a year. The push gives Apple a fresh shot at reviving Mac demand while making a broader case that more AI work will move onto the device itself, not just the cloud. The announcements come at a critical moment for Apple's Mac business, which saw sales drop nearly 7% to $8.39 billion during the holiday quarter, falling well short of analyst expectations of nearly $9 billion. These new machines are meant to get people to upgrade, especially users still hanging onto older Intel-era systems or early M-series devices. But they also arrive at higher prices, with tighter memory supply driving up costs as suppliers favor the more lucrative AI data center market over consumer hardware. To help justify the higher prices, Apple raised the starting storage floor on the Pro line, with M5 Pro models now starting at 1TB and M5 Max models starting at 2TB. But the bigger pitch is performance. Apple is positioning the M5 Pro and M5 Max as a real step up for heavier workloads, especially AI. The company says the new MacBook Pro can process large language model prompts nearly four times faster than comparable M4-based machines and up to eight times faster than M1 models, all without sacrificing battery life. That is central to Apple's push to make the Mac a more credible platform for running advanced AI tools locally — an increasingly important capability for businesses that want to keep sensitive data off cloud servers. The base model starts at $1,599, while the higher-end Studio Display XDR starts at $3,299 and adds features aimed at more demanding professional use cases, including higher brightness, mini-LED backlighting and a faster refresh rate. That makes Tuesday's launch a clear pivot from the more value-focused products Apple unveiled on Monday, including a refreshed version of its low-cost iPhone. The broader strategy, though, appears unchanged: give customers a stronger reason to upgrade at multiple price points without weakening the premium tier. If Apple unveils the rumored lower-cost MacBook, that would be the clearest sign yet that this week is about expanding the lineup in both directions, looking to hold onto high-end buyers while reaching first-time Mac customers, Windows and Chromebook switchers, along with iPhone users who have never owned a Mac. We want to hear from you. Sign up for free newsletters and get more CNBC delivered to your inbox

Blackstone president Jon Gray on Tuesday defended the quality of loans within the firm's flagship private credit fund after investors pulled nearly 8% from it in the last quarter. The alternative asset management giant said in a late Monday filing that it allowed investors to withdraw 7.9% of BCRED, which it calls the largest private credit fund in the world, with about $82 billion invested. Blackstone did so in part by allowing the firm's own investors to plow $150 million into the fund. "When you think about credit quality, the 400-plus borrowers here, they had 10% EBITDA growth last year," Gray told CNBC's David Faber, using a term referring to a company's financial performance. Last month, the storm intensified when Blue Owl said it found buyers for $1.4 billion of its loans, in part to help cash out 30% of an embattled credit fund. Now, with the far larger asset manager Blackstone being swept up in it, concerns around private credit seem to be broadening. A Blackstone spokesman said the firm and its employees' investment in BCRED was "about meeting 100% of requests for the quarter with certainty and timeliness." "We've had a ton of noise," Gray told CNBC. "As you guys know better than anybody in the press, this has become a story." Concerns were first triggered last fall with the collapse of Tricolor and First Brands, firms that also received funding from banks, the Blackstone executive noted. "There's a constant spin cycle, and so when that's happening, it's not a surprise that investors can get nervous," Gray said. "Financial advisors can say, 'Hey, I want to redeem.'" Still, loans to software firms make up the single biggest exposure for BCRED, at roughly 25% of the fund, per disclosures. While Gray acknowledged that "there are software companies that will be disrupted" by AI in the coming years, he also noted that debt lenders are senior to equity holders and that many software companies will be difficult to dislodge. "There's this disjointed environment now between what's happening on the ground with underlying portfolios and what's happening in the news cycle," Gray said. We want to hear from you. Sign up for free newsletters and get more CNBC delivered to your inbox

Anthropic "made a mistake" in its dealings with the Department of Defense, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr told CNBC on Tuesday after the U.S. government blacklisted the AI firm. The startup asked for assurance that its technology would not be used for fully autonomous weapons or domestic mass surveillance of Americans. Talks stalled last week and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei said the company "cannot in good conscience" allow the use of its models under these conditions. "I think it [Anthropic] probably made a mistake," the FCC's Carr told CNBC. "There's obviously rules of the road that are in place that are going to apply to every technology that the Department of War contracts with." President Donald Trump then ordered every U.S. government agency to "immediately cease" using Anthropic's technology. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth escalated the pressure on Anthropic by labeling it a "Supply-Chain Risk to National Security." The designation means any contractor that works with the Pentagon may not do business with Anthropic. "They were given lots of off ramps ... given lots of opportunities to find a great landing spot, and they chose not to do it and that's a mistake for them," Carr added. Anthropic was not immediately available for comment when contacted by CNBC. On Friday, Anthropic said it was "saddened" by the move to blacklist it, saying it "would both be legally unsound and set a dangerous precedent for any American company that negotiates with the government." "We have tried in good faith to reach an agreement with the Department of War, making clear that we support all lawful uses of AI for national security," aside from the mass domestic surveillance of Americans and fully autonomous weapons, Anthropic said. Just hours after Anthropic's blacklisting, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said his company had agreed to terms with the Department of Defense regarding the use of its artificial intelligence models. On Monday, Altman said OpenAI "shouldn't have rushed" its deal with the Department of Defense, adding that it "looked opportunistic and sloppy." OpenAI outlined revised terms of the agreement, including wording to clarify that "the AI system shall not be intentionally used for domestic surveillance of U.S. persons and nationals." - CNBC's Ashley Capoot and Dylan Butts contributed to this report. Sign up for free newsletters and get more CNBC delivered to your inbox

Most flights to and from the UAE have been grounded, resulting in hundreds of cancellations, thousands stranded both in and outside the Middle East, and global travel disruption as the strikes in Iran escalated into a wider regional conflict. With around just 30 minutes left of the 3.5-hour journey from Mumbai to Dubai, the captain of the Emirates flight — an Airbus A380, which was only about half full — informed passengers we would have to turn around due to missiles fired by Iran on the UAE. About 15 minutes later, the captain told passengers that the airspace had reopened, and we had clearance to land in Dubai, where we arrived at an almost empty airport. The arrivals board was blank, but a small number of passengers appeared to be departing on repatriation flights back to the U.K. When the war began, I was on holiday in Goa, India with my partner and due to fly back on Sunday, but our direct flight home to the UAE was cancelled. My bosses suggested I go to CNBC's bureau in Singapore to wait out the conflict and work from there. When we reached Mumbai's airport, we checked the departures board for our Singapore leg and saw an Emirates flight departing for Dubai at 2:20 am. I had been in touch with Emirates, Etihad and Dubai Airports all weekend for my reporting, but was shocked to see a flight. To my surprise, they told us we could book flights if we were UAE residents or nationals. They asked us to book on the spot, via the airline's app, and show our Emirates ID, a national ID card for residents across the country. We stood at the desk, contemplating whether to fly back into an active war. I consulted CNBC's security team and together, we decided it would be best to go home. My team had been on the ground for days reporting and working from the UAE, and I couldn't refuse the chance to go back. My partner and I agreed that we may not get the chance again anytime soon. We boarded the very quiet flight and spoke with other passengers, a mix of Emiratis and expats residing in Dubai. Many of them had tried in recent days to board flights to Saudi Arabia or Oman, hoping to cross back into the UAE from there. I was told taxi drivers in Muscat were charging passengers wanting to cross the border over 3,000 dirhams, which is just over $800, for the four-and-a-half-hour drive. Most people on board said they were excited to get home, but the mood on the flight was tense. The flight took off and we fell asleep. Thirty minutes from landing, the captain woke us all up to say that UAE airspace had closed and that the plane had to turn back to Mumbai. There was a mix of silence and shock. I was next to a British woman who said her two young children were in Dubai. She looked at me with despair at the news that she wouldn't see her family. Through the flight's Wifi, I learned from my team, who was tracking my flight, that a barrage of missiles had been fired towards the UAE. They reported hearing multiple loud explosions, which the UAE government has confirmed were the country's air defenses intercepting missiles from Iran. About 15 minutes later, the captain's voice returned. He said, to our great surprise, that we had clearance to land in Dubai and that we are just around an hour away. As we approached Dubai, I saw the familiar sight of the Persian Gulf out my window, tankers dotted around the UAE coast like small stars full of petroleum. The crew told me that we were being escorted back into UAE airspace by two fighter jets. I could not see any out of my window from my view in the middle seat and, after we landed, Emirates would not confirm it to me on record, saying only the flight was "rerouted in line with air traffic control instructions" and "landed safely in Dubai with a one-hour delay." When we landed, it was just after 6 a.m. on Tuesday. I flew a lot then and remember being in and out of a very empty Dubai Airport. Sign up for free newsletters and get more CNBC delivered to your inbox

Since moving to Tokyo last year, my friends back in New York have made a habit of sending me viral posts about Japan. That's how I first learned about Punch, the baby monkey abandoned by his mother and now cared for by zookeepers at Ichikawa City Zoo, east of Tokyo. Javier Quiñones, commercial manager at Ingka Group, which operates Ikea stores worldwide, told Business Insider that Ikea has seen sales of the Djungelskog orangutan toy increase. "The toy has long been one of our most sought-after across markets, and the story from Japan is now giving it a little extra love," he said. I expected other fans to be making the trek, but I didn't spot a single rider headed for the zoo. The trains were packed at first — commuters with suitcases bound for Narita Airport, salarymen, uniformed schoolkids — but by the time we reached sleepy Ichikawa Station, most had cleared out. Getting there took just under 2 hours: three trains and a 30-minute walk. The zoo-bound bus doesn't run on weekdays. Near the entrance, I began spotting both foreign and Japanese visitors climbing out of taxis, clutching monkey stuffed animals. It was obvious who they were there to see. I paid the 440-yen, or $2.80, admission fee and made my way to Monkey Mountain, passing a mosaic mural of animals along the path. There were rows of people lined up around a blue iron fence, phones raised, waiting to capture Punch in action. Spectators oohed as other monkeys climbed the rocky structure to play with a silver chain affixed to the top. The enclosure itself was stark — rocky, with little vegetation, more concrete jungle than mountainside. Some of the monkeys appeared thin, even balding Punch, by contrast, looked healthy, his fur darker and thicker than the others'. Visitors laughed when he leapt from a rock to the monkey bars. Mostly, he keeps to himself, occasionally playing with a slightly larger one. "We didn't see any monkey fights," she said. "We don't love zoos and were a little concerned about supporting one if it doesn't have the best enclosures. They could use some improvements, but it was better than I thought." A group of heavily made-up girls in Japanese high school uniforms arrived, giggling. The zookeeper returned with what looked like grass. This time, Punch perched on his shoulder as they made another lap before disappearing into a back room together. Around me, spectators wondered whether Punch would reappear before closing. Most were young adults — students and couples, some in coordinated outfits — clearly here for a photo. I asked a zookeeper if he had time to answer a few questions, but he said the staff was overwhelmed by Punch's popularity and too busy to respond, even to email inquiries. Then an announcement crackled over the loudspeaker: Monkey Mountain was getting crowded.

American consumers and businesses are taking most of the hit from President Donald Trump's tariffs, New York Federal Reserve President John Williams said Tuesday in remarks that counter White House claims. "The tariffs have overwhelmingly been borne domestically — a New York Fed analysis estimates that most of the burden has fallen on U.S. firms and consumers.," Williams said in remarks for a conference in Washington, D.C. "In addition, the tariffs have already meaningfully increased U.S. prices of imported goods, and the full effects have likely not yet been felt." The study Williams cited has generated a fair amount of controversy over the past few weeks. In a white paper published on the New York Fed's website, a team of researchers found that as much as 90% of the added cost from tariffs has been passed on to domestic producers and consumers. Trump and other White House officials had insisted that exporters would absorb the costs rather than raise prices. Hassett later stepped back the criticism. "My current estimate is that, to date, the increase in tariffs has contributed around one half to three quarters of a percentage point to the current inflation rate of about 3 percent," he said. Owing to the effects of tariffs, progress toward that goal has temporarily stalled." On the bright side, Williams said he still expects the tariff impact on inflation to be temporary, and he sees the Fed hitting its target by 2027. He added that the U.S. economy "appears to be on a good footing." As for current policy, he said it is "well positioned" for the Fed to hit its dual mandate goal of steady prices and full employment. Should inflation progress lower after the tariff impact fades, "further reductions in the federal funds rate will eventually be warranted to prevent monetary policy from inadvertently becoming more restrictive." Markets expect the Fed to resume cutting later this year, possibly in July or September, according to current futures pricing. As New York Fed president, Williams carries extra influence on the Federal Open Market Committee, where he is a permanent voting member. We want to hear from you. Sign up for free newsletters and get more CNBC delivered to your inbox

Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., lashed out at Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Tuesday, calling her leadership of the agency a "disaster." And you have demonstrated anything but that," said Tillis, who has previously called on Noem to resign. He struck out at Noem for her handling of disaster response and the immigration enforcement surge in Minnesota, among other things. "What we've seen is innocent people getting detained that turned out are American citizens," Tillis said in a roughly 10-minute diatribe that included references to passages from her autobiography in which she describes killing a poorly behaved dog. Noem was making her first appearance before Congress since the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti at the hands of federal agents during the Minnesota immigration crackdown. It is the first of two this week, as she is due to testify before the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday. She was met with hostility from Tillis, who is retiring at the end of his term, and Democrats on the panel and skepticism even from some other committee Republicans. "Mistakes have been made," Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, said in his opening remarks. But officers should never be threatened or harmed while enforcing our laws," Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., questioned Noem on a $220 million taxpayer-funded ad campaign, that included a lucrative contract with a Republican consulting firm with ties to Noem and Department of Homeland Security aides. Those commercials feature Noem prominently, in one case on horseback with Mount Rushmore in the background, and warn immigrants about entering the country unlawfully. "Well they were effective in your name recognition," Kennedy said. Noem's appearance also coincided with an ongoing DHS shutdown. Funding for DHS lapsed last month, and Democrats have so far refused to back an appropriations bill over frustrations with the Trump administration's immigration enforcement tactics. DHS still has billions of dollars at its disposal to keep some programs running thanks to last year's massive tax and spending bill. Some Republicans argued that in light of the recent military action in Iran, failing to fund DHS presented a security risk. "Can we not understand America's under siege now, likely to be attacked because radical Islam is under siege and they're going to hit back, and we're sitting here looking at each other and not funding DHS?" Rep. Robin Kelly, D-Ill., introduced articles of impeachment for Noem in January after federal officers killed Good and Pretti. "Under your leadership, the Homeland Security Department has been devoid of any moral compass or respect for the rule of law," Senate Judiciary ranking member Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said at the hearing. "Without hesitation or remorse, DHS agents have wreaked havoc in our cities ... and acted with unspeakable cruelty against children, immigrant families and American citizens." They held signs and shouted in Noem's direction as she took her seat in a Senate committee room. Two protesters interrupted testimony and were forcibly removed from the room. Durbin and others members also took issue with Noem's handling of the Pretti shooting in Minnesota. In the immediate aftermath, Noem said Pretti, a Minneapolis intensive care unit nurse, "committed an act of domestic terrorism," then walked the claim back after video of the incident emerged. "When we have these situations happen, we always offer condolences to those families, and I offer mine as well. Given the broad use of ICE and DHS agents throughout the country, many Democrats have expressed anxiety that federal officers could be deployed to polling places for midterm elections this November, as some White House allies, like Steve Bannon, have urged. Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., asked Noem whether she would "rule out the deployment of ICE or CBP to polling places this November?" "There are no plans to have ICE officers at our polling locations," Noem said. She did not explicitly rule it out. Sign up for free newsletters and get more CNBC delivered to your inbox

Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., lashed out at Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Monday, calling her leadership of the agency a "disaster." And you have demonstrated anything but that," said TIllis, who has previously called on Noem to resign. He struck out at Noem for her handling of disaster response and the immigration enforcement surge in Minnesota, among other things. "What we've seen is innocent people getting detained that turned out are American citizens," Tillis said in a roughly 10-minute diatribe that included references to passages from her autobiography in which she describes killing a poorly behaved dog. Noem was making her first appearance before Congress since the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti at the hands of federal agents during the Minnesota immigration crackdown. It is the first of two this week, as she is due to testify before the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday. She was met with hostility from Tillis, who is retiring at the end of his term, and Democrats on the panel and skepticism even from some other committee Republicans. "Mistakes have been made," Senate Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, said in his opening remarks. But officers should never be threatened or harmed while enforcing our laws," Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., questioned Noem on a $220 million taxpayer-funded ad campaign, that included a lucrative contract with a Republican consulting firm with ties to Noem and DHS aides. Those commercials feature Noem prominently, in one case on horseback with Mount Rushmore in the background, and warn immigrants about entering the country unlawfully. "Well they were effective in your name recognition," Kennedy said. Noem's appearance also coincided with an ongoing DHS shutdown. Funding for DHS lapsed last month, and Democrats have so far refused to back an appropriations bill over frustrations with the Trump administration's immigration enforcement tactics. DHS still has billions of dollars at its disposal to keep some programs running thanks to last year's massive tax-and-spending bill. Some Republicans argued that in light of the recent military action in Iran, failing to fund DHS presented a security risk. "Can we not understand America's under siege now, likely to be attacked because radical Islam is under siege and they're gonna hit back, and we're sitting here looking at each other and not funding DHS?" Rep. Robin Kelly, D-Ill., introduced articles of impeachment for Noem in January after federal officers killed Good and Pretti. "Under your leadership, the Homeland Security Department has been devoid of any moral compass or respect for the rule of law," Senate Judiciary Ranking Member Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said at the hearing. "Without hesitation or remorse, DHS agents have wreaked havoc in our cities ... and acted with unspeakable cruelty against children, immigrant families, and American citizens." They held signs and shouted in Noem's direction as she took her seat in a Senate committee room. Two protesters interrupted testimony and were forcibly removed from the room. Durbin and others members also took isuse with Noem's handling of the Pretti shooting in Minnesota. In the immediate aftermath, Noem said Pretti, a Minneapolis ICU nurse, "committed an act of domestic terrorism," then walked the claim back after video of the incident emerged. "When we have these situations happen, we always offer condolences to those families, and I offer mine as well. Given the broad use of ICE and DHS agents throughout the country, many Democrats have expressed anxiety that federal officers could be deployed to polling places for midterm elections this November, as some White House allies, like Steve Bannon, have urged. Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., asked Noem whether she would "rule out the deployment of ICE or CBP to polling places this November?" "There are no plans to have ICE officers at our polling locations," Noem said. She did not explicitly rule it out. Sign up for free newsletters and get more CNBC delivered to your inbox

Brendan Carr, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, has told CNBC that Paramount's bid to buy Warner Bros. Discovery is "cleaner" than Netflix's, adding he expected it to be approved "pretty quickly." "That particular combination raised a lot of competition concerns." Paramount Skydance put in a revised offer to buy the entirety of WBD last week at $31 per share, up from $30 per share, which the WBD board deemed superior to an existing Netflix proposal. Netflix had been set to buy the media giant's studio and streaming businesses for $27.75 per share, but said this was "no longer financially attractive" in light of Paramount's offer. Carr spoke with CNBC's Arjun Kharpal in a wide-ranging discussion about the WBD-Paramount merger, which requires regulators' sign-off. Carr told CNBC that Netflix "would have a very difficult path" getting regulatory approval, adding that Paramount's was "a lot cleaner, does not raise at all the same types of concerns." "I think there's some real consumer benefits that can emerge from it," he added. Both deals raised antitrust questions around the U.S. theatrical industry, prompting concerns over potential job losses or smaller film slates in Hollywood. Netflix's proposed combination also spurred questions around streaming dominance, as it would have brought together two of the most popular streaming services in Netflix and WBD's HBO Max. On Monday, Paramount said it planned to release at least 30 films annually, or 15 per studio. It's unclear what the regulatory process for Paramount and WBD will entail. The FCC typically reviews deals that include one of the nation's broadcasts, including Paramount's CBS, and backed Paramount's merger with Skydance last year. Unlike Netflix's proposed deal, Paramount's bid encompasses WBD's pay TV networks, such as CNN, TBS and TNT. Paramount has offered a $7 billion breakup fee if the deal doesn't gain regulatory clearance. Some of the concerns around a Netflix-WBD deal included higher consumer prices and reduced competition. U.S. President Donald Trump said in December that the potential deal "could be a problem" because of the increased market share it would give Netflix. In a statement, Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts called the Paramount and WBD merger "an antitrust disaster threatening higher prices and fewer choices for American families." "There are new challenges with this deal around news, cable networks, international linear networks, etc., but we still feel the WBD/PSKY deal is more palatable all-in," the analysts wrote. However, Paren Knadjian, a partner at advisory firm EisnerAmper, said last week that the Paramount-WBD deal isn't necessarily a done deal, with the path forward looking more nuanced. The Netflix-WBD deal focused primarily on library content, but Paramount's deal is a "horizontal consolidation" between cable TV, sports, streaming and news, he said. "I think the biggest thing we're going to focus on is the concentration of intellectual property under one roof," Knadjian told CNBC. "What power does that give this new entity in terms of the ability to charge more?" Paramount's offer included roughly $24 billion from Gulf state sovereign wealth funds. — CNBC's Lillian Rizzo and Alex Sherman contributed to this report. Sign up for free newsletters and get more CNBC delivered to your inbox

Tech workers at Google, OpenAI and some of their peers are circulating an array of letters calling for clearer limits on how their employers work with the military after the U.S. carried out strikes on Iran over the weekend and the Pentagon blacklisted AI models from Anthropic. The letter took aim at the Department of Defense's actions against Anthropic, which refused to allow its technology to be used for mass surveillance or fully autonomous weapons. "That strategy only works if none of us know where the others stand. This letter serves to create shared understanding and solidarity in the face of this pressure from the Department of War." Combat operations began in Iran hours after the Trump administration's decision on Friday to block Anthropic and designate the company a "supply chain risk." Tensions in tech have been escalating for months, largely due to the increased aggressiveness of federal immigration agents, including the killings of two American citizens in Minnesota early this year. For Google, the latest backlash comes as the company is reportedly in talks with the Pentagon over bringing its AI model Gemini onto a classified system, reviving a years-old internal fight over military AI. On Friday, No Tech For Apartheid, a group that's long been critical of cloud deals between the U.S. government and tech giants, posted a joint statement titled, "Amazon, Google, Microsoft Must Reject the Pentagon's Demands." The coalition said the three leaders in cloud infrastructure should refuse Defense Department terms that would enable mass surveillance or other abusive uses of AI, and called for greater clarity around contracts involving the military and agencies including Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE. The group pointed to Google directly, citing the potential of a Pentagon deal that could mirror an agreement that allows the Defense Department to deploy Grok, from Elon Musk's xAI, "in classified environments — as far as we know, without any guardrails." "Google is in negotiations with the Pentagon to deploy Gemini, its own frontier model, for classified uses." While Anthropic and OpenAI have made numerous public statements regarding their negotiations with the DOD and the current status of their contracts, Google parent Alphabet has been silent. The company hasn't responded to multiple requests for comment. The letter calls on Congress to "examine whether the use of these extraordinary authorities against an American technology company is appropriate," and says Anthropic, and other private companies, should not face retaliation for refusing to accede to the government's demands. Similar concerns were floated internally at Google last week, when more than 100 employees who work on AI technology reportedly signed a letter to management, expressing fears about the company's work with the DOD. He wrote in a thread on X that "mass surveillance violates the Fourth Amendment and has a chilling effect on freedom of expression." He added that surveillance systems are "prone to misuse for political or discriminatory purposes." Dean has experienced related issues at Google in the recent past. In 2018, the company faced an internal revolt over Project Maven, a Pentagon program that used AI to analyze drone footage. After thousands of employees protested, Google let the contract lapse. In 2024, Google fired more than 50 employees after protests over Project Nimbus, a $1.2 billion joint contract with Amazon for work with the Israeli government. However, documents and reports show the company's agreement allowed for giving Israel AI tools that included image categorization, object tracking and provisions for state-owned weapons manufacturers. In December of that year, a New York Times report found that four months before the Nimbus agreement, officials at the company worried that signing the deal would harm its reputation and that "Google Cloud services could be used for, or linked to, the facilitation of human rights violations." Early last year, Google reportedly revised its AI Principles and removed language that had explicitly prohibited "building weapons" or "surveillance technology." WATCH: Anthropic, Pentagon and software sell-off are not separate stories Sign up for free newsletters and get more CNBC delivered to your inbox

A prolonged surge in natural gas prices triggered by the ongoing war in the Middle East risks denting European growth and hitting some Asian economies hard, analysts have warned. Global gas prices have soared this week amid fears of a lengthy disruption to energy flows through the Strait of Hormuz — a key shipping route running between Oman and Iran that handles about one-fifth of global LNG trade — as the Iran conflict escalates. Dutch Title Transfer Facility (TTF) futures, Europe's benchmark gas contract, rose 35% on Tuesday to more than 60 euros ($69.64) per megawatt-hour. The Northeast Asia LNG benchmark, the Japan-Korea-Marker (JKM), which captures deliveries to Japan, Korea, China and Taiwan, reached a one-year high, and was last seen around 43 euros ($49.83) per MWh. Qatar, one of the world's largest LNG producers, halted production on Monday following Iranian drone strikes at Ras Laffan Industrial City and Mesaieed Industrial City. Goldman Sachs estimated the pause will reduce near-term global LNG supply by about 19%. A senior Iranian Revolutionary Guard official later said the country had closed the Strait of Hormuz to all ships, and warned that any vessel attempting to pass through the channel would be attacked. Europe and much of Asia are more heavily exposed to potential gas price shocks than the U.S., which benefits from both domestic shale and LNG production. With roughly 20% of global LNG production sitting behind the Strait, a prolonged disruption could trigger a supply squeeze comparable to the 2022 shock following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, he said in a note. "We are much more concerned about European gas prices than we are about oil prices," Wheaton said. Shares of Norwegian energy giant Equinor, one of Europe's largest natural gas suppliers, hit a 52-week high on Tuesday, adding more than 2%, after closing the previous session up more than 8%. Goldman Sachs, in a note published Monday, warned that a monthlong halt to flows through Hormuz risks driving TTF and JKM prices toward 74 euros ($85.80) per MWh. European gas prices ultimately peaked at 345 euros ($400.02) per MWh in August 2022 as Russia weaponized its natural gas exports in response to EU sanctions, cutting supply, which pushed up domestic energy bills and sparked a cost-of-living crisis across the continent. In a separate note later Monday, Goldman raised its April TTF forecast to 55 euros ($63.75) per MWh from 36 euros ($41.73) per megawatt-hour, with its average second-quarter forecast now at 45 euros ($52.16) per MWh. Patrick O'Donnell, chief investment strategist at Omnis Investments, said LNG is now a key area of concern for Europe's wider economy. "That may have more negative implications for the European economy and the reindustrialization that the market has been hoping that we get to see," O'Donnell told CNBC's "Squawk Box Europe" Monday. Indeed, Goldman Sachs analysts led by Sven Jari Stehn noted that "the effects of higher energy prices on GDP tend to be negative for most countries, except for Norway which produces and exports oil." Goldman Sachs estimated that a sustained 10% rise in energy prices over four quarters would cut 0.2% off GDP in both the U.K. and the euro area. Switzerland, which relies more on nuclear and renewables, would be flat, while Norway — an oil exporter — would see a 0.1% boost. In contrast, Goldman analysts see "limited upside risk" to U.S. natural gas prices. Invesco estimates that almost 58% of India's LNG imports come from the Middle East, accounting for nearly 2% of its primary energy consumption. Elias Haddad, global head of markets strategy at BBH, said countries heavily reliant on imported oil and gas with limited fiscal space — including Japan, India, South Africa, Turkey, Hungary and Malaysia — were the most vulnerable to energy disruption shocks, while Norway, Canada and Mexico are among the least exposed. "A protracted conflict that leads to further disruption in energy production and shipping raises the risk of stagflation and could add to fiscal strains," Haddad said in a note. Sign up for free newsletters and get more CNBC delivered to your inbox

Every time Kristine publishes a story, you'll get an alert straight to your inbox! By clicking “Sign up”, you agree to receive emails from Business Insider. In addition, you accept Insider's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. One man in the US owns enough land to cover the entire state of Delaware nearly twice over — or New York City 14 times over. Kroenke's holdings beat the record previously held by California's Emmerson family, which owns 2.44 million acres of timberland across California, Oregon, and Washington. Every time Kristine publishes a story, you'll get an alert straight to your inbox! Stay connected to Kristine and get more of their work as it publishes. By clicking "Sign up", you agree to receive emails from Business Insider. In addition, you accept Insider's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Aside from owning millions of acres in Western ranchlands, Kroenke also owns about 60 million square feet of commercial real estate, The New York Times reported. Much of that portfolio consists of shopping centers anchored by Walmart stores, a strategy Kroenke began building decades ago that helped fund his expansion into sports and large-scale land acquisitions. Some of the billionaire's real estate holdings include sports venues in Denver and outside Los Angeles, both cities where Kroenke-owned sports teams play. The soaring valuations of his NFL and global soccer franchises have significantly boosted the value of Kroenke's portfolio, as media rights deals and international fan bases push teams' worth into the billions. Last year, Forbes ranked Kroenke as the ninth richest NFL team owner. Kroenke's connection to Walmart isn't just a business one — he's married to Walmart heiress Ann Walton, the daughter of its cofounder James "Bud" Walton. Ann Walton herself is worth an estimated $14.6 billion, per Forbes. Despite marrying a Walmart heiress, Kroenke's fortune has been largely self-made in the real-estate sector. From nearly a million acres of Western ranchland to NFL stadiums packed with fans, Kroenke's empire now spans more territory than some US states and more than any other person in the country.

Americans in many Middle Eastern countries are now being advised to depart immediately for safety reasons after the US and Israel launched strikes against Iran on Saturday. "Depart now via commercial means due to serious safety risks," is the messaging for Americans as of 4 p.m. EST on March 2 from Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the State Department, shared on X. The list of countries and territories Americans are being urged to depart from immediately is as follows: Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. The notice urging Americans to depart comes as airspaces in a large swath of the mentioned countries remain closed for commercial flights. The @SecRubio @StateDept urges Americans to DEPART NOW from the countries below using available commercial transportation, due to serious safety risks. Americans who need State Department assistance arranging to depart via commercial means, CALL US 24/7 at +1-202-501-4444 (from… pic.twitter.com/vdplAik2Sq Multiple US embassies in the Middle East told Americans they are unable to help them leave countries they are advised to evacuate from. Travel advisories were also issued for countries neighboring the Middle East. The US Embassy and Consulates in Pakistan said on Monday that the US Consulate General in Peshawar temporarily suspended operations, while the embassy in Islamabad continued to provide all routine or emergency consular services for US citizens. The U.S. Embassy in Islamabad will resume normal consular operations on Tuesday, March 3," it said. The movements of US government personnel were limited throughout Pakistan, and US citizens were advised to avoid areas of large public gatherings; review their personal security plans; check local media and emails for updates; keep a low profile; carry identification; and cooperate with police. After Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Qatar closed their airspaces over the weekend, some flights from the Middle East resumed on Monday, including from Abu Dhabi and Dubai, albeit somewhat chaotically. All flights at Dubai International and Dubai World Central - Al Maktoum International were suspended on Saturday, and limited services resumed on Tuesday. As limited flight operations resume at DXB and DWC, here are answers to some common questions we're receiving 👇 1️⃣ Should I travel to the airport if my airline has not confirmed my flight?💬 No. Etihad and Emirates both told Business Insider that their scheduled commercial flights remain suspended until at least Thursday, but that they would try to run some repatriation and cargo flights in the days prior. Hamad International Airport in Doha said all aircraft movements had been suspended due to the temporary closure of Qatari airspace.

Every time Chris publishes a story, you'll get an alert straight to your inbox! By clicking “Sign up”, you agree to receive emails from Business Insider. In addition, you accept Insider's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. The US and its allies are shooting down Iranian missile and drone bombardments with air defense interceptors, leaning hard on Patriot missiles, a critical weapon that was already in high demand. Following the start of Israel's Operation Roaring Lion and America's Operation Epic Fury on Saturday, which saw strikes across Iran, Tehran retaliated with its own strikes, lobbing missiles into nations supporting US forces. American air defenders have turned to their MIM-104 Patriot batteries, Terminal High Altitude Area Defense batteries, and ship-launched Standard Missile-series interceptors to down incoming Iranian threats — both missiles and drones. These battles would draw on US stocks of Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) missiles, among other weapons. US allies in the Middle East, including Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates, also operate Patriot missile system variants, and these countries have been actively involved in the air defense fight against Iranian weapons as well. Kuwait said Sunday it had already faced 97 ballistic missiles and 283 drones, demonstrating a demand for extensive air defense arsenals to keep up the fight. Seth Jones, president of the defense and security department at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told NPR that "the reality is neither Israel nor the United States have sufficient munitions, either offensive or defensive, for a war that really lasts weeks into months." The demand for Patriot interceptors and other air defense weaponry in this conflict, likely more than one interceptor per threat, adds greater strain to already-insufficient missile stockpiles and industry scrambling to meet rising demand. US officials and war experts have said demand for Patriots and other interceptors is surging, and while companies, like the Patriot interceptor producer Lockheed Martin, are tremendously ramping up production, the process can take years, making it hard to keep pace. Some media reports have signaled that the stockpiles of Patriot interceptors are running low. Yet the Department of Defense is also trying to dramatically boost production. It relies on the weapons to fend off regular Russian barrages. In messages to reporters, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said "it is too early to draw conclusions" about the impact of the conflict with Iran on Patriot interceptor availability, but "if there are prolonged hostilities in the Middle East, this will certainly affect supplies. Major production contracts have shown that there is a need for more of these weapons. The US Army began pursuing efforts last year to expand its purchase of interceptors with plans to invest more than $1 billion in Patriot missiles alone and an objective of 13,773 total missiles. Procurement data for the PAC-3 missile, compiled and analyzed by CSIS, show that between fiscal years 2015 and 2024, the Pentagon purchased an average of nearly 270 missiles annually. CSIS noted that steps such as the Army's decision to raise its Patriot buy quantities help send a sustained, reliable demand signal to industry. Conflicts elsewhere make it hard to build up deep stockpiles. "China will be keen for Iran to fight it out against America," observed Mick Ryan, a retired Australian general and strategist focused on future warfare. In late 2024, Navy Adm. Samuel Paparo, head of US Indo-Pacific Command, said ongoing fighting in Ukraine and around the Middle East had "eaten into" Patriot stockpiles needed in his area of responsibility, "and to say otherwise would be dishonest." A conflict of this new one's intensity, which is expected to see an uptick, may only exacerbate the problem.

Every time Lakshmi publishes a story, you'll get an alert straight to your inbox! By clicking “Sign up”, you agree to receive emails from Business Insider. In addition, you accept Insider's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. OpenAI this week announced multi-year partnerships with Boston Consulting Group, McKinsey & Company, Accenture, and Capgemini to help companies integrate AI into existing systems, rethink workflows, and deploy AI coworkers at scale alongside OpenAI engineers. "Working side by side with OpenAI enhances our ability to help companies reimagine their business to capture more value from AI," Ben Ellencweig, a McKinsey senior partner, said in a press release announcing the partnership. Last year, the OpenAI rival rolled out its own slate of consulting partnerships to accelerate enterprise adoption. Every time Lakshmi publishes a story, you'll get an alert straight to your inbox! Stay connected to Lakshmi and get more of their work as it publishes. By clicking "Sign up", you agree to receive emails from Business Insider. In addition, you accept Insider's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. These partnerships underscore how important it is to the leading AI labs that companies adopt their tools. Anthropic, meanwhile, has long made enterprise a cornerstone of its long-term strategy. Anthropic has been rapidly expanding its direct enterprise offerings. This month, it introduced a new suite of AI tools designed to help Claude operate inside popular workplace applications like Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint. It's also up against tech giants like Microsoft and Google, which already control much of the workplace software that corporate clients rely on. As AI startups look to consultancies for distribution and credibility, consulting firms are simultaneously reworking their own models to stay competitive in an AI-driven market. Consulting firms have pivoted hard since AI blew onto the scene with the release of OpenAI's ChatGPT in 2022, and these partnerships are just one way they are evolving to shore up their business. The big consulting firms say AI will soon make up a significant share of their client work. At McKinsey, where AI agents are rapidly multiplying alongside its 40,000-person workforce, senior partners told Business Insider that roughly 40% of the firm's work is now analytics- or AI-related and shifting toward generative AI. BCG, too — where nearly 90% of its 33,000 employees use AI — says it has created more custom GPTs than any other OpenAI customer, with five times as many employees building them as a year ago, according to Alicia Pittman, the head of BCG's global people team. Despite the hype around AI consultants told Business Insider there is still a long way to go before these tools are embedded in consulting firms' workflows.

Every time Ayelet publishes a story, you'll get an alert straight to your inbox! By clicking “Sign up”, you agree to receive emails from Business Insider. In addition, you accept Insider's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. The Department of Education will now evaluate the comments and determine whether it will change its proposed rule before moving to final implementation in July. The department's rule includes new borrowing caps for advanced degrees, the elimination of existing income-driven repayment plans, and the creation of a new, less generous plan with a longer timeline to debt relief and likely higher monthly payments. Business Insider wants to hear about the challenges, successes, and unique experiences you're facing with your student loans. Please fill out this form, and we'll be in touch. Over 15,000 people commented on the department's proposal, including students, advocates, and lawmakers. The department also limited what would qualify as "professional" to a list of 10 programs, including medicine and dentistry, but not post-graduate nursing programs. "To undermine access to this education would run counter to this nation's stated goal of achieving the highest possible quality of healthcare for all citizens," one public comment said. A bipartisan group of over 100 lawmakers wrote in a letter that they submitted to public comment that "now is not the time to cut off the student pipeline to these programs." Allow us please to keep this affordable program." Trump's "big beautiful" spending legislation called for the elimination of former President Joe Biden's SAVE plan, which allowed for cheaper monthly payments and a shorter timeline to debt relief. Undersecretary of Education Nicholas Kent said in a statement ahead of the public comment period that the repayment changes will ensure "that every professional in America—from teachers and nurses to physicians and clergy—can pursue their careers without taking on debt they may never be able to repay." The department added in a press release that it "may make changes to the proposed regulations in response to substantive comments."

Every time Aditi publishes a story, you'll get an alert straight to your inbox! By clicking “Sign up”, you agree to receive emails from Business Insider. In addition, you accept Insider's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. It has been edited for length and clarity. I traveled from Dubai to London on Friday for a pop-up for my business, leaving my five-year-old son with our live-in nanny. Then the Middle East crisis unfolded, my return flight was canceled, and I scrambled to get back into the UAE. I've been living in Dubai since 2022, having moved from the UK. I'm a single mother, and raising my son in Dubai felt right and safe — it was easy for me to get nanny care while running my business. I traveled to London on Friday for a pop-up. My scheduled flight back would have been on Sunday at 10 p.m. after I finished work. I don't like to leave my son for too long. When I'm away from him, my nervous system is always on edge. While I was outside the UAE, I was getting notifications on my local phone telling residents to stay away from windows. I live in an apartment with a lot of glass and windows, and in my head, I could just imagine my little boy in his bed near the window. My travel agent recommended going through Saudi Arabia or driving from Oman. The one-way flight, eight hours long, was £1,300, or about $1,730. From the airport in Muscat, my agent found me a really kind driver who took me to the border for about $430 in under four hours. Then, from the UAE border to my home, I had a taxi driver I've worked with before pick me up. Apart from my son, I have a nine-year-old Pomeranian at home, and he's been in my life for a long time. Last night we could hear the planes at 5 a.m. I jumped out of bed with my son and just grabbed him because I could hear the noise. But I have very strong faith, and think that the government is doing a really good job of protecting us.

Every time Henry publishes a story, you'll get an alert straight to your inbox! By clicking “Sign up”, you agree to receive emails from Business Insider. In addition, you accept Insider's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. The article detailed sprawling cuts at Jack Dorsey's payment processing company, Block, which had previously rebranded from Square Inc. five years ago. At least 4,000 Block employees were laid off last week, nearly half of the company. "We're gonna need a bigger Slack," one member wrote. Within an hour, at least 24 newly minted former Block employees were approved and joined the channel. The "Square Mafia" is a watering hole for former Block employees to chat, network, and commiserate. Created in February 2016, the unaffiliated channel houses a decade of Block alums. Its members aren't only laid-off staffers; anyone who has left Dorsey's company is welcome. After the layoffs, organizers also set up a bot to ask questions and pipe through requests for manual review. In the group's main channel, members offered their support. They shared LinkedIn profiles, offered job referrals, and flagged networking channels like #whoishiring. Members asked about their 401(k)s, healthcare, and badge returns. For laid-off employees on an H-1B visa, one member wrote that Friday was their last working day. "We have 60 days to secure a new job/transfer," they wrote. "Let's stay connected and help each other with referrals or leads." A former member of Square's People team offered to help answer questions and shared a Google Form for those looking for new opportunities. There are also channels intended to replicate those found in Block's official Slack, which laid-off employees no longer have access to after their final day, such as #gaming, #books, and #cats.

Every time Matthew publishes a story, you'll get an alert straight to your inbox! By clicking “Sign up”, you agree to receive emails from Business Insider. In addition, you accept Insider's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. President Donald Trump said on Monday that wars "could be fought 'forever,' and very successfully" solely with munitions stockpiles, as the US engages in major combat operations against Iran. It's not immediately clear exactly which munitions or weapons he was referring to. "As was stated to me today, we have a virtually unlimited supply of these weapons. Wars can be fought 'forever,' and very successfully, using just these supplies (which are better than other countries finest arms! His comments come amid global uncertainty over how long the US and Israel's war with Iran will last. Every time Matthew publishes a story, you'll get an alert straight to your inbox! Stay connected to Matthew and get more of their work as it publishes. By clicking "Sign up", you agree to receive emails from Business Insider. In addition, you accept Insider's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. In his Truth Social post, Trump admitted that weapons stockpile quantities are "not where we want to be." "Much additional high grade weaponry is stored for us in outlying countries," he added. There are fears that the Pentagon may need these weapons to deter a potential conflict with other adversaries, chiefly China. US officials said they had used a wide variety of munitions, including drones, offensive missiles, and interceptors, against Iran.