President Donald Trump on Saturday said he would increase global tariffs to 15% from 10%, one day after the Supreme Court struck down his “reciprocal” tariffs.

The new tariffs will be “effective immediately,” Trump said in a Truth Social post.

“I, as President of the United States of America, will be, effective immediately, raising the 10% Worldwide Tariff on Countries, many of which have been “ripping” the U.S. off for decades, without retribution (until I came along!), to the fully allowed, and legally tested, 15% level,” he wrote.

In his social media post Saturday, Trump also warned that additional tariffs would follow.

“During the next short number of months, the Trump Administration will determine and issue the new and legally permissible Tariffs,” he wrote.

The White House did not immediately respond to a CNBC request for comment.

The increase comes after the Supreme Court on Friday, in a 6-3 tariff ruling, decided that Trump wrongfully invoked the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to implement his levies.

Trump responded the same day with a 10% global tariff, exercising his authority under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974. The statute allows the president to implement only temporary levies, with any extension requiring congressional approval.

The president was scathing in his remarks against the Supreme Court decision, calling it in his social media post that it was “ridiculous, poorly written, and extraordinarily anti-American.”

He also attacked Justices Neil Gorsuch and Amy Coney Barrett after they voted with the majority in the ruling.

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The Supreme Court on Friday struck down a huge chunk of President Donald Trump’s far-reaching tariff agenda, delivering a major rebuke of the president’s key economic policy.

The law that undergirds those import duties “does not authorize the President to impose tariffs,” the majority ruled 6-3 in the long-awaited decision.

The ruling is a massive loss for Trump, who has made tariffs — and his asserted power to impose them on any country at any time, without congressional input — a central feature of his second presidential term.

Trump’s legal stance “would represent a transformative expansion of the President’s authority over tariff policy,” the majority concluded. And they highlighted that Trump imposed the tariffs without Congress, which has the power to tax under the Constitution.

Chief Justice John Roberts delivered the opinion of the court. Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and Brett Kavanaugh dissented.

The decision noted that before Trump, no president had ever used the statute in question “to impose any tariffs, let alone tariffs of this magnitude and scope.”

To justify the “extraordinary” tariff powers, Trump must “point to clear congressional authorization,” the court wrote. “He cannot.”

The ruling was silent on whether tariffs that have been paid under the higher rates will need to be refunded. That sum could total $175 billion, according to a new estimate from the Penn Wharton Budget Model.

Kavanaugh wrote in his dissent that the refund process “is likely to be a ‘mess,'” after predicting that the short-term impact of the court’s tariff ruling “could be substantial.”

Since retaking the White House, Trump has rapidly reshaped America’s long-standing trade relationships by imposing a staggering array of import duties that have touched nearly every country on earth.

Reaction to the ruling quickly poured in, with the loudest voices cheering the demise of the chaotic policy that has been blamed for raising prices and straining long-standing global alliances.

That announcement stoked a sudden market panic, and the tariffs were quickly put on pause. They have since been repeatedly tweaked, delayed and reimposed, adding confusion and further complexity to the administration’s tangled web of trade policies.

Other IEEPA-based tariffs include a set aimed at Mexico, Canada and China related to allegations that those countries have allowed the deadly drug fentanyl to flow into the U.S.

Trump, a fierce critic of America’s recent history of making free trade deals, has repeatedly praised tariffs as both a bountiful source of federal revenue and a key tool in negotiations with foreign partners and adversaries alike.

He has claimed foreign countries bear the cost of his tariffs, and he has downplayed concerns that the taxes lead to higher prices for Americans. His administration, however, has admitted that the duties are paid by U.S. importers.

Trump has claimed the tariff revenue has been so large that the duties may be able to replace the income tax. He has also floated the idea of sending Americans $2,000 tariff dividend checks.

“We have taken in, and will soon be receiving, more than 600 Billion Dollars in Tariffs,” he wrote in a recent Truth Social post.

Other estimates are significantly lower: The Bipartisan Policy Center, for instance, tallied U.S. gross tariff revenue in 2025 at about $289 billion. U.S. Customs and Border Protection said it had collected roughly $200 billion between Jan. 20 and Dec. 15.

For the IEEPA-specific tariffs, the administration said it has collected about $129 billion in revenue as of Dec. 10.

Ahead of the ruling, Trump and his administration talked up the consequences of the high court striking down the tariffs.

“If the Supreme Court rules against the United States of America on this National Security bonanza, WE’RE SCREWED!” Trump wrote on Jan. 12.

U.S. officials, including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, have stated they believed the Supreme Court would not undo the president’s “signature” economic policy.

Oil prices hovered near six-month highs on Friday after U.S. President Donald Trump warned Iran that “really bad things” will happen if there was no deal over its nuclear program.

International benchmark Brent crude futures with April delivery traded 0.2% lower at $71.53 per barrel at around 9:24 a.m. London time (4:24 a.m. ET), erasing earlier gains, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures with March delivery stood 0.2% lower at $66.30.

Both contracts notched their highest settle in six months in the previous session as energy market participants continue to monitor supply risks in the oil-rich Middle East.

The U.S. and Iran have held talks in Switzerland this week to try to resolve a standoff over Tehran’s nuclear program. Initial reports of progress, however, gave way to accusations from Washington that Iran had failed to address core U.S. demands.

Speaking at the first meeting of his Board of Peace in Washington on Thursday, the U.S. president said “bad things will happen” if Tehran doesn’t agree to a deal over its nuclear program.

Trump added that the world will likely find out over the next 10 days whether the U.S. will reach a deal with Iran or take military action. He later told reporters aboard Air Force One that he wanted an agreement within “10 to 15 days.”

His comments come after a significant buildup of U.S. military forces in the Middle East and amid reports the White House is considering fresh military action against Tehran as soon as this weekend.

Trump said Iran’s nuclear potential had been “totally decimated” by U.S. strikes on its facilities in June last year, before adding “we may have to take it a step further or we may not,” without providing further details.

Iran reportedly said in a letter to United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday that Tehran will respond “decisively” if subjected to military aggression.

The Islamic Republic has conducted military drills in the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz in recent days, as well as joint naval drills with Russia in the Gulf of Oman, also known as the Sea of Oman.

“Everything is in place, or will be by Saturday night, for strikes to commence and so the window opens then,” Daniel Shapiro, former U.S. ambassador to Israel, told CNBC’s “Access Middle East” on Friday.

“Doesn’t mean that’s going to happen immediately. The president did indicate that he is waiting to hear from Iran whether they are prepared to make concessions on their nuclear program that he’s insisting on,” Shapiro said.

“I think it’s unlikely. We have never seen Iran open to those types of concessions, so I think it is unlikely they will agree to those, which means that in the days coming, the president will have to make that decision on military strikes,” he added.

The Trump administration has said it still hopes to reach a diplomatic resolution over Tehran’s nuclear program, with White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt saying on Wednesday that it would be “very wise” for Iran to make a deal.

Martijn Rats, chief commodity strategist at Morgan Stanley, said that, while the oil market is “very well supplied” on a global basis, there are three factors propping up prices.

“Worries about Iran, clearly. Also, an unusually large amount of buying by China, simply for stockpiling purposes. It makes you wonder what they are going to do with all these inventories and then also we have very high freight rates,” Rats told CNBC’s “Europe Early Edition” on Friday.

Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. defended President Donald Trump’s executive order spurring the domestic production of the weedkiller glyphosate, as his Make America Healthy Again movement reels from the president’s embrace of the chemical they despise.

Trump on Wednesday night signed an executive order invoking the Defense Production Act to compel the domestic production of elemental phosphorus and glyphosate-based herbicides. Glyphosate is the chemical in Bayer-Monsanto’s Roundup and is the most commonly used weedkiller for a slew of U.S. crops. Trump, in the order, said shortages of both phosphorus and glyphosate would pose a risk to national security.

Kennedy backed the president in a statement to CNBC Thursday morning.

“Donald Trump’s Executive Order puts America first where it matters most — our defense readiness and our food supply,” he said. “We must safeguard America’s national security first, because all of our priorities depend on it. When hostile actors control critical inputs, they weaken our security. By expanding domestic production, we close that gap and protect American families.”

But Kennedy’s MAHA coalition that supported Trump in the 2024 presidential election hates glyphosate, which has been alleged to cause cancer in myriad lawsuits. Now, the executive order threatens to unravel that coalition ahead of the 2026 midterm elections that could loosen the president’s grip on Washington.

“Just as the large MAHA base begins to consider what to do at midterms, the President issues an EO to expand domestic glyphosate production,” Kelly Ryerson, a prominent MAHA activist known as Glyphosate Girl, said in a post on X. “The very same carcinogenic pesticide that MAHA cares about most.”

Ken Cook, president of the Environmental Working Group, a watchdog that has pushed back against chemicals in food for years, said in a statement that he “can’t envision a bigger middle finger to every MAHA mom than this.”

“Elevating glyphosate to a national security priority is the exact opposite of what MAHA voters were promised,” Cook said. “If Secretary Kennedy remains at HHS after this, it will be impossible to argue that his past warnings about glyphosate were anything more than campaign rhetoric designed to win trust — and votes.”

Kennedy, a former environmental attorney, notably once won a nearly $290 million case against Monsanto for a man who claimed his cancer was caused by Roundup. The executive order came down one day after Bayer proposed paying $7.25 billion to settle a series of lawsuits claiming Roundup causes cancer.

Former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., knocked Trump for signing “an EO protecting cancer causing Glyphosate in our foods.”

Glyphosate is a critical chemical to American agriculture. It’s applied to many key cash crops, such as corn and soybeans, and has been defended by agricultural trade organizations. Phosphorus is a key input to the creation of glyphosate, which the White House argues is necessary to maintain food security. Elemental phosphorus is also used in the manufacture of some military materials.

“Thank you, President Trump, for acknowledging the importance of glyphosate-based herbicides in American agriculture,” the House Agriculture Committee said Wednesday night in an X post. “This is a vital step forward in ensuring a domestic supply of this critical crop input remains available for our producers.”

House Agriculture Chair Rep. G.T. Thompson, R-Pa., is trying to push a farm bill through Congress this year — a legislative package that covers federal farm support and nutrition subsidies. He’s also come under fire from MAHA recently for a provision in that bill that would block state and local pesticide regulations from differing from federal guidance.

Stephen Colbert ripped CBS for barring him from airing on his late-night TV show an interview with Texas state Rep. James Talarico, a Democrat running for the U.S. Senate.

“You know who’s not one of my guests tonight? That’s Texas Representative James Talarico,” Colbert told his show’s studio audience for Monday night’s broadcast of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.”

“He was supposed to be here, but we were told in no uncertain terms by our network’s lawyers, who called us directly, that we could not have him on the broadcast,” said Colbert, drawing boos from the crowd.

“Then I was told in some uncertain terms that not only could I not have him on, I could not mention me not having him on,” Colbert said.

“And because my network clearly doesn’t want us to talk about this, let’s talk about this,” Colbert said to laughs and applause.

Colbert suggested that CBS’s move was the result of concern that the network would draw the ire of the Federal Communications Commission.

Colbert’s comments are the latest escalation in tension between talk show hosts and the FCC, following the brief suspension by ABC of fellow late-night comedian Jimmy Kimmel’s show last summer.

The FCC last month issued guidance to the three broadcast networks, reminding them of the 1934 law that requires networks to provide equal opportunity for coverage for political candidates if their opponents appear on air.

The guidance pointedly said there is no evidence that late-night and daytime talk show interviews would qualify for an exemption allowed under the law for “bona fide” news coverage.

Colbert, during Monday’s show, pointed to reports earlier this month that the FCC was investigating the ABC daytime talk show “The View” because of an appearance by Talarico on that program.

CBS, in a statement to CNBC, said, “The Late Show was not prohibited by CBS from broadcasting the interview with Rep. James Talarico.”

“The show was provided legal guidance that the broadcast could trigger the FCC equal-time rule for two other candidates, including Rep. Jasmine Crockett, and presented options for how the equal time for other candidates could be fulfilled,” CBS said.

“The Late Show decided to present the interview through its YouTube channel with on-air promotion on the broadcast rather than potentially providing the equal-time options.”

Talarico on Tuesday posted a link to his interview with Colbert, which was available online.

In a statement provided to CNBC by his Senate campaign, Talarico said, “I think [President] Donald Trump is worried we’re about to flip Texas. This is the party that ran against cancel culture.”

“Now they’re trying to control what we watch, what we say, and what we read,” Talarico said.

“This is the most dangerous kind of cancel culture, the kind that comes from the top. A threat to one of our First Amendment rights is a threat to all of our First Amendment rights.”

Talarico is in a close Democratic primary for a U.S. Senate seat against Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D- Texas, in which early voting began Tuesday. The winner will face off against the winner of the Republican primary between Sen. John Cornyn and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. Democrats last won a statewide race in Texas in 1994.

The FCC didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment about whether CBS would have run afoul of agency guidance by airing Talarico’s interview.

FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez, in a statement, called CBS’s decision “yet another troubling example of corporate capitulation in the face of this Administration’s broader campaign to censor and control speech.”

“The FCC has no lawful authority to pressure broadcasters for political purposes or to create a climate that chills free expression,” Gomez said.

“CBS is fully protected under the First Amendment to determine what interviews it airs, which makes its decision to yield to political pressure all the more disappointing,” Gomez said.

“It is no secret that Paramount, CBS’s parent company, has regulatory matters before the government, but corporate interests cannot justify retreating from airing newsworthy content. The FCC is powerless to impose restrictions on protected speech, and any attempt to intimidate broadcasters into self-censorship undermines both press freedom and public trust.”

“I once again urge broadcasters and their parent companies to stand firm against these unlawful pressures and continue exercising their constitutional right to speak freely and without government interference,” Gomez said.

Paramount Skydance has launched a hostile tender bid for Warner Bros. Discovery, a deal that would require regulatory approval from the federal government if WBD shareholders accept the offer.

CBS in July said Colbert’s show would be cancelled in May.

That announcement came shortly after Colbert blasted the network for giving what he called a “big fat bribe” to Trump. Paramount Skydance, earlier agreed to pay $16 million for Trump’s future presidential library to settle a lawsuit over the editing of a “60 Minutes” interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris.

A week after CBS said it was cancelling Colbert’s show, the FCC approved the $8 billion merger between Paramount and Skydance Media.

Colbert, in September, spoke up for Kimmel when ABC pulled Kimmel off the air following remarks by FCC Chair Brendan Carr that the network’s broadcast license was at risk because of comments Kimmel made about the alleged killer of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

Kimmel’s show returned to the air about a week later.

Congressional Democrats sent a counteroffer to the White House and Republicans in negotiations to reopen the Department of Homeland Security, a spokesperson for Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Monday night.

Schumer, D-N.Y., and other Democrats are locked in negotiations with President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans about imposing new restrictions on federal immigration agents in exchange for funding DHS. The agency shut down early Saturday morning after two weeks of stopgap funding ran out.

The negotiations over DHS funding are heightened after federal immigration agents shot and killed two U.S. citizens during an immigration surge in Minneapolis. Democrats demanded that DHS funding be stripped from a package appropriating money for a handful of other agencies in the wake of the shootings and forced negotiations on immigration enforcement.

The Trump administration has since said it would wind down the Minneapolis operation.

Democrat didn’t say what’s in their counteroffer. Schumer’s office didn’t respond to an email seeking comment on details of the proposal.

Democrats have pushed for a ban on agents masking their faces, mandatory body cameras, a requirement for judicial warrants for immigration arrests and an end to “roving patrols,” among other priorities. The White House and Republicans have pushed back on the mask ban and judicial warrant requirements.

The White House sent an initial counteroffer to a Democratic proposal last week. Democrats threw cold water on that, arguing it did not adequately address their concerns.

Democrats have less incentive to capitulate during this latest spending standoff, especially given the limited scope of the shutdown and recent polling showing that most Americans feel Trump’s immigration policy has gone too far.

“Built into this is the substantially changing politics of immigration. I think Republicans are still acting like they hold a straight flush on immigration, but they clearly are only holding a pair of threes,” Jared Leopold, a Democratic strategist who has worked on the Hill and for the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee, said in an interview.

Many DHS employees are still working despite the shutdown, as much of the agency is deemed essential during a closure and parts of it are funded through last year’s massive tax and spending bill. But essential employees may be forced to work without pay if the shutdown drags on for a long time. That includes employees at DHS subagencies, including the Transportation Security Administration, Coast Guard and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Immigration enforcement operations at Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Patrol can largely proceed unaffected by the shutdown. Congressional Republicans injected hundreds of billions of dollars into the agency’s law enforcement apparatus as part of the party-line “One Big Beautiful Bill” law.

The rest of the government is funded through Sept. 30.

The recent release by the Department of Justice of millions of pages of emails and other documents related to the notorious sex predator Jeffrey Epstein has led to a wave of resignations and other uncomfortable fallout for high-profile people around the world whose dealings with him have been exposed.

Those individuals include the top lawyer at the major investment bank Goldman Sachs, the CEO of Dubai’s largest port, a former president of Harvard University, a former U.S. president and ex-secretary of State, and the chairman of a leading American corporate law firm.

The fallout from the Epstein files and people mentioned in them has even imperiled the government of United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer, even though the Labour Party leader never knew the convicted sex offender.

Epstein, who cultivated relationships with many rich and powerful men and women, pleaded guilty in 2008 in Florida to state criminal charges related to soliciting prostitution, with one charge related to a girl under the age of 18.

He ended up serving 13 months in prison in that case, but was allowed to go to his office many days for work.

In August 2019, Epstein killed himself in a jail in New York City, weeks after being arrested on federal child sex trafficking charges.

A number of the people who have resigned their jobs in recent weeks had friendly dealings with Epstein after his 2008 conviction, which was widely publicized at the time.

Being mentioned in the Epstein files does not mean that someone was implicated in any of the crimes that he previously pleaded guilty to, or was later charged with. No one on the list of names compiled by CNBC of those affected by their association with Epstein has been charged for such conduct.

Here are some high-profile figures who have been burned by their appearances in the Epstein files:

Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem: CEO of DP World

Sulayem resigned as CEO of Dubai’s largest port operator on Feb. 13, after leading the company for 10 years. Documents showed Epstein once referring to Sulayem as one of his “most trusted friends.” CNBC has reached out to the government of Dubai Media Office and DP World, seeking comment from Sulayem, who to date has not issued a statement on the situation.

Kathryn Ruemmler: Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel at Goldman Sachs

Ruemmler, a former White House counsel under then-President Barack Obama, announced her resignation from Goldman Sachs on Feb. 12, effective at the end of June. Last week, The Wall Street Journal reported that Ruemmler was one of three people Epstein called when he was arrested in July 2019. She once thanked Epstein after receiving luxury gifts from him, calling him “Uncle Jeffrey.” Ruemmler told the Journal in January: “As I have said, I regret ever knowing him, and I have enormous sympathy for the victims of Epstein’s crimes.” 

Brad Karp: Chairman of Paul Weiss

Karp resigned as chairman of Paul Weiss on Feb. 4, after leading the major corporate law firm since 2008. Files show Karp thanking Epstein for a “once in a lifetime” evening in 2015, and asking if he could help his son land a job on a Woody Allen film in 2016. Days before he resigned, Paul Weiss issued a statement to The New York Times saying, “Mr. Karp attended two group dinners in New York City and had a small number of social interactions by email, all of which he regrets.”

David Gelernter: Yale University computer science professor

Gelernter was barred from teaching classes at Yale on Feb. 11 as the university conducts a review of his relationship with Epstein. Gelernter had extensive email communications with Epstein, which included one 2011 missive in which the professor recommended a Yale student for a project, referring to her as a “small goodlooking blonde.” Gelernter has not responded to CNBC’s requests for comment after Yale took action.

Bill Clinton: Former U.S. president

Clinton flew on Epstein’s private plane multiple times in 2002 and 2003, and was photographed in casual social settings with Epstein and the sex offender’s now-convicted procurer, Ghislaine Maxwell. Clinton initially resisted a subpoena by the House Oversight Committee to testify about Epstein, but agreed to appear after it threatened to hold him in contempt of Congress. Clinton is due to testify on Feb. 27. Clinton’s spokesman in 2019 issued a statement saying, “President Clinton knows nothing about the terrible crimes Jeffrey Epstein pleaded guilty to in Florida some years ago, or those with which he has been recently charged in New York.” Clinton on Feb. 7 retweeted a post on X from his spokesman that said, “What DOJ has released thus far, and the manner in which it has done so, makes one thing clear: someone or something is being protected. We don’t know who, what, or why. We do know this: we need no such protection. It’s why only the Clintons have called for a public hearing.”

Hillary Clinton: Former secretary of State

Hillary Clinton, who is married to the former president, has said she does not recall ever speaking to Epstein. Despite that, the House Oversight Committee subpoenaed her to testify for its inquiry into the predator. Like former President Clinton, the former secretary of State initially refused to appear, but then agreed to testify on Feb. 26 after being threatened with a contempt finding. Speaking at the Munich Security Conference on Feb. 14, Clinton again called for the release of all of the Epstein files, saying, “It is something that needs to be totally transparent,” The Independent reported. “I’ve called for many, many years for everything to be put out there so people can not only see what’s in them but also, if appropriate, hold people accountable. We’ll see what happens,” she said.

Peter Mandelson: UK ambassador to the U.S.

Mandelson was fired by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Sep. 12 and resigned from the Labour Party on Feb. 2 over his ties to Epstein. Mandelson wrote a note in Epstein’s 50th Birthday Book, addressing him as “my best pal,” and has been accused of sending Epstein market-sensitive government information following the 2008 financial crisis. Mandelson, in comments to the Financial Times in February 2025, said, “I regret ever meeting him or being introduced to him by his partner Ghislaine Maxwell.” He also said, “I regret even more the hurt he caused to many young women. I’m not going to go into this. It’s an FT obsession and frankly you can all f— off. OK?”

Morgan McSweeney: Chief of Staff to the U.K. prime minister

McSweeney resigned Feb. 11, taking responsibility for Starmer’s appointment of Mandelson as ambassador. McSweeney told reporters, “The decision to appoint Peter Mandelson was wrong,” adding that the former ambassador “damaged our party, our country and trust in politics itself.”

Larry Summers: OpenAI board member and former Harvard University president

Summers announced in November that he would step back from public commitments, including serving as a board member at the artificial intelligence company OpenAI and teaching classes as a professor at Harvard. The former Treasury secretary was named as a backup executor in a 2014 version of Epstein’s will. Summers, in a statement in November, said, “I am deeply ashamed of my actions and recognize the pain they have caused. I take full responsibility for my misguided decision to continue communicating with Mr. Epstein.”

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor: Former prince, Duke of York

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly known as Prince Andrew, Duke of York, was stripped of his titles and mansion in a statement from Buckingham Palace on Oct. 30. Mountbatten-Windsor settled a lawsuit filed by Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre in 2022 without admitting wrongdoing, and is being investigated by authorities in London for claims that he sent Epstein confidential trade documents. In a 2019 statement, Mountbatten-Windsor said, “I continue to unequivocally regret my ill-judged association with Jeffrey Epstein. His suicide has left many unanswered questions, particularly for his victims, and I deeply sympathise with everyone who has been affected and wants some form of closure. I can only hope that, in time, they will be able to rebuild their lives. Of course, I am willing to help any appropriate law enforcement agency with their investigations, if required.”

Sarah Ferguson: Former Duchess of York

Ferguson’s charity, Sarah’s Trust, which focused on improving the lives of women and children, announced on Feb. 2 that it would be shutting down. The ex-wife of Andrew Mountbatten Windsor described Epstein as “a legend” and “the brother I have always wished for” in emails long after his first conviction in 2008. In a statement to the Guardian last September, a spokesperson for Ferguson said, “The duchess spoke of her regret about her association with Epstein many years ago, and as they have always been, her first thoughts are with his victims.”

Jack Lang: President of the Arab World Institute and former Culture minister of France

Lang, the highest-profile figure in France affected by the files, resigned as president of the Arab World Institute on Feb. 7 after leading the cultural center since 2013. Lang was mentioned more than 600 times in newly released files dating back to 2012 when he was introduced to Epstein by their mutual friend Woody Allen, according to The New York Times. French authorities have said they are investigating reports of financial connections between Lang and Epstein, with the financial prosecutor’s office probing Lang and his daughter, Caroline, on suspicion of “aggravated tax fraud laundering.” Lang has called the allegations against him “baseless,” and said the investigation “will bring much light on to the accusations that are questioning my probity and my honour.” His daughter denies any wrongdoing.

Mona Juul: Norwegian ambassador

Juul resigned on Feb. 8 after Norway’s foreign ministry suspended her earlier in the week. She resigned after reports that her children and husband, Terje Rød-Larsen, were left $10 million in a will written by Epstein two days before his suicide. Juul said in early February that she had contact with Epstein through Rød-Larsen, but also said that she “should have been much more careful.”

Miroslav Lajčák: National security advisor to the prime minister of Slovakia and former president of the UN General Assembly

Lajčák resigned Jan. 31 after serving four Slavic governments. Messages from 2018 show Lajčák discussing women with Epstein, writing, “Why don’t you invite me for these games? I would take the ‘MI’ girl.” Lajčák reportedly told Radio Slovakia, “When I read those messages today, I feel like a fool.” He said in the same interview that he had shown “poor judgment and inappropriate communication … Those messages were nothing more than foolish male egos in action, self-satisfied male banter.” He added, “There were no girls … the fact that someone is communicating with a sexual predator does not make him a sexual predator.”

David Ross: Chair of New York’s School of Visual Arts

Ross, formerly the director of the Whitney Museum, resigned as the chair of the Master of Fine Arts in art practice at SVA on Feb. 3. Ross called Epstein “incredible” after he suggested an exhibit featuring girls and boys aged 14-25 titled “Statutory.” Ross told The New York Times that he regretted being “taken in” by Epstein’s claim that he had been the victim of a political frame-up because of his connection to Bill Clinton. “I continue to be appalled by his crimes and remain deeply concerned for its many victims,” he told the Times.

Joanna Rubinstein: Chair of Sweden for the UN Refugee Agency

Rubinstein announced her resignation on Feb. 2 from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees after documents unveiled a 2012 family visit to Epstein’s private island. In an email, Rubinstein thanked Epstein for “an afternoon in paradise” on behalf of her children and herself. “I was aware of the verdict at the time of the visit. What has subsequently emerged about the extent of the abuse is appalling and something I strongly distance myself from,” Rubinstein told the Swedish newspaper Expressen.

Casey Wasserman: Founder, Chairman and CEO of Wasserman talent agency; Chairman of the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games

Wasserman, owner of a high-profile talent and marketing agency and the chairman of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic and Paralympic Games, began the process of selling his company after emails between him and Maxwell from over 20 years ago were made public. Following the revelations, several clients, including Grammy winner Chappell Roan, announced they were leaving the agency. Wasserman said he “never had a personal or business relationship with Jeffrey Epstein” and that he’d “become a distraction” in a memo to his staff, which was reported by The Wall Street Journal. The Journal also reported, citing people familiar with the situation, that the committee organizing the LA Olympic Games had voted unanimously to keep Wasserman as chairman.

Steve Tisch: Chairman and co-owner of the New York Giants

The National Football League announced Feb. 2 that it will look into Tisch, a former film producer who has been the Giants’ executive vice president since 2005. Tisch was named over 400 times in the files, with one document showing that he asked Epstein whether women were “pro or civilian.” In a January statement to ESPN, Tisch said, “We had a brief association where we exchanged emails about adult women, and in addition, we discussed movies, philanthropy, and investments.” Tisch added, “I did not take him up on any of his invitations and never went to his island. As we all know now, he was a terrible person and someone I deeply regret associating with.”

Thorbjørn Jagland: Former prime minister of Norway

Jagland was charged with “aggravated corruption” on Feb. 12 after a police probe into his ties with Epstein. Jagland, who served as Norway’s prime minister from 1996 to 1997, is being investigated to see whether “gifts, travel and loans were received in connection with his position,” according to investigators. A 2014 email shows a planned visit for Jagland and his family to Epstein’s private island in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Jagland’s lawyers have said he “denies all the charges.”

Jes Staley: CEO of Barclays

Staley served as CEO of Barclays from October 2015 until his resignation in late 2021. Staley’s departure followed a probe by the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority into his relationship with Epstein. The regulator fined him more than $2 million and permanently banned him from holding a management role in the sector in 2023. In 2020, Staley said, “Obviously I thought I knew him well and I didn’t. For sure, with hindsight with what we know now, I deeply regret having any relationship with Jeffrey.”

Alex Acosta: U.S. Labor secretary

Acosta announced his resignation in a letter to President Donald Trump on July 12, 2019, following controversy over his striking a federal non-prosecution deal with Epstein in 2008 when he was the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Florida. Acosta defended that deal — which had required Epstein to plead guilty to Florida state charges of soliciting a minor for prostitution — in six hours of testimony in September to the House Oversight Committee. “I testified for six hours. I’ll let the record speak for itself,” Acosta said after the hearing.

— CNBC’s Garrett Downs contributed to this report.

WATCH: Commerce Sec. Howard Lutnick admits visiting Epstein island during family vacation

Many European policymakers appear to still be smarting from U.S. Vice President JD Vance’s tough words about the region at last year’s Munich Security Conference.

So, it’s perhaps not too surprising that U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s comments on Saturday at this year’s event underscoring the U.S. and Europe’s common heritage, goals and challenges have come as something of a relief in European capitals.

“[Rubio] delivered a speech which still assured us that we stand together in this partnership between Europe and the United States,” German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul told CNBC in an interview on the sidelines of the conference. “Of course, there are some questions which we will have to discuss, but in the end of the day, his message was clear that we were so successful in the past, and we should do the job once again with new threats, with new tests in the 21st century.”

On Saturday, Rubio said the U.S. has no intention of abandoning its deep alliance with Europe and wants the region to succeed.

“We want Europe to be strong,” he told the gathering of defense and security officials in the German city. “We believe that Europe must survive, because the two great wars of the last century serve, for us, as history’s great reminder, that ultimately, our destiny is, and will always be, intertwined with yours.”

Contrast that to Vance’s message to the same crowd last year, when he spoke of the “retreat of Europe from some of its most fundamental values, values shared with the United States of America.” He lambasted his audience about the health of their democracies, their migration policies and freedom of speech.

While Rubio’s tone might have been more conciliatory than Vance’s, the underlying issues remained the same, as some conference attendees acknowledged.

“Of course, there were some issues he raised. We would answer differently when it comes to the migration problem, when it comes, of course, to question how we organize our legal framework here in Europe with regard to the digital services. And of course, also with the question of freedom of speech and so,” Wadephul said.

U.S. President Donald Trump has frequently criticized Europe for its open migration policies, for being too reliant on the U.S. for its security and has pushed NATO allies to boost defense spending. His pursuit of ownership of Greenland, a Danish territory, has also rattled European leaders in recent months.

“The message we heard (from Rubio) is that America and Europe are intertwined, they have been in the past and will be in the future,” the EU’s chief diplomat, Kaja Kallas, said at a panel discussion on Sunday. “I think this is important. It is also clear that we don’t see eye-to-eye in all the issues and that this will remain the case. But I think we can work from there.”

Cuba’s communist-run government is facing its biggest test since the collapse of the Soviet Union.

U.S. President Donald Trump has ratcheted up the pressure on the Caribbean island since the Jan. 3, military operation to seize Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, a long-time ally of Cuba’s government. Cuba said 32 of its citizens were killed in the attack.

Trump has since effectively cut Cuba off from Venezuelan oil, called its government “an unusual and extraordinary threat” and pledged to impose tariffs on any country that supplies it with oil.

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel condemned the move and said: “Surrender is not an option.” He’s since said the government is prepared to hold talks with Washington, albeit “without pressure or preconditions.”

The country has warned that international airlines would no longer be able refuel in the country due to fuel shortages. Gripped by a worsening economic crisis, Cuba’s government recently adopted rationing measures to protect essential services and ration fuel supplies for key sectors.

The plan reportedly includes restrictions on fuel sales, the closure of some tourist establishments, shortening school days and a shorter working week at state-owned companies to four days, from Monday to Thursday.

“The current situation in Cuba is as serious as it has been since the 1990s, when Cuba suddenly had to survive without the support of the Eastern Bloc,” Par Kumaraswami, professor of Latin American Studies at the U.K.’s University of Nottingham, told CNBC by email.

Trump’s tariff threats have created a deterrent for many nations, Kumaraswami said.

Mexico has sent humanitarian aid but suspended oil shipments, as it sought to preserve its relationship with Havana while avoiding Trump’s tariffs.

Kumaraswami said there was “of course frustration with the difficulties of daily life,” but that “many Cubans are resolved to resist threats to their national sovereignty and a new wave of patriotism has emerged.”

Air Canada subsequently has canceled all flights to Cuba amid the fuel shortage, though the airline said Monday that it would bring some 3,000 customers already in the country home over the coming days.

Tourism is a significant source of revenue for Cuba’s cash-strapped government and the country is a popular winter vacation destination for Canadian tourists.

Unlike in previous crises, Cuba’s regime lacks foreign partners that can step in to help, according to Robert Munks, head of Americas research at risk intelligence company Verisk Maplecroft.

“Raising the stakes, the US has also limited Cuba’s access to hard currency and pressured Nicaragua to end visa-free travel for Cubans,” Munks told CNBC by email.

The government’s pledge to increase the use of limited renewable energy sources is likely “too little, too late,” Munks said. He added that outbreaks of civil unrest were possible, given that the island’s domestic energy production is far short of what it needs to keep the lights on.

“An accelerating collapse of basic services will put the regime under extreme pressure to find a negotiated solution,” Munks said.

He added that “the odds are shortening” on Díaz-Canel being forced from power in the months ahead in a Maduro-style managed transition, but Munks said it was more likely that “the regime will try to muddle through” until the U.S. midterm elections in November.

Cuba’s dwindling oil supplies prompted the United Nations to warn of a possible humanitarian “collapse” last week.

“The Secretary-General is extremely concerned about the humanitarian situation in Cuba, which will worsen, and if not collapse, if its oil needs go unmet,” said UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric.

A spokesperson for China’s foreign ministry said Tuesday that Beijing “stands firmly against the inhumane actions that deprive the Cuban people of their right to subsistence and development.” They added that China would, “as always,” seek to provide assistance to Cuba.

Russia, meanwhile, has described Havana’s fuel situation as “truly critical” and said U.S. attempts to further pressure the country were causing numerous problems.

“The Cuban government is not going to submit,” Yaffe said. “The fact is, [the U.S. is] going to keep squeezing and the Cubans are going to keep resisting and there’s going to be a lot of unnecessary suffering.”

She added: “I’m a historian and it’s very vainglorious for historians to try and predict the future but we can look at trends — and I can guarantee you that we were here before in the early 1990s where nobody thought Cuba would pull together and pull through — and they did.”

Novo Nordisk CEO Mike Doustdar on Wednesday said the company is aiming to capture around 15 million new patients, at least initially, when Medicare starts covering obesity treatments for the first time later this year.

Around 67 million Americans are covered by Medicare, but “when you take a look at specifically our products and the target group, I think around 15 million people would be a good number to target,” he told CNBC in an interview. 

Medicare is slated to start covering obesity medicines for the first time later this year under the landmark “most-favored-nation” drug pricing deals that Novo and its chief rival, Eli Lilly, struck with President Donald Trump in November.

Health experts say the long-awaited coverage could broaden the market for the medicines and spur more private insurers to cover them. Some experts estimate that 20 million to 30 million Medicare patients are suffering from obesity and related conditions.

Doustdar said Medicare coverage, along with the launch of Novo’s new obesity pill and other factors, should help the company gradually boost prescription volumes and offset lower prices in the U.S. following that agreement with Trump. 

But he said he doesn’t expect Medicare access to obesity treatments to open up overnight. 

“Now, it would be great if we could find a way to get access very, very fast. But I think that would be a bit naive,” Doustdar said, pointing to the slow adoption seen among eligible patients with commercial insurance. 

It’s a slightly more conservative tone on the initial impact of Medicare coverage compared with Lilly, which has cited that coverage as a key tail wind to its guidance this year. Last week, Lilly said it expects Medicare coverage to come online by July. 

Meanwhile, Doustdar said Novo is in the midst of negotiations with the government on “exactly which month, which week that is going to be opening.”