Bloomberg Businessweek

The US and Israel began striking targets across Iran, with President Donald Trump urging Iranians to overthrow the government in a conflict that threatens to spiral across the oil-rich Middle East.

“The hour for your freedom is at hand,” Trump said, addressing Iranians in a video posted on Truth Social on Saturday. “When we’re finished, take over your government. It will be yours to take. This will be probably your only chance for generations.”

The military campaign could be a defining moment for Trump, risking a drawn-out regional war that leads to a surge in energy prices and American casualties ahead of mid-term elections this year. Iran quickly responded by firing missiles on Israel and US bases around the region, and countries in the Persian Gulf closed their airspace.

Israel’s military said the campaign would target “dozens of military targets,” and Iran media reported strikes on defensive and civilian sites, including more than 50 people dead in a strike on a school in Hormozgan, in the south of the country. Several large explosions were reported in the capital, Tehran.
Bloomberg's David Gura and Christina Ruffini lead our team coverage in this instant reaction podcast.
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The people, companies and trends shaping the global economy.

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President Donald Trump directed US government agencies to stop using Anthropic PBC’s products, capping a feud between the artificial intelligence giant and the Pentagon over safeguards on its technology.

Trump said Friday that there would be a six-month “phase out period” for agencies including the Defense Department that are using Anthropic’s products.
“The Leftwing nut jobs at Anthropic have made a DISASTROUS MISTAKE trying to STRONG-ARM the Department of War, and force them to obey their Terms of Service instead of our Constitution,” the president posted on social media. “Therefore, I am directing EVERY Federal Agency in the United States Government to IMMEDIATELY CEASE all use of Anthropic’s technology.”
Spokespeople for Anthropic didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.

Hegseth had given Anthropic until 5 p.m. on Friday to allow the Pentagon to use the Claude chatbot for any means necessary, within legal limits. The company had insisted that Claude not be used for mass surveillance against Americans or in fully autonomous weapons operations.

Trump’s decision will send a shockwave through Silicon Valley, where tech firms have invested billions of dollars on artificial intelligence and are weighing how best to handle federal government contracting. The move takes aim at a company that’s leading development of AI, a centerpiece of Trump’s economic agenda.

Today's show features:
Bloomberg News Reporter covering technology and national security Katrina Manson, on President Donald Trump directing US government agencies to stop using Anthropic's products due to a feud over safeguards on its technology
Robert Reffkin, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Compass International Holdings, and Varun Krishna, President and CEO of Rocket Companies, on a three-year strategic alliance aimed at expanding home listing inventory to create an enhanced affordable home buying and selling experience for American families
Luis von Ahn, Co-Founder, Chairman, President & CEO of Duolingo, on earnings and the struggles of the language learning platform in the era of AI-related disruption
Bloomberg News Senior Editor, Equities Americas Eric Weiner, recapping the worst trading month since March 2025
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February is American Heart Month, known as a critical time for bringing increased attention to cardiovascular health and the prevention of heart disease, which is the leading cause of death in the US. Women are particularly vulnerable to cardiac health threats spanning biological, clinical and healthcare system factors that contribute to underdiagnosis, delayed treatment, and worse outcomes compared to men.
Dr. Joy Gelbman, Associate Professor of Medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine as well as a board-certified cardiologist, is well-versed in the unique challenges facing women when it comes to their cardiac health. She breaks down specific sex-specific risk factors, differing disease presentation and pathophysiology, as well as the experience disparities in treatments and outcomes. Dr. Gelbman speaks with Carol Massar and Tim Stenovec on Bloomberg Businessweek Daily.
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The people, companies and trends shaping the global economy.

Watch Carol and Tim LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF.

Jack Dorsey’s Block is cutting 4,000 employees, reducing its workforce by nearly half as the financial technology firm places a bet on artificial intelligence changing the future of labor productivity.

Block has been restructuring its business model and staffing since 2024 as the company’s stock has lagged. At the same time, the company has invested heavily in artificial intelligence tools to run more efficiently, including building its own tool called Goose.
The reduction in force, which was announced in a shareholder letter on Thursday, comes after rolling job eliminations that have often been tied to annual performance reviews.
The move by Block is the latest indication of the havoc that new AI tools are wreaking on the economy and financial markets.

In the shareholder letter, the company highlighted strong financial performance over 2025 including gross profit growth that more than doubled from the first quarter to the fourth quarter.

Dorsey, the company’s co-founder, touted how the company has reignited growth of users of its peer-to-peer payments app Cash App, scaled its lending products and accelerated Square gross payment volume. Block reported gross profit of $10.36 billion in 2025, up 17% year-over-year.

Today's show features:
Bloomberg News Fintech and Crypto Reporter Emily Mason on Block's massive staff cuts
Chris Miller, Professor of International History at The Fletcher School at Tufts University, on the geopolitical forces shaping the global ecosystem for semiconductors
Steven Dickens, CEO and Principal Analyst of HyperFRAME Research, with Nvidia earnings analysis and a lookahead to CoreWeave earnings after the bell
Bloomberg News National Security Reporter Jaime Tarabay on Hillary Clinton’s closed-door testimony related to her connections to the late Jeffrey Epstein, and allegations that the Department of Justice withheld some files in the Epstein case due to an abuse claim against President Trump
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