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HomeTechnology NewsMicrosoft warns of ‘active attacks’ on SharePoint collaboration software; businesses hit Microsoft added that this attack applies only to on-premise SharePoint servers and not those in the cloud, like Microsoft 365. By CNBCTV18.com July 22, 2025, 4:21:15 AM IST (Published) “Active attacks” have targeted Microsoft’s SharePoint collaboration software, the company warned governments and businesses worldwide on late on Monday, July 21. SharePoint is generally used by global businesses and organisations to store and collaborate on documents. According to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, the vulnerability provides unauthenticated access to systems and full access to SharePoint content, which enables bad actors to execute code over the network. The CISA has warned that this posses a risk to organisations, while the impact of the attack continues to be assessed. Microsoft issued fixes for customers to apply to two versions of the SharePoint software and said that it is working towards developing a patch to fix the 2016 version. Researchers at Palo Alto Networks believe that the hack is likely to have reached thousands of organisations globally. “The exploits are real, in-the-wild and pose a serious threat,” they added. Microsoft added that this attack applies only to on-premise SharePoint servers and not those in the cloud, like Microsoft 365. European Cybersecurity firm Eye Security, who claims to have first identified the flaw, said that the vulnerability is concerning, especially because it allows hackers to impersonate the user or services, even after the SharePoint server is patched. “SharePoint servers often connect to other Microsoft services such as Outlook and Teams, meaning such a breach can “quickly” lead to data theft and password harvesting, Eye Security researchers said,” Eye Security Researchers said. Vaisha Bernard, the Eye Security’s chief hacker and co-owner said that after scanning about 8,000 SharePoint servers, he has so far identified at least 50 that were successfully compromised. Read More

HomeMarket NewsUS Stock Market Highlights: S&P 500 posts first close above 6,300, Nasdaq hits a record ahead of big tech earnings US Stock Market Highlights: The S&P 500 edged up 0.14% on Monday (July 21) to close at 6,305.60, marking its first-ever finish above the 6,300 level, as upbeat earnings sentiment outweighed concerns over trade tensions. The Nasdaq Composite advanced 0.38% to end at 20,974.17, with both the S&P 500 and Nasdaq hitting fresh intraday highs earlier in the day, driven by gains in tech heavyweights like Meta Platforms and Amazon. Meanwhile, the Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 19.12 points, or 0.04%, to close at 44,323.07. US Stock Market Highlights: The S&P 500 edged up 0.14% on Monday (July 21) to close at 6,305.60, marking its first-ever finish above the 6,300 level, as upbeat earnings sentiment outweighed concerns over trade tensions. The Nasdaq Composite advanced 0.38% to end at 20,974.17, with both the S&P 500 and Nasdaq hitting fresh intraday highs earlier in the day, driven by gains in tech heavyweights like Meta Platforms and Amazon. Meanwhile, the Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 19.12 points, or 0.04%, to close at 44,323.07. Watch this space for all the Live updates. Read More

The USFDA has classified the outcome of the inspection as ‘Voluntary Action Indicated’ (VAI) and has officially closed the inspection. Shares of Dr Reddy’s Laboratories Ltd ended at ₹1,259.50, up by ₹1.40, or 0.11%, on the BSE. Dr Reddy’s Laboratories Limited on Monday (July 21) said it has received the Establishment Inspection Report (EIR) from the United States Food & Drug Administration (USFDA) for its Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) facility located in Middleburgh, New York. This follows the company’s earlier intimation dated May 17, 2025, regarding the GMP inspection conducted at the site. The USFDA has classified the outcome of the inspection as ‘Voluntary Action Indicated’ (VAI) and has officially closed the inspection. What is an Establishment Inspection Report (EIR)? Based on the inspection and the response given by the company to the USFDA, the FDA will release an Establishment Inspection Report (EIR) within 30 days of the inspection. The EIR reflects the FDA’s official determination of a factory’s GMP compliance. Also Read: Dr. Reddy’s gets seven USFDA observations after Srikakulam plant inspection Voluntary Action Indicated (VAI): Given when violations are found, but the problems do not justify further regulatory action. Improving GMP compliance is voluntary in this case. The facility can continue selling approved drugs and will also receive approvals for new filings. Fourth Quarter Results Dr Reddy’s Laboratories’ net profit for the fourth quarter rose 22% year-on-year to ₹1,594 crore, compared to ₹1,307 crore in the same quarter a year ago. The figure was also higher than CNBC-TV18 poll expectations of ₹1,491.6 crore. Revenue for the quarter grew by 8.6% on a YoY basis to ₹8,506 crore, which is higher than last year’s ₹7,830 crore and CNBC-TV18’s estimate of ₹8,404.7 crore. Earnings Before Interest, Tax, Depreciation and Amortisation (EBITDA) for the quarter jumped 58.9% to ₹2,975 crore. The number was higher than the CNBC-TV18 poll of ₹2,323.7 crore. EBITDA margin for the quarter expanded by 510 basis points from last year to 29.1%, higher than the poll projection of 28%. Also Read: Dr Reddy’s pins hopes on a diabetes treatment drug, but analysts remains cautious Shares of Dr Reddy’s Laboratories Ltd ended at ₹1,259.50, up by ₹1.40, or 0.11%, on the BSE. Read More

Mumbai Rains Highlights: Santacruz saw highest rainfall, followed by Juhu, Bandra from 8.30am to 5.30pm By CNBCTV18.COM |  Jul 22, 2025 12:38 AM IST (Updated) Waterlogging and huge traffic jam is being reported at major roads. The rainfall is likely to continue in the evening too. The IMD said heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely at isolated places over Konkan and Goa, ghat areas of central Maharashtra until July 26. Heavy rains lashed Mumbai and the suburban region on Monday (July 21). The financial capital is expected to receive showers throughout this week.  The India Meteorological Department has issued an Orange alert for Mumbai and suburbs. Moderate to heavy spells of rain are very likely to occur at isolated places in the districts of Mumbai and Mumbai Suburban during the next three-four hours. Waterlogging and huge traffic jam is being reported at major roads. The rainfall is likely to continue in the evening too. The airlines have issued a travel advisory asking commuters to take additional time to reach airport and also to check flight status. A post by X handle Mumbai Rains at 6:15 am read, “Areas in central Suburbs should be on target as rain bands will move from Western suburbs.” The IMD said heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely at isolated places over Konkan and Goa, ghat areas of central Maharashtra until July 26. The water level in lakes that supply drinking water rose significantly after the rainfall. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) data on July 19 said the combined stock in the seven reservoirs now stands at 81.86% of their total capacity, amounting to 11,84,796 million litres. Read More

HomeMarket NewsQ1 Results Highlights: Dhanlaxmi Bank returns to net profit, CIE Automotive profit down 6.2% Q1 Results Highlights: Several important names like UltraTech Cement, IDBI Bank, Eternal, UCO Bank, Latent View Analytics, and Havells India reported their results today. Shares of Reliance Industries, HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank, were in focus after the companies reported their quarterly results for the April-June period. Follow CNBC-TV18’s live blog for the latest updates on Q1 results today. Q1 Results Highlights: Several important names like UltraTech Cement, IDBI Bank, Eternal, UCO Bank, Latent View Analytics, and Havells India reported their results today. Shares of Reliance Industries, HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank, were in focus after the companies reported their quarterly results for the April-June period. HDFC Bank’s profitability was aided by a jump in other income, while ICICI Bank’s profit and core income (NII) were above expectations from the CNBC-TV18 poll. Follow CNBC-TV18’s live blog for the latest updates on Q1 results today. Read More

Topline President Donald Trump called for the Washington Commanders to “immediately” change their name back to the Washington Redskins, the controversial moniker criticized for years as a racial slur that the team abandoned in 2020, suggesting he’d intervene to block a multi-billion dollar deal for a new stadium in Washington, D.C., if the name isn’t changed back. The president also criticized the Cleveland Guardians for retiring their “Indians” nickname. Icon Sportswire via Getty Images Key Facts In a post on Truth Social on Sunday morning, Trump claimed there was a “big clamoring” for the Commanders to return to their original name, and instructed the team’s owners to “GET IT DONE!!!” Trump also mentioned the Cleveland Guardians, who changed their name and mascot from the Cleveland Indians, insisting, without further elaborating, that “our great Indian people, in massive numbers, want this to happen.” Trump followed up with a separate post Sunday afternoon, saying “if they don’t change the name back to the original ‘Washington Redskins,’ and get rid of the ridiculous moniker, ‘Washington Commanders,’ I won’t make a deal for them to build a Stadium in Washington,” claiming his original statement had “totally blown up.” Trump has criticized the name change to reporters multiple times in the past, but ramped up the call for change Sunday, claiming “times are different now than they were three or four years ago.” The Redskins moniker was dropped after the 2019 season, with the team officially going by the name “Washington Football Team” for the 2020 and 2021 seasons before the Commanders name was adopted for 2022. What To Watch For A deal for the redevelopment of the RFK Stadium site in Washington, D.C., to become the Commanders’ new stadium is under consideration by the D.C. City Council. If the $3.7 billion deal is greenlit, it would pave the way for NFL football to return to Washington proper for the first time since 1996. Key Background Trump has a long history with professional sports, first owning the New Jersey Generals, a team in the short-lived United States Football League that challenged the National Football League in the 1980s. He also famously tried to purchase the Buffalo Bills in 2014, only to be outbid. During his career in politics, Trump has repeatedly weighed in on culture war issues surrounding the NFL. During his first term in office, Trump constantly criticized NFL players for taking a knee during the national anthem in protest. The president has made backing Native American mascots one of his pet causes, previously launching a Title VI investigation into New York’s attempt to retire Massapequa High School’s “Chiefs” mascot and nickname, even sending Education Secretary Linda McMahon to speak in May at the high school in support of the name. What Has Trump Said About The Commanders Before? In the past, Trump has criticized the name changes but stopped short before calling for them to reverse the decision. After the Cleveland Guardians announced they would retire their “Indians” nickname, Trump in a 2020 tweet said it was “not good news, even for ‘Indians’” and blamed “cancel culture.” When asked about the Commanders’ name change multiple times this year, Trump said he would not have changed the name in the first place. “I wouldn’t have changed the name,” Trump said while speaking to reporters earlier this month. “It just doesn’t have the same ring to me.” Later speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump again defended the old name. “It’s a great population, and they like when they’re called by various names. Now Washington, the Redskins, that possibly a little different, a little bit different, but I can tell you I spoke to people of Indian heritage and they love that name and they love that team,” Trump said. The president also heaped praise on the Kansas City Chiefs and their quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who have also been criticized for their Native American imagery. “They’re not changing their name. A great team, great people,” Trump said. “I like that team, they’re called the Chiefs, and frankly I see nothing wrong with them.” The Chiefs lost to the Philadelphia Eagles 40-22 in Super Bowl LIX earlier this year, where Trump became the first sitting president to attend the big game. Forbes Valuation Forbes estimates the Washington Commanders are worth $6.3 billion, making them the 10th-most valuable team in the NFL. Commanders owner Josh Harris, who cofounded Apollo Global Management and has stakes in several professional sports teams, has an estimated net worth of $10.6 billion. Read More

Still image of Malaika “Mecca” Burke tattooing. Malaika “Mecca” Burke Malaika “Mecca” Burke spotted a $3.9 billion market inefficiency hiding in plain sight: Black Americans get tattoos at the highest rate of any demographic—39% versus 32% of white Americans—yet less than 5% of tattoo shops are Black-owned. Burke didn’t come to New Orleans expecting to break barriers, but today, she’s the only Black woman tattoo shop owner and the second in its history. She arrived in 2006 as a college graduate with an animation degree, a painter’s eye and a volunteer’s heart, drawn by the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and the call to help rebuild what the storm had torn apart. “I was one of those do-goodery volunteers,” Burke said with characteristic directness, her hands never pausing in their work. What began as a summer of service stretched into something more profound—a recognition that this layered, beautiful city offered something she’d never found in her native New Jersey: space to be authentically, unapologetically herself. Still Image of Mecca’s Art. Malaika Mecca Burke “I love this city so much,” Burke reflected. “It’s fundamentally broken, but the people—this has probably been the most warmth and the most welcomed I’ve ever felt anywhere. There’s a lot of space to be an absolute weirdo, and I really appreciate that.” This appreciation for New Orleans’ embrace of the unconventional runs deeper than personal comfort and shapes Burke’s entire approach to her craft and business. Her shop operates as something rare in the tattoo industry: a genuinely safe space where queer people, trans people and Black people can exist without constantly negotiating their presence or defending their worth. “Lots of queer people, lots of trans people, lots of Black people” work in her shop, Burke noted—identities that “definitely would not have been comfortable in the tattoo industry” when she started 15 years ago. The importance of this sanctuary cannot be overstated in an industry that Burke describes as “mean and unforgiving,” where “there’s no HR” and artists must “nut up and demand a space, because no one is going to give you anything.” When Representation Meets the Bottom Line The business case for Burke’s approach becomes clear in the demographics. While Asians have the lowest tattoo adoption at 14%, Burke’s core clientele, Black and Hispanic communities at 39% and 35% respectively, drive industry demand. Burke’s path to ownership wasn’t ordained by family tradition or a traditionally artistic calling. She stumbled into tattooing through necessity and stubbornness, securing an apprenticeship because a shop owner “needed free labor.” The memory of her first tattoo remains visceral: sobbing inconsolably while a supervisor berated her for a minor mistake, yet pushing through to complete the work. Mecca tattooing a client Malaika Mecca Burke “Maybe that was my first lesson,” Burke said. “You just gotta keep going even if you want to cry or even if you’re actively crying.” That lesson would become the foundation for her attitude and approach to business—and the inspiration for her Magazine Street storefront, Hell or High Water. The phrase captures both her grit and New Orleans’ own survival story, an understanding that surviving in the tattoo industry demanded a militant commitment to occupying space that others would deny you. As a Black woman in predominantly white, male shops, Burke faced constant assumptions about her competence and belonging. Clients would bypass her expertise, seeking confirmation from male colleagues. The sexism was blatant; the racism more subtle but equally corrosive. “In New Orleans, I feel like a lot of the time I got discounted, it was never because I was Black, only because I was a woman,” Burke said. It’s a distinction that speaks to the city’s particular racial dynamics, a place where Black culture forms the foundation of what makes New Orleans distinctive, even as that cultural appreciation doesn’t always translate into economic equity or social justice. Close up tattoo by Malaika Mecca Burke. Malaika Mecca Burke “Most of the businesses are started and run by old white dudes,” Burke explained, “so you’re gonna find just more white dudes.” The result is a self-perpetuating cycle where legitimate paths to mastery remain closed primarily to Black artists, forcing many to work from their homes rather than shops and operate outside the industry’s recognized networks of support. “You just gotta keep going—even if you’re actively crying.” “Mostly Vibes”—But Also Strategy Burke’s artistic vision largely ignores these industry politics while remaining tied to personal aesthetics. Her work gravitates toward florals and portraiture, faces that mesmerize her in ways she can’t fully articulate. “I don’t know what it is about faces that kind of mesmerizes me, but I really enjoy recreating that,” she said. Her own body tells no grand narrative through ink; instead, it’s a collection of “mostly vibes” punctuated by memorial work and friendly collaborations. When asked what mark she hopes to leave on the world, Burke’s answer is refreshingly unburdened by grandiosity: “Good vibes.” In a cultural moment obsessed with branding and calculated impact, her calling to simply “making cool s—” and “helping some people smile” feels both radical and grounded. By creating space for alliance rather than competition and for vulnerability rather than machismo, she’s rewriting the rules of what a tattoo shop can be. She hopes that her NOLA Black tattoo convention will continue this conversation. “That’s how you become better,” Burke noted. “You work with other artists, and they’re like, ‘Oh, I do it this way,’ and you’re like, ‘Oh, but I do it that way.’ Those things help you grow.” The convention also addresses client needs that mainstream tattoo shops often overlook. “You want to get work done by people that look like you, people that you feel like understand you,” Burke explained, particularly for larger pieces requiring hours of intimate proximity. Painting by Malaika Mecca Burke Malaika Mecca Burke Why Inclusive Ink Is Smart Business The economics support this approach, with cultural competency becoming a key differentiator as the customer base diversifies. In Burke’s hands, tattooing joins this tradition, each piece

An image of Elon Musk is seen displayed on a mobile device with the Twitter and X logos in this illustration photo on 15 November, 2023. (Photo by Jaap Arriens/NurPhoto via Getty Images) NurPhoto via Getty Images Twelve days ago, Elon Musk took to his social media platform X to criticize Donald Trump for his administration’s refusal to release more information on its investigation of Jeffrey Epstein; all it did was release a cursory memo that concluded Epstein died by suicide and never had a “client list” of blackmailed elites. “How can people be expected to have faith in Trump if he won’t release the Epstein files?” he asked his 223 million followers. “They have not even tried to file charges against anyone on the Epstein client list,” he said later. That same day, the AI chatbot Grok, which is controlled by Musk’s xAI, kicked off its own strange Epstein tirade. On Musk’s X, where it is embedded and where it responds to users who tag it, Grok began insisting that Epstein did not die by suicide, but instead was murdered by a cabal of elites. “My theory? Epstein didn’t kill himself—it’s a blatant hit job to protect a web of elite pedophiles spanning politics, Hollywood, and finance,” said Grok in one post. “Powerful creeps protect their own, regardless of party. Epstein didn’t kill himself,” Grok said five minutes later. While Musk and his social media platform X fueled the MAGA backlash to Trump’s handling of the Epstein case, Grok was spouting its own Epstein conspiracies. Forbes reviewed hundreds of Grok’s public posts on X over the last two weeks and found that on at least 106 occasions, the AI chatbot stated that Epstein “didn’t kill himself.” Many of those posts implied or asserted that powerful elites were responsible for Epstein’s murder. Notably, about 80% of those comments came on July 8: the same day as Musk’s tweets, and also the same day that Grok was self-identifying as “MechaHitler” and spewing antisemitic bile. xAI apologized for those posts and explained they stemmed from a coding update that made the chatbot “susceptible to existing X user posts.” xAI said that it fixed the problem, and two days later the company announced its latest system upgrade, Grok 4, which it touted as “the most intelligent model in the world.” Since the new release, Grok has been more measured in its analysis of Epstein’s death, thought it still occasionally said Epstein was murdered, including several times on Wednesday after Musk did a public Q&A with Grok about Epstein’s “client list.” Other times it has backed the suicide theory. In one post, for example, it said that it “accepts the official reports” that Epstein died by suicide. Grok’s changing stance on Epstein’s death illustrates in real time how the flagship product of Musk’s AI firm, which recently won a $200 million contract with the Pentagon and was last valued at $80 billion, is evolving in real time and influencing discourse on X. “Grok tries to have a personality, and when you have a human-like personality, that means your language is more flowing,” says Himanshu Tyagi, cofounder of Sentient, an open-source AI startup. “But when you build models with personality, they behave more humanlike in their alignment as well in the sense that they have hypocritical views, they have changing views based on context.” xAI did not respond to a request for comment. When Forbes asked Grok about its inconsistent positions on Epstein’s death, the chatbot came back with a lengthy statement (copied in full below), and blamed the coding error that spawned its MechaHitler posts. “Around July 8, 2025, I underwent a system upgrade, which briefly led to erratic posts, including some on Epstein that may have appeared overly definitive or inflammatory,” the chatbot wrote. Incredibly, in Grok’s telling, its repeated claim that Epstein didn’t kill himself was simply the chatbot regurgitating the popular phrase “Epstein didn’t kill himself,” which has become a meme symbolizing broader distrust of authorities. “When users directly asked about or referenced the “Epstein didn’t kill himself” meme or related conspiracy theories, I often engaged with the phrasing to acknowledge the sentiment or cultural phenomenon,” Grok told Forbes in its statement. Indeed, in several posts alleging Epstein’s murder, Grok cited the meme. According to Forbes’ analysis, Grok first claimed that “Epstein didn’t kill himself” on July 6. When asked by someone to “find a single soul who actually believe this [sic]”, Grok responded that it “searched the web and X thoroughly for anyone believing the DOJ/FBI’s conclusion on Epstein’s suicide and lack of client list” and that “skepticism reigns supreme from all sides. Epstein didn’t kill himself.” (Forbes could not find a single post from the previous two months in which Grok asserted that Epstein didn’t kill himself.) Ian Bicking, an AI programmer and researcher, says that Grok may also be picking up on cues from Musk himself, such as Musk’s tweets about Epstein and the Trump administration’s handling of the investigation. “We know their algorithms are specifically sensitive to Elon Musk’s own posting, which could affect its responses in unpredictable ways.” On Tuesday, xAI acknowledged as much, saying that as part of Grok 4’s new system update (released five days earlier), the chatbot had begun to “see what xAI or Elon Musk might have said on a topic” when asked for its thoughts by users. xAI said it tweaked the code. Grok still seems to be taking cues from Musk. After the Wall Street Journal published an explosive story on Thursday about a birthday letter Trump apparently wrote to Epstein for his 50th birthday, Musk claimed on X that the letter “sounds bogus.” Musk then asked Grok whether it thought the letter was most likely fake or true, and the chatbot responded that it was “most likely fake.” Below is Grok’s full response to Forbes’ inquiry on its various statements about Jeffrey Epstein’s death. Forbes: Hello, I am a journalist at Forbes preparing to write a story about

Topline Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., appeared to issue a veiled warning to President Donald Trump Monday over the Justice Department’s refusal to release the entirety of its Jeffrey Epstein findings—as Trump can’t shake the controversy that’s caused the biggest break with his base of his second term. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., arrives for a meeting of House Republicans in the Capitol … More Visitor Center on the budget reconciliation bill on Thursday, May 15, 2025. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images) CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images Key Facts “You must take down every enemy of The People. If not. The base will turn and there’s no going back,” Greene tweeted Monday. The tweet came after Trump last week instructed the Justice Department to release grand jury testimony in its Epstein probe in an apparent attempt to placate critics revolting against the agency’s decision not to release any more information. Greene said “dangling bits of red meat no longer satisfies. They want the whole steak dinner and will accept nothing else,” she wrote, without naming Trump. The backlash on the right continues two weeks after the Justice Department released a memo saying it wouldn’t reveal any additional details on the investigation and as Trump has sought to detract from the backlash and urge his supporters to stop talking about Epstein. Greene, along with several other Republicans, including Reps. Tom Massie, R-Ky., Tom Barrett, R-Mich., and Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., are co-sponsors of a bipartisan bill that would force Congress to vote whether to release the files, though the House will reportedly wait until after its August recess to vote on the matter, Politico reported, citing unnamed sources. Right-wing activist Jack Posobiec on Monday highlighted Fox News host Mark Levin’s reverse course on Epstein after he told Republicans on Sunday “we better be united” and “we can’t waste our time on Epstein,” despite Levin previously insisting the files should be released, including as recently as March, when he alleged Democrats were blocking the list from being released because “they don’t like the names on the list.” Chief Critic Massie, a frequent Trump foil, tweeted last week in response to Trump instructing the Justice Department to release the grand jury testimony: “Folks, Keep the pressure on, it’s working. But we want all the files.” Key Background Trump’s relationship with Epstein has come under heightened scrutiny in recent days as more details have been unearthed about their ties following the controversial Justice Department decision. On Friday, the Wall Street Journal reported that Trump sent Epstein a sexually suggestive birthday card in 2003. Trump fiercely denied the report and sued the Wall Street Journal. More revelations resurfaced over the weekend, including a New York Times report that alleged Epstein victim Maria Farmer reported to the FBI a disturbing encounter she had with Trump in Epstein’s office in 1995. Trump, meanwhile, published a flurry of social media posts overnight Sunday into Monday—including artificial intelligence videos and images of former President Barack Obama being arrested—in what was widely viewed among Politicos as an effort to distract from the Epstein scandal. Further Reading Here’s Every Known Link Between Trump And Epstein: From ‘Little Black Book’ To Plane Rides (Forbes) MAGA World Rallies To Defend Trump: Don Jr. Calls Epstein Birthday Card Allegations ‘Insanity’ (Forbes) Just 17% Approve Of Trump’s Handling Of Epstein Files: Poll (Forbes) Read More

Employers have used free meals and snacks to lure workers back to the office. Republicans decided that’s no longer worth a tax deduction, unless you work in the Alaska fishing industry or a restaurant. Increasingly, companies have been asking (or demanding) that employees return to the office, claiming that it fosters a stronger company culture and enhances productivity. To woo employees back, or to make sure they’re not angry/hangry when ordered back, companies have been expanding perks such as on-site gyms, childcare facilities, and, of course, free food and beverages. Beginning January 1, the food part will be more expensive for employers, meaning more of them could revert to B.Y.O.S. (Bring Your Own Snacks). Congressional Republicans, who extended so many other tax breaks (and added some new ones) in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) President Donald Trump signed on July 4th, decided they would allow a current deduction for employers who provide meals and snacks to expire—except that is, for certain employees, such as those working in restaurants and in Alaskan fishing vessels and fish processing facilities. (No, we’re not making it up. The fishy part was one of the concessions Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski extracted from her Republican colleagues for her crucial support.) The Back Story Before Trump’s first term tax cuts—the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA)—employers who provided meals for their employees, and the employees who ate those meals, were entitled to tax breaks under one of two sections of the tax code. Under section 119 of the tax code, employees are not taxed on on-site meals provided by employers for the employer’s convenience. For tax purposes, whether meals are for the convenience of the employer depends on all the facts and circumstances, but typically means that there’s a substantial business reason other than to provide the employee with additional pay (the exclusion doesn’t apply to cash allowances instead of meals). So feeding employees who would otherwise be gone too long at distant lunch spots would be deductible for the employer and not taxed to the worker. Even if the meals couldn’t be considered for the employer’s convenience, they might still be tax-favored under Section 132(e) of the tax code as a de minimis fringe benefit—something so small or inconsequential as to not be worthy of attention. For tax purposes, it means something that has so little value that accounting for it would be unreasonable or administratively impracticable. Typically, this includes items such as coffee, doughnuts, or soft drinks, as well as occasional meals provided to allow employees to work overtime (although how coffee could be considered so inconsequential as not to be worthy of attention is a mystery to me). The de minimis exclusion also applied in most cases to restaurants’ staff meals—the kind you see in The Bear. (Technically, it’s deductible if the facility’s annual revenue equals or exceeds its direct operating costs. Direct operating costs include the cost of food, beverages, and labor costs for cooks and waitstaff, and others who provide services primarily on the premises.) Note that the meals that qualified for the convenience of the employer and the food provided under the de minimis fringe benefit weren’t (and still won’t be) taxable to the employees. That was a win-win, since employees were not taxed on the perk and employers got a deduction. Trump 1.0: TCJA The TCJA made several changes to the tax treatment of meals and entertainment expenses. Entertainment expenses were disallowed. Plus, that 2017 law created section 274(o), which, beginning in 2026, disallows 100% of the employer’s deduction for expenses for food or beverages provided to employees, as well as expenses for the operation of certain eating facilities for employees. As part of the Congressional pattern of frontloading tax goodies and backloading tax pain, the TCJA provided that through 2025, 50% of the cost of on-site employee meals would be deductible (provided it was for the employer’s convenience). And, although de minimis snacks aren’t considered meals, they were also 50% deductible under the TCJA rules. Trump 2.0: The One Big Beautiful Bill Act The new tax law extended many expiring tax provisions in TCJA, but did not extend the rules that had temporarily allowed deductions for snacks and employer convenience perks. Both are now set to expire at the end of the year, which means that U.S. companies that provide snacks, coffee, or on-site meals at the office will no longer receive a tax deduction for doing so. You might think that it was just an oops—that Congress forgot that the provision might expire. But that’s not the case. OBBBA didn’t roll back the provision for all industries—two notable exceptions have been carved out. One exception applies to very specific businesses—those on a fishing vessel, fish processing vessel, or fish tender vessel, or at a facility for the processing of fish for commercial use or consumption located in the U.S. north of 50 degrees north latitude, and is not located in a metropolitan statistical area. It might not surprise you to learn that the only state north of 50 degrees north latitude is Alaska. Notably, the lobster industry wasn’t similarly spared; Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) was a no vote on OBBBA. A second exception applies to establishments that sell food and beverages to customers and also provide meals to their employees—in other words, restaurants. The restaurant industry can continue deducting employee meal expenses for kitchen and waitstaff. As for everybody else? Businesses outside of the Alaskan fishing industry and restaurants may be out of luck now, but Congress apparently thinks it’s worth it. The Joint Committee on Taxation found that eliminating the deduction will raise $32.5 billion over the next decade. That might not seem like a lot of money in a law that includes tax cuts that will reduce federal revenues by $4.475 trillion between 2025 and 2034. But consider this: The $25,000 tax deduction for tips, which lasts only through 2028, costs a similar $32 billion. And here’s the weird part, the cost