Four years after launching a push for more diversity in its ranks, McDonald’s is ending some of its diversity practices, citing a U.S. Supreme Court decision that outlawed affirmative action in college admissions.

McDonald’s is the latest big company to shift its tactics in the wake of the 2023 ruling and a conservative backlash against diversity, equity and inclusion programs. Walmart, John Deere, Harley-Davidson and others rolled back their DEI initiatives last year.

McDonald’s said Monday it will retire specific goals for achieving diversity at senior leadership levels. It also intends to end a program that encourages its suppliers to develop diversity training and increase the number of minorities in their own leadership ranks.

McDonald’s said it will also pause “external surveys.” The Chicago burger giant didn’t elaborate, but several other companies, including Lowe’s and Ford Motor Co., suspended their participation in an annual survey by the Human Rights Campaign that measures workplace inclusion for LGBTQ+ employees.

McDonald’s rolled out a series of diversity initiatives in 2021 after a spate of sexual harassment lawsuits filed by employees and a lawsuit alleging discrimination by a group of Black former owners of McDonald’s franchises.

“As a world-leading brand that considers inclusion one of our core values, we will accept nothing less than real, measurable progress in our efforts to lead with empathy, treat people with dignity and respect, and seek out diverse points of view to drive better decision-making,” McDonald’s Chairman and CEO Chris Kempczinski wrote in a LinkedIn post at the time.

But McDonald’s said Monday that the “shifting legal landscape” after the Supreme Court decision and the actions of other corporations caused it to take a hard look at its own policies.

In an open letter to employees and franchisees, McDonald’s senior leadership team said it remains committed to inclusion and believes a diverse workforce is a competitive advantage. The company said 30% of its U.S. leaders are members of underrepresented groups, up from 29% in 2021. McDonald’s previously committed to reaching 35% by the end of this year.

McDonald’s said it has achieved one of the goals it announced in 2021: gender pay equity at all levels of the company. It also said it expected to achieve a goal of having 25% of total supplier spending go to diverse-owned businesses by the end of the year.

McDonald’s said it would continue to support efforts that ensure a diverse base of employees, suppliers and franchisees, but its diversity team will now be referred to as the Global Inclusion Team. The company said it would also continue to report its demographic information.

U.S. Steel and the Japanese firm that had sought to acquire it are suing the Biden administration after the president announced he was blocking a proposed deal for the iconic American manufacturer.

U.S. Steel and Japan’s Nippon Steel said in a release Monday that President Joe Biden ‘ignored the rule of law’ to gain favor with United Steelworkers, the union representing many of U.S. Steel’s employees, when he announced Friday he would not allow the acquisition to go through.

Separately, U.S. Steel and Nippon said they were also suing the president of the union, David McCall, as well as the head of an Ohio-based rival mining firm, Cleveland-Cliffs, accusing them of illegally coordinating to undermine the transaction.

Nippon Steel had proposed a $14 billion deal to buy U.S. Steel, but the agreement, which U.S. Steel executives favored, became mired in a national security review by a Treasury Department committee that assesses foreign ownership proposals.

Ultimately, the committee failed to agree on whether Nippon ownership posed a security risk, and it asked Biden for a final decision. In announcing his veto of the deal, Biden said shifting the firm out of American hands would undermine critical supply chains and put jobs at risk.

The Treasury committee, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Attorney General Merrick Garland are also named in the suit.  

“A committee of national security and trade experts determined this acquisition would create risk for American national security,’ a Biden administration spokesperson said in an emailed statement. ‘President Biden will never hesitate to protect the security of this nation, its infrastructure, and the resilience of its supply chains.’

McCall, the steelworkers union boss, said in a statement that he was reviewing the suit.

‘By blocking Nippon Steel’s attempt to acquire U.S. Steel, the Biden administration protected vital U.S. interests, safeguarded our national security and helped preserve a domestic steel industry that underpins our country’s critical supply chains,’ he said.

Lourenco Goncalves, the president, chairman and CEO of Cleveland-Cliffs, accused U.S. Steel and Nippon Steel of trying to ‘play the blame game.’

‘Today’s lawsuits against the U.S. Government, the USW, and Cleveland-Cliffs represent a shameless effort to scapegoat others for U.S. Steel’s and Nippon Steel’s self-inflicted disaster,’ Goncalves said in a statement.

‘Cleveland-Cliffs and the USW were not the only ones who recognized the adverse national security implications of this acquisition. This deal drew instant bi-partisan opposition, including from President Trump, who has vowed multiple times that he would block the deal,’ Goncalves added.

After the suits were announced Monday, President-elect Donald Trump, who had expressed opposition to the deal while he was campaigning last year, posted on his Truth Social platform: “Why would they want to sell U.S. Steel now when Tariffs will make it a much more profitable and valuable company. Wouldn’t it be nice to have U.S. Steel, once the greatest company in the World, lead the charge toward greatness again? It can all happen very quickly!”

Sierra Space CEO Tom Vice has left the company, CNBC confirmed Monday.

In a statement, Sierra Space said Vice retired Dec. 31. Chairman Fatih Ozmen will serve as interim CEO, with Eren Ozmen as president.

“After three and half years in the role, Tom Vice has retired as Sierra Space CEO as of the end of 2024 — we thank him for his leadership and wish him well in his retirement,” a Sierra Space spokesperson said in a statement.

Spun out of aerospace contractor Sierra Nevada Corporation, or SNC, in 2021, Sierra is one of the most valuable private U.S. companies in the burgeoning space sector, most recently valued at more than $5 billion. But Sierra Space has struggled to launch the first mission of its reusable cargo space plane called Dream Chaser, which is key to the company establishing itself as a major player in the industry.

Vice was named CEO of Sierra Space in 2021, a few months after SNC owners Fatih and Eren Ozmen spun out the company — with investors including General Atlantic, Coatue, BlackRock and AE Industrial Partners. Vice was previously the CEO of Aerion Supersonic, a startup that planned to build high-speed business jets and that shut down in April 2021.

The first Dream Chaser vehicle was supposed to debut by 2021. But even in 2024, the space plane, named Tenacity, was not ready when United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan rocket, its ride to space, needed to launch.

Dream Chaser has won NASA contracts to fly seven cargo missions to and from the International Space Station. Sierra Space said Tenacity is targeting a launch no earlier than May.

The company has continued to develop its inflatable space station technology, as well as expand into a product line of satellite buses after winning a high-profile $740 million Pentagon contract last year.

Sierra Space saw layoffs during Vice’s tenure, as well as turnover in a number of senior executive roles. But in 2024, Vice spoke repeatedly of Sierra Space’s plan to go public, outlining a tentative path to IPO as soon as late 2025.

Former New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning would consider becoming a minority owner of his old team if the Mara family is willing to sell him a stake.

“It’s definitely something of interest,” said Manning, who spoke in a CNBC Sport interview. “There’s probably only one team I’d be interested in pursuing, and it’s the one I played for for 16 years, and it’s local, and makes the most sense, but we just got to figure out if they would ever sell a little bit.”

The Mara family has owned the Giants since the team’s founding in 1925. The Giants declined to comment on Manning’s interest.

Many NFL teams have begun considering the sale of small, minority stakes after the league voted to allow private equity investment for up to 10% of each franchise in August. The process has led to several transactions thus far, both to individuals and to investment firms.

Former New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady and his business partner Tom Wagner acquired a 10% stake in the Las Vegas Raiders in October. The Miami Dolphins, Buffalo Bills and Philadelphia Eagles have also sold minority stakes to wealthy individuals in recent months.

Manning is already a minority owner of the National Women’s Soccer League’s NJ/NY Gotham FC. He’s also a partner at the private equity firm Brand Velocity Group.

The NFL has so far only approved select private equity firms to buy a minority stake. Brand Velocity isn’t one of them.

Manning also told CNBC Sport he agreed with the Giants’ decision to keep head coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen for another season, announced Monday by the team.

The Giants ended the year 3-14 and will have the No. 3 pick in the 2025 NFL draft. The team released its starting quarterback Daniel Jones earlier this season.

“You’ve got to create some sort of continuity and keep things the same, build that culture, and that just takes time. You can’t necessarily do it in two years or three years,” Manning said. “They have some playmakers, they have some superstars on the team, and it’s just about getting everybody to buy in and to work together, and finding ways to win some of these tight games. And I think it’s the right move by keeping these guys there. Let them bring in their guys, let them create their style and create their culture.”

Manning is juggling multiple business ventures as he tries to find a new path after playing football, he said. He will serve as a Verizon FanFest ambassador next month when the telecommunications company transforms stadiums across NFL markets into a one-day party featuring live music, food and celebrity meet-and-greets with former NFL players including Jason Witten, Tiki Barber and Patrick Willis.

“I think my quest post-football is trying to find that passion and find something similar that I can work towards or am truly committed to,” said Manning. “I kind of feel like I get to start over a little bit, and I’m enjoying that learning process of figuring out what else I’m passionate about.”