In Other News: McDonald's Bet On China, Spy Dolphins, And AI Layoffs Vs. Stocks

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CNBC In Other News brings you stories that missed the spotlight.

AI-driven layoffs have become a defining theme across the tech industry over the past year, with some sources estimating more than 112,000 U.S. jobs being lost to AI since the start of 2025. While major companies like HP and Amazon have often framed these cuts as a way to boost efficiency and shift focus toward new technologies, investors themselves don’t appear convinced that these layoffs will improve companies’ bottom lines in the long run.

Software companies like Twilio and Datadog are starting to prove their case as winners in artificial intelligence. Investors say the performance from Datadog and Twilio underscores how companies that can deploy AI-native solutions while also articulating their path to monetization can ease disruption fears, for now. CNBC’s Seema Moody explains.

Since 1959, the U.S. Navy’s Marine Mammal Program has trained bottlenose dolphins and California sea lions to detect mines and other underwater threats. Reporter Sophie Caldwell spoke with Scott Savitz, senior engineer at global policy think tank Rand Corporation and an expert on mine countermeasures, to understand the history, challenges and possibilities of marine mammals in the military.

While many foreign consumer brands in China, including Starbucks, Nike, and LVMH, face slowing growth and tougher competition, McDonald’s is expanding aggressively. The company plans to open 1,000 new stores a year and reach 10,000 locations in China by 2028. About half of McDonald’s new stores last year opened in China. The company also recently bought back a stake from Carlyle Group after previously selling control of its China business to Carlyle and a Chinese state-owned firm. CNBC’s Eunice Yoon looks at why McDonald’s continues to bet big on China.

Chapters:
0:00 Why AI layoffs aren’t helping stocks
3:44 How Twilio and Datadog are winning back investor confidence
6:29 Pete Hegseth says Iran doesn’t have ‘kamikaze dolphins’
8:18 Why McDonald’s is supersizing in China

Reporters: Liz Napolitano, Seema Mody, Sophie Caldwell, Eunice Yoon
Produced by: Juhohn Lee, Meline Rosales
Edited by: Andrea Miller, Erin Black, Christian Nunley
Camera by: Tasia Jensen
Animation: Emily Park, Christina Locopo
Additional Production: Charlotte Morabito
Manager Video Distribution: Divya J. Verma
Senior Directors of Video: Jeniece Pettitt, Jessica Leibowitz, Lindsey Jacobson
Additional Footage: Getty Images
Additional Sources: Scott Savitz

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In Other News: McDonald’s Bet On China, Spy Dolphins, And AI Layoffs Vs. Stocks

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