Stronger Workplaces for Nova Scotia Act Amendments in Effect in July and September 2025

Quick Hits The Stronger Workplaces for Nova Scotia Act amends the Workers’ Compensation Act to include Section 89A, which outlines the duties of employers and employees regarding the early and safe return to work of injured workers. This change will come into effect on July 15, 2025. Starting September 1, 2025, the act will also amend the Occupational Health and Safety Act to include psychological health and safety in the…

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Going back to basics to unlock sustained efficiency and productivity gains in financial services

Quick wins alone can’t solve long-term problems. For instance, as anyone who has tried to get healthier can attest, cutting calories can be a good first step, but making comprehensive changes in diet and exercise is most critical to achieving lasting results. The financial-services industry provides another example. Like other industries, it has experienced increased instability over the past decade. To address long-standing cost challenges, many financial-services companies have responded…

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Stanford Alumni Association awards recognize outstanding students

The Stanford Alumni Association has announced the recipients of its 2025 awards honoring outstanding Stanford seniors and graduate students who have contributed significantly to the Stanford community. These awards include the J.E. Wallace Sterling Award, the Outstanding Achievement Award, the Award of Excellence, and the Community Impact Award. J.E. Wallace Sterling AwardPeyton Klein | Kailani WebbPeyton Klein is this year’s recipient of the J.E. Wallace Sterling Award. Faculty and staff…

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Oxford University launches free online platform for UK teachers to support academic enrichment

Oxford University has launched a free online platform for teachers in UK state schools to support their schools’ academic enrichment offerings. Oxplore Teach provides ready-to-use activities for learners from the age of 11 to support them in developing confidence and critical thinking skills, encouraging them to think like a university researcher.  The project is the latest access and outreach initiative from Oxford University, which has expanded its programmes to engage pupils earlier on in their educational journey, from the age of 11. The move is in response to research…

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Sick of HR getting the blame for bullying? (For Dummies Excerpt)

As I was writing my upcoming book, Navigating a Toxic Workplace For Dummies (Wiley), I was reminded about all the research on workplace bullying that indicates HR gets the blame for bullying, HR is not helpful, and, in fact, according to the research, most often makes things much worse for people who complain of bullying. I have always taken issue with this research because that’s just not been my experience.…

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Talking with the founder of Featurespace, David Excell

Scams, fraud, and abuse are an increasingly difficult problem for the payments industry. In this episode of Talking Banking Matters, David Excell, the founder of Featurespace, speaks with McKinsey partner and payments industry expert Grace Klopcic about how the company got its start in the gaming and sports betting world, and why it uses machine learning rather than a complex set of rules to understand consumer behavior and quickly identify…

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Dairy industry executives are pressured but optimistic for 2025

Throughout 2024, the US dairy industry experienced numerous operational headwinds. Reduced herd sizes, inflation, and ongoing labor challenges put pressure on volume, prices, and costs across the dairy value chain, and in March 2024, avian influenza was discovered in North American cows. These challenges have evolved in 2025, and shifting international trade policies have added more unknowns.But the news hasn’t been all bad. Consumers increasingly choose dairy, driving overall volume…

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Five things to do in virtual reality – and five to avoid

Open heart surgery is a hard thing to practice in the real world, and airplane pilots cannot learn from their mistakes midair. These are some scenarios where virtual reality solves really hard problems, but the technology has limits. That’s the upshot of a review of experimental research on VR, published in the journal Nature Human Behavior.“Virtual reality is not for everything,” said Jeremy Bailenson, lead author and director of Stanford’s…

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New Jersey Eyes Regulatory Changes to Strengthen its Statutory ABC Test and Prevent Employee Misclassification

Seyfarth Synopsis: On April 3, 2025, the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (“DOL”) filed proposed new rules codifying its interpretation of the statutory ABC test to determine whether an individual is considered an independent contractor across several statutes. The effect of the proposed rules is that it would be more difficult for employers to classify workers as independent contractors. Background The DOL has long utilized the ABC…

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Monetary policy transmission: from mortgage rates to consumption

28 May 2025By Pedro Baptista, Maarten Dossche, Andrew Hannon, Dorian Henricot, Omiros Kouvavas, Davide Malacrino and Larissa ZimmermannDespite recent ECB rate cuts, the average interest rate on mortgages is expected to increase further. This is because of lagged effects from the latest hiking cycle. The ECB blog shows that the resulting drag on consumption could last at least until 2030.Mortgage contracts often have interest rates fixed for long periods, or…

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‘The Least American’ of American Cardinals: What to Expect From the Pontificate of Leo XIV?

As the first pontiff born in the United States, yet formed within Latin America’s pastoral and theological traditions, Leo XIV intends to pursue a path that combines global pragmatism with church orthodoxy, Ekaterina Shebalina writes. The pontificate of Pope Francis – vibrant, unpredictable, and marked by contradiction – was characterised by numerous reforms that raised more questions than answers. In 2013, the cardinals were called upon to respond to a…

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The three building blocks of a successful venture factory

Companies are now turning to building new businesses to fuel innovation and open new revenue sources. Half of CEOs surveyed in the fifth annual McKinsey Global Survey on new-venture building view the development of new businesses as one of their top three strategic priorities, and 90 percent of investors advocate for increased or maintained new-business-building investments. Furthermore, according to other McKinsey research, new ventures are expected to drive over half…

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What Will It Take to Create Competitive Digital Markets?‌

Competition in digital markets is a topic that seems omnipresent right now. What are the elements that have emerged that make this into an issue that needs a lot of discussion?‌ The platforms are extremely important for growth and innovation in GDP, and for how we live our lives as a practical matter. Keeping up with friends and family, shopping, searching for information, maps, etc. I carry around an iPhone…

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How Tariffs Could Empty Grocery Shelves‌‌

Where does your company sit in the supply chain? I had never heard of it, but now I’m thinking I probably eat food all the time that arrives because of your product.‌ We manufacture and supply stainless steel tubing, valves, and fittings that are used primarily in food processing and production. If you look at an industrial-scale bakery making potato chips, all the guts of that facility would be stainless…

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Stanford Law and Policy Lab tackles the climate data gap

To advance meaningful climate action, decision-makers need reliable, accessible data about what’s actually working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, according to a new report from Stanford Law School’s Law and Policy Lab. A central message of the policy practicum team is that trusted, accessible climate performance data isn’t a luxury; it’s a public good and a precondition for increasing investments in effective climate solutions.The report, Increasing Accessibility to Trusted Climate…

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New method provides the key to accessing proteins in ancient human remains

Until now, studies on ancient proteins have been confined largely to mineralised tissues such as bones and teeth. But the internal organs – which are a far richer source of biological information – have remained a “black box” because no established protocol existed for their analysis. Our method changes that.Lead researcher Alexandra Morton-Hayward (University of Oxford)From brains and muscles, to stomach and skin – preserved soft tissues can offer unique…

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Universities remain key to U.S. discovery and innovation despite challenges

Higher education faces an “extraordinary moment” as universities navigate complexities related to civil discourse, academic freedom, and AI alongside challenges to federal research funding, institutional autonomy, and public trust, said President Jonathan Levin during the 2024-2025 Annual Meeting of the Academic Council on Thursday. “Today, those challenges are clear and present,” Levin said. “Yet I can report that Stanford stands as a pillar of excellence in its mission of research and…

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OSH Law Primer, Part XIII: Criminal Penalties and Sanctions

The first article in this series provided a general overview of the OSH Act and OSHA; the second article examined OSHA’s rulemaking process; the third article reviewed an employer’s duty to comply with standards; the fourth article discussed the general duty clause; the fifth article addressed OSHA’s recordkeeping requirements; the sixth article covered employees’ and employers’ respective rights; the seventh article addressed whistleblower issues; the eighth article covered the intersection…

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You’ve Been WARNed: Washington Enacts a mini-WARN Law

Key Takeaways: The new law applies to employers with 50+ employees (excluding part-time workers) and mirrors many federal WARN Act provisions, with some notable distinctions Washington joins the majority of states with mini-WARN laws, requiring 60 days’ notice for certain mass layoffs and business closures Employers should review the new law to ensure compliance by its effective date, July 27, 2025 A Major Development in Washington Employment Law On May…

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An EEOC Victory Provides Lessons on Applicant Drug Testing Accommodations

Quick Hits A jury awarded more than $400,000 in damages to an applicant who was denied employment due to a failed drug test—one that the applicant, a veteran, informed the employer she might fail because of legally prescribed medications she took for PTSD. The EEOC successfully argued that the employer, a retirement community, violated the ADA by failing to allow the applicant to explain her non-negative drug test result. The…

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Stanford researchers tackle urgent and complex questions about brain resilience

With the global population aging, understanding how the brain protects itself or becomes vulnerable has never been more urgent. To address this, Stanford researchers are pushing the boundaries of how we understand and preserve brain function across the lifespan. Since 2022, Catalyst Awards from the Phil and Penny Knight Initiative for Brain Resilience at Stanford’s Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute have supported interdisciplinary teams exploring how sleep, inflammation, endocannabinoid metabolism, cellular…

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Recent Passing of Hong Kong Stablecoins Bill

On May 21, 2025, Hong Kong's Legislative Council passed the Stablecoins Bill, establishing a regulatory framework for stablecoins–cryptocurrencies whose value is tied to an external asset or commodity. This marks an important step in positioning Hong Kong as a progressive hub for digital finance. The legislation introduces a licensing regime for fiat-referenced stablecoin (FRS) issuers and strengthens the city's broader regulatory approach to virtual asset (VA) activities. It aims to…

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Observing Memorial Day With a Supportive Workplace for Veterans and Servicemembers

Quick Hits Memorial Day, celebrated on May 26, 2025, is a federal holiday. Many private businesses give workers paid time off. Memorial Day was established to honor and remember men and women who died while serving in the military. Employers can use many different approaches to help veterans and servicemembers feel included in the workplace. Many private employers have employees who are in the National Guard, the Reserves, or previously…

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Articles On: Tariffs, Keep, EU, Starbucks, Trade, UK, Hong Kong, China Property Slump, Chinese Bank, Carmakers, G.M., Huawei, and VTech

Trump tariff twists drive Chinese manufacturers to Southeast Asiaby Stella Yifan Xie and Peggy Yevia Nikkei Asia on May 14, 2025 Western carmakers risk wipeout in China, warns Jeep owner Stellantisby Kana Inagaki, Patricia Nilsson, Ian Johnston and Mari Novikvia Financial Times on May 15, 2025 EU ‘has no interest’ in reviving stalled investment deal with Chinaby Dewey Simvia South China Morning Post on May 15, 2025 Starbucks kicks off…

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Profit Sharing Payments Are Around the Corner: Key Considerations for Employers in Mexico

Quick Hits May 30, 2025, is the last day for paying profit sharing (PTU). As of May 31, 2025, the Labor Ministry is expected to start labor inspections to verify compliance with PTU payment requirements, and employees and former employees will become entitled to claim PTU payments and/or get the specifics on why no payment was made to them. Key Considerations for Employers in Mexico Although May 30, 2025, is…

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How severe is the aircraft shortage—and what happens next?

There’s been a growing gap between air travel demand and the aviation industry’s supply of new aircraft to meet it. While passenger demand has rebounded from pandemic-era lows and is projected to keep growing, delivery times for newly manufactured aircraft—and maintenance turnaround times for aircraft in existing fleets—have slowed. What are the implications of this aircraft shortage for key stakeholders along the aviation value chain? What future scenarios are possible?…

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Meet Angeline Yu, ’25

Angeline Yu spent much of her upbringing in her parents’ small Hawaiian restaurant. It was where she learned to talk to strangers. “I got to know the customers, their stories, their favorite orders,” Yu said. “I really enjoyed learning about other people.” In high school, she began volunteering at a local hospital where she’d visit patients in their rooms and learn about their medical challenges and hospital experiences. “I would often sit…

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Washington Governor Signs Bill Making Key Changes to Equal Pay and Opportunities Act

Quick Hits Washington Governor Ferguson signed legislation amending the pay transparency requirements of the EPOA. The amended EPOA provides employers a cure period of five business days after receiving notice of a defective posting to change a posting to comply with the pay transparency requirements. The new law will also allow employers to advertise a single fixed pay amount in job postings instead of a pay range, in certain circumstances.…

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Too big to succeed? Unlocking value in large medtechs

For many large medtech companies, scale and diversification were intended to drive innovation and efficiency. Large, diversified companies in other industries have delivered superior shareholder returns by rationalizing fixed costs, mobilizing their balance sheets, and building broad-based relationships with customers. But while many large medtechs are among the industry’s most profitable, their diversification has not brought the same improvements in shareholder value as in other industries (Exhibit 1). Diversification has…

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Are low-cost airlines losing altitude?

Airlines are often categorized into groups differentiated by their business models—in particular, their cost structures and revenue approaches: Legacy carriers (also known as full-service airlines) tend to offer multiclass cabins and a wide range of amenities, with many service features included in the ticket price. Examples include American Airlines, British Airways, and Cathay Pacific. Low-cost carriers and ultra-low-cost carriers—a combined group known as (U)LCCs—tend to sell discounted base-fare tickets and…

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Amendment to  Mexico’s National Housing Fund Institute for Workers Law Introduces New Employer Obligations

Quick Hits The amendment to Mexico’s INFONAVIT law includes new obligations for employers related to deductions allowed under INFONAVIT per the loans granted by said authority. Evidence of compliance with the new obligations must be presented before September 17, 2025. New Obligations for Employers Per the amendment, employers must adjust their systems and processes to determine, make, and enter deductions from the salaries of employees who are granted INFONAVIT loans.…

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You’ve got (fraudulent) mail: Allocating loss after a business email compromise scam

From forged cheques to impersonation scams, fraudsters have long exploited the trust, distance and communication gaps that underpin commercial transactions. But the digital age has given rise to a new and particularly insidious form of deception: business email compromise (BEC) fraud. In these schemes, attackers infiltrate or spoof a businessperson’s email account—often that of a trusted vendor—redirecting payments to fraudulent bank accounts with alarming ease. As the financial consequences of…

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Understanding IRAs and RMDs: A Guide to Retirement Withdrawals

By Laima Zirne and Tahir Mahmood | 19 May, 2025 As you plan for retirement, it’s essential to understand how Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) and Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) work. Key Terms Before we begin, let’s define a few key terms to set the stage: Traditional IRA – a tax-deferred retirement account where contributions may be tax-deductible, and withdrawals in retirement are taxed as ordinary income. Roth IRA – a…

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Turning things around: An interview with Natarajan Srinivasan

In 2020, CG Power and Industrial Solutions, an Indian multinational in the motor, power systems, and railway industries, was on the brink of bankruptcy. Plagued by a host of challenges, the company clearly needed a transformation to survive. Under the leadership of Natarajan Srinivasan, CG Power experienced a remarkable turnaround. Once a company teetering on the brink of collapse, CG Power has now seen a significant rise in its stock…

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Invisible No More: Art as a Tool for Agency

What does it mean to create something that didn’t exist before—and to do so with a sense of possibility, even in the face of constraint? In this episode, artist Mario Moore joins Dr. Heidi Brooks to reflect on art as agency, the power of process, and the untold stories behind his Yale-commissioned painting Black Governors. Together, they explore the tension between presence and invisibility, and what it means to embed…

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Nano-scale biosensor lets scientists monitor molecules in real time

Wouldn’t it be amazing if we could continuously monitor the molecular state of our body? Consider the solutions that could enable, from optimized drug delivery to early detection of deadly diseases like cancer. For the last two decades, research has aimed to make this a reality by developing devices that measure a chemical or biological reaction in our bodies and send their measurements as a signal readable from outside the…

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Understanding Offshore Bonds: A Key Option for Wealth Management

By Maryam Lokhandwala and Tahir Mahmood | 22 May, 2025 In the world of wealth management, selecting the right investment vehicle is essential for maximising returns and minimising tax liabilities. One option that often goes unnoticed is the offshore bond. What Are Offshore / Onshore Bonds? Offshore bonds are financial products designed to help you grow your money over the long term. They are offered by insurance companies and work…

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The European economy is not drought-proof

23 May 2025By Andrej Ceglar, Francesca Danieli, Irene Heemskerk, Mark Jwaideh and Nicola RangerThe degradation of natural ecosystems slows growth and leads to financial instability. Water scarcity, natural flood protection and water quality are most critical. Surface water scarcity alone puts almost 15% of the euro area’s economic output at risk.The euro area economy depends heavily on natural ecosystems and the services they provide. These include clean water, flood protection,…

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Time to revisit your M&A strategy

M &A activity is down, as is private equity investment, and companies are facing a range of new geopolitical tensions. Still, there is a path to growth through M&A for those companies that maintain an active acquisition strategy, understand their capabilities, and avoid certain assets, says McKinsey Senior Partner Jake Henry. On this episode of The McKinsey Podcast, he and McKinsey Senior Partner Mieke Van Oostende join McKinsey Editorial Director Roberta Fusaro…

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The Return of Nuclear Energy: A New Era of Digital Power

International competition in the geo-technological sphere is growing, and the nuclear energy is being reborn in a new way and with new tasks: in the coming years, we can expect large projects to integrate nuclear energy and data centres. If such projects are successful, this will not only accelerate the development of artificial intelligence technology, but also affect the landscape of global energy, Maria Bazlutskaya writes. Nuclear energy is making…

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