Quick Hits The IRS unveiled a new set of detailed FAQs on August 6, 2026, that supersede FAQs that were posted on January 23, 2026, regarding taxation of tips and overtime pay under 2025’s omnibus spending bill. The new FAQs provide information concerning the definition of qualified overtime, eligibility for the deduction, tax withholding obligations, and reporting and correcting qualified overtime on year-end tax forms. The “no tax on tips…
On August 9, 2014, Michael Brown, a Black teenager, was stopped by police officer Darren Wilson in Ferguson, Missouri. Within minutes, Brown had been shot and killed. In the wake of the killing—and as more deaths of Black men and women at the hands of police officers made headlines—the Black Lives Matter movement, which had begun as a social media campaign the previous year, grew into a nationwide protest movement.The…
Quick Hits Because FAMLI allows an employer to choose to cover an employee’s portion of the contribution, a unionized employer that implements FAMLI’s default 50/50 contribution split without first providing the union with advance notice and an opportunity to request bargaining may risk an unfair labor practice charge. Since employers must already bargain over the contribution split, they could include notice of whether they will implement an Equivalent Private Insurance…
2 September 2026By Johanne Evrard, Wagner Eduardo Schuster, Fabian Wassmann and Michael Wedow Synthetic securitisation can free up bank capital. But does that mean banks lend more to firms? This ECB Blog post explores the effects of loan securitisation. We find that banks that issue synthetic securitisations lend marginally more, but also tend to pay more dividends.In theory, the securitisation of bank loans can strengthen the lending capacity of the…
AI investment alone won’t create value. The real question is whether your organisation is ready to turn ambition into adoption, performance and return. Reading time: 5 minutes Every board we speak to has an AI mandate. Almost none of them can tell us whether their organisation can actually deliver it. That gap between the ambition on the board slide and the reality of the organisation is where much of the…
Executive Summary The oil agreement announced by the United States and Venezuela on August 28, 2026, together with OFAC’s August 27 amendments to several Venezuela-related General Licenses, signals a potentially significant new phase for investment in Venezuela’s energy sector. Publicly disclosed terms indicate a 25-year framework covering 17 strategic oil fields, a production objective exceeding 1.5 million barrels per day, and approximately US$100 billion in contemplated private investment. Venezuelan authorities…
Quick Hits The State Department has paused immigrant visa interview appointments at consulates and embassies worldwide so that its officers can undergo training on new public charge screening guidance. Nonimmigrant visa categories—including tourist, student, and temporary work visas—are currently not impacted by the pause. The pause in appointments appears temporary, though a specific timeline has not been announced. The postponement of immigrant visa interviews comes after DHS policy changes affecting…
The Government of Canada will host the inaugural Canada Investment Summit on September 14 and 15, 2026, in Toronto. The Summit is intended to convene the world’s largest investors, including leading CEOs, entrepreneurs and global business leaders around new investment in Canada. The Summit focuses on nation-building projects and related opportunities across defence, major infrastructure, Indigenous partnerships, technology, energy, critical minerals and food and agricultural resilience. The Prime Minister’s Apr.…
“It’s the economy, stupid.” For the past three decades, this phrase has been a reliable shorthand for describing what voters really care about. But these days, political rhetoric often centers on cultural flashpoints like religion or immigration instead of the economy. This tendency to highlight cultural issues over economic ones is surprising, as voters consistently rank the economy among the most important concerns. For example, the share of voters calling…
This commentary was originally published in Time. The views expressed are the authors’ own.Data center companies “dug their own grave,” Texas Governor Greg Abbott said Sunday, and “that’s why they got the backlash they deserve.” Nine months ago, Abbott crowned Texas the epicenter of AI development, alongside Google executives announcing a $40 billion investment in the state. Pennsylvania’s Josh Shapiro, a Democrat who actively recruited Amazon’s $20 billion commitment to…
Why AI ambition is outpacing organisational readiness AI investment is accelerating, but business value is not always keeping pace. Q5 have collaborated with our partners across The Transformation Alliance (TTA) to explore what separates experimentation from enterprise-wide impact, revealing where organisations struggle to scale AI and what more mature organisations do differently. Download the full report to discover the findings. Reading time: 4 minutes AI ambition is no longer the…
Quick Hits The State Department is coordinating with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to review and revoke B-1 and B-2 visas issued to foreign nationals between 2016 and 2026 who applied for asylum following their entry into the United States as visitors. Visa revocation generally does not affect the immigration status of an individual currently in the United States, but it will typically prevent reentry into the country…
1 September 2026By Kristina Barauskaitė Griškevičienė and Claus Brand The drivers of the recent rise in inflation are different from those of the pandemic-era surge. This time the energy supply shock dominates, while demand and public policy stimulus have minor roles. These differences are key to explaining why monetary policy responses differ.Inflation has risen again in 2026, partly because the war in the Middle East has pushed up energy prices.…
Over the past few years, Russia has taken systematic steps to promote the prestige and accessibility of Russian education worldwide, particularly in the Global South. Under Decree No. 309 of May 7, 2024, “On the National Development Goals of the Russian Federation for the Period up to 2030 and for the Future up to 2036”, the number of international students at Russian universities is expected to increase to 500,000. This…
The business of Wall Street used to be very slow. Stocks were bought and sold in person. Clerks manually recorded transactions. And fleets of messengers hand-delivered bond certificates. Trading hours were limited to five to six hours a day so that the rest of the financial industry could keep up with the paperwork. Today, technology has reduced all of these frictions to near zero. From anywhere in the world, an institution…
As video games become increasingly popular, they present a great opportunity to teach a variety of subjects. But that leaves companies attempting to both teach and entertain in a bind. Push the educational content too hard, and players might check out. But dial up the fun factor to increase engagement, and the educational mission could get lost. This apparent trade-off has dogged educational-game design for years. Unlike gamified classroom tools,…
Seyfarth Synopsis: The IRS has issued another round of guidance on Trump Accounts, this time addressing employer contributions to Trump Accounts and eligible investments in which Trump Account funds may be invested. While the new guidance answers many of the questions we have all been asking since these investment accounts were originally announced, there are still operational and administrative challenges that remain unresolved. Employers considering whether to contribute to Trump…
Quick Hits USCIS will require employment-based adjustment of status (“green card”) applicants to use the Visa Bulletin’s Final Action Dates chart in September 2026. Final action dates for EB-1, EB-2, EB-3, and EB-5 remain unchanged from August 2026; EB-2 India continues to be unavailable. The State Department warns that EB-1 India, EB-2 (all countries), and EB-5 Unreserved categories may retrogress or become unavailable before the fiscal year closes on September…
31 August 2026By Anne Duquerroy, Oana Furtuna, Imène Rahmouni-Rousseau and Lia Vaz CruzUS tech giants are increasingly tapping the euro area bond market to fund their investments. The ECB Blog investigates the consequences for this market and the potential for these developments to reshape it.The infrastructure for artificial intelligence (AI) requires huge investments. Think of the gigantic data centres and the massive electricity consumption to power them. US tech giants,…
Prompt payment is coming to British Columbia construction projects On Nov. 27, 2025, the Construction Prompt Payment Act (the Prompt Payment Act, or CPPA) received Royal Assent. When it comes into force, the Prompt Payment Act will introduce a province-wide prompt payment system and bring several updates to the Builders Lien Act. The Prompt Payment Act, alosng with the related amendments to the Builders Lien Act and the Strata Property…
Development projects often attract vigorous public debate, particularly in smaller communities where land use decisions can become intensely contested. However, Solmar Inc. v. Hall, 2026 ONCA 367 is a reminder that even heated social media debate has limits. The Court of Appeal for Ontario upheld the dismissal of an anti-SLAPP motion brought by a Facebook user who accused a developer of corrupt business practices and suggested municipal officials may have…
On July 29, 2026, the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization (CIRO) and the Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA) published joint Staff Notice 81-339 – Industry Practices Relating to Foreign-Listed Exchange-Traded Funds (the Foreign ETF Notice). The Foreign ETF Notice addresses three key areas: the circumstances in which marketing activity for a foreign ETF may trigger Canadian prospectus and investment fund manager (IFM) registration requirements; the application of the Know Your Product (KYP), Know Your…
Quick Hits Colorado’s proposed AI regulations require employers to disclose the use of automated decision-making technology when making significant employment decisions starting January 1, 2027. Employers would need to explain how AI influenced decisions and provide detailed information about the data sources used if an adverse outcome occurs. The proposed rules emphasize transparency and consumer rights and would mandate clear disclosures and technical requirements for request mechanisms for affected employees.…
One of the best ways to understand the modern world is to look back at history. From the origins of government to the peacekeeping role of potatoes in the Old World, episodes from the past can explain a lot about why things are the way they are today. Kellogg researchers are no strangers to this notion. Below, they dive into history, uncovering nuggets of wisdom that have stood the test…
In a move that could dramatically alter the economics of hiring foreign talent in the United States, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has proposed a new $103,265 filing fee for H-1B cap-subject petitions. If implemented, the fee would apply to all H-1B petitions filed under the annual cap, including those eligible for the advanced-degree exemption, and would be charged in addition to all existing filing fees. While the proposal…
Quick Hits On August 25, 2026, Canada announced new support programs to help employers impacted by the latest round of U.S. tariffs retain workers, fund training, and avoid layoffs. Extended Employment Insurance (EI) measures allow laid-off or separated employees to access benefits sooner and alongside severance payments. Employers may want to assess eligibility for workforce, EI, and financial support programs when planning staffing or separation decisions. Here is a summary…
On 17 September at 16:00 Moscow Time (GMT+3), the Valdai Club will host a presentation of the report titled “Contemporary Brazil–Russia Cooperation: Strategic Guidelines for Overcoming Structural Constraints.” Brazil’s diplomatic stance on the Ukrainian crisis has helped maintain dialogue with Russia and ensured unprecedented growth in trade flows. Both countries have managed to adapt to the crisis: bilateral trade figures for 2022–2026 were the highest ever recorded, with trade turnover exceeding…
The Russian president’s visit to Iturup Island, a territory that is subject to a long-standing territorial dispute with Japan, has sent shockwaves throughout the Asia-Pacific. As Russia’s move highlights Moscow’s role in the complex regional web of strategic competition, Georgy Toloraya explores the implications of the Iturup visit for the Asia-Pacific region as a whole. The Russian President’s visit on 13 August to Iturup Island, which Japan regards as one…
Quick Hits Spain published its draft Royal Decree on 4 August 2026, and Portugal published its draft proposal on 5 August 2026. Consultation for both drafts closed recently—24 August for Spain and 25 August for Portugal. Further legislation is expected to provide greater clarity on unaddressed provisions. Despite being published within days of each other, the approaches taken by the two governments vary considerably. Both drafts have been open for…
A common but often overlooked cause of high blood pressure may be hiding in plain sight – and data from a pioneering wearable device could hold the key to its earlier diagnosis, according to new research.The study, published in the journal Science Translational Medicine, concerns a condition called primary aldosteronism – a hormone disorder which affects up to one in five people with high blood pressure and puts them at…
Organisations invest heavily in transformation, but often struggle to show what that investment actually returned. This article explores the gap between transformation activity and measurable value – and what leaders can do to close it. Estimated reading time: 4 minutes While the cost of transformation is always visible, the value can be much harder to find. Programme costs, consultants, technology, change teams… run-rate can quietly build for two or three…
Quick Hits In Hillsborough County v. Giambrone, a Florida appellate court overturned a lower court’s unprecedented ruling that required a county to accommodate a firefighter-paramedic’s off-duty medical marijuana use after a positive random drug test. The court emphasized that the language in the parties’ collective bargaining agreement (CBA) and drug-free workplace policies must be carefully considered. The court also held that Florida’s medical marijuana framework does not: 1) create a…
On April 7, 2026, Anthropic announced the launch of Project Glasswing and publicly acknowledged that its new model, Claude Mythos Preview, was capable of autonomously finding and exploiting zero-day vulnerabilities in every major operating system and every major web browser on the planet. The reaction was predictable: shares of leading cybersecurity companies plummeted by 5-11%, experts began talking about a new arms race, and politicians about a threat to national…
Quick Hits On July 9, 2026, Governor Mike Kehoe signed a law extending legal protections under USERRA to Missouri National Guard members and Missouri employees of other states’ National Guards. The law extends the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) to Missouri National Guard members and Missouri employees of other states’ National Guards called to active state duty for more than thirty consecutive days. National Guard members who are public employees…
Quick Hits DHS is proposing a $103,265 fee for every new fiscal year (FY) 2028 H-1B cap-subject petition on top of all existing fees. The fee would apply to all cap-subject employers, regardless of size. The fee would not apply to cap-exempt petitions (i.e., those filed by universities, nonprofit research organizations, and government research organizations) or to petitions to extend or amend existing H-1B status or to change an existing…
On 10 September at 15:00 Moscow Time (GMT+3), the Valdai Club will host an expert discussion titled “Thirty Years of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty: What’s Next?” 10 September marks the 30th anniversary of the adoption of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) by the UN General Assembly. The treaty has been signed by 187 countries and ratified by 178. However, given the Trump administration’s conflicting statements regarding the possible resumption of…
Presenteeism is no longer just about physical presenceThe researchers propose redefining presenteeism as the “behaviour of attending work in the state of suboptimal health, with varied location choices and degree of engagement”.This means that presenteeism should be understood not simply in terms of whether someone turns up to work, but also where they work, what health problem they are experiencing and how much effort they put into working.The authors argue…
26 August 2026By António Dias da Silva, Laura Lebastard and David Sondermann Use of artificial intelligence at work has doubled over the last two years and people report significant time-savings. But an ECB survey shows that perceived productivity gains vary widely and there are still barriers preventing many from adopting this new technology.How will AI affect employment and productivity?That is one of the most pressing questions given AI’s potential to…
Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan are not simply announcing another defense agreement; they are testing whether regional powers can build credible deterrence without abandoning existing alliances, Hasan Selim Özertem writes. When Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan signed a defense pact in Mecca on August 7, the symbolism was difficult to miss. Three influential Muslim-majority powers—one a NATO member with a rapidly developing defense industry, one a major energy-rich state with…
Organisations invest heavily in transformation, but often struggle to show what that investment actually returned. This article explores the gap between transformation activity and measurable value – and what leaders can do to close it. Estimated reading time: 4 minutes While the cost of transformation is always visible, the value can be much harder to find. Programme costs, consultants, technology, change teams… run-rate can quietly build for two or three…