If Trump Returns to the White House: Legal Grounds for Lifting Sanctions Against Russia

If Donald Trump terminates the new national emergency declared via Executive Order 14024, then all those included in the SDN on its grounds will be excluded. This also applies to sectoral sanctions. The sanctions imposed by the Obama administration with respect to the Ukrainian issue, digital security and other issues…

Lessons from the new wave of companies with AI at their core

  • Post category:Microsoft
  • Reading time:6 mins read

If you really want to understand the future of work, look at the companies that are going all in on AI. That’s what Jared Spataro, Chief Marketing Officer of AI at Work here at Microsoft, tasked his team to do. What they found: AI-native startups fold the technology into all…

New study reveals positive mood changes during video game play

The study looks at player data from 67,328 gaming sessions from 8,695 players in 39 countries, analysing their mood before and during gameplay Across 162,325 in-game mood reports from players of the popular game PowerWash Simulator (PWS), the average player reported a more positive mood during play than at the…

Valdai Club and the Center for Russian Studies at East China Normal University to Discuss the 75th Anniversary of Russia-China Diplomatic Relations

On October 14–15, the Valdai Discussion Club and the Center for Russian Studies at East China Normal University will hold a Russian-Chinese conference in Moscow to mark the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations. The Center for Russian Studies at East China Normal University is one of the largest institutes in…

Europe’s economic potential in the shift to electric vehicles

  • Post category:McKinsey & Company
  • Reading time:22 mins read

Executive summaryThe automotive industry has been a stronghold of the European economy for decades but is now facing disruption from electric mobility. In 2023, the industry contributed $1.9 trillion in gross value added (GVA), with technology and car exports creating $620 billion in value. Electric mobility could add $240 billion…

Bring Your Own AI: How to Balance Risks and Innovation

Research Highlight Banning GenAI tools won’t work. Leaders should set guidelines that let employees experiment: This mitigates risks while opening the door to organizational gains, research shows. Nick van der Meulen and Barbara H. Wixom October 03, 2024 Reading Time: 10 min  Matt Harrison Clough / Ikon Images The Research…

California Governor Vetoes AI Safety Bill With Whistleblower Protections for Employees Who Report Dangers of the Technology

  • Post category:Ogletree Deakins
  • Reading time:7 mins read

Quick Hits The bill would have required developers of large AI models made available to the public to take specific steps to ensure that they did not cause critical harm. It would have imposed employment protections for developers’ employees who blew the whistle about potential dangers. The legislation was one…

Teachers share the stories we can’t fully express

  • Post category:Microsoft
  • Reading time:6 mins read

Join us this World Teachers' Day as we express our gratitude for educators everywhere. There aren't enough words to truly capture the essence of what teachers do every day. As we celebrate World Teachers’ Day 2024, we find ourselves reflecting on the immeasurable contributions of educators around the globe. Observed…

Fortune or fiction? The real value of a digital and AI transformation in CPG

  • Post category:McKinsey & Company
  • Reading time:12 mins read

The narrative surrounding generative AI (gen AI), a moon shot, once-in-a-generation innovation, is that it could utterly reinvent how businesses—consumer-packaged-goods (CPG) companies among them—are run. CPG leaders are heeding the call. In a 2024 survey of CPG leaders, 71 percent said they adopted AI in at least one business function…

Surgeon General Vivek Murthy: Crises and Common Ground

Harlan Krumholz: Welcome to Health & Veritas. I’m Harlan Krumholz. Howard Forman: And I’m Howie Forman. We’re physicians and professors at Yale University. We’re trying to get closer to the truth about health and healthcare. This is a very, very special episode. It’s our nation’s surgeon general—and our alum—joining us…

Manage Boundaries Better With Your Team

Carolyn Geason-Beissel/MIT SMR | Getty Images Just how much do employees resent it when leaders cross work-life boundaries? Our research found that employees consider being contacted during off-hours an unwelcome intrusion into their personal lives 76% of the time.1 Additionally, 83% of people reported experiencing interruptions at least twice a…

ERISA Litigation Developments – California Leads the Way

  • Post category:Seyfarth Shaw LLP
  • Reading time:3 mins read

Tuesday, October 8, 20243:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Central1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. Mountain12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. Pacific About the Program While the ERISA legal landscape changes constantly, one thing is certain - California remains a harbinger of litigation trends soon to spread nationwide.…

New California Law Directs Cal/OSHA Standards Board to Adopt Standards for Hospital Weapons Detection Screening by 2027

  • Post category:Ogletree Deakins
  • Reading time:4 mins read

Quick Hits Governor Newsom recently signed into law legislation directing the California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board, by March 1, 2027, to amend existing standards to require hospitals to implement weapons detection screening policies. The standards will also require hospitals to implement policies addressing personnel education and training, alternative…

Get ready for the 2025 Microsoft Imagine Cup: Let the innovation begin

  • Post category:Microsoft
  • Reading time:12 mins read

Turn your innovative idea into reality with the Microsoft Imagine Cup Are you a student with an original idea that could possibly change the world? The 2025 Microsoft Imagine Cup is your opportunity to develop your idea, showcase your solution, and shine on a global stage. Register now for the…

Monetary policy transmission: why consumers’ housing situations matter

3 October 2024By Lorenzo Baldassarri, Dimitris Georgarakos, Geoff Kenny and Justus MeyerMonetary policy decisions have direct financial consequences for many consumers, especially as they influence mortgage conditions. The ECB Blog looks at how these effects differ based on consumers’ mortgage situations and why that matters for the transmission of monetary…

Elections and Leadership: 3 Ways Your Reaction Can Impact Your Team

  • Post category:Civility Partners
  • Reading time:5 mins read

Election season tends to bring division and tension, and it’s hard to avoid. Even if you’ve reminded your team to steer clear of political conversations at work, it’s likely that the topic will still pop up here and there. The truth is, having employees with different views isn’t the problem.…

BRICS After Expansion

The 2024 expansion is the most important milestone, after which BRICS found itself at a fork in the road. It will either preserve and strengthen the quality of cooperation amid the new composition and turn into a genuine institute of global governance and dive into the formation of a more…

Middle East Crisis: Can a New Round of Escalation Be Avoided?

On October 2, a discussion dedicated to the aggravation of the situation in the Middle East was held at the Valdai Discussion Club. The event was moderated by Programme Director Andrey Sushentsov. Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to Lebanon Alexander Rudakov noted that the country is at…

Massachusetts PFML Update: Benefit and Contribution Rate Updates And SJC Confirms Employers Are Not Required To Continue Accrual Of Certain Benefits During PFML

  • Post category:Seyfarth Shaw LLP
  • Reading time:5 mins read

As part of its annual exercise, the Massachusetts Department of Family and Medical Leave (DFML) announced an increase to the maximum weekly Massachusetts Paid Family Medical Leave (PFML) benefit, effective January 1, 2025, while contribution rates from employers and employees that fund the public program will remain the same. Additionally,…

The next step in Bing generative search

  • Post category:Microsoft
  • Reading time:5 mins read

In July, we introduced an early view of generative search in Bing, and today we’re taking the next step as we continue to evolve our vision of the future of search.With the introduction of generative search, Bing utilizes AI to deliver a truly unique experience by not only optimizing the…

Switzerland Bets on India

  • Post category:Avenir Suisse
  • Reading time:6 mins read

Flying to the moon, becoming the world’s most populous country, excellent growth forecasts: India is playing an increasingly important role on the world stage. With this in mind, the interest of the EFTA states (Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein) in a trade agreement with India is understandable. After 16 years…

America’s small businesses: Time to think big

  • Post category:McKinsey & Company
  • Reading time:27 mins read

At a glance Micro-, small, and medium-size enterprises (MSMEs) are the bedrock of the US economy. They employ nearly six in ten workers, produce almost 40 percent of value added nationally, and grow into a meaningful share of very large corporations. MSMEs in the United States are only half as…

First map of every neuron in an adult fly brain complete

This landmark achievement has been conducted by the FlyWire Consortium, a large international collaboration including researchers from the University of Cambridge, the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge, Princeton University, and the University of Vermont. It is published today in two papers in the journal Nature.The diagram of all…

Ethically Sourced Creativity: Shutterstock’s Alessandra Sala

Topics Artificial Intelligence and Business Strategy The Artificial Intelligence and Business Strategy initiative explores the growing use of artificial intelligence in the business landscape. The exploration looks specifically at how AI is affecting the development and execution of strategy in organizations. In collaboration with More in this series Get updates…

Software Development in the EU – Key Legal Considerations

  • Post category:Logan & Partners
  • Reading time:5 mins read

Are you a professional planning to develop your own software? Here’s a brief guide to key EU laws and regulations you should know to prevent potential issues. Data Protection and Privacy Considerations If you handle personal data, it’s essential to understand the basics of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).…

Ready for takeoff: The airline retailing opportunity

Consumer-facing companies across all types of sectors have already begun to harness the power of modern retailing techniques. Tactics such as bundled offers and dynamic pricing can provide a boost to an organization’s revenue and profit. At the same time, they are creating better, more relevant experiences for consumers. Airlines,…

How Employers Can Stop Failing Parents

Annalisa Grassano Dual dangers are threatening the national workforce: a child care crisis and a mental health crisis. The connection between the United States’ inadequate child care system and parents’ mental health struggles is so significant that the U.S. Surgeon General highlighted it in an advisory released in August on…

FTC to Appeal Florida Court’s Preliminary Injunction of Noncompete Ban Following Texas Court’s Block

  • Post category:Ogletree Deakins
  • Reading time:4 mins read

Quick Hits The FTC is appealing a Florida federal court’s preliminary injunction blocking its noncompete ban. The appeal comes after a Texas federal court, in a separate case, blocked the FTC’s rule on a nationwide basis, while a Pennsylvania federal court has backed the rule. The FTC’s final rule, published…

How financial services industry is using AI to deliver more tailored investment solutions

  • Post category:Microsoft
  • Reading time:8 mins read

This blog was written with Syril Smith Garson, Head of Product, AI at BlackRock  The financial services industry is entering a new era of generative AI, creating new opportunities and redefining business practices. Microsoft and BlackRock’s strategic partnership is at the forefront of this evolution, exemplifying the potential of AI…

How Politics Drives Business Decisions in a Polarized Nation

Political polarization has seeped so deeply into US society that it shapes who Americans befriend, date, and marry, where they live, raise their families, and retire—and how they run their businesses.A recent paper illustrates how the partisan divide permeates corporate America, segregating executive suites, start-up firms, and even entire professions…

How to manage sudden wealth

Sudden wealth is an exciting prospect for anyone. Maybe you’ve received a large inheritance, sold your business after a lifetime of hard work or cashed in on a family property. Whatever the source, there’s a temptation to start making big plans when a financial windfall comes your way. The future…

Big Companies Are Not the Inflation Villain

Following her latest economic policy speech, Vice President Kamala Harris and Stephanie Ruhle discussed Harris’s economic plan, including her controversial pledge to pass a new federal law against price gouging. When pressed on how this matches her belief in the capitalist system, the vice president responded, “I am never going…

The pulse of nurses’ perspectives on AI in healthcare delivery

No matter where one turns these days, engaging with some form of AI is likely. From the algorithms that power social media to virtual assistants that answer questions and control smart devices, AI is actively shaping how the world works. Opinions about AI’s impact on the workforce range from positive expectations…

Jimmy Carter as the Symbol of a Vanished Era

On October 1, the 39th US President Jimmy Carter celebrated his 100th birthday. In our opinion, this ex-president personifies a very interesting and, judging by some details, irretrievable bygone era. An era from which lessons can be learned. Especially if we look back at the turning point, the year 1979,…

Unlocking the power of people data

  • Post category:Q5 Partners
  • Reading time:7 mins read

Beyond HR and across your business Organisations often struggle with unreliable people data, impacting their ability to make informed decisions. This article highlights the importance of high-quality people data, offering strategies to improve data accuracy and effectiveness. Leveraging tools like OrgMaps and ensuring consistent data input can enhance strategic workforce…

Four Ways to Energize Your Dull Team Meetings

Carolyn Geason-Beissel/MIT SMR | Getty Images You call your team into a meeting to discuss a looming decision. As the meeting begins, you notice that your questions are being met with little response. Most people seem uninterested while a few dominate the conversation. You’re not making progress on reaching a…