Quick Hits S4424/A5411 would invalidate any contractual provision waiving or otherwise limiting any employee’s substantive or procedural rights, remedies, or claims. A636/S4996 would define certain terms in standard form contracts as unconscionable, effectively rendering them illegal and unenforceable. Waiver of Employment Rights Senate Bill No. 4424, introduced on February 4,…
On March 4, 2025, the Trump administration proceeded to impose sweeping tariffs on Canadian exports to the U.S. Canada retaliated swiftly, announcing tariffs in respect of a limited range of U.S. products, fanning the flames of a trade war between longstanding allies and trading partners. Background President Trump first signed…
Executive summary:Microsoft Threat Intelligence identified a shift in tactics by Silk Typhoon, a Chinese espionage group, now targeting common IT solutions like remote management tools and cloud applications to gain initial access. While they haven’t been observed directly targeting Microsoft cloud services, they do exploit unpatched applications that allow them…
The research, published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) and led by Professor Trisha Greenhalgh and Professor Martin McKee, is the most comprehensive UK-based analysis of peer-reviewed research into PA and AA roles to date. It was written to inform the ongoing government-commissioned Leng Review which is examining the effectiveness and safety of these roles in…
7 March 2024 By Clémence Berson, Vasco Botelho, Luis Guirola Abenza, Laura Hospido, Friderike Kuik, Christiane Nickel and Manuel Rojo Lopez The gender gap in labour markets is narrowing. But this process has slowed down. The ECB Blog gives an overview of recent developments for all euro area countries. The…
Can a steel company build the infrastructure for the rapidly growing data center business? Nucor CEO Leon Topalian thinks so. Through a series of recent acquisitions, the company aims to offer customers made-to-order data center buildings with most of the components they require—cooling systems, overhead doors, equipment racks, and more—not…
The South Caucasus has traditionally been one of the most dynamic regions of Eurasia. As a result of the collapse of the USSR, the former republics of Soviet Transcaucasia have suffered the majority of the region’s ethnopolitical conflicts between de facto states. It was in this region that in August…
This is a special, bonus episode of The McKinsey Podcast. McKinsey Partner Ferry Grijpink joined McKinsey Editorial Director Roberta Fusaro to share some immediate takeaways from the annual Mobile World Congress (MWC) event in Barcelona.The McKinsey Podcast is hosted by Roberta Fusaro and Lucia Rahilly. This transcript has been edited for…
Topics Innovation Disruption Column Our expert columnists offer opinion and analysis on important issues facing modern businesses and managers. More in this series subscribe-icon Subscribe Share Alice Mollon/Ikon Images Wave after wave of disruption promises continual changes to the global economy. Historians will be able to look back and draw…
The IWOWA amendment did not change the minimum wage that employers and employees expected to go into effect on February 21, 2025 (at the rate of $12.48 per hour), but did change the minimum wage rates (and effective dates) for future years, and also revised the minimum cash wage rates…
Rising concerns over tariffs suggest consequences that could go far beyond traditional industries. The United States has imposed higher tariffs on Canadian products, including medical equipment and pharmaceuticals.1 With rising tensions, several Canadian provinces have started responding to the tariffs with measures such as restricting U.S.-based businesses from accessing provincial…
Investment to expand Microsoft’s hyperscale cloud and AI infrastructure in South Africa, supporting the nation’s ambition to become a globally competitive AI economy New programme extends Microsoft’s AI skilling initiative in South Africa by paying for 50,000 young people’s certification exams in high-demand digital skills over the next 12 months.…
What is the role of federal funding for nonprofits? Andrea Levere: Since we’ve been doing this work, one of the constant themes we hear from philanthropy, despite how much philanthropy has grown, is that what they are able to do to address key issues doesn’t come close to matching the…
In the battle against climate disinformation, native advertising is a fierce foe. A study published in the journal npj Climate Action by researchers from Boston University (BU) and the University of Cambridge, evaluates two promising tools to fight misleading native advertising campaigns put forth by big oil companies.Many major news…
Senior housing—the spectrum of residential solutions aimed at people over age 65—is a sector associated with many needs. By 2050, the world is expected to have 1.6 billion people in this age cohort, more than double the number in 2021. Due to the rising prevalence of chronic illnesses among the…
The UK’s Climate Change Committee (CCC) delivered its recommendations for the Seventh Carbon Budget last week, setting out a 'balanced pathway' for how we can work towards net zero emissions from 2038 to 2042 (we are currently in the Fourth Carbon Budget period).With the Climate Change Act 2008, the UK…
Life began and diversified in the ocean, and now Stanford is providing a new, easier way for scientists to get a good look at it.The Molecular and Cellular Biodiversity Imaging Center, the brainchild of Christoper Lowe, biology professor in the Stanford School of Humanities and Sciences (H&S), is now open…
Abandoning DEI initiatives can harm both performance and workplace culture. Research shows that inclusive workplaces are better for all of us — and for our businesses. Meg A. Warren March 05, 2025 Reading Time: 5 min Carolyn Geason-Beissel/MIT SMR | Getty Images Many U.S. businesses are feeling pressured to retreat…
Quick Hits The Nevada state legislature commenced its latest legislative session on February 3, 2025. State lawmakers are considering multiple bills that could impact employment law in the Nevada. Employers may want to take note of these legislative developments, which, if passed and enacted, could result in significant changes to…
A new report on how Microsoft is helping rural communities protect critical healthcare infrastructure Last year, Microsoft launched its Cybersecurity for Rural Hospitals Program an initiative designed to help protect access to healthcare for the 46 million people living in rural America. Funded through a philanthropic investment, the program now has more than…
According to new research published today by the Rees Centre at the Department of Education, University of Oxford, four times fewer care leavers and others with experience of children’s social care enter higher education by age 22. The report, 'Pathways into and through higher education for young people with experience…
If you’ve landed on this page, chances are you’re looking for answers. Maybe you’ve tried everything, or maybe you’re bracing yourself for a conversation you’d rather not have. Or you don’t know how to give feedback to a toxic worker about their behavior. Either way, we see you. Dealing with…
Although there is meaningful momentum, the world is not on track to achieve greenhouse gas emission reductions in line with the Paris Agreement’s goals. Despite numerous net-zero commitments from countries and companies, and an increase in climate-related investments, global CO2 emissions are far from on track to reach net-zero by…
Russia's economic cooperation with Central Asian countries is gaining momentum despite expectations of a decline or even a complete rupture in trade and economic relations under the influence of anti-Russian sanctions. At the same time, the sanctions pressure has opened up new opportunities for the establishment of additional sources of…
A sleek, metallic car with a glass rooftop is depicted in a 3D image against a gray backdrop, giving off a futuristic vibe. Self-driving cars, or autonomous vehicles (AVs), have zoomed around our popular imaginations for decades. In recent years, films and television shows such as WALL-E and Silicon Valley…
Since the early 17th century, New York has been a global hub for the flow of goods, capital, people, and ideas. It has experienced constant economic transformation, dominating first in the fur trade, then in shipping, sugar refinement, machine tools, the garment trade, business services, and finance. Through its evolution,…
Inflation has fallen dramatically since its high point in 2022, although it has crept up in recent months. Why has progress on inflation slowed? Prior to the new administration, the Fed was projecting that the economy would stay fairly stable over the next couple of years, with output and…
We were excited to find clear evidence that even at small scales—within neighbourhoods rather than whole populations—the movements and life histories of individual birds actively shape the songs they sing.Lead researcher Dr Nilo Merino Recalde, Department of Biology, University of Oxford.The researchers spent three years collecting over twenty thousand hours…
Stanford economist and Nobel laureate Guido W. Imbens will become the next faculty director of Stanford Data Science (SDS), an initiative housed within the Office of the Vice Provost and Dean of Research that supports research and scholars through data-driven discovery and data science education opportunities across campus. Imbens will…
A new study led by the University of Oxford has found that mentoring programmes can significantly increase honesty in children, with effects lasting years after the intervention. The research, 'Malleability of Preferences for Honesty', forthcoming in The Economic Journal, shows that preferences for truth-telling are not fixed traits but can…
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 Today’s episode…
Global energy leaders from the power and utilities, oil and gas, and mining sectors are turning to the power of data and AI for streamlined workflows, more efficient operating systems, and better performing assets—the types of changes that help companies to empower their people and grow sustainable business. We’re prioritizing…
The report highlights four steps directors can take to ensure that their governance approach meets these challenges. Enhance horizon scanning and risk management Our report reveals that only a minority of board members fully understand how sustainability (35 percent), GenAI (12 percent) and trade and geopolitics (22 percent) can affect a company’s value,…
HomeNewsTropical forests in the Americas are struggling to keep pace with climate change Tropical rainforests play a vital role in global climate regulation and biodiversity conservation. However, a major new study led by Dr. Jesús Aguirre-Gutiérrez from the University of Oxford’s Environmental Change Institute (ECI), reveals that forests across the Americas…
The DeepSeek phenomenon The first trend, as yet unconfirmed, is a “DeepSeek effect”. Unveiled on 20 January, this artificial intelligence, officially developed on a shoestring budget in comparison to the amount invested by the Americans in ChatGPT and Perplexity, has set share prices in the Chinese tech sector – which…
Modern processes in the global geopolitical and geoeconomic space indicate that multipolarity is becoming a reality and, in this context, the entire system of international relations is being transformed, Rustam Khaidarzoda writes. The new system of international relations has already affected all countries of the world community. For example, in…
Coaching for the Future-Forward Leader A productivity focus in RTO mandates tells workers they aren’t trusted. Leaders must instead emphasize connection. Sanyin Siang March 04, 2025 Reading Time: 2 min Topics Coaching for the Future-Forward Leader Leadership roles come with new personal and professional challenges — and Sanyin Siang, board…
Quick Hits Employees sued Paramount Global and CBS Interactive after mass layoffs in New York in 2024. Employees claim the companies did not provide ninety days’ notice under New York’s Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act. But the companies argue they fulfilled their legal duty because the workers stayed…
Celebrate Pi Day 2025 and support math skill building in your classroom with PiCraft, Ratio Riddles, Math Progress, and more. Pi Day, celebrated March 14 each year, is the perfect opportunity to fuel students’ love of math through hands-on and engaging math practice. By connecting abstract mathematical ideas like pi…
In this episode of Eureka!, a McKinsey podcast on innovation in life sciences R&D, hosts Navraj Nagra and Alex Devereson speak to Kim Branson, senior vice president and global head of AI and machine learning at GSK. They discuss how these emerging technologies are being used to potentially reshape how…