Business, Management, Marketing, Money, Tax, Law, People

Medical Marijuana Usage Is Not Protected Under the ADA, Vermont Federal Court Rules

Quick Hits A federal district judge in Vermont ruled that the ADA does not protect medical marijuana usage. Under the federal Controlled Substances Act, marijuana has “no currently accepted medical use” and therefore does not fall under the supervised use exception of the ADA. Marble Valley Regional Transit District terminated Ivo Skoric’s employment after he failed a random drug test. According to his lawsuit, Skoric has a medical marijuana prescription…

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ACA-Required Coverage of Contraceptive Care Remains Agency Focus

Quick Hits Despite repeated clarification regarding what the U.S. Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and the Treasury consider to be reasonable medical management techniques, the departments continue to identify plans that are out of compliance, creating barriers to contraceptive coverage. Medical management techniques within a specific contraceptive category will be considered reasonable if the plan covers, without cost sharing, all FDA-approved contraceptive drugs and drug-led devices, other than…

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All the winners and losers from the 2024 Spring Budget

With one eye on a forthcoming general election, the chancellor has announced a Budget aimed at generating long-term growth, with “more investment, more jobs, better public services and lower taxes”. While the headlines will inevitably focus on Jeremy Hunt’s cut in National Insurance contributions (NICs), many less headline-grabbing messages will affect millions of families and businesses. Read on to find out who were the winners and losers from the 2024…

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Your Spring Budget update – the key news from the chancellor’s statement

The 2024/25 tax year is just a month away, and chancellor Jeremy Hunt has delivered his 2024 Spring Budget, outlining the government’s plans for the next fiscal year and beyond. With a general election looming – prime minister Rishi Sunak has said he will call it before the end of the year – the chancellor claimed that the government had met the prime minister’s three economic priorities laid out at…

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Genetic mutation in a quarter of all Labradors hard-wires them for obesity

This obesity-driving combination means that dog owners must be particularly strict with feeding and exercising their Labradors to keep them slim.The mutation is in a gene called POMC, which plays a critical role in hunger and energy use. Around 25% of Labradors and 66% of flatcoated retriever dogs have the POMC mutation, which researchers previously showed causes increased interest in food and risk of obesity. The new study reveals how…

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Astronomers spot oldest ‘dead’ galaxy yet observed

Using the James Webb Space Telescope, an international team of astronomers led by the University of Cambridge have spotted a ‘dead’ galaxy when the universe was just 700 million years old, the oldest such galaxy ever observed.This galaxy appears to have lived fast and died young: star formation happened quickly and stopped almost as quickly, which is unexpected for so early in the universe’s evolution. However, it is unclear whether…

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Now Available! Seyfarth Resource – 2023 FLSA Litigation Metrics & Trends

As the FLSA landscape continues to evolve, Seyfarth’s national Wage and Hour Litigation practice group is pleased to share our observations and analysis of the 2023 FLSA litigation trends as well as our forward-looking predictions for 2024. Wage and hour litigation and enforcement actions continued as a hot-button concern in 2023, as plaintiffs’ lawyers advanced novel and creative claims and Supreme Court and appellate-level battles took place over long-accepted standards—for…

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CDC Trims COVID-19 Isolation Guidance: COVID-Positive Individuals Need Only Isolate for 24 Hours After Being Fever-Free

By Adam R. Young, A. Scott Hecker, Patrick D. Joyce, and Craig B. Simonsen Seyfarth Synopsis: The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is shifting its COVID-19 isolation guidance, advising that COVID-positive individuals no longer need to isolate once they have been fever-free for 24 hours and their symptoms are mild or improving. After weeks of rumors, the CDC revised its COVID-19 guidance to eliminate its five-day isolation recommendation and…

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Can you exclude liability for dishonesty?

A High Court judge has construed the limitation of liability provisions in a research agreement as effective to limit a party's liability for dishonesty in the performance of the contract by their employee. Here, we look at the drafting implications of the decision. In Innovate Pharmaceuticals Ltd v University of Portsmouth Higher Education Corporation [2024] EWHC 35 (TCC), Roger Ter Haar KC (sitting as a Deputy High Court Judge) held…

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Keeping Innovative Projects Aligned With Strategy

Topics Innovation Innovation Strategy Carolyn Geason-Beissel/MIT SMR | Getty Images Growth-oriented companies that seek to foster a culture of innovation have no shortage of good project ideas. However, many of them will fall outside the control of existing business lines or the organization’s formal structures for managing innovation, such as the R&D department. As a result, potentially valuable programs can suffer from a lack of oversight while others risk misalignment…

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Employers, Beware: California Regulators Are Actively Enforcing the California Consumer Privacy Act

Quick Hits The California Office of the Attorney General has been actively enforcing the CCPA since July 2023, and the California Privacy Protection Agency has indicated that it will take a very active role in CCPA enforcement. Covered businesses may be subjected to civil penalties or administrative fines of $2,500 for each violation of the CCPA and $7,500 for each intentional violation, with penalties up to $7,500 for privacy violations…

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National Brands Hate Private Labels (But Make Them Anyway)…

Did you ever wonder who makes those store brand “toaster pastries” that look just like Pop Tarts but cost a whole lot less? Kusum Ailawadi, the Charles Jordan 1911, TU'12 Professor of Marketing, teaches Marketing Research and Multichannel Route-to-Market Strategy in the Tuck MBA program. It’s a fair question. The identity of the manufacturers of “private label” brands—such as Kirkland Signature (sold at Costco), Great Value (Walmart), and Good &…

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The Future of AI Is Amazing

In this presentation from the American Dynamism Summit, a16z General Partner Martin Casado lays out the case for AI as a driving force behind incredible advancements in technology, creativity, and the human experience — not to mention efficiency improvements on par with, if not greater than, those delivered by the internet and the microchip. Here is a transcript of his presentation: I’m going to be covering this AI stuff everybody…

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Rebuilding the California Dream with Jan Sramek

California has long been ground zero for the new: new technologies, new frontiers, new arts and culture. In this session from the a16z American Dynamism Summit, moderated by a16z General Partner Katherine Boyle, California Forever CEO Jan Sramek discusses building an ambitious new city between San Francisco and Sacramento, why he firmly believes California’s best days are still ahead, and what he and his team are doing to realize that…

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Neon sign identified by JWST gives clue to planet formation

Planetary systems like our Solar System seem to contain more rocky objects than gas-rich ones. Around our sun, these include the inner planets, the asteroid belt and the Kuiper belt. But scientists have known for a long time that planet-forming discs start with 100 times more mass in gas than in solids, which leads to a pressing question; when and how does most of the gas leave the disc/system?JWST is…

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Regulating Crypto in the Name of National Competitiveness with Emilie Choi

In this talk with a16z General Partner Ben Horowitz, from the a16z American Dynamism Summit, Coinbase President and Chief Operating Officer Emilie Choi discusses, among other things, crypto’s potential to power the next-generation internet and bolster individual freedoms — two major reasons why America should not only embrace crypto, but take charge in shaping its future. Here is a transcript of their conversation: Ben Horowitz: So, I’ve got Emilie, who…

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The China Threat: Silicon Valley and the Great Uncoupling

In this session from the a16z American Dynamism Summit, Representatives Mike Gallagher (R-WI) and Jake Auchincloss (D-MA) discuss why the United States must strengthen its technological advantage in areas like AI, develop next-generation manufacturing capabilities domestically, and rethink how Silicon Valley does business with China. Gallagher is Chair of the House Select Committee on the CCP, on which Auchincloss also serves. Here is a transcript of their conversation: Katherine Boyle:…

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Securing America’s Future: How Technology Companies and Washington Are Building A Safer World

Technology companies have rediscovered their roots as innovators in national security and as critical partners to the Department of Defense. In this session from the a16z American Dynamism Summit, moderated by CNBC anchor Morgan Brennan, Anduril Cofounder and CEO Brian Schimpf lays out the case for how and why technology plays a critical role in helping ensure a safer world. Here is a transcript of their conversation: Morgan Brennan: It’s…

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Collaborative Disruption at the DoD with Kathleen Hicks and Sharon Weinberger

At January’s American Dynamism Summit, U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks discussed the Department of Defense’s renewed commitment to innovation and the department’s new Replicator initiative, which is accelerating how the DoD procures and delivers capabilities to the warfighter at speed and scale. (Read her full remarks here.) Following her keynote remarks, Dep. Sec. Hicks sat down for an interview with Wall Street Journal national security and foreign policy…

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How to optimise your subscription business model

Welcome to our Drive to Subscribe blog series, created to provide readers with insight into the world of subscriptions while drawing parallels with the world of Formula 1. In this, part three, we look at the parallel between a subscription business model and how F1 teams operate. You can find part one here which explores the approach to a successful subscription, and part two here which delves into successful subscription…

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Do People Want to Work Anymore?

(AdobeStock/Halfpoint)Sometimes we experience what Yogi Berra described as “déjà vu all over again.” It happened to me several weeks ago and left me wondering whether it’s déjà vu or whether things really have changed. Years ago, my colleague at Harvard Business School, Len Schlesinger, and I published an article that laid out two human resource strategies that we labeled the “cycle of success” and the “cycle of failure.” Our late…

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Want to Make Diversity Stick? Break the Cycle of Sameness

When US Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died in 2020, Harvard Business School Assistant Professor Edward Chang noticed something interesting: To fill the vacancy, then-President Donald Trump replaced Ginsburg with another woman, Amy Coney Barrett, even though he had previously added two men to the bench.“There was plenty of evidence showing Trump wasn’t particularly pro-diversity,” says Chang, noting that Trump had issued a memo telling federal agencies to halt…

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Porter’s Hypothesis – Regulating AI

Regulation does not necessarily stifle innovation, as many tech firms claim, but can in fact encourage a more sustainable, ethical side of proceedings, says Chirantan Chatterjee of University of Sussex Business School As we arrive in the last quarter of 2023, there is a general impression globally that while the AI genie is out of the bottle, the genie needs to be regulated, otherwise there may be unanticipated consequences. An…

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The guilty project

California’s “Three Strikes and You’re Out” law, which passed in 1994, was one of the tough-on-crime measures that swept the country in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Later, as the prisons were overflowing, the stories started to come out: A man sent to prison for life for stealing a pair of shoes. Another sentenced to life for breaking into a soup kitchen. Michael Romano, JD ’03, is the founder…

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Will Large Language Models Really Change How Work Is Done?

1. “Beyond the Buzz: A Look at Large Language Models in Production,” PDF (San Francisco: Predibase, 2023), https://go.predibase.com. 2. A. Rosenbaum, S. Soltan, and W. Hamza, “Using Large Language Models (LLMs) to Synthesize Training Data,” Amazon Science, Jan. 20, 2023, www.amazon.science. 3. “Storm Reply Launches RAG-Based AI Chatbot for Audi, Revolutionising Internal Documentation,” Business Wire, Dec. 21, 2023, www.businesswire.com. 4. “Beyond the Buzz.” 5. P. Vaithilingam, T. Zhang, and E.L.…

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Massachusetts Superior Court Finds Incentive Payment Under Profit-Sharing Scheme Is Not a Commission Under Wage Act

Quick Hits In a recent decision, a Massachusetts Superior Court judge held that a percent-of-profit incentive payment under a profit-sharing scheme is not a commission subject to the Wage Act. The court reasoned that an executive’s profit-sharing incentive was tied to the company’s profits, but not to revenue that he personally generated, and therefore he did not have a viable claim under the Wage Act. The decision clarifies that, although…

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Solving a Problem for the Used Electronics Market

Did you ever wonder what happens to your old smartphone when you trade it in for a new one? At Tuck, Laurens Debo, professor of operations management, teaches the Management of Service Operations elective in the MBA program. Most likely, it’s sold by your cell phone carrier to a phone remanufacturer who refurbishes it and sells it to a price-sensitive consumer who doesn’t want to buy a new one. The…

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Tuna Sandwich Sparks Legal Battle (with Law firm…)

After being dismissed for eating a leftover sandwich, a cleaner is taking legal action against a London law firm, Devonshires Solicitors, alleging indirect race discrimination. Gabriela Rodriguez, an Ecuadorian national employed by Total Clean, was contracted to clean the law firm. The United Voices of the World union (UVW), advocating for migrant workers, has taken up her case, claiming that Ms Rodriguez’s termination stemmed from discriminatory motives. Background Ms Rodriguez…

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Low iron levels resulting from infection could be key trigger of long COVID

The discovery not only points to possible ways to prevent or treat the condition, but could help explain why symptoms similar to those of long COVID are also commonly seen in a number of post-viral conditions and chronic inflammation.Although estimates are highly variable, as many as three in 10 people infected with SARS-CoV-2 could go on to develop long COVID, with symptoms including fatigue, shortness of breath, muscle aches and…

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Exhausting exhaustion – where does trade mark protection end?

Trade marks grant their owner the exclusive right to offer the goods for which the trade mark is registered. Once the original goods are placed on the market within the European Economic Area (“EEA”), this right is however exhausted, meaning that the trade mark owner cannot oppose the further distribution of its products based on trade mark rights. This principle of exhaustion, stipulated in Art. 15 (1) EUTMR, has an…

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Do “Whole Child” Education Models Work?

This interview focuses on a chapter from A Nation at Risk +40, a report by the Hoover Education Success Initiative (HESI) that looks back at the birth, struggles, and future of the modern school reform movement. Maria D. Fitzpatrick is professor of economics and public policy in the Brooks School of Public Policy at Cornell University. (Download her  chapter here and the full publication here.)   Q. How would you…

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March 2024 Global Immigration Alert

Please note:  while we address certain country-specific updates, this Alert contains information regarding global requirements, policies, and procedures as they stand as of the date of publication. We highly recommend reviewing any global mobility inquiries on a case-by-case basis, including any consulate-specific or immigration authority resources, in “real-time” before traveling internationally. Please reach out to our Global Mobility Team in advance of any international travel. Brazil – Tourist and Business…

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The Week in Weed: March 1, 2024

Welcome back to The Week in Weed, your Friday look at what’s happening in the world of legalized marijuana. This week, we check on the retail market legislation in Virginia. New Hampshire’s House of Representatives passed an adult-use cannabis bill. Arkansas’ Attorney General gives the go-ahead for advocates to start collecting signatures for a ballot initiative. Nevada opens its first cannabis consumption lounges. And finally, what have those teachers at…

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NYC Council Proposes Broad Non-Compete Ban

Seyfarth Synopsis: While New York State failed to pass a non-compete ban last year, a new bill in the New York City Council would eliminate non-compete agreements entirely, presenting new challenges and considerations for employers in the Big Apple. On December 12, 2023, the New York State Legislature delivered a bill for the Governor’s signature that would have banned “any agreement, or clause contained in any agreement, between an employer…

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Biden Administration Announces New Measures to Safeguard Americans’ Sensitive Personal Data

Quick Hits The EO directs the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, to set standards addressing access to Americans’ sensitive personal data by hostile nations and their affiliates through commonly utilized channels like employment, investment, vendor, and other commercial relationships. The EO also seeks to stem the bulk sale of sensitive personal data by commercial data brokers and other commercial entities to…

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Three Questions with… Jamil Khan, H&R Block

This content first appeared in the February 2024 Fintech newsletter. If you’d like more commentary and analysis about news and trends from the a16z Fintech team, you can subscribe here. “The amount of innovation we’re about to see in tax is unparalleled in recent history,” says Jamil Khan, the Chief Strategy and Small Business Officer for tax giant H&R Block. “But we know that with something like tax, having a trusted…

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Introducing Talent x Opportunity Spring ‘24 Cohort

Since its launch, the Talent x Opportunity Initiative (TxO) has been more than a funding vehicle; it’s been a launchpad for culturally inspired innovation and a community of support for under-networked founders. Like the startups in our portfolio, TxO is constantly evolving to ensure we’re meeting the needs of our founders.  While funding is just a small part of the value we aim to provide our founders, we’re thrilled to…

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How to define and launch a subscription product

Welcome to our Drive to Subscribe blog series, created to provide readers with insight into the world of subscriptions while drawing parallels with the world of Formula 1. In this, part two, we will look at key considerations for successful subscription product development. You can find part one here which explores the approach to a successful subscription.   Creating a subscription product and packages that are competitive is ultimately the key to…

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  • Reading time:7 mins read
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A Cheating Scandal, Abandoned Research, and Other News

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. Harlan and I have intentionally set aside several episodes each year to cover a broader range of important news in the healthcare and health realm. And so I want to start off today with something…

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Leadership Should Be a Team Sport

Just as there is no yin without yang, there is no leadership without followership. The two interdependent and complementary roles cannot exist without each other. Followership is the symbiotic interchange between a leader and those they seek to influence. However, the word has long carried connotations of subservience, implying that followers are subordinates – a term derived from the Latin word for “lower order”. This notion is deeply misguided.Although the concept…

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