My Tech Superpower: For a new generation, AI is freeing up time for creativity
From handling mindless tasks to acting as a creative sounding board, AI tools help young creators reclaim time, focus, and creative energy.
Arthur Cox and the 30% Club Ireland
This partnership reflects our ongoing support of the 30% Club Ireland’s ambition to position gender balance as a core business imperative and to strengthen its role as the leading national voice on senior leadership diversity. Throughout 2026, our support will contribute to a wide‑ranging programme of research, advocacy and engagement led by the 30% Club. This work will highlight the real‑world business, cultural and societal impact of gender‑balanced leadership, and…
6 Key Themes Shaping CPG Strategic Priorities: CAGNY 2026
Each year, CEOs from many of the largest consumer products companies gather at the Consumer Analyst Group of New York (CAGNY) conference to outline their strategic priorities for the coming year. While much of the conversation centers on financial performance, CAGNY is also valuable as a window into capital allocation decisions, operating model evolution, and the capabilities leaders believe will define competitive advantage over the next decade. In contrast to the volatility-driven messaging of…
USPTO Issues Revised Inventorship Guidance for AI-Assisted Inventions – Key Implications for AI-Driven Antibody Discovery
The US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has issued revised guidance on inventorship for artificial intelligence‑assisted inventions, completely replacing the February 2024 framework and clarifying how human contributions must be evaluated when AI tools play a role in the inventive process. In particular, the heightened inventorship standard for AI-assisted inventions outlined in the February 2024 framework has been rescinded. The current guidance reaffirms a core principle: Only natural persons can…
FAA Issues Notice on New Merit-Based Pilot Hiring Requirement
Executive Summary The FAA has announced a new mandatory Operations Specification, OpSpec A134, that will require all Part 121 carriers to ensure pilot hiring is conducted strictly on a merit‑based basis. This development stems from federal directives aimed at eliminating race‑ and sex‑based preferences in safety‑critical roles. Although OpSpec A134 is not yet effective, it is moving through the FAA’s non‑emergency amendment process, which imposes extremely short timelines for carrier…
NYC Unveils Proposed Rules for Updated Earned Safe and Sick Time Act
Quick Hits The DCWP has released proposed rules to implement the recent amendments to New York City’s ESSTA. The ESSTA amendments included the addition of thirty-two unpaid leave hours, expansion of ESSTA reasons, new pay statement documentation requirements, and modification of potential penalties. Employers and other stakeholders may submit comments to the DCWP. A public hearing on the proposed rules is scheduled for March 2, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. EST.…
Can Markets Respond to Climate Risk Without Government?
body If the legal foundation for federal climate regulation disappears, what happens to climate risk pricing in credit and equity markets? Can markets respond to the climate crisis without the participation of government?The 2009 EPA Endangerment Finding wasn’t just a legal trigger for Clean Air Act regulation—it functioned as a risk signal for capital markets. For some asset managers, insurers, lenders, corporate boards, etc., it signaled that climate risk could…
Adults in the Room
But the Conference was not altogether without substance. In fact, two speeches—delivered by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi—offered perhaps the clearest expression of the shape of the bifurcating world order that we have heard from world leaders in this century. In his remarks, Rubio delivered what may have been the most explicit defence of the colonial tradition by a senior Western official since…
Four Seyfarth Lawyers Selected for 2026 Leadership Council on Legal Diversity
February 19, 2026 – Four Seyfarth Shaw LLP lawyers—Heriberto “Heri” Alvarez Jr. , Yoon-Woo Nam, Gaspar Gonzalez, and Daniel Keum—have been chosen for the 2026 Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD) Fellows and Pathfinders programs. This marks the first time the firm has had four lawyers recognized in a single year, reflecting their exceptional legal work and emerging leadership in the profession. The LCLD Fellows Program is the organization's flagship talent development initiative, offering high-potential mid-career attorneys a year-long experience focused…
FTC Continues Commitment to Enforcement Actions to Cease Alleged Unfair Labor-Market Practices
Quick Hits On December 19, 2025, the FTC announced an enforcement action against business-to-business no-poach practices and issued a proposed order that would require building services contractor Adamas Amenity Services LLC and its affiliated businesses (Adamas) to cease enforcement of their anticompetitive no-hire agreements. The order was finalized on February 12, 2026. This latest action, which mirrors two prior enforcement actions of the same type against Planned Building Services and…
Research identifies a distinct immune signature in treatment-resistant Myasthenia Gravis
Myasthenia Gravis (MG) is a rare autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the connection between nerves and muscles. This attack causes muscle weakness that can affect vision, movement, speech, swallowing, and breathing. While many patients respond to treatment, others develop a severe, treatment-resistant form of the condition known as refractory MG. Currently, there are no reliable biomarkers to help doctors predict which patients will respond to therapy and which…
Study reveals inequalities in men with learning disabilities and prostate cancer
Shocking inequalities experienced by men with learning disabilities when diagnosed with prostate cancer have been highlighted in a study by University of Manchester and Christie NHS Foundation Trust researchers. Published in the journal European Urology Oncology today (20/02/26), the researchers show men with learning disabilities are 35% more likely than similar aged men without learning disabilities to have prostate cancer symptoms but 34% less likely to have a diagnostic PSA (Prostate-Specific…
The Year of Donald Trump’s Foreign Policy and India-Russia Relations
Recently concluded trade agreements between India and the EU, as well as those between India and the US, are seen to affect India’s economic relationship with Russia. India is expected to cease its purchases of Russian oil. Additionally, as Trump claimed, New Delhi has already halted its oil imports from Russia. In this scenario, it is high time that India and Russia diversify their trade baskets as soon as possible.…
Our 2026 Sustainability Report
Building resilient, responsible organisations in a changing world Q5’s 2026 Sustainability Report highlights the firm’s progress across people, ethics, resilience, environmental action and social impact. With clear ESG priorities and a focus on long-term organisational health, the report shows how Q5 is evolving to help clients and communities thrive. Download the full report below. Reading time: 2 minutes We are proud to share our 2026 Sustainability Report, which captures how…
Cross-Border Remote Work and Permanent Establishment: Mitigating Risk for Multinational Employers
Quick Hits The OECD’s November 2025 update to the Model Tax Convention introduces a new two-part framework for assessing permanent establishment (PE) risks from cross-border remote work, including a 50 percent working time safe harbor and a “commercial reason” test. No automatic PE arises from mere employee-driven remote work in another country, providing relief for multinational employers managing hybrid and distributed teams. Employers may want to track working time splits…
What health organizations need to know about the new AI scribe guidelines in Ontario, British Columbia, and Alberta
Artificial intelligence–powered medical scribe tools (AI scribes) are increasingly used by Canadian health organizations to reduce documentation workload. In response, privacy regulators in Ontario, British Columbia, and Alberta have issued guidance on their lawful use under provincial health-privacy laws. The scope of the new guidance varies by province. In Ontario and Alberta, it applies broadly to health information custodians as defined under PHIPA and the HIA, including hospitals, clinics, and…
Expert Comment: Should the UK relax clean energy targets?
Dr Stuart Jenkins, Oxford Net Zero Research Fellow Last week an Oxford Net Zero report laid out our views on the future for the global oil and gas sector. Helpfully for stimulating conversation, the next day the Tony Blair Institute (TBI) released their own policy brief discussing the challenges for the current UK energy strategy.TBI’s brief suggests there are missed opportunities for UK oil and gas, which, if unlocked, would…
Evangelos Oikonomou: Decoding the Hidden Signals of Heart Disease
Howie and Harlan are joined by Evangelos Oikonomou, a cardiologist and data scientist at the Yale School of Medicine, to discuss how AI can extract overlooked signs of heart disease from routine ECGs, imaging studies, and electronic health records—and how to deploy those tools responsibly at scale. Harlan explains whether a widely covered study suggesting that coffee may lower the risk of dementia should change your daily brew; Howie grapples…
Russia and the Post-Soviet Space: Adaptation or Retention?
On 19 February, Moscow hosted the presentation of the new Valdai report “Russia and Its Neighbours: Mutual Responsibility and Co-Development”. Fyodor Lukyanov, Research Director of the Valdai Club and moderator of the discussion, described the topic of Russia’s relations with neighbouring countries as highly dynamic and multifaceted, adding that it is likely to be the principal question in Russian foreign policy for the coming years. The report’s author, Timofei Bordachev,…
Only Multipolarity Will Ensure Long-Term Stability Across Eurasia
In recent years, certain middle powers have succeeded in consolidating their sovereignty, strengthening their global standing, and even utilising the new environment to enhance their position on the international stage. The development of our relations with the CIS states, the Global South, and the East has received a significant impetus. In this, we are aligned with the authors of the report: all states are compelled to diversify their external ties. As…
Iran—A Gathering Storm?
Should Trump decide upon missile and aerial strikes against Iran, several scenarios are conceivable. One possibility would involve limited bombardment of selected nuclear and military facilities, avoiding significant destruction and loss of life, thereby enabling Tehran to respond with a similarly demonstrative, restrained action. A more dangerous scenario would entail large-scale attacks targeting the religious-political leadership, military installations, nuclear sites, and other critical infrastructure, in an attempt to decapitate the…
Manchester to license medical teaching programme to Frederick University in Cyprus
Medical students at Frederick University in Cyprus are to develop their knowledge and expertise to become medical practitioners using the world renowned undergraduate medical degree programme at The University of Manchester.The landmark licensing agreement was announced at a celebration of the sixtieth anniversary of the Cypriot university this week (18 Feb) in Limassol.The University of Manchester’s School of Medical Sciences programme will be used as a model to develop a…
Climate-related disasters can push up the cost of debt
19 February 2026By Sofia Anyfantaki, Marianna Blix Grimaldi, Carlos Madeira, Simona Malovana and Georgios PapadopoulosClimate change has become an important factor for fiscal policy, debt sustainability and sovereign risk. This blog post shows how climate shocks can push up bond yields, especially for highly indebted and developing countries.Climate change poses risks to public finances through various channels: adaptation and mitigation measures may demand higher public spending, governments may have to…
Study shows that digital treatment with Tetris gameplay can dramatically reduce trauma memories
The ground-breaking study, funded by Wellcome, carried out a randomised controlled trial of 99 healthcare workers exposed to trauma at work during the Covid-19 pandemic. The results demonstrate huge potential to implement a highly scalable, low intensity, easily accessible digital treatment that could transform how we prevent and treat PTSD for people who have been exposed to trauma worldwide.The global prevalence of traumaAccording to the World Health Organization, psychological trauma –…
Disjointed prison health system worsens reoffending rates, think tank finds
The briefing – drawing on research and insights from academics at The University of Manchester– finds that healthcare in prisons is fragmented across the health and justice departments, with responsibility split between multiple agencies and service providers and no single body in charge. Poor coordination between the Department of Health and Social Care, the Ministry of Justice and healthcare providers continues to undermine the quality and continuity of care available to prisoners.This lack of…
Russia and Its Neighbours: Mutual Responsibility and Co-Development
The military-political conflict between Russia and the West over Ukraine represents a pivotal event in the evolution of relations between Russia and neighbouring countries. The trajectory of its impact is not linear: it is determined by changes taking place in the domestic development of all its participants and by shifts in the broader international context. By the time the special military operation had started, the former Soviet Union’s space had…
“No technology has me dreaming bigger than AI”
CEO Sundar Pichai’s remarks at the opening ceremony of the AI Impact Summit 2026
Still No Answers: Seventh Circuit Oral Argument Leaves DEI Questions Unresolved
Quick Hits Despite repeated requests from multiple courts, the administration has yet to articulate what distinguishes lawful DEI programs from those that the federal government believes violate antidiscrimination laws, leaving employers without clear compliance guidance. Federal contractors and money recipients that cannot certify compliance face potential False Claims Act liability, including treble damages, civil investigative demands, and possible criminal exposure—consequences far exceeding traditional antidiscrimination enforcement. The Seventh Circuit panel signaled…
A new way to express yourself: Gemini can now create music
Lyria 3 is now available in the Gemini app. Create custom, high-quality 30-second tracks from text and images.
Fourth Circuit’s Narrow Ruling on Anti-DEI Executive Orders Leaves Employers With Broad Questions
Quick Hits On February 6, 2026, the Fourth Circuit held that the plaintiffs’ facial challenges in National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education v. Trump to President Trump’s anti-DEI executive orders (EOs) were unlikely to succeed, but the court did not validate the administration’s enforcement practices, did not endorse its interpretation of anti-discrimination law, and did not define what constitutes “unlawful DEI.” The certification provision in EO 14173 applicable…
COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy offers new insight into preeclampsia prevention
A new multinational study from the INTERCOVID Consortium, led by researchers from the University of Oxford, has found that COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy, particularly when combined with a booster dose, significantly reduces the risk of preeclampsia, a serious and potentially life-threatening pregnancy complication. The findings offer unprecedented insight into preeclampsia prevention, independent of the direct effects of COVID-19 infection. The study, published in eClinicalMedicine, analysed data from 6,527 pregnant women…
Multi-Vector Policy in Central Asia: Formats and Prospects
The discourse on multi-vector policy in Central Asia is developing as a contemporary version of multipolarity at the macro and micro regional level and is not restricted to the boundaries of the nation-state. It is increasingly ignoring international borders in favour of both a local focus and regional integration. This discourse has tended to explore and categorise the regional commonalities, historical linkages, institutions, policies and economic relations that underpin region-building…
Our 2026 Responsible AI Progress Report
A look at our 2026 Responsible AI Progress Report.
Ask Not for Whom the Bell Tolls: Haiti TPS Litigation and USCIS I-9 Guidance Signal Broader Employer Risk-and Unanswered Questions
On February 6, 2026, the administration sought emergency relief from the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia’s February 2 order (see here for our prior TPS employer impact update) and filed an appeal with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, moving the Haiti Temporary Protected Status (TPS) dispute into the appellate phase. At a February 12 hearing, U.S. District Court Judge Ana Reyes declined from…
DOL’s Annual Minimum Wage Increase for Certain Federal Contractors Leaves Compliance Uncertainty
Quick Hits Federal contractors must distinguish between contracts entered into before January 30, 2022 (subject to Executive Order (EO) 13658 and DOL’s annual indexed increases), and those entered into on or after that date, which were governed by EO 14026 prior to its revocation. Even though DOL is no longer enforcing EO 14026, contractors remain bound by existing contract clauses unless modified by the contracting officer and must comply with…
Five CMU Faculty Members Named 2026 Sloan Research Fellows
Five Carnegie Mellon University faculty members from the School of Computer Science(opens in new window), Mellon College of Science(opens in new window) and Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences(opens in new window) are among the 126 recipients of 2026 Sloan Research Fellowships, which honor early career scholars whose achievements put them among the best scientific minds working today.Christopher Eur(opens in new window), an assistant professor in the Department of…
Existing hospital analysers offer a low-cost method to screen for fake vaccines
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 10.5% of medicines worldwide in low- and middle-income countries are substandard or are falsified (i.e. fake). These medicines and vaccines fail to prevent and treat the diseases for which they are intended and risk additional adverse health consequences if the ingredients used in the falsified products are harmful, resulting in a threat to global health.By repurposing a clinical chemistry analyser to detect and measure…
Reasonable Accommodation Lessons From the EEOC’s New Telework Guidance
Quick Hits The EEOC issued FAQs to assist federal agencies in implementing President Trump’s return-to-office order in compliance with the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the federal sector analog to the ADA. As private employers implement return-to-office policies, the EEOC’s FAQs provide useful guidance for managing telework accommodation requests under the ADA. Employers may re-evaluate existing telework arrangements for individual employees and modify or rescind them, depending on the availability and…
Security in Europe: A Problem Without Solution
Security issues in Europe are undergoing both real-world and conceptual changes. On a real-world level, the region is in the midst of a severe political crisis. Its epicentre is the Ukraine conflict, and its core lies in the contradictions between Russia and NATO countries on a wide range of issues. These real-world factors, in turn, have led to a conceptual crisis of the idea of European security as it had…
Cal/OSHA Proposes a New ‘Walkaround Rule’
Quick Hits On February 13, 2026, Cal/OSHA issued a notice of proposed rulemaking to implement the “walkaround rule,” which would allow additional employee and employer representatives during inspections. The proposed regulation introduces a framework for involving employer and employee representatives, including third parties, during inspections, raising concerns about potential contentious and adversarial environments. The draft regulation follows the federal OSHA walkaround rule and includes provisions for additional representatives, inspector authority,…