At the same time, the US paused the introduction of new sanctions against Russia. In the EU, the approach of the American administration caused understandable indignation, aggravated by Trump’s trade war “with the whole world” and public criticism of democracy in Europe. Demonstrating the independence of its course has apparently become a matter of principle for Brussels. In addition, the usual dissenters – Hungary and Slovakia – were againg expressing…
Tech debt and complex tech migrations have become major obstacles to successful digital transformations. These challenges stem from the fact that many organizations built their technology infrastructure on legacy systems from a different era. This prevents companies from adopting new technologies that would enable them to respond to fast-changing market trends and customer expectations. To overcome these limitations, many organizations are adopting composable tech stacks—a modern approach to building technology…
The Self-Driving Truck Startup That Siphoned Trade Secrets to Chinese Companiesby Heather Somervillevia Wall Street Journal on May 26, 2025 China’s New Private Economy Promotion Law: Good Intentions Meet Weak Government Accountabilityby Jamie P. Horsleyvia NPC Observer on May 22, 2025 China’s First Law to Promote Private Enterprise: What Does It Mean?by Catherine Tai and Andrew Wilsonvia The Diplomat on May 19, 2025 New Guidelines for Implementing China’s Anti-Foreign Sanctions…
Quick Hits Starting June 19, 2025, employees in Ontario with at least thirteen consecutive weeks of employment will be entitled to an unpaid leave of absence for up to twenty-seven weeks in a fifty-two-week period for serious medical conditions certified by a qualified health practitioner. Effective July 1, 2025, Ontario employers would be required under the amended law to provide new employees with specific employment information in writing before their…
JPMorganChase is a global financial institution with $4 trillion in assets. With over 300,000 employees, the firm has long focused on collecting and leveraging data to better serve its millions of customers and clients. But in 2023, JPMorganChase embarked on a new data transformation journey. McKinsey Senior Partner Kevin Buehler recently sat down with Mark Birkhead, firmwide chief data officer, to hear more about how the firm is leveraging its…
This collaboration is a brilliant example of how the effectiveness of conservation interventions can be assessed quantitatively, even in challenging and complex situations, and how important the participation of on-the-ground practitioners is in initiating, and interpreting, such research.Professor E.J. Milner-Gulland, Department of Biology, University of OxfordThe study analysed data from 11 reserves in the Greater Kruger region of South Africa between 2017 and 2023. This landscape is a critical global…
On June 5, the Valdai Club in Moscow hosted a discussion on the energy policy of the Donald Trump administration. Moderated by Anton Bespalov, the session explored the potential domestic and international implications of the new US president’s energy agenda, which seeks to revise the “green deal.” Konstantin Simonov, CEO of the National Energy Security Fund and head of the political science department at the Financial University under the Government of…
This commentary originally appeared in Fortune. The views expressed are the authors’ own. What do the names H. Ross Perot, Lee Iacocca, Bob Iger, Mark Cuban, Mike Bloomberg, Carly Fiorina, Doug Bergum, Andrew Yang, Tom Styer, Herman Cain, and Howard Schultz all have in common? First, they are prominent businesspeople who have either run for office or considered a presidential candidacy. And second, not one of them is JPMorgan Chase…
Trump is not lying in his decree, talking about the “historical role of the coal industry in the United States.” Indeed, coal once accounted for more than half of the country’s electricity production. However, the newly elected billionaire president is being disingenuous when he points to its current status, since in 2023 coal’s share has fallen to 16% compared to 45% in 2010. The current state of many coal plants…
Quick Hits Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs recently signed Executive Order 2025-09 to enhance worker safety amid rising summer temperatures. The Industrial Commission of Arizona’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health will establish a Workplace Heat Safety Task Force to draft guidelines by the end of 2025. The new guidelines, set to be completed by December 31, 2025, will provide detailed, industry-specific recommendations for managing heat risks in the workplace. Executive…
For businesses to compete effectively and create value, they need to be fast, flexible, and focused on the customer. This has put technology center stage at many businesses and heralds the new dawn of the tech officer as a strategic partner to the business. But what business users and customers see in technology, argues Deb Hall Lefevre, CTO for Starbucks Coffee Company, is often not what matters most in the…
India’s $580 billion to $650 billion agriculture sector is at a strategic juncture. A combination of external tailwinds and internal momentum—driven by factors ranging from structural reforms to digital and technological innovation—has propelled India to emerge as one of the world’s largest and fastest-growing agricultural economies. As agricultural supply chains become increasingly interconnected, India’s scale as an agricultural producer and exporter positions it as a critical player in the shifting…
Quick Hits The Trump administration’s budget proposal seeks to eliminate the OFCCP and transfer enforcement responsibilities for veterans and disability protections to other agencies. Amid the administration’s new labor policies, the DOL has launched an opinion letter program to provide clear guidance on federal labor laws to employers and workers. On May 30, 2025, the DOL released its budget justification for the fiscal year (FY) 2026 federal budget, in which…
The healthcare ecosystem is highly complex, often leaving patients frustrated with their experiences and sometimes unable to access the care they need when they need it. So what can be done? In the latest episode of the McKinsey on Healthcare podcast, senior partner Drew Ungerman, global leader of McKinsey’s social, healthcare, and public sector entities work and global coleader of the McKinsey Health Institute, shares his thoughts on the intersection…
New York is the birthplace of gridlock—of the word “gridlock,” that is, which emerged in the Big Apple in the 1970s. Now, one solution to gridlock is charging vehicles to enter the city center, especially during business hours. Fewer cars, less noise, faster deliveries, less pollution. You may know the solution by the name “congestion pricing.” It’s rooted in economic theory, and there are real-world examples of it working. London,…
On June 4, the Valdai Club in Moscow hosted a discussion on Russia-Pakistan cooperation and the situation in South Asia. Moderator Anton Bespalov called Pakistan one of the most important countries in Eurasia, emphasizing that Russian-Pakistani relations have a long history and have been developing steadily in recent decades, although they still have untapped potential. At the same time, Russia is very concerned about the creeping confrontation between Pakistan and…
Unemployment: the price of stability? Morocco is steeped in a culture of stability which, looking beyond recent events and shocks, seems to be rooted in an older DNA probably related to the country’s political structure and attachment to monarchy. However, as the economy slows, it has become legitimate to wonder whether this attachment to stability – a mark of trust for investors – has in some ways gradually become an…
Machine learning models have seeped into the fabric of our lives, from curating playlists to explaining hard concepts in a few seconds. Beyond convenience, state-of-the-art algorithms are finding their way into modern-day medicine as a powerful potential tool. In one such advance, published June 3 in Cell Systems, Stanford researchers are using machine learning to improve the efficacy and safety of targeted cell and gene therapies by potentially using our…
Some Washington healthcare employers will be subject to new requirements for meal and rest breaks starting next year. Moving forward, under amended RCW 49.12.480, there are new hoops these employers must jump through in order to secure waivers for certain meal and rest break requirements, which means updates to handbook policies and the waiver form. Under the current law, non-exempt hospital employees who are directly involved in patient care or…
Canada is currently facing an erratic and expansive trade disruption with its closest trading partner. The first executive order signed by the President of the United States on Feb. 1, 2025, set out a blanket tariff rate of 10 per cent on all imports from Mexico and Canada. The President has since imposed higher rates on certain goods, including a 25 per cent rate on non-CUSMA compliant Canadian vehicles and…
Generative AI is reshaping society much like Gutenberg’s printing press once did. The printing press democratised knowledge, shifting power from the literate few – primarily monks and the elite – to the masses. Today, GenAI is democratising capability, enabling people and organisations to accomplish tasks previously reserved for experts. Yet, as with every technological revolution, the benefits won't be distributed evenly.The history of technological advancement reveals a consistent pattern: Raw…
The research team, led by the University of Cambridge, used the GPT-4 large language model (LLM) to identify hidden patterns buried in the mountains of scientific literature to identify potential new cancer drugs.To test their approach, the researchers prompted GPT-4 to identify potential new drug combinations that could have a significant impact on a breast cancer cell line commonly used in medical research. They instructed it to avoid standard cancer…
Materials value chains are complex and span the entire globe, and they represent 20 percent of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. To reach net-zero targets, the world is undergoing a materials transition in tandem with the ongoing energy and mobility transitions. Organizations around the world are making net-zero and circularity pledges to support this transition and decarbonize. Increasingly, consumers and governments are championing regulations and policies that promote a circular…
Quick Hits The New York Retail Worker Safety Act took effect June 2, 2025, and requires compliance with workplace violence prevention policies and training. The New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL) released guidance and model templates to help employers comply with the Retail Worker Safety Act. Employees can report violations of the Retail Worker Safety Act through an online complaint form provided by the NYSDOL. NYSDOL Guidance The NYSDOL’s…
L’accès à la justice est reconnu comme étant une valeur fondamentale du système de justice canadien. Dans un pays démocratique comme le nôtre, il s’agit notamment d’une condition indispensable à la confiance du public envers notre système judiciaire. De nos jours, l’accès à la justice est même devenu un enjeu parmi les plus pressants et plusieurs institutions œuvrent activement à en faire la promotion à travers divers programmes et initiatives.…
What’s the best way for a company to talk about a price increase caused by something outside their control? When prices have to go up because of something like a government tariff or a global supply issue, it’s important that customers understand why. People are much more accepting of price changes when they believe the reason is fair and unavoidable. So instead of just saying, “Our prices are increasing,” it…
It’s easy for a start-up culture to survive in a new corporate venture that comprises just a handful of like-minded people. But when corporate ventures grow to hundreds or even thousands of people, the culture can break down. To avoid this outcome, the venture’s leaders can systematically build and maintain a healthy culture that takes the unique corporate context into account. The cost of not doing so can be high.…
The new findings could help complement research complexes such as the Large Hadron Collider at CERN, the largest and highest-energy particle accelerator in the world.‘One of the great hopes for particle colliders like the Large Hadron Collider is that it will generate dark matter particles, but we haven't seen any evidence yet,’ said study co-author Professor Joseph Silk, a researcher at the University of Oxford and an astrophysics professor at…
As states compete to become the preferred jurisdiction for incorporation, Texas has taken a bold step with significant amendments to its Texas Business Organizations Code. Following Delaware’s recent pro-management reforms—prompted by the “DExit” movement criticizing its courts as unfriendly to business— on May 14, 2025 and May 19, 2025, the State of Texas adopted amendments to its Texas Business Organization Code (via Senate Bill 29 and Senate Bill 1057, respectively)…
Not long ago, I was invited to a “brainstorming session” at a high-tech company. The major investor, who had just taken over, wanted my view on what exactly he’d walked into.I expected an intimate, strategic meeting. Instead, I observed a full-scale corporate production. Every senior executive and mid-level manager had been summoned to the company auditorium.The CEO stood on the podium. We were here, he said, to save the company…
According to CEO and Managing Director T. V. Narendran, Tata Steel has been actively pursuing environmental, social, and governance (ESG) ideals since its establishment in 1907. For instance, founder J. N. Tata did not want the company to replicate the problems English laborers experienced during the industrial development of the 1800s, so he built workers’ accommodations close to steel factories. In the 1920s, Tata Steel instituted an eight-hour workday, introduced…
Quick Hits In the EU, pay transparency has been identified as a key obstacle to closing the gender pay gap. Directive (EU) 2023/970 aims to close the gender pay gap and promote fair pay practices by increasing transparency and accountability between employers and employees. The principle of “equal value” will require employers to undertake an evaluation exercise to determine where equivalence of the respective value of roles may exist across…
Europe’s technology ecosystem stands at a turning point. While this ecosystem has matured significantly over the past decade, persistent structural barriers—fragmented markets, conservative corporate norms, and a slower flow of late-stage capital relative to early-stage investment—continue to constrain the region’s ability to scale global champions. However, a rare alignment of geopolitical, regulatory, and technological shifts is creating new momentum and, with it, a window to build global leadership. This report…
In September 2023, a bizarre global seismic signal was observed which appeared every 90 seconds over nine days – and was then repeated a month afterwards. Almost a year later, two scientific studies proposed that the cause of these seismic anomalies were two mega tsunamis which were triggered in the remote Dickson fjord in East Greenland by two major landslides which occurred due to warming of an unnamed glacier. The waves…
Stanford captured its third NCAA title in school history on Sunday morning, highlighted by victories in the second varsity eight and varsity four crews in their respective Grand Finals as racing concluded at Mercer Lake.Stanford, which also claimed NCAA championships in 2009 and 2023, put the finishing touches on an impressive season in which it lived up to its billing as the national championship favorite. The Cardinal totaled 129 points…
Imagine a plant with entirely new abilities – more nutritious food, crops that survive heatwaves, or leaves that grow useful materials. With new ARIA funding Cambridge researchers hope to unlock the technology to fast-track crop development and enhance plants with new qualities, like drought-tolerance to reduce the amount of water they need, or the ability to withstand pests and diseases.Their research has the potential to revolutionise the future of agriculture…
Sustainability is facing increasing resistance. In the United States, President Donald Trump and other political figures have criticised environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards as distractions from economic growth. Similar pushback is surfacing elsewhere, as firms face scrutiny over greenwashing, shifting regulations and the perceived costs of ESG compliance.Despite this climate, many companies are proving that sustainability can drive – instead of dilute – business value. Take the case studies…
Au terme d’une audition contestée, BLG a obtenu la nomination de Raymond Chabot inc. à titre de séquestre aux actifs de 9444-4486 Québec inc., 9444-4494 Québec inc., 9444-4441 Québec inc. et 9444-4445 Québec inc. (collectivement les « Débitrices »)1. Faits Dans la foulée de la pandémie de COVID-19, les Débitrices acquièrent deux résidences pour personnes âgées. Cette transaction est financée par La Banque Toronto-Dominion (la « Banque »). À compter de mai 2023, les…
Michael Friedman, the Suppes Professor of Philosophy of Science, Emeritus, in the Stanford School of Humanities and Sciences, known for studying Immanuel Kant through the lens of the natural sciences, died March 24, 2025. He was 77.Friedman’s lifework explored how philosophy and science interact. He began by grappling with the philosophy of physics and Einstein’s theory of relativity and then turned his attention to Kant, the 18th-century German philosopher famous for…
With an estimated one in three Canadians being affected by a mental illness in their lifetime, mental health challenges can have a significant impact on the Canadian workforce, and it is crucial that employers address these challenges effectively. To help employers deal with these complex issues, BLG’s experienced team of labour and employment lawyers from across Canada — Shelley-Mae Mitchell, Kailey Hubele, Laura Mensch, Jessica Wuergler, Dan Palayew, Kate Agyemang and…