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Offensive Terms to Avoid: What You Say Matters More Than You Think

According to SHRM, 66% of U.S. employees have experienced or witnessed incivility in their workplace. The most common forms include addressing others disrespectfully and interrupting others while they are speaking. Meanwhile, a Deloitte survey reveals that 84% of respondents prioritize improving their well-being, with 74% considering it more important than advancing their career. This underscores the growing emphasis employees place on workplace well-being and respect. Let that sink in: Respect…

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The US retirement industry at a crossroads

The past decade has been exceptionally favorable for US defined contribution (DC) retirement plans. The retirement solutions providers—also known as retirement recordkeepers—that administer DC plans on behalf of various employers have experienced consistent revenue growth over this period, as plans have become more accessible and equity market performance has been strong. Now, things are changing. The retirement industry is approaching a tipping point due to demographic shifts, industry developments, and…

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Mouse study suggests a common diabetes drug may prevent leukaemia

Around 3,100 people are diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) each year in the UK. It is an aggressive form of blood cancer that is very difficult to treat. Thanks to recent advances, individuals at high risk of AML can be identified years in advance using blood tests and blood DNA analysis, but there’s no suitable treatment that can prevent them from developing the disease.In this study, Professor George Vassiliou…

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Extreme drought contributed to barbarian invasion of late Roman Britain, tree-ring study reveals

The ‘Barbarian Conspiracy’ of 367 CE was one of the most severe threats to Rome’s hold on Britain since the Boudiccan revolt three centuries earlier. Contemporary sources indicate that components of the garrison on Hadrian’s wall rebelled and allowed the Picts to attack the Roman province by land and sea. Simultaneously, the Scotti from modern-day Ireland invaded broadly in the west, and Saxons from the continent landed in the south.Senior…

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Talking with Flywire CFO Cosmin Pitigoi

One of the key challenges finance departments face is connecting the various bits of data generated when money moves into or out of the business. This is especially true for small and midsize businesses. Although a profusion of digital payments providers has cropped up to help such companies, many systems generating data from money movement don’t talk to a company’s other systems—at least not well. In this episode of Talking…

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Update on Missouri’s Proposition A: Status of Earned Paid Sick Time Law

Quick Hits Proposition A requires Missouri employers to provide notice by April 15, 2025, summarizing employees’ entitlement to earned paid sick time, starting May 1, 2025. The Supreme Court of Missouri is reviewing a legal challenge to Proposition A that seeks to invalidate the law because it allegedly violates the Missouri Constitution. The Missouri General Assembly—Missouri’s state legislature—is considering multiple bills that would affect the paid sick time benefits provided…

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Building bridges toward career opportunities for millions of Americans

On this page: Opportunity | Solution | Impact 0Kworkforce developmentteam members0.7M people across the US & Canadasupported annually$0Bannual earningsgenerated by 2028 The Opportunity Addressing changing workforce needs The US labor market is rapidly evolving, driven by the rise of automation and AI, changes in federal spending, and demographic shifts including a swiftly growing aging population. The result is a fundamental shift in workforce priorities with the economy likely to see…

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New study reveals how to make prescribed forest fires burn safer and cleaner

Prescribed burns literally fight fire with more fire. Often referred to as a “beneficial fire,” they target areas at risk for wildfires and burn away material that could otherwise fuel a future blaze.However, all fires, whether accidental or planned, produce smoke that can cause health and respiratory issues, especially in nearby communities. Burning fires release harmful chemicals, like polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), that are carcinogenic – PAHs can cause cancer,…

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From the War Against Russia to the War Against China. American vs. Russian ‘Nationalism’

Trump's Foreign and Military Policy  In a series of articles, even before the announcement of Trump's tariffs, we examined the foreign and military policy of the US President.  The contradictions in Trump's policy support the view that his goal, along with the faction of big Capital that has rallied behind him and Mr. Netanyahu, is a strategic retreat. They realise that the West is not capable of achieving the objectives…

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Does the Monroe Doctrine Work Above the Arctic Circle?

Greenland’s liberation from Danish colonial rule would inevitably lead to a new form of dependency. The United States has persistently positioned itself as Greenland’s next protector – a role its people will likely have no choice but to accept. The real question is whether Trump will accelerate this process to achieve his goals before his term ends, writes Valdai Club Programme Director Anton Bespalov. When Donald Trump first proposed purchasing Greenland from Denmark in 2019, many dismissed the idea as absurd.…

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Growing wildflowers on disused urban land can damage bee health

The metals have previously been shown to damage the health of pollinators, which ingest them in nectar as they feed, leading to reduced population sizes and death. Even low nectar metal levels can have long-term effects, by affecting bees’ learning and memory - which impacts their foraging ability.Researchers have found that common plants including white clover and bindweed, which are vital forage for pollinators in cities, can accumulate arsenic, cadmium,…

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New Illinois Labor and Employment–Related Laws Cover E-Verify, ‘Captive Audience Meetings,’ Noncompetition, AI, and More

Quick Hits Illinois Governor Pritzker signed several new labor and employment–related laws into effect, such as “E-Verify Limits Under Right to Privacy in Workplace Act” and the “Worker Freedom of Speech Act.” Amendments to current laws, such as the Illinois Human Rights Act, the Illinois Personnel Review Act, and the Illinois Wage Payment and Collections Act, expand the rights of employees. Most notably, the statute of limitations for actions brought…

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UK Employment Rights Bill: Amendments Employers Should Know

Quick Hits On March 6, 2025, the UK government announced amendments to the Employment Rights Bill, which outlined updates to the bill relating to zero-hours and agency workers, changes to statutory sick pay (SSP), and expanded bereavement leave entitlements. The amended Employment Rights Bill proposes the establishment of a Fair Work Agency with the authority to enforce employment rights and issue underpayment notices, potentially imposing penalties for unpaid wages, holiday…

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How to Make Friends and Influence POTUS

MIT SMR | Getty Images Summary: The rules of corporate influence in Washington are changing dramatically. In President Donald Trump’s second term, power has shifted from Congress to the White House, turning lobbying into a personalized game of presidential access. At the same time, the use of AI tools is transforming lobbying efforts and posing ethical dilemmas. As the lobbying landscape shifts, executives must deal with the current situation with…

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President Trump Orders Closure of the Department of Education: What Schools and EdTech Companies Need to Know About FERPA

Quick Hits FERPA is a federal law that sets out a number of requirements educational institutions that receive federal funding must meet for the protection of student educational records. A recent Executive Order diminishes the federal government’s power to enforce FERPA, heightening concerns that EdTech vendors could use student education data in prohibited ways. However, vendors would do so at their own risk, as the legal landscape surrounding student education…

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Renegotiating terms of employment in light of the U.S. tariff effect: Avoiding constructive dismissal risks

A continuation in our series for Canadian employers addressing the U.S. tariff effect. For more information, check out BLG’s Tariffs and Trade Resource Centre. In the face of the changing economic landscape, employers are confronted with difficult decisions. As the impact of the United States’ tariffs are being felt across Canada, employers are having to take a hard look at their workforces, and search for ways to reduce their labour…

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Market Update 14 April 2025

By Investment Desk | 14 Apr, 2025 The past week has seen yet more swings in financial markets, following Trump’s announcement to postpone most reciprocal tariffs, while simultaneously increasing tariffs on Chinese imports. After an initial rally in equity markets post Trump’s announcement, equity indices have given back a lot of the gains. Global bond markets have not been immune to volatility either, with the benchmark US government 10-year bond…

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Scientists find evidence that overturns theories of the origin of water on Earth

A team of researchers at the University of Oxford have uncovered crucial evidence for the origin of water on Earth. Using a rare type of meteorite, known as an enstatite chondrite, which has a composition analogous to that of the early Earth (4.55 billion years ago), they have found a source of hydrogen which would have been critical for the formation of water molecules.Crucially, they demonstrated that the hydrogen present…

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New analysis of archaeological data reveals how agriculture and governance have shaped wealth inequality

Past societies are often presumed to be egalitarian, but our research shows that high wealth inequality could become entrenched where ecological and political conditions permitted. The emergence of high wealth inequality wasn’t an inevitable result of farming... It emerged where land became a scarce resource that could be monopolised.Professor Amy Bogaard, School of ArchaeologyThe study is published as part of a Special Feature of the Proceedings of the National Academy…

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President Levin expands on university’s guiding principles

President Jonathan Levin elaborated on the principles guiding the university’s approach to ongoing federal policy challenges and announced the launch of a committee to explore expanding the size of the undergraduate class during Thursday’s Faculty Senate meeting.The Faculty Senate adjourned to executive session following the president’s remarks and discussion.Opening remarks on university principlesExpansion of the undergraduate class"},"imageData":null}">p]:su-m-0 [&>p]:!su-mb-0 [&>p]:su-text-16 md:[&>p]:!su-text-19 last-of-type:[&>p]:!su-mb-0 su-p-20 md:su-p-36" readability="9.9642857142857">Texts of President Levin’s remarksIn addressing the…

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Dissecting the Impacts of Trump’s Trade Policy

Beneath the market turmoil, companies with strong defensive strategies significantly outperformed companies that are strong in other factors since the tariff announcement. Regardless of their industries, companies with the lowest risk profiles delivered cumulative returns of approximately 20 percent by the end of March. In other words, the most defensive companies within the technology sector outperformed those in the least defensive technology companies, and the same pattern is repeated across consumer…

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Course offers personal perspectives on cystic fibrosis

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a common hereditary disease, which results in shortened lifespans and symptoms that can make daily life an intense struggle. It is a multi-organ disease caused by a mutation in a gene that controls how salt and water are transported across cells lining many of the cavities of our body, including the lungs, intestines, pancreas, and reproductive organs. Due to mutations in the CFTR gene, people with…

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Matthew Gentzkow named director of Stanford Impact Labs

Stanford University economist Matthew Gentzkow will become the next faculty director of Stanford Impact Labs (SIL), a university-wide accelerator housed in the School of Humanities and Sciences (H&S) that invests in teams of scholars and practitioners co-creating solutions to society’s most pressing problems.“Stanford Impact Labs has shown how the university can support social science research that takes ideas from the seminar room out into the world,” said Stanford President Jonathan…

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Wage and Hour Around the Corner: From Zoom to Room: Staying on Solid Legal Grounds with a Remote Staff or an Office Return

Wage and Hour Around the Corner: From Zoom to Room: Staying on Solid Legal Grounds with a Remote Staff or an Office Return | Wage & Hour Litigation Blog Skip to content

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The fashion industry faces a world in flux

Global trade turmoil, supply chain uncertainty, consumer jitters: 2025 is shaping up to be a challenging year for the fashion industry—and many brands are worried. But in the words of McKinsey Senior Partner Gemma D’Auria, “Yes, there are risks, but there are also opportunities to be captured.” On this episode of The McKinsey Podcast, D’Auria speaks with Global Editorial Director Lucia Rahilly about our latest State of Fashion research, including who’s…

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Navigating tariffs with a geopolitical nerve center

Tariffs and trade controls are expanding rapidly around the world. Macroeconomic uncertainty is growing. Second-order effects of government actions are multiplying.The first global economic shock since the COVID-19 pandemic has arrived. While geopolitical tensions have been rising for several years, the recent wave of trade controls and reciprocal tariffs has come on quickly and intensely. Not since the 1930s has the world seen this level of tariff activity. The impact on businesses…

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Georgia Governor Signs Bill to Strengthen Religious Exercise Protections, but Lawmakers Leave Anti-DEI Bill on the Table

Quick Hits Senate Bill 36, known as the Georgia Religious Freedom Restoration Act, aims to protect the free exercise of religion by imposing a “compelling interest” test for government actions that may burden religious practices. The bill has significant implications for Georgia schools, including state higher education institutions, as Georgia lawmakers seek to align the state with broader federal policies pushed by the Trump administration. Despite being advanced by the…

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The ultimate guide to Microsoft Security at upcoming RSAC 2025

So you just finished watching Microsoft Secure. That means by now, you’ve heard about our new protections for AI and Microsoft Security Copilot agents. These innovations will be the focus of Microsoft Security’s sessions and activities at RSACTM 2025 Conference (RSAC 2025).  The can’t-miss conference is just around the corner. Microsoft Security is bringing an exciting lineup of sessions, expert panels, and exclusive networking opportunities to empower security professionals in the…

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Global Lighthouse voices: A talk with LCFC CEO and Lenovo VP Xiaohui Ding

LCFC, Lenovo’s Hefei factory, was designated as a member of the Global Lighthouse Network in 2023. By accelerating the adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies and committing to R&D and innovation, LCFC has crafted a “peak manufacturing” paradigm, achieving a leap in manufacturing capabilities. In a talk with McKinsey’s Forest Hou, LCFC CEO Xiaohui Ding shares insights into the factory’s digital transformation journey. Highlighting the challenges of managing a highly personalized…

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Two Oxford researchers awarded Quantum Technology Fellowships

The Fellowships are designed to accelerate researchers’ careers and fast track them towards world-leading positions in the future, ensuring the UK maintains its position as a global force in quantum technology. The investment provides an invaluable opportunity to advance their research and innovation, and will provide opportunities to build connections with industry and end-users, reducing the gap between research and commercialisation.Professor Charlotte Deane, EPSRC Executive Chair and a Professor in…

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Former trustees recognized for volunteer service

Two former Stanford trustees, Jeffrey S. Raikes, ’80, and Mindy Basham Rogers, ’84, MBA ’88, are this year’s recipients of the Gold Spike Award, Stanford’s highest annual honor for volunteer service. President Jonathan Levin conferred the awards on March 29 at a dinner held on campus. The Gold Spike Award is presented by Stanford Associates, an honorary organization of Stanford alumni who have demonstrated significant and long-standing volunteer service to the…

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Cambridge research: First global bond index to address fossil fuel expansion

This is a critical – and hugely challenging – moment for climate action. Legal and political pressures have paralysed asset managers and other financial service providers, leading to a recent wave of actors leaving investor climate coalitions. However, asset owners are increasingly seeing the need to take a leadership role in addressing climate change, which threatens the long-term future of their portfolios and the wider economy.That’s why we are delighted…

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India: The promise and possibilities for global companies

India is drawing attention as a global business hub. With a strong talent base, a large pool of consumers, and continuously improving infrastructure, the country offers many opportunities for multinational companies over the next decade. According to one estimate, India could gain up to $0.8 trillion to $1.2 trillion from trade-flow shifts by 2030 and boost the country’s GDP share for manufacturing from 16 percent in 2023 to 25 percent…

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New Maryland Laws—Delay to Paid Family and Medical Leave, Expanded Military Protections, and Parental Leave Clarification

Quick Hits The Maryland General Assembly passed legislation delaying the implementation of the paid family and medical leave insurance (FAMLI) program, with contributions starting on January 1, 2027, and benefits beginning by January 3, 2028. The Employment and Insurance Equality for Service Members Act would expand employment protections to include all uniformed services and reserve components, effective October 1, 2025. Legislation amending the Parental Leave Act to clarify that employers…

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Harmful effects of digital tech – the science ‘needs fixing’, experts argue

Scientific research on the harms of digital technology is stuck in a “failing cycle” that moves too slowly to allow governments and society to hold tech companies to account, according to two leading researchers in a new report published in the journal Science.Dr Amy Orben from the University of Cambridge and Dr J. Nathan Matias from Cornell University say the pace at which new technology is deployed to billions of…

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Cambridge victorious in Women’s and Men’s Boat Races 2025

Cambridge make it eight wins in a row in the Women's Boat Race and claim a third successive victory in the Men's Boat Race. Crews from the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge returned to the famous Championship Course on Sunday 13 April 2025 for a sporting event that boasts nearly 200 years of competition.A great afternoon on the river with all crews making their universities proudVice-Chancellor, Professor Irene…

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Enhancements simplify logistics for research and teaching-related travel

In briefli]:su-m-0">Improved tools and processes are in the works to ease logistics for Stanford travelers.The new Stanford Travel program offers more flexible booking options.The Stanford Travel Connect portal lets users sync airline accounts and book travel directly.A new visitor travel reimbursement process reduces payment processing time.New technology and streamlined administrative procedures are making travel – from field research in remote areas to collaborations in specialized labs – and the related…

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Scientists create ‘metal detector’ to hunt down tumours

In a paper published today in Nature Genetics, scientists at the University of Cambridge and NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre analysed the full DNA sequence of 4,775 tumours from seven types of cancer. They used that data from Genomics England’s 100,000 Genomes Project to create an algorithm capable of identifying tumours with faults in their DNA that makes them easier to treat.The algorithm, called PRRDetect, could one day help doctors…

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Celebrate Diversity With Music: A Playlist for Inclusivity

A few years back, we put together a playlist for inclusivity to play in the office and it quickly became one of our most popular blogs, proving that something as simple as music can strike a big chord (pun intended) as people find solidarity in it. So we thought, why not do it again? April is Diversity Month, and while the calendars are packed with initiatives, trainings, and panel discussions,…

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Russia’s Solidarity with African Countries in the Struggle against Neocolonialism

Neocolonialism is the main means by which Africa is dominated by its former metropolises and other Western countries. By supporting African countries’ struggle against modern neocolonialism, Moscow is returning to the traditions of international solidarity it inherited from the Soviet era, which in some respects were established during an earlier stage of Russian history. Neocolonialism is the main, although not the only form of Western domination in Africa. Not all…

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