Silicon squeeze: AI’s impact on the semiconductor industry

Profitability and growth dynamics in the semiconductor industry have shifted dramatically in recent years. The industry as a whole has experienced impressive economic profit growth, rising from $38 billion in the 2000–09 period to $450 billion in 2010–19, according to McKinsey analysis. In October 2024, the McKinsey Global Institute noted semiconductors as one of 18 industries poised to transform the future business landscape, with anticipated value of between $1.7 trillion and…

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Problems of Civilisational Identity in Contemporary Sub-Saharan Africa

The emergence and evolution of civilizational consciousness and identity in Africa unfold within a context marked by profound identity crises and shifting mentalities, shaped by contemporary sociocultural and political transformations, Elena Kharitonova writes. African history, marked by profound sociocultural, political, and psychological upheavals, brings to the fore the complex issue of identity. These transformations – whether affecting individuals, communities, ethnic groups, or entire civilizations – sharply raise questions of self-determination…

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An inside-out approach to leadership

As our America at 250 series highlights, today’s public sector leaders must navigate choppy seas—and the winds of change may only intensify. For both new and established government leaders, reality may look quite different from the bridge of their ship than from how they imagined it would be based on previous experiences. They must be prepared to learn and adapt. As retired US Navy Admiral Eric Olson notes in McKinsey’s new…

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Federal Judge in New Hampshire Grants Preliminary Injunction Blocking Education Department’s DEI Letter

Quick Hits A federal judge blocked the U.S. Department of Education’s “Dear Colleague Letter” that threatened funding cuts for schools with DEI programs, protecting the plaintiff organizations. The court found the letter vague and a potential infringement of First Amendment rights due to its lack of clear compliance guidelines for schools. The judge noted that the risk of federal funding loss could harm institutions, leading to censorship of DEI discussions.…

  • Post category:Ogletree Deakins
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Règlement sur les paiements et le règlement rapide des différends : espoir de changement sur les chantiers des organismes publics au Québec

Le 23 avril 2025, le gouvernement du Québec a publié dans la Gazette officielle du Québec le nouveau projet de Règlement sur les paiements et le règlement rapide des différends en matière de travaux de construction1 (le « Projet de règlement »). Ce dernier fait suite au Projet pilote visant à faciliter le paiement aux entreprises parties à des contrats publics de travaux de construction ainsi qu’aux sous-contrats qui y sont liés2…

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  • Reading time:17 mins read
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Joel Bervell: The Healthcare Communicator

Howie and Harlan are joined by Joel Bervell, a recent medical school graduate who uses social media platforms to combat misinformation and explain racial biases in healthcare. Harlan discusses his new Wall Street Journal commentary highlighting the link between viral infections and chronic diseases; Howie reports on powerful new evidence for the effectiveness of the HPV vaccine and warns of the dangers of a vaccine-skeptical presidential administration. Links: Viral Infection…

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How CEOs can outcompete by building new B2C businesses

When is a medical-device manufacturer not just a medical-device manufacturer? When it’s also an online marketplace for consumers to buy wellness products and get advice from healthcare providers. Amid unrelenting pressure from digital-first competitors, McKinsey analysis finds that established companies across sectors are increasingly building new business-to-consumer (B2C) businesses to capture their share of the $25 trillion B2C market. B2C business building is gaining traction because the traditional corporate strategy…

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Stanford faculty elected to National Academy of Sciences

The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) announced 120 newly elected members, including seven Stanford University researchers. Scientists are elected to the NAS by their peers “in recognition of their distinguished and continuing achievements in original research.” The NAS provides advice to the United States government on matters related to science, engineering, and health policy. The new members from Stanford are: Shanhui Fan: the Joseph and Hon Mai Goodman Professor and professor of electrical…

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Furtado v. Lloyd’s Underwriters: Relief from forfeiture not available for breach of condition precedent

On March 27, 2025, the Supreme Court of Canada dismissed Mr. Furtado’s application for leave to appeal the Ontario Court of Appeal’s decision, where the  Court of Appeal upheld the denial of coverage under a Directors and Officers liability policy as Mr. Furtado failed to meet a condition precedent under the claims-made and reported policy. Key facts Mr. Furtado, the directing mind of Go-To Developments ("Go-To"), sought coverage under a…

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Missouri Paid Sick Time Law Still Stands After State Supreme Court Ruling

Quick Hits The Supreme Court of Missouri recently upheld Proposition A that raised Missouri’s minimum wage on January 1, 2025, and requires employers provide paid sick time to most Missouri employees, starting May 1, 2025. The court found that the summary statement and fiscal note in the 2024 ballot measure were not misleading and did not result in election irregularities. The court dismissed arguments that the initiative violated the Missouri…

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Breaking down barriers: Ontario pushes for a freer Canadian market

On April 16, 2025, the Government of Ontario announced the most significant unilateral removal of provincial trade barriers in Canada’s history through Bill 2, Protect Ontario Through Free Trade Within Canada Act (Bill 2). In 2023, trade between Ontario and its provincial and territorial counterparts totalled $326 billion. Statistics Canada estimates that impediments to interprovincial trade are equivalent to a 7 per cent ad valorem tariff on goods. The Government…

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The Foreign Income and Gain Regime

By Tahir Mahmood | 25 Apr, 2025 You have packed your bags, said goodbye to the place you have called home for the past ten years, and made the move to the UK, land of drizzle and double-decker buses. Welcome (or welcome back)! HMRC has a shiny new tax regime just for you — and it is called the Foreign Income and Gains regime, or FIG. What Is the FIG…

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Advancing America’s holistic health

Individual and collective health are paramount to productivity, happiness, and overall societal progress in America. Truly enhancing well-being requires adopting an approach to health that adds not only years to life but also life to years. Health is “not merely the absence of disease or infirmity,” according to WHO. Good workplace health involves holistic health, which is an integrated view of an individual’s mental, physical, spiritual, and social functioning. To…

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First indigenous woman to study at Oxford to receive posthumous degree

Pioneering Māori scholar, Mākereti Papakura, will receive a posthumous degree from the University of Oxford nearly 100 years after she began her studies.Born in Aotearoa New Zealand in 1873, Mākereti is believed to be the first indigenous woman to matriculate to the University, and news she would be posthumously awarded the degree of MPhil was announced by the School of Anthropology and Museum Ethnography on Wednesday 30 April.  Pioneering scholarStudio…

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‘Step by step, we’ve made a huge amount of progress’

In the “Research Matters” series, we visit labs across campus to hear directly from Stanford scientists about what they’re working on, how it could advance human health and well-being, and why universities are critical players in the nation’s innovation ecosystem. The following are the researchers’ own words, edited and condensed for clarity.Something like 30 percent of the general population will experience sleep problems in their lifetime. That’s a lot of…

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Canada initiates WTO dispute over U.S. tariffs on automobiles and parts

Canada’s request for consultations On April 3, 2025, Canada initiated dispute settlement proceedings at the World Trade Organization (WTO) by requesting consultations with the United States. The challenge targets the U.S.- imposed tariffs of 25 per cent on automobiles (effective April 3, 2025) and 25 per cent on automobile parts (scheduled to take effect no later than May 3, 2025). These tariffs, Canada argues, violate several provisions of the General…

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Oxford’s Executive MBA ranked world number one by QS

The 2025 QS ranking evaluated 232 leading EMBA programmes worldwide across six key indicators, with an emphasis on global institutional reputation.This year’s record results saw the Oxford Executive MBA programme, which typically represents 38 nationalities from 33 employment sectors, score particularly highly in:At Oxford Saïd, we foster our students in all aspects of their academic journeys and encourage them to approach our learning environment as the intellectual playground that the opportunity symbolises.…

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Diversity Isn’t a Dirty Word: Where We Went Wrong

Earlier this year, I wrote a blog titled “DEI needed if hiring on merit is your goal” in response to Trump’s vow to “create a society that is blind to color and based on merit”. Based on the response I received, it quickly became clear that Trump isn’t the only one who thinks diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) is affirmative action. Somewhere along the way diversity became a dirty word.…

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Future of tech services: Vijay Guntur on unlocking value through AI

Cutting through all the noise about AI, Vijay Guntur, chief technology officer and head of ecosystems at global IT consulting company HCLTech, talks about the inevitable pursuit of ROI and how he sees it not just in financial terms. In a conversation with Abhay Mital, a partner with McKinsey’s Technology, Media & Telecommunications Practice in India, Vijay opens up about deriving value from AI, the challenges of change management, going…

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The enterprising archipelago: Propelling Indonesia’s productivity

At a glance Achieving high-income status by 2045 would require Indonesia to increase productivity growth by 1.6 times. GDP would need to grow at 5.4 percent a year, and productivity would need to play a bigger part—accelerating its growth rate from 3.1 percent a year since 2000 to 4.9 percent because of changing demographics. Other countries that started with comparable per capita GDP achieved high-income status within 15 to 30…

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Hot Topic: Nevada Joins Ranks of States Enforcing Onerous New Heat Illness Rules

Nevada’s sunny and hot summers pose hazards of heat-related illnesses to outdoor workers and non-climate-controlled indoor workers. April 29, 2025 marks a significant milestone for workplace safety in Nevada as the Nevada Occupational Safety and Health Administration (NV OSHA) begins enforcement of its newly adopted heat illness prevention regulation. The regulation, found in Section 618 of the Nevada Administrative Code and approved in November 2024, aims to protect workers from…

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Colorado Bill Would Ban Restrictive Covenants With Healthcare Providers

Quick Hits The Colorado legislature passed a bill to ban noncompete agreements with doctors, physician assistants, dentists, nurses, and midwives. The bill clarifies when noncompetes can be used in the purchase or sale of a business, including the sale of direct and indirect ownership interests. If signed by the governor, the bill will take effect on August 6, 2025. State law permits noncompete agreements and nonsolicitation agreements with certain highly…

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Expert Comment: What might we learn from England’s local elections?

On Thursday 1st May, voters in 23 councils across England will elect their councillors and mayors in the first local elections since the general election last July. There will also be a parliamentary by-election in the Runcorn and Helsby constituency. Professor Jane Green Why do the local elections matter?These elections mark the first test since the general election for new Conservative Leader Kemi Badenoch, the new Labour government, and Nigel…

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What Does Responsible AI Look Like? ‌

In just a few years, AI has transformed how many people draft emails and résumés, compose music, and even share their deepest feelings. It’s also reshaping the economic landscape. Investors are deploying vast amounts of capital to finance data centers and other AI infrastructure; global powers are racing to develop the most sophisticated and cost-effective models; and companies must decide how to utilize a technology with the potential to change…

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Isabel Schnabel: Looking back at PEPP implementation since the end of reinvestments

29 April 2025By Imène Rahmouni-Rousseau and Isabel Schnabel[1]At the end of 2024 – after nearly five years of operations, more than 110,000 bond market transactions and peak holdings of €1.7 trillion – reinvestments under the pandemic emergency purchase programme (PEPP) came to an end. This blog post takes stock and highlights some aspects of PEPP implementation in light of the data we now make publicly available.In March 2020 the ECB…

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Ten physical realities the energy transition must tackle

There has been meaningful momentum toward the energy transition, but a number of forces are creating uncertainty. They include shifting geopolitics, policy uncertainty in many countries, the macroeconomic environment, and rising energy demand from the adoption of artificial intelligence tools, to name a few.But even in the face of these near-term uncertainties, it is important not to lose sight of the core—long-term—challenge at the heart of the transition. The energy…

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False Panics and Failing States: Europe’s Leadership Vacuum

The EU is no longer sustained by peace and prosperity – it’s running on panic. And that panic is destroying the very foundations it once promised to uphold, Kancho Stoychev writes.  Every narrative posing as analysis hides a climax. And every analysis, this one included, is subjective. That doesn’t eliminate the necessity for objectivity. The common refrain, “the European Union is in crisis,” conceals a deeper turning point with two…

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Unlocking Southeast Asia’s secret to thriving organizations

McKinsey research shows that healthy organizations—those with strong performance cultures—consistently outdo their peers. To understand the state of organizational health in Southeast Asia, we analyzed data from more than 200,000 respondents to McKinsey’s Organizational Health Index (OHI) survey, covering nearly 40 companies over a five-year period (see sidebar, “Understanding organizational health”). Overall, we found organizational health in the region to be robust. Many organizations have built thriving cultures, characterized by…

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How Türkiye is transforming into a digital and sustainable manufacturing hub

On this page: Opportunity | Solution | Impact 0K+people trainedin digital & sustainable transformation 0%improvement in productivity0+companiesaccess upskilling & capability building The Opportunity Empowering Turkish manufacturers with innovation The Turkish Employers Association of Metal Industries (MESS) has been a cornerstone of the Turkish economy since it was founded in 1959 to help lead the development of the country’s metal industry. MESS encompasses more than 230,000 employees across major industries, including…

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New research reveals shared genetic link between endometriosis and immune conditions

The new study, of unprecedented scale, examines not only clinical associations, but also for the first time the biological basis for these comorbidities - through genetics. It identifies osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, coeliac disease, and psoriasis among the comorbid conditions significantly linked to endometriosis.These insights not only enhance our understanding of the relationship between endometriosis and immune conditions but also pave the way for better-targeted treatments, the potential for…

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Safer, greener, faster: AI-powered supply chains in action

Logistics companies are striving to improve safety, efficiency, and sustainability. Yet, traditional methods often lack real-time data and insights to drive meaningful change. In this episode of McKinsey Talks Operations, Samsara’s CEO and cofounder, Sanjit Biswas, joins McKinsey’s Renee Jackson to discuss how AI-driven digital solutions are transforming logistics operations, from reducing accidents to optimizing asset utilization. This conversation has been edited for length and clarity. Daphne Luchtenberg: In a…

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Capturing performance opportunities in US state and local governments

State and local governments across the United States confront pressure to reduce costs while meeting residents’ rising expectations. The Trump administration’s actions at the federal level may reduce or even stop federal funding across a range of programs, leaving state and local governments with the dilemma of whether to continue such services or let them sunset. At the same time, the changes originating in Washington, DC, offer many opportunities for…

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PAGA Paraphrased – Williams v. Alacrity Solutions Group, Inc.

Seyfarth Synopsis: PAGA claims brought under pre-reform PAGA must be brought within one year of a Labor Code violation experienced by the plaintiff and because a PAGA claim necessarily has both an individual and a non-individual component, failure to do so warrants dismissal. The Second District affirmed the Superior Court’s dismissal of a PAGA claim where the PAGA notice and lawsuit were both filed more than a year after the…

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Investing in the future: How better mental health benefits everyone

At a glance Despite contributing to a substantial 290 million disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) of the global disease burden, mental health conditions only receive 2 percent of domestic government healthcare funding globally, resulting in an annual funding gap of $200 billion to $350 billion. Scaling known, cost-effective interventions to prevent, treat, and help people recover from mental health conditions (which include mental and substance use disorders) could avert 150 million DALYs…

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America Unfiltered: Can Empathy Bridge Our Greatest Divides?

How can storytelling deepen our understanding of emotional connection in turbulent times? Join Heidi Brooks for a powerful and special episode of Learning Through Experience featuring returning guest Marc Brackett, along with filmmakers Horacio Marquínez and Kirill Myltsev. Together, they explore the extraordinary journey behind their documentary, America Unfiltered: Portraits and Voices of a Nation, a film born out of curiosity, human connection and the transformative power of experience. Listen…

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New study reveals the anatomy of Uturuncu, the “zombie” volcano

Deep in the Central Andes lies Uturuncu, Bolivia’s “zombie” volcano -so called because despite being technically dead (last erupting 250 thousand years ago), it still shows signs of unrest, including earthquakes and plumes of gases. This unrest manifests itself in a “sombrero” pattern of deformation, with the land in the centre of the volcanic system rising up, and surrounding areas sinking down.I am very pleased to be involved in this…

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New Jersey Bill to Eliminate Minimum Wage Tip Credit Will Impact Hospitality Industry

Quick Hits New Jersey Assembly Bill A5433 proposes a five-year phase-out of the tip credit, spanning from 2026 to 2030. The bill would mandate employers pay the full state minimum wage to tipped employees before the addition of tips. Potential consequences include increased labor expenses for businesses, higher prices for consumers, and uncertain effects on the overall income of tipped workers. The tip credit is a legal provision allowing employers…

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Unlocking value: The benefits and challenges of private equity secondaries in Canada

As large institutional investors seek additional tools to manage their portfolios, the Canadian private equity secondaries market has continued to mature. Secondaries offer private equity investors (once dominated by pension funds and other institutional investors), a unique opportunity to access better liquidity, enhance portfolio diversification, and increase potential for higher returns. Furthermore, the rise of private equity access funds - which are directed at high-net-worth investors - has created a…

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Expert Comment: The point of the pope. Why His Holiness matters (even if you’re not a Catholic)

In an age when political leaders chase opinion polls and CEOs worship at the altar of quarterly earnings, a white-robed elderly man exists as an anomaly on the world stage. Elected not by the masses but by a college of cardinals, he answers neither to voters nor to markets but to a higher authority. The pope is spiritual leader to 1.3 billion Catholics, yet he is also somehow more than…

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The first year of the Eurosystem’s new operational framework

25 April 2025By Benjamin Hartung, Tobias Linzert, Imène Rahmouni-Rousseau, Yannik Schneider and Marta Skrzypińska[1]One year after its announcement, the new operational framework is working as intended. Euro area banks have adapted to declining central bank reserves as the Eurosystem's balance sheet is normalising. The ECB Blog assesses how banks and money markets cope with the new environment. The normalisation of monetary policy over recent years has also meant declining amounts…

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