University of Michigan: Consumer Sentiment (UMCSENT)

The Federal Reserve - St. Louis

View an index of the results of the University of Michigan's monthly Survey of Consumers, which is used to estimate future spending and saving. University of Michigan: Consumer Sentiment, University of Michigan: Consumer Sentiment [UMCSENT], retrieved from FRED, Federal Reserve Bank. Access Latest Report

USA Facts Website

USAFacts.org – Steve Balmer, Founder and Former Apple CEO

USAFacts is not-for-profit and nonpartisan. When former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer retired from tech to focus on philanthropy, he searched for solid, reliable, impartial numbers to understand what the US government does with tax dollars to help determine the best way to make an impact. How is the money spent? Who is served? What are the outcomes?

Those numbers weren’t readily available. So, he assembled a small team of economists, writers, and researchers to help comb through government data. Their eye-opening report laid the foundation for USAFacts. Today USAFacts reports are provided free as a resource for the American public and US government alike. Access Website

Tracking Regulatory Changes in the Second Trump Administration

Brookings Institution

As the Trump administration returns to office for a second term with renewed deregulatory ambitions, the executive branch and its agencies are implementing significant policy changes. The Brookings Center on Regulation and Markets Regulatory Tracker (“Reg Tracker”) provides background information and status updates on a curated selection of significant regulatory and deregulatory changes made by the Trump administration.This tracker allows you to monitor a curated selection of new, delayed, and repealed rules, notable guidance and policy revocations, executive actions, and important court battles across key policy areas such as environmental, health, labor, and more.

The Reg Tracker focuses on major regulatory changes implemented under the current Trump administration. Entries we tracked during the Biden administration and during President Trump’s first term can be accessed through the “Biden” or “Trump Term 1” archive checkboxes, respectively. Track Changes

Business Executives' Optimism About U.S. Economy Sinks as Recession Fears Loom, AICPA and CIMA Survey Finds

PR Newswire - Morningstar

• Survey takers with a positive view of the economy fell from 47% last quarter to 27%
• More than half expect U.S. will be in recession by year-end
• Hiring outlook tightens

NEW YORK, June 5, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Business executives' view of the economy continued to sour amid recession fears and uncertainty about tariff impacts, according to the second-quarter AICPA and CIMA Economic Outlook Survey. The survey polls chief executive officers, chief financial officers, controllers and other CPAs in U.S. companies who hold executive and senior management accounting roles.



The high hopes business executives held about the economy immediately after the November election have ebbed dramatically in the past two quarters. Only 27% now hold a favorable view of the U.S. economy over the next 12 months, down from 47% last quarter and 67% at the end of 2024. Read Article

Tech Execs From Companies Chasing Defense Contracts are Now Army Officers. A Watchdog is Calling for an Investigation

Business Insider - Kelsey Baker

• A watchdog is urging the DoD to probe tech execs joining the Army Reserve.
• Concerns have arisen over these executives' potential conflicts of interest.
• Their private employers hold lucrative AI contracts with the Department of Defense.

A watchdog group has called on the Defense Department's Inspector General office to probe whether the recent commissioning of four tech executives as part-time Army officers is in keeping with laws and practices against self-dealing. Read Article

Cleveland-Cliffs Loves Trump Tariffs, Puts Up 'For Sale' Sign

Investors Business Daily – Jed Graham

Cleveland-Cliffs (CLF) topped second-quarter estimates amid cost-cutting and record steel shipments, achieved with an assist from Trump tariffs that depressed imports. CLF stock surged in Monday stock market action, breaking above a key technical level, and has kept on climbing Tuesday.

Steel Dynamics (STLD), which rose modestly in Monday's regular session, fell solidly late on its own weak results. Nucor (NUE), which is set to release Q2 earnings next week, climbed slightly Monday.

Comments from CEO Lourenco Goncalves in Cleveland-Cliffs' earnings statement suggested it was putting up a "For Sale" sign: "Going forward, foreign competitors need to acquire steel capacity within the United States if they want to participate in this desirable market. As a publicly traded America-based company centered on automotive, electrical steels, stainless and plate, Cleveland-Cliffs' assets, business and footprint are uniquely positioned to benefit from this new reality." Read Article

Detroit 3 Automakers Killed Passenger Cars: Big Mistake

IndustryWeek - Warren Browne

Ford, GM and Stellantis were guided by government EV policies that encouraged light trucks. Now, that strategy is outdated.

Imagine sitting in an automotive situation room after understanding that tariff and regulation changes have made vehicle sales growth much less certain. Everybody is nervous. A Detroit 3 boss comes in and says to all the planning types that are sitting around the conference room: “We need volume. Go out and find me a market that sells more than two million units a year. No excuses.’



Heads turn, revealing quizzical faces on the planners waiting for someone to speak. Finally, a voice from the back of the room says, “Boss, that market is right here in the United States. It’s the passenger car market and we have abandoned it.” Boss’s reply: “How did that happen”? Read Article

10 Ways to Tackle the Growing Problem of Unauthorized AI At Work

Human Resource Executive - Laura Lemire and Jim Vana

The rise of artificial intelligence has brought both opportunities and challenges to the workplace. However, a growing trend of employees using free or unauthorized AI tools poses significant risks, from security breaches to the loss of trade secrets. Recent reports indicate that some workers are engaging with AI in ways that are not authorized by the employer, highlighting the importance of establishing policies and protocols that will enable responsible and deliberate adoption and use of AI at work.

How are employees using AI at work?

One report by Ivanti revealed: Read Article

Otto Aviation Plans Jacksonville, Florida, Manufacturing Operations

Area Development - News Desk

Aerospace company Otto Aviation plans to establish production operations in Jacksonville, Florida. The more than $430 million project is expected to create at least 389 jobs.



The investment will include the construction of a new 850,000-square-foot manufacturing facility, located at Cecil Airport, which will produce the company’s Phantom 3500, a fuel-efficient new jet. Read Article

Behind the EV Slowdown

IndustryWeek - Jennifer Ramsay

The bankruptcy filing of the automotive supplier Marelli is just the latest in a downward trend.



For the past few years, there have been articles, reports, and studies on the electric vehicle industry. The conclusions have ranged from the inevitable growth of the industry to its inevitable downfall. In mid-June, $19 billion automotive supplier Marelli filed for bankruptcy, but following its trail reveals it’s only the latest domino to fall.

How Did We Get Here?

In 2023, the first alarm bell sounded as the rate of EV sales growth slowed. In the light-duty sales market, EV sales increased by 109% in 2021, but fell to 39% in 2023, and only 5% in 2024. It’s a small but significant distinction: Cars were still being sold, but the number wasn’t increasing as greatly as the previous year. Read Article

ISM Report: Manufacturing PMI Grows 0.5 Points, Registers 49% in June

IndustryWeek - Anna Smith

Nine out of 15 manufacturing industries reported growth last month.

Marking the fourth consecutive month of contraction, the ISM (Institute for Supply Management) Manufacturing PMI registered 49% in June, indicating contraction at a slower rate when compared to May’s reading of 48.5%.



“Of the five subindexes that directly factor into the Manufacturing PMI, two (production and supplier deliveries) were in expansion territory, up from one in May,” says Susan Spence, chair of the ISM’s manufacturing business survey committee. Anything lower than 50% represents contraction.

The production index grew 4.9 points to 50.3% in June. The new orders and employment indexes contracted at a faster rate, falling to 46.4% and 45.0%, respectively. Read Article

10 Notable Factory Cancellations or Openings in 2025

Manufacturing Dive - Sakshi Udavant

Ford, JetZero, Hyundai, Texas Instruments and TSMC are among the manufacturers to make facility investment news this year. Meanwhile, other companies with renewable energy projects have halted plans.

Major U.S. manufacturing construction projects are in flux this year.



In the first quarter of 2025 alone, 16 clean energy and electric vehicle manufacturing projects worth $8 billion were canceled, according to environmental group E2. In May, that total grew to $15.5 billion and the loss of 12,000 potential jobs. Read Article

Procurement's New Playbook: Understanding Customer Value

IndustryWeek – Ji Li

With factors like trade volatility and crushing cost surges, cost optimization is no longer the end-all, be-all.

The 2025 U.S. Open delivered a master class for golfers and procurement leaders alike. When thunderstorms on June 15 transformed golf's most demanding major into what many called "unplayable", J.J. Spaun didn't just survive—he thrived. While seasoned champions faltered in the chaos, Spaun seized his moment with a simple philosophy: "Perseverance… I've always battled through whatever it may be to get to where I needed to be."

His victory wasn't luck. It was strategic adaptation to seize the opportunity at the most difficult moment.



Procurement’s Own Perfect Storm

Today's procurement leaders face their own impossible conditions. After a crushing 28% cumulative cost surge from 2020 to 2024 (U.S. BLS Producer Price Index), businesses now navigate U.S. tariffs, trade volatility and unprecedented margin pressures. Yet 74% of executive leaders are placing even greater emphasis on cost optimization today than in 2024 (Gartner). Read Article

Yes, Manufacturing Matters.

IndustryWeek - Scott Paul

The economic development factories bring is why at both national and global levels we’re awash in industrial policies trying to induce it.

The Trump administration has identified reindustrialization as an economic priority and is betting on a mix of tax reform, deregulation and a heavy tariff hand to achieve it. One of those tools, the tariffs, regularly comes under lots of criticism. But the criticism often extends to the effort itself. Because, the detractors ask, who wants to work in a factory anyway?



“You’re sitting on a line, assembling things, like Laverne and Shirley putting bottle caps on bottles,” said the CEO of a California toy company that imports its products. “Do most Americans want to sew tiny little skirts a thousand times a day?” Read Article

UPS Driver Buyout Offers: Carrier Eyes Aug. 31 Start to Separations

Supply Chain Dive - Max Garland, Senior Reporter

The payout will equal $1,800 per year of service with a $10,000 minimum as the delivery giant looks to streamline its network.

Dive Brief:

• UPS is offering voluntary buyouts to its full-time U.S. drivers amounting to $1,800 per year of service, with a minimum payout of $10,000, according to an announcement from the carrier Friday.
• Interested drivers must apply for the program between July 18 and July 31, according to a UPS employee communication viewed by Supply Chain Dive. Applicants will be considered for separation dates between Aug. 31 and Oct. 31 “based on the local needs of the business.”
• “If the maximum number of applications is exceeded, approvals will be granted in seniority order,” the communication said. “Additional applications may be considered for separation dates between Feb. 1, 2026, and March 31, 2026.” Read Article

Manufacturing Purgatory and the 'Unknown Unknowns'

IndustryWeek - Stephen Gold

How can a time-tested military strategy help executives navigate the highest economic uncertainty in three decades?

Roughly a quarter century ago, during the Iraq War, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld shed some light on how military leaders manage uncertainty. In what became his most memorable analysis—he even titled his memoir after it—Rumsfeld sorted military intel into categories: There are “known knowns,” things we are aware of and can plan for. There are “known unknowns,” things we know exist but can’t yet fully comprehend their impact. And there are “unknown unknowns,” the things we are unaware of and cannot predict.

Guess which category is currently driving—or, perhaps more aptly, pausing—manufacturing leaders’ business strategies? Pat yourself on the back if you checked the “unknown unknowns” box. Nothing leads more to greater uncertainty, to a deer-in-the-headlights reaction, than fear of the unknown. There is, after all, no way to easily plan for events that are unanticipated, much less inconceivable. Read Article

Tariffs, Talent, and U.S. Expansion

Area Development - Hector Ibarra, Associated Professional; Azad Khan, Consultant; Sven Gerzer, Consultant on Parker Poe’s Business Expansion + Location Solutions Team

International executives reveal what’s driving their U.S. site decisions amid policy changes and workforce pressure.

Access to a qualified workforce, proximity to customers, unique real estate solutions, immigration hurdles, cultural fit, and yes — tariffs — are on the minds of executives considering foreign direct investment (FDI) in the U.S. right now.



Those takeaways come from recent conversations we have had with dozens of business leaders from around the globe, including at the SelectUSA Investment Summit in Washington, D.C. Hosted by the U.S. Department of Commerce, the summit brought together more than 5,500 professionals from over 100 international markets. (Our Business Expansion + Location Solutions team has a long history of helping executives explore U.S. investment opportunities at SelectUSA.)

Tariffs Create Both Hesitation and Urgency

You will not be surprised to hear that tariffs were a frequent topic of conversation. Read Article

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Citing Tariffs, Marelli Files for Bankruptcy and Owes Millions to Stellantis, Nissan

Detroit Free Press

Marelli, a key supplier for automakers like Nissan and Stellantis, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on June 11.

Marelli manufactures an array of products for automakers, including lighting systems, interior displays, and exhaust equipment.

Marelli secured funding to continue paying employees and suppliers as it restructures.



Marelli, a Tier 1 automotive supplier with offices across the world, including several in metro Detroit, blamed tariffs and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy this week in U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. Read Article

CFOs, Investors Diverge on Near-term Economic Prospects

CFO.com - Dan Niepow, Reporter

A new survey by New York consulting firm Teneo shows marked differences in opinion about economic conditions over the rest of the year.

Finance chiefs and investors appear to be at odds over the fate of the global economy in the near term.



In a survey released Tuesday by New York-based consulting firm Teneo, over three-quarters of investors said they expect economic conditions to improve in the second half of 2025. That compares to just 43% of CFOs who hold the same view. Read Article

US Economy Contracts More Than Estimated in First Quarter: Govt

IndustryWeek Agence France-Presse

The president's changes in tariff policy have roiled financial markets, snarled supply chains and dragged on consumer sentiment.

The U.S. economy contracted more than previously estimated in the first three months this year, according to government data released Thursday, with consumer spending and exports weaker than expected.



U.S. GDP decreased at an annual rate of 0.5% in the first quarter, according to the Department of Commerce.

This was down from an earlier estimate of a 0.2% decline, and lower than the 2.4% increase in the fourth quarter last year. Read Article

Opinion: Nursing Homes May Start Sedating Your Elderly Parents — and, Eventually, You — Because They Don’t Have Enough Workers

MarketWatch – Brett Arends

Staffing levels ‘significantly impact’ the use of antipsychotic medication, new research has found.



About 24,000 additional nursing-home residents will be sedated just to keep them under control as a result of the defeat of the Biden administration’s staffing mandate, new research says.

The chances of your parent or grandparent being subject to so-called “chemical restraint” by nursing-home staff is about 10% higher than it would have been if the staffing mandate had survived, according to the analysis just published by the Pension Research Council at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business. Read Article

The ‘Sandwich Generation’ Presents a Growing Caregiving Crisis for HR

Human Resource Executive - Jen Colletta

America’s sandwich generation caregivers—adults simultaneously caring for children and aging loved ones—are nothing new. What is novel is the context in which this caregiving is being delivered and the sheer volume of Americans taking on this role, experts say. Without stronger support from employers, they predict, both employees and organizations are going to suffer in the coming years.

According to Pew Research Center, about 54% of Americans in their 40s—prime working age—have a dependent child and a living parent over the age of 65. AARP puts the total number of American caregivers at about 53 million—a figure that has grown by more than 20% in the last five years.



That sandwich generation is about to get a lot bigger, and employers aren’t prepared, says Seth Sternberg, CEO of Honor, the operator of the world’s largest in-home care network. Read Article

Well-timed or Just Lucky? Top Trump Officials' Stock Sales Clustered Before Tariff News

USA Today - Suhail Bhat, Ramon Padilla

Several top Trump administration officials sold off stock market holdings in the days leading up to the president’s announcements of sweeping tariffs that sparked fears of a global trade war and rattled financial markets. 



Sales by top officials, including Cabinet members, their deputies and senior White House officials were clustered in two 10-day periods leading up to President Donald Trump's major tariff announcements Feb. 13 and April 2, according to a USA TODAY analysis of 20 officials’ publicly available transaction forms. Of the stock and stock fund sales administration officials reported between Jan. 20 and April 30, 90% fell within 10 days of the tariff announcements. Read Article

Private Equity Wants In on Your 401(k). What You Need to Know Before Investing

CNN - Jeanne Sahadi

Chances are very good that your 401(k) does not currently offer you access to private equity investments, which, as the name implies, are investments in companies that are not publicly traded.

The question is, will that change in the next few years? And, if it does, is it worth it for you to invest?



Large company pension plans and university endowments — both of which have very long time horizons — have invested for years in private equity and private debt funds. But 401(k)s typically haven’t offered those options to plan participants. In November 2024, only 2.4% of 401(k) sponsors said they added a private equity investment option to their plan, according to a weekly poll question from the Plan Sponsor Council of America. Read Article

Crypto Thought They Bought Congress. They Bought a Headache.

Better Markets – The American Prospect

The industry thought it had its legislative wish list on track for passage. Then it all got mired in a fight over credit card swipe fees.

When we last left the bill known as the GENIUS Act, the fix appeared to be in. The crypto industry had spent millions in the 2024 elections to get a friendly regulatory regime, and GENIUS, which would sanction stablecoins and enable Big Tech firms to issue their own private currencies, was the opening salvo in a broad restructuring of the financial system to suit their ends. There was a minor hiccup in the form of Donald Trump’s orgy of crypto corruption, including a new Trump-issued stablecoin, which made it difficult for Democrats to effectively bless crypto’s codification. But they found a work-around, by pretending to fight Trump’s corruption with an amendment blocking presidents from issuing crypto assets that was designed to fail, after which they would happily sign on to the bill.

That’s where we were headed. A motion to advance the GENIUS Act passed, with 16 Democrats joining nearly all Republicans. And final passage, after the amendments were disposed with, was scheduled to happen last week.



It did not. Read and Hear Article

Inside the Finance Exodus to Florida

Bloomberg

There's been a migration of financial powerbrokers to South Florida in recent years, drawn by the weather, light regulation and low taxes. It’s hard to imagine the capital of finance leaving New York, but Wall Street South is getting bigger every day. See Video Report

9 Takeaways for CFOs From the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill Act’

CFO.com - Adam Zaki, Reporter

Sweeping supply-side tax cuts are now law, bringing immediate reporting impacts and long-term planning questions for finance chiefs.

President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed on July 4, delivers one of the most aggressive supply-side tax provisions in recent history. The legislation revives full expensing for research and development, expands interest deductibility, makes key small-business tax breaks permanent, and introduces individual income tax deductions aimed at shifting workforce expectations and sentiment in the service sector.



For CFOs, the law brings immediate reporting impacts, complex balance sheet adjustments and compensation-related planning challenges that may play out in Q3 and beyond. As Joseph Perry, national tax leader at CBIZ, put it in an interview with CFO.com, “We are still unpacking the recently enacted law to identify further opportunities and how to navigate some of the pitfalls.” Read Article

Non-US Firms are Shrewd Accounting Standards Shoppers

CFO Dive - Maura Webber Sadovi, Senior Editor

Since 2007 more foreign private issuers have opted to use IFRS accounting standards when filing U.S. financial reports, a Hebrew University of Jerusalem study found.

When choosing whether to use U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles or International Financial Reporting Standards to file financial reports, many non-U.S. companies listed on U.S. stock exchanges are shrewd shoppers, according to a recent study from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.



“This research shows that accounting regime selection is not merely a matter of regulatory compliance,” the lead researcher Dr. Heylel-li Biton of the Hebrew University Business School said in a July 2 release on the findings that were published in The International Journal of Accounting. “It reflects calculated decisions by firms to align their financial reporting with operational goals and cost structures.” Read Article

Tariffs, Meat to Drive Inflation, Conagra CFO Says

CFO Dive - Maura Webber Sadovi, Senior Editor

The food-and-snack maker’s CEO Sean Connolly said tariff-related costs could add more than $200 million annually to the company’s cost of goods sold.



Dive Brief:

• Chicago-based Conagra Brands is forecasting cost of goods sold inflation to remain elevated in fiscal 2026, with a 4% core inflation rate combining with a 3% rise due to tariffs bringing the total COG inflation to about 7%, according to the company’s Thursday earnings release. The company’s fiscal year kicked off on May 26. 
• While the food-and-snacks company characterized the tariff situation as “fluid,” its guidance expects a 50% tariff rate on imported tin plate steel and aluminum, a 30% rate on limited imports from China and a 10% reciprocal rate on imports from certain other unnamed countries, according to the release. Currently, tariffs are expected to add more than $200 million annually to COGs, CEO Sean Connolly said, according to a transcript of a conference call Thursday morning.
• Asked to detail the drivers of the core inflation, Conagra CFO Dave Marberger said animal proteins such as beef, chicken, pork, eggs and turkey had the “single biggest impact,” with the costs expected to be “inflating double digits” in fiscal 2026 based on current estimates. Read Article

I Asked ChatGPT What Would Happen If Billionaires Paid Taxes at the Same Rate as the Middle Class

GoBankingRates - Laura Beck, Molly Sullivan Editor

Taxes can get you thinking about fairness. For instance, when I’m calculating deductions on my salary and watching a decent chunk go to Uncle Sam, I can’t help but wonder: What if the ultra-wealthy paid the same percentage of their income in taxes that regular people do?



So I decided to ask ChatGPT a simple question: “What would happen if billionaires paid taxes at the same rate as the middle class?” The AI’s response was more nuanced than I expected — and revealed some surprising truths about how our tax system really works. Read Article

US Corporate Bankruptcies Hit 15-year H1 High: S&P

CFO Dive - Maura Webber Sadovi, Senior Editor

The petition volume this year through June is on pace to make 2025 one of the busiest years for bankruptcy filings in over a decade, according to an S&P Global report.

Dive Brief:

• The total number of larger U.S. corporate bankruptcy petitions filed this year through June rose to 371, up about 11% from 335 in the year-earlier period, according to a report from S&P Global, which tracks companies with public debt and assets or liabilities of at least $2 million or private companies with assets or liabilities of at least $10 million at the time of filing.
• That volume is the highest for the first half of the year since 2010, which saw 468 petitions, and signals that 2025 could be one of the busiest years for bankruptcy filings in over a decade, according to the report.
• “Corporate liquidity has largely worsened in 2025 as debt levels for many companies have risen and the U.S. Federal Reserve is poised to hold benchmark interest rates at their current level through the summer. Consumer spending, meanwhile, is straining under the weight of a cooling job market, inflation still above monetary policymakers’ targets and the Trump administration’s tariffs,” S&P states in the report. Read Article

Elon Musk’s $9B Neuralink Told Federal Government It’s a ‘Small, Disadvantaged Business’

The Independent - Katie Hawkinson

The company hopes to give 20 to 30 people brain implants by the end of the year

Elon Musk’s $9 billion brain chip company identified itself as a “Small Disadvantaged Business” in a filing to the federal government.



Musk, the world’s richest man, co-founded Neuralink in 2016. The company works to develop brain chips that allow people to manipulate computers and other technology just by thinking.

The company’s profile with the Small Business Administration was last updated on April 27. The agency’s website says the business attested that it was a Small Disadvantaged Business, according to a first report by the Substack Muskwatch. The company attested to this “when registering with SAM.gov.” The SBA says it did not vet this self-certification. Read Article

Popular Crypto Site Pump.fun Raised $600 Million in 12 Minutes—a Sign a Notorious Era is Back

Fortune - Ben Weiss, Crypto Reporter

Eye-watering crypto raises are back. On Saturday, Pump.fun, a popular website that lets anyone launch and buy memecoins, raised $600 million in 12 minutes through a public sale of its cryptocurrency. And it drummed up $720 million through private sales of the company’s tokens, according to a spokesperson. In total, Pump.fun is sitting on a stash of about $1.3 billion.

That’s big money, and arguably the largest crypto fundraise of 2025. But how Pump.fun raised money was also extraordinary. Any small-time trader—though not those in the U.S., U.K, and countries like Iran—could get in on the action through the public sale after verifying their identity. That’s a far cry from the last five years of crypto, when a harsher regulatory climate restricted the first-time sale of tokens almost exclusively to wealthy investors.



Pump.fun’s token offering is a novel development in the current crypto environment. But it was also a throwback to a more free-wheeling era nearly ten years ago when everyone and their mother (quite literally) were launching their own cryptocurrencies to the public to raise millions. Those offerings, known as initial coin offerings or ICOs, gave rise to some of the most famous projects in crypto—but also a torrent of fly-by-night offerings and outright scams. Does the Pump.fun sale mean ICOs are back? Read Article

Businesses Get More Predictable Tax Runway: EY

CFO Dive - Maura Webber Sadovi, Senior Editor

Many companies are still “running the numbers” to determine how Trump’s budget will effect their bottom line, it ushers in a period of “relative tax certainty,” EY’s Adam Francis says.

Many businesses are still busy running the numbers to determine exactly how their bottom line will be impacted by the tax and spending legislation signed into law by President Donald Trump early this month.



Wherever the calculations land, there is a component to the president’s budget that ushers in a more predictable runway for corporate tax planning, Ernst & Young’s Adam Francis, a principal at the Big Four firm’s Washington Council who focuses on tax policy, told CFO Dive. Read Article

Why the U.S. Imports Oil It Doesn’t Need & How We All Pay the Price

MSN News – Moon

Why does the U.S. import millions of barrels of oil while sitting on vast domestic reserves? This eye-opening exposé uncovers the truth behind America's energy policy, revealing how outdated refinery infrastructure and elite interests shape the oil trade - and how it connects to your shrinking grocery budget. See Video

How Doctors Helped Tank Universal Health Care

NPR Planet Money - Sally Helm, Adrian Ma, Cooper Katz McKim, Ben Dickstein, Kate Concannon

When Harry Truman became U.S. President in 1948, he was a proponent for government-sponsored health insurance for all.



A debate has been raging over universal health care in the U.S. since the 1940s. Back then, a formidable opponent emerged to dump a lot of money into ensuring it wouldn't happen. That opponent was doctors. Today on the show, Sally Helm, a Planet Money reporter, comes to us in her capacity as the host of HISTORY This Week to detail how doctors helped tank single pay healthcare back then and the role communism played in the fight. Listen to Interview

Behind the Tariff Dilemma: Kalecki on Structuralist Development Policy

Institute for New Economic Thinking - Jan Toporowski

The speed with which tariffs have become the instrument of choice in international trade diplomacy has brought dismay to those politicians and commentators who thought that ‘globalization’ had become established as the one true (and efficient) system of commercial intercourse between nations. The turn to tariffs might also have brought comfort to many progressive development economists from the last generation, who regard free trade and global integration of credit markets as obstacles to the industrialisation of developing countries through import-substitution behind tariff barriers and restrictions on imports. Partisans of such development strategies need not look far for confirmation of the link between trade controls and industrial advance. The very motivation behind the tariff policy of the United States is patently the reindustrialisation of the US, whose rust-belt gifted Donald Trump his second term in office.



The ‘structuralist’ development economists, from the 1950s onwards, had a more sophisticated and critical view of the institutional obstacles to machine production in less developed countries. They correctly identified the control of markets for manufactured goods, from cars to televisions, by oligarchies of producers in the developed world, as key barriers to obtaining the economies of scale required by industrial production. Read Article

America’s Broken Union System

Institute fir New Economic Thinking - Ruth Milkman

Union membership is at its lowest level in a century. Why, despite viral organizing campaigns at Amazon and Starbucks, has union density flatlined?

Ruth Milkman traces the decline of American unions since the 1980s, explains the strategies of employers, and explores the “power resource” theory of what really gives workers leverage—or leaves them powerless. She highlights how a generation radicalized by the 2008 crisis and pandemic is driving new efforts to organize—but also why, without large-scale movements or changes in the law, these efforts alone can’t reverse decades of decline.



Milkman discusses Amazon’s delays, Starbucks’ stalling, the power of symbolic actions, and why a tight labor market has opened a window for organizing—but maybe not for lasting change. See Interview

AI, Antitrust & Privacy: When More Competition Makes Things Worse

Institute for New Economic Thinking - Maurice Stucke

Without strong privacy laws and aligned incentives, increased AI competition worsens surveillance, manipulation, and disinformation—threatening privacy, autonomy, and democracy.



To remain competitive, Amazon’s CEO warned, firms must leverage generative AI models in their customer experiences. The pace of this competitive race in successfully leveraging AI in their businesses will be faster than what many might think: “It’s moving faster than almost anything technology has ever seen,” observed Andy Jassy. Read Article

Trade Agreements: The Export Myth That Masked a National Giveaway

Coaltion for a Prosperous America - Andrew Rechenberg

KEY POINTS

• Free trade agreements delivered negligible economic gains: All U.S. trade deals through 2017 increased exports by only 1.6%, while imports surged 3.4%.
• China and NAFTA caused massive U.S. job losses: Between 1999 and 2011, trade from China displaced 2.0 to 2.4 million jobs, while NAFTA led to a net loss of 1.02 million jobs from 1993 to 2004.
• Exports play a minor role in the U.S. economy: Exports make up just 11% of U.S. GDP, while 89% of economic activity comes from domestic demand—yet trade policy continues to prioritize foreign markets.
• Trade benefits are captured by multinationals, not small businesses: The top 1% of U.S. trading firms—about 2,000 companies—account for over 80% of trade, and 90% of them are also major importers.
• Trade liberalization contributed to historic inequality: From 1979 to 2021, the top 0.01% saw income grow 27× faster than the bottom 20%, while the bottom 90% lost $47 trillion in income to upward redistribution since 1975.

For decades, U.S. politicians have sold free trade agreements as a beacon of prosperity for the American economy. The logic was tidy: “Most of the world’s consumers live outside the U.S.—so if we open foreign markets, prosperity will follow.” On paper, it sounded plausible. But in practice, it became one of the most costly economic miscalculations in our modern history. Read Article

Germany's Business Elite and the Illusion of Meritocracy

DeutscheWelle - Insa Wrede

Germany sees itself as a meritocracy, meaning that, if you work hard, you can make it to the top. But — considering who generally sits in executive suites and how they often get there — that idea is increasingly in doubt

Birds of a feather flock together is still the rule in Germany's excecutive circlesImage: Will Oliver/epa/dpa/picture alliance

What determines who holds power in the boardrooms of Germany's biggest companies? Is it performance? Or do factors such as social background play a bigger role?

The sociologist Michael Hartmann, an emeritus professor at Darmstadt University of Technology, has studied Germany's executive class as it evolved over the past 150 years, trying to figure out who ends up in top corporate positions and why.

Hartmann told DW that the results surprised him. "To this day, more than four-fifths of Germany's economic elite come from the top three to four percent of the population," he said. Read Article

Economic Documentaries for Our Time

Two American Families 1991-2024

PBS – Frontline, Bill Moyers

It’s a central premise of the American dream: If you’re willing to work hard, you’ll be able to make a living and build a better life for your children.

But what if working hard isn’t enough to get ahead — or even to ensure your family’s basic financial stability?



Two American Families: 1991-2024, a special, two-hour documentary filmed over more than 30 years, is a portrait of perseverance from FRONTLINE, Bill Moyers, and filmmakers Tom Casciato and Kathleen Hughes that raises unsettling questions about the changing nature of the American economy and the impact on people struggling to make a living. See Video

The World’s Real-Time Billionaires List - Today’s Winners and Losers: Reflects Changes Since 5pm EST of Prior Trading Day

Forbes

Forbes' Real-Time Billionaires rankings tracks the daily ups and downs of the world’s richest people. The wealth-tracking platform provides ongoing updates on the net worth and ranking of each individual confirmed by Forbes to be a billionaire. The value of individuals’ public holdings are updated every 5 minutes when respective stock markets are open (there will be a 15-minute delay for stock prices). Individuals whose fortunes are significantly tied to private companies will have their net worths updated once a day. In cases where an individual owns a stake in a private company that accounts for 20% or more of his or her net worth, the value of the company will be adjusted according to an industry- or region-specific market index provided by our partners at FactSet

Research Systems when available. A rotating cast of the five biggest winners and losers throughout the day is featured at the top of the page, followed by the complete list of billionaires ranked in order of net worth. Visit List

The Classroom

Inequality Media- Robert Rich, Former US Labor Secretary

My name is Robert Reich. I’m a former secretary of labor and UC Berkeley professor of public policy. I designed this course to give students — and now, you — a deeper understanding of why inequalities of income and wealth have widened significantly over the last 40 years in the United States, and their consequences.

Even though this isn’t a real classroom and I’m not with you in person, I hope you find this both enjoyable and challenging. Don’t expect to learn by just watching and listening, though. I want you to be an active learner — which means answering questions I pose and putting various puzzle pieces together. I’m not going to tell you what to think. I’m going to try to provoke you into thinking harder and more deeply. Watch Video Classroom Series

Trump Imposes 17% Tariff on Mexican Tomatoes

BBC News - Vanessa Buschschlüter

Around 70% of tomatoes consumed in the US come from Mexico, a trade body says

The US is imposing a 17% tariff on most tomatoes imported from Mexico with immediate effect, the government said.

The duty came into force after the US withdrew from a long-standing agreement with its southern neighbour, arguing that the deal "had failed to protect US tomato growers from unfairly priced Mexican imports".

US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick said that "for far too long our farmers have been crushed by unfair trade practices that undercut pricing on produce like tomatoes".  Read Article

Argentina's Milei Told to 'Grow Up' by VP in Spat Over Pensions

BBC News - Vanessa Buschschlüter

Javier Milei and his vice-president, Victoria Villarruel, have been at loggerheads



Argentine President Javier Milei and his vice-president, Victoria Villarruel, have engaged in a bitter public war of words over plans to increase pensions.

Milei shared posts on X in which his running mate had been called "stupid" and described as "a traitor", and in response Villarruel told the president to "grow up".

The president's anger was triggered by a heavy defeat in Congress on Thursday, when the Senate approved motions aimed at boosting pensions and increasing disability allowances - which Milei had vehemently opposed. Read Article

The Deepening Water Shortage Row Between the US and Mexico

BBC News - Will Grant

Water levels in Lake Toronto, a reservoir in the north of Mexico, are said to be critically low

After the thirtieth consecutive month without rain, the townsfolk of San Francisco de Conchos in the northern Mexican state of Chihuahua gather to plead for divine intervention.

On the shores of Lake Toronto, the reservoir behind the state's most important dam – called La Boquilla, a priest leads local farmers on horseback and their families in prayer, the stony ground beneath their feet once part of the lakebed before the waters receded to today's critically low levels. Read Article

Why is Trump Targeting Brazil - and Will it Backfire for Bolsonaro?

BBC News - Caio Quero, BBC Brasil editor

US President Donald Trump and Jair Bolsonaro, his former counterpart in Brazil, have a closer relationship.

A message from US President Donald Trump on Wednesday landed like a grenade in Brazil, bringing the relationship between the two countries to an all-time low.

Trump pledged to impose tariffs on Brazil at a rate as high as 50%. He accused the country of "attacks" on US tech companies and of conducting a "witch hunt" against the far-right former President Jair Bolsonaro, a longstanding ally who is facing prosecution over his alleged role in a plot to overturn the 2022 Brazilian election.

The move follows a fresh round of political sparring between Trump and the current Brazilian president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. It further strained a relationship that was already tense. Read Article

Irish Fiscal Advisory Council Report Raises Concerns About US Trade Tensions

CFO.com - Dan Niepow, Reporter

Though the island nation is set to rake in billions of euros’ worth of revenue from corporate taxes paid by foreign multinationals, trade tensions spell uncertainty.

About 75% of Ireland’s corporate tax revenue depends on U.S. companies, according to the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council.

A new report from Ireland’s fiscal watchdog projects continued surpluses for the island nation but raises warnings about the country’s dependence on “volatile” corporate taxes paid by multinational firms, many of whom are American companies, amid rising trade tensions.

In a report released Tuesday by the independent Irish Fiscal Advisory Council, officials noted that without revenue from corporate taxes, Ireland would face a “substantial debt” to the tune of €5 billion in 2025. Read Article

Far-right Parties Surge Across Europe

DeutscheWelle - Christoph Hasselbach

While the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party continues to be isolated in the German political scene, similar populist parties are gaining momentum in other EU countries.

Germany's domestic intelligence agency, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), has classified the Alternative for Germany (AfD) as "confirmed right-wing extremist." Germany's other political parties want mostly nothing to do with it. Some politicians have even called for it to be banned. What does the situation look like in the rest of Europe?

The Netherlands: Partij voor de Vrijheid

Geert Wilders' Party for Freedom (PVV) recently caused the four-party coalition that it led to collapse because it had not cracked down hard enough on migration in its view. "I proposed a plan to close the borders for asylum-seekers, to send them away, to shut asylum shelters. I demanded coalition partners sign up to that, which they didn't," Wilders told reporters. "I signed up for the strictest asylum policies, not for the demise of the Netherlands." Read Article

Canadian Travel to the U.S. Plummets — But Americans are Staying Home, Too

CBC News - John Paul Tasker

U.S. visitors slid by 10% in June amid Trump tension: StatsCan

It's not just Canadians who are holding back on cross-border travel amid a U.S. trade war that has soured bilateral relations.

The number of Americans coming to Canada is also dropping off. New data published by Statistics Canada Thursday shows a 10.4 per cent decline in U.S. resident trips by automobile in June — a steeper drop than what was registered the month before.

According to the federal agency, 1.4 million Americans made the trip north by auto last month, compared to roughly 1.56 million who did the same last year. That decline has political and business leaders on the Canadian side of the 49th parallel concerned given how much these visitors spend when they come. Read Article

EU Walks Trade Tightrope as US-China Rivalry Intensifies

DeutscheWelle - Dang Yuan

Can the EU still trust the US after President Donald Trump's latest tariff threat? And can it risk closer ties with China?

Last week, China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit in Kuala Lumpur. 

The meeting between two top diplomats is especially noteworthy because Rubio has been officially sanctioned by Beijing.

Before he was tapped by President Donald Trump to become US secretary of state, Rubio had served in the US Senate, where he was a member of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China. Read Article

Why are Malaysia and Indonesia Boosting Ties with Russia?

DeutscheWelle - David Hutt

The leaders of Malaysia and Indonesia have warm words for President Putin, while seeking to expand trade and business with Russia. What's the backstory?

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto skipped a G7 summit last month to visit Russia, where he and his counterpart, Vladimir Putin, agreed that bilateral ties are "getting stronger again."

"My meeting with President Putin today was intense, warm and productive. In all fields of economics, technical cooperation, trade, investment, and agriculture, they all have experienced significant improvements," Prabowo's office said in a statement after the visit. Read Article

China's Economy Grows 5.2% in Q2 Despite US Tariffs

DeutscheWelle - Shakeel Sobhan with Reuters, dpa

This year's first-half growth was boosted by government stimulus and a temporary pause in the US-China trade war, which allowed exporters rush out shipments ahead of new tariffs.

China's economy grew 5.2% year-on-year in the second quarter of 2025 amid ongoing trade tensions with the United States, official data showed on Tuesday.

The second quarter growth was slightly below the 5.4% pace in the first, but keeping on track to meet the government's full-year target of "around 5%."

The first-half performance was supported by state stimulus and a pause in US-China trade war escalations that allowed exporters to rush out shipments ahead of potential tariff hikes. Read Article

Myanmar: How Far Will China Go to Keep Junta Afloat?

DeutscheWelle - Tommy Walker

Beijing has pitched a joint security venture to the Myanmar junta with China's geo-strategic assets at stake. China is Myanmar's biggest trade partner and a key arms supplier to the junta,

China has been stepping up its involvement in the Myanmar conflict as rebels continue to advance, with Beijing recently asking the junta to allow Chinese private military corporations to operate within the neighboring country.

Myanmar's junta is reportedly still reviewing the proposal.

After nearly four years of conflict, Myanmar's resistance forces now control over half of the country and occupy key trade routes on the Myanmar-China border. The junta has also suffered several military defeats in the past 12 months, raising alarm in Beijing. Read Article

Fauja Singh, World's Oldest Marathoner, Dies at 114 After Being Hit By a Car

CBC News - The Associated Press

Fauja Singh, an Indian-born athlete who was believed to be the world's oldest marathon runner, has died after being hit by a car. He was 114.

Local media in India reported that Singh sustained severe head injuries in a hit-and-run accident on Monday while crossing the road in his native village near Jalandhar in Punjab. He was taken to hospital, where he later died.

His London-based running club and charity, Sikhs in the City, confirmed his death. Read Article

MP Charged for Accusing Lesotho King of Signing Over Country to South Africa

BBC News - Khanyisile Ngcobo & Sepolo Mofelehetsi, BBC News, Johannesburg & Maseru

A Lesotho MP is facing criminal charges after he accused the country's monarch and government of signing over control of Lesotho to its much larger neighbour, South Africa.

Dr Tshepo Lipholo also faces charges of "violating the dignity and reputation" of the royal family by declaring himself the chief ruler of the landlocked country.



He reportedly appeared in court on Monday to apply for bail but this was postponed to a later date this month. Read Article

Angola: Mass Protests Over Rising Prices

DeutscheWelle - Antonio Cascais, Manuel Luamba

Anti-government protests in the Angolan capital Luanda on July 12 were met with a harsh crackdown, resulting in injuries and arrests.

"We recorded several injuries, some serious and requiring medical attention," Adilson Manuel, an activist and one of the organizers, told DW.



"In addition to the injured, there were also arrests. One protester remains in police custody without a clear reason. He is currently held at the Nova Vida police station and will be handed over to the Public Prosecutor's Office for questioning." Read Article

Middle East's Cultural Treasures Vulnerable to Conflicts

DeutscheWelle - Stefan Dege

During the Israel-Iran war, the countries traded missile and rocket fire that killed and injured hundreds of civilians and put the region's cultural heritage at risk. How can artifacts and historical sites be protected?

The Paris-based International Council of Museums had issued an emphatic warning after the first bomb strikes: There was a "growing danger" for museums and their employees in Israel and Iran.



The ICOM, which consists of 8,000 museum professionals worldwide, including members from Israel and Iran, had demanded that both sides adhere to international conventions for the protection of cultural heritage, even in the event of conflict. "However, we can do no more than admonish and warn," the president of the ICOM's German National Committee, Felicia Sternfeld, told DW. Read Article

How Russia Used Brazil as a ‘Spy Factory’ for Global Espionage

PBS News Hour - Ali Rogin, Harry Zahn

A New York Times investigation found that Moscow has used Brazil as a launchpad for its global espionage operation. Brazilian federal police uncovered the deception after a yearslong hunt, dealing a massive blow to Putin’s spy program. Ali Rogin speaks with New York Times reporters Michael Schwirtz and Jane Bradley to learn more. See/ Hear Video Report

"One thing is certain... nothing is certain!"

The rate of change affecting work, the worker, management and the educational institutions that service all three has been accelerating - made worse by the unexpected Covid-19 pandemic. The economy, the consumer, supply chains and operational strategies have all been disrupted in the short-term, casting doubt on the long-term.

Rapid adaptation is the key to survivability, sustainability and growth. Sometimes an experienced outside advisor can help facilitate needed improvements to take the worry out of change and the fear out of growth.

Frank J. Gibson Management and Workforce Excellence Advisor

• Business Development & Growth
• Workforce Development and Optimization
• Training and Cross-Training
• Local,/Regional Workforce Development Projects and Community Development
• Facilitated Problem Solving
• Process Improvement Cross-Functional Leadership Coaching and Mentoring
• Internship and Apprenticeship Projects
• Strategic Doing/Strategic Planning

Learn More

Copyright © 2025 Frank J. Gibson

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Affiliated with Proactive Technologies, Inc.® for projects outside the United States

• Workforce development partner for employers, and education/ training providers who support employers, to ensure every worker can be trained to full job mastery;

• Experienced with governmental, IDB, GIZ and economic development agency sponsored projects;

• Experienced in assuring multinational employers expanding to the U.S. have the skilled workforce they need.

• PTI Systems International sets-up complete worker development and performance management systems, and provides technical implementation support;

• We provide strategies for our project's transition to local management.

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Don't just complain about a "skills gap," deliberately develop every worker to full job mastery! 

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“Eighty-five percent of the reasons for failure are deficiencies in the systems and process rather than the employee. The role of management is to change the process rather than badgering individuals to do better.”

                                                               W. Edwards Deming

American engineer, statistician,

professor, author, lecturer, and

management consultant

1900 - 1993

“Without standards, there can be no improvement."

Taiichi Ohno

Japanese industrial engineer, businessman - father of Toyota Production System, inspiring Lean Manufacturing

1912- 1990

“We can have democracy in this country, or we can have great wealth concentrated in the hands of a few, but we can't have both.”

Louis Brandeis

American lawyer, associate justice on the Supreme Court of the US

1856 –1941

USMCA Tracker

Brookings Institution

A newly updated USMCA tracker by Joshua Meltzer and Dozie Ezi-Ashi highlights recent data on trade and related measures. See Data Charts

CPA Condemns Senate Gutting FEOC Excise Tax, Weakening of FEOC Prohibitions

Coalition for a Prosperous America

CPA Condemns Senate Gutting FEOC Excise Tax, Weakening of FEOC Prohibitions

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Coalition for a Prosperous America (CPA) today strongly condemned the Senate’s final reconciliation bill, which removes the critical Foreign Entity of Concern (FEOC) Excise Tax and substantially weakens FEOC prohibitions on Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) tax credits. These changes represent a dangerous and unacceptable giveaway to China’s subsidized solar industry, directly undermining American manufacturers, jobs, and national security. CPA is strongly supportive of the FEOC Excise Tax and stringent prohibitions on FEOC entities being eligible for IRA tax credits.



“The Senate’s decision to remove the FEOC Excise Tax and weaken FEOC restrictions is a blatant giveaway to the Chinese Communist Party’s solar industry,” said CPA President Jon Toomey. “By gutting these provisions, Senators have chosen an America Last bill that puts Chinese slave labor, coal-powered factories, and CCP-subsidized equipment over American workers, U.S. manufacturers, and our national security. We strongly urge House lawmakers to reject this misguided approach and restore stringent protections against CCP influence in our critical solar energy infrastructure.” Read Article

Tariffs Trigger Shifts in Supply Chains and Quality Strategy

Quality Magazine - Genevieve Diesing

U.S. manufacturers respond with reshoring, digital tools and renewed QA discipline as sourcing disruptions escalate.

As tariffs impact global supply chains, U.S. manufacturers are reevaluating how they source, staff and maintain quality across increasingly complex systems. These pressures have triggered renewed interest in reshoring, with some seeing it as a long-term solution.

Many are accelerating efforts to bring production back to the United States, building on a reshoring trend that has grown for more than a decade.



Harry C. Moser, founder and president of the Reshoring Initiative, said about two million manufacturing jobs have been reshored since 2010. He expects that number to keep rising as tariffs drive more companies to reconsider offshore production. Read Article

Trade Deficit Rises 18.7% in May, Even with 145% Tariffs on China

Coalition for a Prosperous America - Kenneth Rapoza

Trade Deficit Rises 18.7% in May, Even with 145% Tariffs on China

Following April’s trade deficit data, which showed a complete freefall in trade during the “Liberation Day” tariff month, May’s trade deficit rose by 18.7% on a monthly basis to $71.5 billion, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA).



Imports fell only slightly, down 0.1%, barely worth mentioning, from April’s steep import decline.

This suggests that importers that were quick to shore up supplies prior to the big April 2 tariff announcement did not see any meaningful declines in May, despite 145% tariffs on China during that time. Read Article

What Have Tariffs Really Done to the US Economy?

BBC - Natalie Sherman

Soon after Donald Trump returned to the White House in January, he began raising tariffs, brushing off warnings from economists and businesses about the risks of economic damage.

He started with Mexico, Canada and China, then targeted steel, aluminium and cars, and finally in April, on what he called "Liberation Day", unleashed a blitz of new taxes on goods from countries around the world.

The plans hit trade and roiled financial markets. But as worries mounted, Trump quickly suspended his most aggressive plans to allow for 90 days of talks. Read Article

EU Leaders Try to Out-bully Trump, Floating World Trade Club Without US

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH - Politico, Tim Ross, Camille Gijs, Gabriel Gavin and Clea Caulcutt

Ursula von der Leyen suggests EU could join forces with the Asian-Pacific trade bloc as Europe tries to up its game.

BRUSSELS — Late at night, after a dinner of dumplings and duck legs, the European Union’s leadership excitedly revealed a new plan to combat the hell-raising American president’s trade war: Take him on at his own wild game.

For six months, Donald Trump has upended the global trading order, threatening and announcing tariffs, then easing them to open negotiations, while warning that punitive levies will be reimposed if the terms are not to his liking.



With just 13 days until the Trump-imposed deadline to conclude a EU-U.S. deal, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen decided the time for conventional negotiating tactics was over. Read Article

Trump Says to Set 50% Copper Tariff, No Extension to August Deadline

IndustryWeek - I Agence France-Presse

In a push for further trade deals, Trump sent a first batch of letters to more than a dozen partners on Monday, including key U.S. allies Japan and South Korea.

President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he would not extend an Aug. 1 deadline for higher U.S. tariffs to take effect on dozens of economies, while announcing plans for a separate 50% duty on copper imports.

The copper levy would broaden a slate of sector-specific actions Trump has imposed since returning to the White House, and sent prices for the metal soaring.



"Today we're doing copper," the president told a cabinet meeting Tuesday. "I believe the tariff on copper, we're going to make it 50%." Read Article

Trump Threatening 35% Tariffs on Canadian Goods Across the Board

CBC News - Darren Major

Trump and PM Carney have been locked in negotiations to reach a trade agreement by July 21

U.S. President Donald Trump released a letter late Thursday threatening to impose 35 per cent tariffs on Canadian goods on Aug. 1, an unexpected move that came as the two countries engaged in negotiations around trade.

Trump's latest threat came in a letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney that the president posted to his social media site, Truth Social, on Thursday evening.



"There will be no tariff if Canada, or companies within your country, decide to manufacture product within the United States," the letter read. Read Article

Trump’s Law of the Jungle Means U.S. Trade Deals Aren’t Worth the Paper They’re Printed On, Trade Expert Warns

Fortune - Christiaan Hetzner, Senior Reporter

By dismantling the mechanism that settles international trade disputes, there is no way for countries negotiating with the Trump administration to enforce any bilateral trade agreements. With little incentive to play by the rules, he could simply change the terms of any deal down the road. The best solution would be kicking the U.S. out of the World Trade Organization, argues trade expert Kristen Hopewell from the University of British Columbia, and re-establish the WTO’s Appellate Body, the supreme court for global trade.

When President Trump threatened Brazil with punishing tariffs on Wednesday, there was no fancy mathematical equation trotted out this time as justification.

The 50% levy on goods was retribution for a perceived “witch hunt” against his political ally, Jair Bolsanaro, whose supporters attempted a coup two years ago. Read Article

US Auto Industry Could Be Collateral Damage in Trump’s Trade Wars

Associated Press – Paul Wiseman, Alexa St. John

DETROIT (AP) — President Donald Trump’s trade wars threaten to claim a casualty on the home front: the American auto industry.



If the president goes ahead with 25% taxes on imports from Canada and Mexico on Tuesday, he will disrupt more than $300 billion in annual U.S. automotive trade with its two neighbors, wreck supply chains that have been operating for decades and likely push up the already-forbidding price of new cars. Read Article

Trump’s EU Trade Deal Brings CFOs Relief Without Guarantees: Trial Balance

CFO.com - Lauren Muskett, Senior Editor

A 15% rate will replace the 30% tariff previously proposed by President Trump, but uncertainty remains for companies doing business overseas.

The Trial Balance is CFO.com’s weekly preview of stories, stats and events to help you prepare.



Part 1 — EU trade deal brings cost clarity without certainty

President Trump’s threat of 30% tariffs on European imports led to negotiations over the weekend that ended with a 15% U.S. tariff on most European goods, and a suspension of retaliatory tariffs by the EU. U.S.-based CFOs watching for the announcement of a new trade deal between the U.S. and European Union might breathe a cautious sigh of relief, but there’s a major disclaimer. Read Article

A $100 Billion Mystery is Unfolding on Tariffs and Inflation and Economists are Cracking the Case

Fortune - Irina Ivanova, Deputy US News Editor

Economists have for months warned that tariffs would cause an inflation surge, but as of July, there’s little evidence of that in economic data, despite about $100 billion in tariffs already collected by the Treasury. Fortune asked economists to explain why. The possible reasons range from “it’s too soon” to “consumers won’t stand for it.”



Since the first weeks of President Donald Trump’s second term, when the president signaled a wholesale reimagining of the international trade system on a scale not seen in decades, mainstream economists have warned that prices would surge. Read Article

Goods Barometer Rises as Imports Surge in First Quarter Ahead of Expected Tariff Hikes

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH – World Trade Organization

Global goods trade posted a strong uptick in early 2025 driven by importers frontloading purchases ahead of anticipated higher tariffs; however, weakening export orders suggest that this momentum may not be sustained. The latest WTO Goods Trade Barometer rose to 103.5 — up from 102.8 in March, while the forward-looking new export orders index fell to 97.9, pointing to weaker trade growth later in the year. Read Report

Trump Says India Will Face 25% Tariffs

SupplyChain Dive - Philip Neuffer, Senior Editor

The duty will go into effect Aug. 1, per the president, but is slightly lower than the 26% levy unveiled as part of his original country-specific tariffs announced in April.

President Donald Trump said the U.S. will charge a 25% tariff on imports from India starting Aug. 1, according to a Wednesday Truth Social post.

Trump first hinted at the potential rate while talking with members of the press on Air Force One Tuesday. When asked by a reporter if the rate for imports from India would be between 20% and 25%, referencing a Reuters report, Trump said: “Yeah, I think so.”

The duty will go into effect Aug. 1, per the president, but is slightly lower than the 26% levy unveiled as part of his original country-specific tariffs announced in April. Read Article

Why Some States Are Ditching High School Exit Exams

NPR Here & Now Newsroom

Nearly half of all U.S. states now offer different pathways to high school graduation instead of passing exit exams.

Kalyn Belsha, national reporter at Chalkbeat, joins us to discuss how students are taking advantage of these pathways to graduation. Listen to Report

How Trump Plans to Dismantle the Education Department After Supreme Court Ruling

Associated Press – Collin Binkley

WASHINGTON (AP) — Education Secretary Linda McMahon is expected to move quickly now that the Supreme Court has cleared the way for the Trump administration to continue unwinding her department.

The justices on Monday paused a lower court order that had halted nearly 1,400 layoffs and had called into question the legality of President Donald Trump’s plan to outsource the department’s operations to other agencies.

Now, Trump and McMahon are free to execute the layoffs and break up the department’s work among other federal agencies. Trump had campaigned on closing the department, and McMahon has said the department has one “final mission” to turn over its power to the states. Read Article

A Broader Conversation About AI Ethics in Higher Ed

Community College Daily News - Cynthia Krutsinger

In May, artificial intelligence (AI) use in the classroom once again took center stage when a student sued Northeastern University. The lawsuit arose after the student discovered that her professor had used ChatGPT to create or edit course materials without proper citations, while simultaneously prohibiting students from using AI in any form, cited or otherwise.

This incident, reported by Kashmir Hill in The New York Times, underscores the double standard in AI usage and raises critical questions about the ethical use of AI in education. Read Article

Workforce Pell is Finally Here. What Will it Take to Get it to Work?

Community College Daily News - Lisa Larson

The higher education community didn’t find much to celebrate in Congress’s passage of the “big beautiful bill,” with one notable exception: the expansion of Pell grants to shorter-form workforce training programs. Workforce Pell has finally become law after years of advocacy, stalled negotiations in Congress and a groundswell of support from educators, employers and learners.

Many in the higher education community have cheered the inclusion of workforce Pell. It’s been a long time coming, and it holds the potential to rewrite higher education as we know it. It’s the first-ever federal funding stream specifically designed to cover the costs of short-term training programs, and in doing so will push colleges and universities to align better with the world of work. It’s an incentive to break down the cultural, operational and programmatic silos that so often exist between degree programs and short-term workforce programs. It’s a forcing mechanism to answer the age-old question of how to measure employment and earnings data from these programs. Read Article

Tech CEO Slams College Entrepreneurship Programs for ‘Teaching You to Lie’— He Warns Gen Z that ‘Faking it Till You Make It’ Could Land Them in Jail

Fortune - Preston Fore, Staff Writer, Education

Y Combinator CEO Garry Tan is sounding the alarm on college entrepreneurship programs that encourage Gen Z students to lie to investors and be more like the disgraced founders Sam Bankman-Fried and Elizabeth Holmes. “That’s a waste of time—and you’re gonna go to jail,” he warns. “You don’t have to fake it till you make it.”



FTX’s Sam Bankman-Fried and Theranos’s Elizabeth Holmes may be the latest names added to business history—but not for their successes; rather, for their high-profile fraud scandals.

However, one startup accelerator CEO has voiced his concern that some college entrepreneurship programs are encouraging students to idolize the two fraudsters’ “fake it till you make it” mindset, and that it could have “dangerous” implications for many young people.

“We’re not going to name them, but in full transparency, we’re worried about them because what we’re coming to understand is they are teaching you to lie,” Y Combinator president and CEO Garry Tan told a group of students during a live podcast recording at YC’s AI Startup School. Read Article

DOL to Co-manage ED’s Adult Ed, CTE Programs

Community College Daily News - Matthew Dembicki

With the Supreme Court on Monday clearing the way for the Trump administration to shrink the Education Department’s workforce, the department on Tuesday announced plans for the Department of Labor (DOL) to co-manage its adult education and career and technical education (CTE) programs.

The Education Department (ED) said in a release that DOL will take on a “greater role” in administering the adult education and family literacy programs funded under Title II of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) and career and technical education programs funded by the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act (Perkins V). ED noted that it will maintain all statutory responsibilities and positions, policy authority and oversight of these programs. Read Article

1 in 2 Graduates Believe Their College Major Didn’t Prepare Them for Today’s Market

HR Dive - Carolyn Crist

Respondents said they felt unprepared in numerous ways, especially finding a job after graduation and navigating student debt and personal finances.

As today’s college graduates struggle to start a steady career, 1 in 2 Americans say their college major didn’t prepare them for the job market, according to a June 18 report from Preply.

Beyond that, 1 in 6 Americans who went to college said they regret it. When thinking about their college experience, college graduates said their top regrets included taking out student loans, not networking more and not doing internships. Read Article

Layoff Survivors Say a Lack of Retraining Has Led to Pricey Mistakes

HR Dive - Carolyn Crist

Employees who remain are often left to pick up the pieces with little to no support or training, a new survey finds.

Following layoffs, 65% of employees who weren’t let go said they either felt unprepared or made costly mistakes due to a lack of training, according to a June 17 report from Kahoot!, a learning and engagement platform.

Seventy percent said a structured re-onboarding would have eased the transition. Instead, most received little support, leading to mistakes, increased pressure and plans to quit.

“Surviving a layoff doesn’t mean surviving the impact,” said Eilert Hanoa, CEO of Kahoot! “When companies cut headcount without supporting those who remain, they are not just risking morale and employee engagement. They are risking mistakes, missed opportunities, and lost talent.” Read Article

Rewriting the Book on Recognition: It’s Time to Stop Checking the Box

Human Resource Executive - Hannah Yardley

Let’s face it: Most managers are stretched thin, running from meeting to meeting, juggling multiple priorities, and they are often just working to keep their heads above water. So, when we tell our people leaders that meaningful and regular recognition can double their teams’ engagement and productivity, it may sound like wishful thinking to them—or worse, just another task on their ever-growing to-do list. 

But here’s the truth: When done right, meaningful and consistent recognition is one of the most powerful tools leaders can have in their toolbox. It’s not about handing out gold stars or automated kudos. It’s about reinforcing the behaviors and contributions that move the needle. When employees are recognized for doing the right things, they’re more likely to repeat them. Then, when those moments are tied to company values and goals, the magic happens: Employers foster a culture of belonging, increase productivity and bolster employee satisfaction. Read Article

Skill Development Opportunities Influence Job Choices, Survey Shows

HR Dive - Carolyn Crist

“Employers who invest in training and development will be best positioned to attract and retain top talent in this evolving landscape,” an Aerotek leader said.

Job seekers increasingly expect skills-building opportunities and continuous learning from their employers, which is affecting job choices, according to a June 24 report from Aerotek, a workplace solutions provider in manufacturing, logistics, construction, aviation, facilities and maintenance.

Nearly three-quarters of job seekers responding to a survey said they expect employers to provide opportunities to learn new skills, the report said. In addition, more than a quarter said they’ve left a job due to lacking skill development. Read Article

From Intern to Employee at International Motors

IndustryWeek - Anna Smith

A partnership between employers and San Antonio’s economic development agency is building both a talent pipeline for manufacturers and opportunities for young people.

Anthony Degollado was a senior in high school when he was introduced to the career possibilities of manufacturing. When he toured the International Motors plant in San Antonio, Texas, with his forensic-science class, it was like a door opened that he didn’t even know existed. He had no post-graduation plans, so when he learned that International Motors was looking for interns for a paid, three-week program, he jumped at the chance to apply.

“I definitely didn’t have that many options available at that time,” Degollado said. “That was definitely the biggest opportunity that was available to me.” Read Article

Do Workforce Development Programs Bridge the Skills Gap? Researchers Say Yes.

HR Dive - Carolyn Crist

Typically, these programs operate with explicit goals of upskilling a state’s workforce, especially in transferable skills that could apply across employers, a report found.

Workforce development programs — funded through public-private partnerships — appear to bridge the skills gap by helping companies to scale and expanding opportunities for less skilled workers, according to recent research published by the National Bureau of Economic Research.

After training, organizations had longer employment growth and down-skilling in job posts, as compared to a matched control group, the researchers found. They looked at 18 states with grant subsidies for training. Read Article

July

Eroding Organizational Capacity: The “Unstructured, Haphazard and Ad Hoc Process-based Training Effect”

by Dean Prigelmeier, President of Proactive Technologies, Inc.

Employers Say Fewer Jobs Require Degrees. What is Their Plan to Make Up the Difference?

by Stacey Lett, Director of Operations – Eastern U.S. – Proactive Technologies, Inc.

Large-Scale Worker Training Projects Are Right for Small and Mid-size Employers

by Dr. Dave Just, formally Dean of Corporate and Continuing Education at Community Colleges in MA, OH, PA, SC. Currently President of K&D Consulting 

It’s Past Time to Be Honest with Students and Workers About the Future of Work in America and America’s Future

by Dean Prigelmeier, President of Proactive Technologies, Inc.

June

Tracking Documented Worker Capacity and Value Growth

by Dean Prigelmeier, President of Proactive Technologies, Inc.

Have Advances in Technology Distracted HR From the Fundamentals of Worker Selection and Development?

by Stacey Lett, Director of Operations – Eastern U.S. – Proactive Technologies, Inc.

Grow Your Own Craft Technicians Using a “Systems Approach” to Training

by Dr. Dave Just, formally Dean of Corporate and Continuing Education at Community Colleges in MA, OH, PA, SC. Currently President of K&D Consulting 

Apprenticeships – An Alternative to the “400 Hours For Drill Press” Training Model

by Dean Prigelmeier, President of Proactive Technologies, Inc.

May

Contracting? Expanding? Maximizing? Protect and Grow Your Worker's Cumulative, Valuable Process-Based Expertise 

by Dean Prigelmeier, President of Proactive Technologies, Inc.

A “Pay-for-Value” Worker Development Program – Fair to Management and Workers, and Effective Too!.

by Stacey Lett, Director of Operations – Eastern U.S. – Proactive Technologies, Inc.

Pairing Structured On-the-Job Training with Related Technical Instruction Just Makes Sense

by Frank Gibson, Workforce Development Advisor and President of the North-Central Ohio Employer-Based Worker Training Partnership

A Simple, Low-investment Solution to Closing Skill Gaps of New-Hires and Incumbents

by Dean Prigelmeier, President of Proactive Technologies, Inc.

April

Learning, Unfortunately, The Hard Way

by Dean Prigelmeier, President of Proactive Technologies, Inc.

Decision Making While Swimming in Divergent Views

by Stacey Lett, Director of Operations – Eastern U.S. – Proactive Technologies, Inc.

Apprenticeships: Be Careful Not To Minimize Integrity To Spike The Numbers

by Dr. Dave Just, formally Dean of Corporate and Continuing Education at Community Colleges in MA, OH, PA, SC. Currently President of K&D Consulting 

Are Private Equity Portfolios and Hedge Funds the New Monopolies? Will They Be the Driver For, or Barrier To, Reshoring? 

by Dean Prigelmeier, President of Proactive Technologies, Inc.

See more articles on the Proactive Technologies , Inc. website

Structured on-the-job training attracts and engages employers in workforce development partnerships...some projects sustainable for more than 18 years!

This creates a steady need for your related technical instruction, services and a pathway for employment.

These partnerships:

• enhance your institution's opportunity to market your products and services to incumbent workers;
• allow your organization to include structured on-the-job training as a capstone to preemployment preparation;
• document a trainee-to worker's increasing value to the employer - the key to retention - rather than leaving it to chance;
• properly aligns workforce development resources and maximizes the impact and results; allows you to engage an employer's facility, equipment and staff in the training process;
• provides the best, sustainable infrastructure for apprenticeships and internships that last!
• is a win for the trainee, win for the worker, win for the employer, win for the institution and win for the community!

This approach has continued to prove itself since 1988, and does not compete with your school's or agency's products and services; it adds to your efforts the clear, tangible, measurable advantage that employers seek.

Proactive Technologies has continued to partner with community colleges, universities, workforce development agencies and training providers with its "hybrid approach" to worker training. Introduce the power of the PROTECH^©® system of managed human resource development™ to your clients!

There's nothing to lose by contacting us to learn more

www.proactivetechnologiesinc.com

Copyright © 2015 - 2025

Proactive Technologies, Inc.®

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 

To supplement onsite PROTECH^©® system of managed human resource development™ classes, these regularly scheduled webinars are available to the registered staff of clients:

• Structured On-The-Job Training Instructor Certification

• Structured On-The Job Training Checklist Administrator Certification

• Management Structured On-The-Job Training Project Support Briefing

• Integrating Support for Plant-Wide ISO/AS/IATF Quality and Safety Systems with PROTECH Workforce Development System

• Supporting "Pay-For-Value" Systems

• Promoting Continuous Process Improvement While Implementing the PROTECH Accelerated Transfer of Expertise System™

• PROTECH Onsite Lead Trainer and System Administrator Certification

Contact US to attend one of these seminars and we will send you an e-reservation. Include your client ID, name and user ID number and which webinar you would like to attend.

Copyright © 2019-2025

Proactive Technologies, Inc.®

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 

A Whistleblower Speaking Truth to Power

Quality Magazine - Richard Cuevas

It is important to choose battles wisely, as there may be repercussions.

Whistleblowers serve as guardians of public interest by exposing misconduct that could harm others or undermine trust in institutions. Their disclosures have led to significant changes in policies, regulations, and practices across various sectors, including government, healthcare, finance, and environmental protection.



My role as a whistleblower stems from a strong sense of ethics and an ingrained understanding of right and wrong, which many of us develop during our upbringing. Personally, joining the military right out of high school instilled in me duty, honor and commitment, as my survival depended on staying alert. I later worked for a major airline, receiving extensive training that prepared me for my current role as a whistleblower. Read Article

Ford Recalls Over 850,000 Cars in the US Due to Potential Fuel Pump Failure

Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — Ford is recalling more than 850,000 of its cars across the U.S. because the low-pressure fuel pump inside the vehicles may fail — and potentially cause an engine stall while driving, increasing crash risks.



The recall covers a wide range of Ford and Lincoln-branded vehicles made in recent model years. That includes certain Ford Broncos, Explorers and F-150s, as well as Lincoln Aviators and Navigators, documents published this week by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration note. Read Article

Cost of Quality Implementation: A Practical Approach

Quality Magazine - Dr. Herman Tang

Most times, merely knowing the current cost of quality (COQ) status is often insufficient.

This article introduces the fundamental concepts of Cost of Quality (COQ) and explores two widely used models: the Prevention-Appraisal-Failure (PAF) model and the Process Cost Model (PCM). It outlines practical methods for categorizing and tracking COQ data using spreadsheet tools, especially suited for small and mid-sized organizations. COQ implementation serves as a valuable framework for continuous improvement, informed decision-making, and aligning quality initiatives with business performance goals.



1. Fundamental Concepts of COQ

Cost of Quality (COQ) helps financially measure quality efforts to guide improvements that more effectively contribute to a company’s financial performance. Read Article

Boeing’s Inadequate Training and Oversight Led to Doorplug Blowout: NTSB

Manufacturing Dive - Sara Samora, Reporter

The Federal Aviation Administration’s ineffective compliance enforcement also led to the 2024 Alaska Airlines incident, the National Transportation Safety Board said in the investigative report.

Boeing’s failure to provide “adequate training, guidance and oversight” to its factory workers led to the Alaska Airlines mid-exit door plug that blew out midair on Jan. 5, 2024, according to the National Transportation Safety Board last week.



The watchdog agency’s final investigative report, which was released July 10, found evidence that one of the plugs, which was discovered in a Portland, Oregon, neighborhood, “‘had moved incrementally upward during previous flight cycles’ until it departed the airplane during the accident flight.” Read Article

Aviation Manufacturing Quality and Nondestructive Inspection Special Processes

Quality Magazine - Donald Locke

I am happy to report to you that we are safer in 2025 than we were in 1972.

Quality of all aerospace special processes are critical processes that help ensure your personal safety. YES, you specifically are safer every time you fly because most every company worldwide has a quality management system and special inspection process that detects critical flaws before production parts are assembled in to the aircraft. Every part is critical on an aircraft, even if every part is not labeled flight critical. Every inspection, forgings, castings, machined parts, composites, all parts are manufactured and inspected to specific requirements.

This article is a short reminder that success in the Quality and NDI world never rests on the past. I have audited 70 aerospace manufacturing companies in the past two years. I have been doing similar work focused on quality and NDI since 1972. I am happy to report to you that we are safer in 2025 than we were in 1972. We have a great history of flight safety and manufacturing quality. Accidents and poor quality make the news and this article will share some quality issues but the good news is quality is great and improving. Read Article

Many Businesses Still Don't Trust Their AI Systems - and That Could Be a Major Problem

Tech Radar Pro - Craig Hale

AI isn't the problem... it's data

• Businesses don't trust the accuracy of their AI/ML models, but it's due to poor data foundations, report claims
• Only one in three have implemented or optimized data observability programs
• Observability should be standard across the whole data lifecycle

New research from Ataccama has claimed a considerable proportion of businesses still don't trust the output of AI models - but this could simply be because their data isn't in order yet. Read Article

What's the State of Our Oceans?

DeutscheWelle - Katharina Schantz

Climate change, plastic pollution and overfishing are taking their toll on oceans, biodiversity and livelihoods. Can the UN's ocean conference underway in France find solutions to help protect them?

Earth's oceans are home to more than 250,000 species, among them tiny plankton, colorful coral reefs and the gigantic blue whale. Over a billion people rely on food from the sea as a significant source of nutrition. 



The international community is now meeting in Nice, France, to hash out solutions to better protect the planet's vulnerable and plundered ocean waters. But what are the areas of concern at the UN Ocean Conference? Read Article

Fact Check: How to Spot AI Generated Newscasts

DeutscheWelle - Monir Ghaedi | Adnan Sidibe

AI-generated newscasts are getting harder to spot — and they're flooding your feed. Here's how to avoid falling for the fakes.

On TikTok, a reporter stands in front of a traditional red Royal Mail pillar box, with British flags fluttering in the background and a microphone in hand. He asks a female passerby who she plans to vote for in the upcoming election. "Reform," the woman replies. "I just want to feel British again, innit."

A user comments below: "I wonder how much they paid her to say that."



But this scene never happened. The interview is entirely fake. The reporter doesn't exist — he was generated by artificial intelligence. And if you look closely, there's a subtle clue: a faint watermark in the corner bearing the word "Veo," the signature of Google DeepMind's powerful new video-generation tool. Read Article

Major Climate Change Reports are Removed from U.S. Websites

PBS News - Science

WASHINGTON (AP) — Legally mandated U.S. national climate assessments seem to have disappeared from the federal websites built to display them, making it harder for state and local governments and the public to learn what to expect in their backyards from a warming world.



Scientists said the peer-reviewed authoritative reports save money and lives. Websites for the national assessments and the U.S. Global Change Research Program were down Monday and Tuesday with no links, notes or referrals elsewhere. The White House, which was responsible for the assessments, said the information will be housed within NASA to comply with the law, but gave no further details. Read Article

Researchers From Top AI Labs Including Google, OpenAI, and Anthropic Warn They May Be Losing the Ability to Understand Advanced AI Models

Fortune - Beatrice Nolan, Reporter

AI researchers from leading labs are warning that they could soon lose the ability to understand advanced AI reasoning models.

A group of 40 AI researchers, including contributors from OpenAI, Google DeepMind, Meta, and Anthropic, are sounding the alarm on the growing opacity of advanced AI reasoning models. In a new paper, the authors urge developers to prioritize research into “chain-of-thought” (CoT) processes, which provide a rare window into how AI systems make decisions. They are warning that as models become more advanced, this visibility could vanish.



AI researchers from leading labs are warning that they could soon lose the ability to understand advanced AI reasoning models. Read Article

EPA Says It's Slashing Nearly Quarter of Staff, Closing Research Department

Newsweek - Hannah Parry, Live Blog Editor

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on Friday it is cutting its workforce by at least 23 percent.



The cuts will be delivered through a combination of layoffs and voluntary retirements, slashing staff from 16,155 employees in January, to 12,448. The agency will also shutter its Office of Research and Development (ORD) as part of President Donald Trump's ongoing efforts to downsize federal agencies. Read Article

From Malware to Deepfakes, Generative AI is Transforming Attacks

Cybersecurity Dive - Eric Geller, Senior Reporter

Generative AI is even helping hackers trick open-source developers into using malicious code, according to Gartner.

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — Artificial intelligence is turbocharging hackers’ operations, from writing malware to preparing phishing messages. But generative AI’s much-touted impact has its limits, a cybersecurity expert said at an industry conference here on Monday.



Generative AI “is being used to improve social engineering and attack automation, but it’s not really introduced novel attack techniques,” Peter Firstbrook, distinguished VP analyst at Gartner, said at his company’s Security and Risk Management Summit. Read Article

Exclusive: New Microsoft Copilot Flaw Signals Broader Risk of AI Agents Being Hacked—’I Would Be Terrified’

MSN News – Fortune, Sharon Goldman

Microsoft 365 Copilot, the AI tool built into Microsoft Office workplace applications including Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, and Teams, harbored a critical security flaw that, according to researchers, signals a broader risk of AI agents being hacked.

The flaw, revealed today by AI security startup Aim Security and shared exclusively in advance with Fortune, is the first known “zero-click” attack on an AI agent, an AI that acts autonomously to achieve specific goals. The nature of the vulnerability means that the user doesn’t need to click anything or interact with a message for an attacker to access sensitive information from apps and data sources connected to the AI agent.

In the case of Microsoft 365 Copilot, the vulnerability lets a hacker trigger an attack simply by sending an email to a user, with no phishing or malware needed. Instead, the exploit uses a series of clever techniques to turn the AI assistant against itself. Read Article

Meta: Oops, Ads for Deepfake 'Nudify' Apps Shouldn't Be on Facebook, Instagram

PC Magazine - James Peckham

Meta sues Joy Timeline HK Limited for using shady tactics to promote Crush AI, an app that can be used to make AI revenge porn.

Meta is cracking down on ads that market "nudify" apps, which let people generate fake naked imagery of real-life people.

Facebook and Instagram are two of the biggest sources of advertising for these apps, which can be used to make AI revenge porn. Meta is taking legal action against one of the biggest offenders, Crush AI, by suing developer Joy Timeline HK Limited.



"We've filed a lawsuit in Hong Kong, where Joy Timeline HK Limited is based, to prevent them from advertising CrushAI apps on Meta platforms," the company says. Read Article

This Devious Cyberattack Uses Smartwatches to Pinch Data From Air-gapped Systems

Tech Radar Pro - Sead Fadilpašić

• Academic researchers found a way to broadcast sensitive data from airgapped systems
• It involves having malware installed on the computer, and an accompanying smartwatch
• The attack is rather difficult to pull off



Security experts claim to have found a way to steal sensitive data from airgapped systems using smartwatches. Read Article

Pro-Israel Hackers Claim Cyberattack on Iranian Bank

Axios - Sam Sabin

A Pro-Israel hacking group says it attacked a major Iranian bank, causing widespread outages. Why it matters: The attack would mark the first major cyberattack on critical infrastructure during Israel's war in Iran.

Driving the news: Predatory Sparrow, an Israeli hacking group, said today that it is behind a series of cyberattacks against Iran's Bank Sepah.

The group — which publicly goes by the Farsi translation of its name, Gonjeshke Darande — added that it's also deleted the state-owned banking system's data.

"This is what happens to institutions dedicated to maintaining the dictator's terrorist fantasies," the group wrote on X. Axios could not immediately verify these claims.



State of play: Bank Sepah customers have reportedly been facing problems with accessing their accounts, making withdrawals and paying with their cards, according to local media outlets. Read Article

Windows 11 Migration is Still Causing Lots of Headaches for Some Firms

Tech Radar Pro - Craig Hale

• Many are still yet to upgrade to Windows 11 despite looming deadline
• Running an old OS like Windows 10 could soon pose cybersecurity issues
• Upgrading could reveal software compatibility issues, report notes
• The clock is now ticking to avoid a rushed Windows 11 migration

New research has uncovered some of the finer details around why many businesses are still being cautious with their approach to Windows 11 migration, with security threats and financial impacts proving to be major hurdles.



The report from Panasonic found nearly two-thirds (62%) of devices need replacing or upgrading for Windows 11 compatibility, highlighting the scale of the problem – a figure that rises to 76% among larger organizations with 5,000+ employees. Read Article

AI Security Issues Dominate Corporate Worries, Spending

Cycbersecurity Dive - Eric Geller, Senior Reporter

Two reports illustrate how business leaders are thinking about and budgeting for generative AI.



Dive Brief:

• Security, privacy and related trust issues remain some of businesses’ biggest concerns about generative artificial intelligence, according to a pair of reports.
• As businesses face more pressure to integrate AI into their workflows, they are confronting difficult questions about the technology’s reliability and auditability.
• Many companies are allocating new slices of their budgets to AI investments, including in agentic AI, which uses autonomous systems to perform complex tasks. Read Article

Elon Musk Wants to Put His Thumb on the AI Scale

Axios - Ina Fried

Elon Musk still isn't happy with how his AI platform answers divisive questions, pledging in recent days to retrain Grok so it will answer in ways more to his liking.



Why it matters: Efforts to steer AI in particular directions could exacerbate the danger of a technology already known for its convincing but inaccurate hallucinations.

The big picture: Expect to see more of this in the future as governments and businesses may choose or even create their own AI models that try to sway generated responses on everything from LGBTQ rights to territorial disputes. Read Article

US Government Warns of New Iran-linked Cyber Threats on Critical Infrastructure

Cybersecurity Dive - Eric Geller, Senior Reporter

Companies should disconnect operational technology from the internet and enforce strong protections for user accounts, a joint alert from CISA, the FBI, NSA and DoD said.



Dive Brief:

• U.S. government officials said critical infrastructure operators should be on alert for Iranian cyberattacks.
• In a threat advisory published Monday, multiple agencies said Iran might target U.S. firms “for near-term cyber operations” due to “the current geopolitical environment” — a reference to the Trump administration joining Israel’s aerial campaign against Iran’s nuclear program and related assets.
• Defense contractors, especially firms that have relationships with Israeli companies, are likely at heightened risk of targeting, according to the advisory. Read Article

Ex-CISA Official Warns: We’ve Gutted Cybersecurity—A Gift to Iran, China and Russia

Institute for New Economic Thinking - Lynn Parramore

Dr. David Mussington, cybersecurity expert with two decades of experience, reveals why the clock is ticking on U.S. vulnerabilities under Trump.

As international tensions increase, cyberwarfare and ransomware attacks loom—and America’s digital defenses face a perfect storm of foreign attacks, criminal behavior, and self-inflicted damage.



Few understand the stakes better than Dr. David Mussington, former head of Infrastructure Security at CISA, who’s spent decades crafting strategies at RAND, the Pentagon, and DHS. In this eye-opening conversation with the Institute for New Economic Thinking, Mussington warns that while countries like Iran, China, and Russia grow more aggressive, the Trump administration has gutted the very agency designed to protect America’s most critical systems—cutting CISA’s budget by nearly half, eliminating nearly a third of its staff, and driving out decades of cybersecurity expertise. Read Article

US Authorities Unmask North Korean IT Worker Schemes and Their American Accomplices

Cybersecurity Dive - Eric Geller, Senior Reporter

Federal officials said businesses should carefully verify the identities of remote employees to avoid falling prey to similar scams.

The Department of Justice on Monday announced a series of actions as part of an investigation into the North Korean government’s deployment of its citizens abroad to pose as IT workers and illicitly earn money for the regime.

Newly unsealed charging documents describe two separate schemes to trick U.S. companies into hiring people who funneled their paychecks to the North Korean government and exploited their access to the companies’ networks to steal sensitive information and cryptocurrency. Read Article

It’s Too Easy to Make AI Chatbots Lie About Health Information, Study Finds

Reuters - Christine Soares

Summary

• Companies
• AI chatbots can be configured to generate health misinformation
• Researchers gave five leading AI models formula for false health answers
• Anthropic's Claude resisted, showing feasibility of better misinformation guardrails
• Study highlights ease of adapting LLMs to provide false information



Well-known AI chatbots can be configured to routinely answer health queries with false information that appears authoritative, complete with fake citations from real medical journals, Australian researchers have found. Read Article

No, You Aren’t Hallucinating, the Corporate Plan for AI Is Dangerous

Znetwork - Marty Hart-Landsberg

Big tech is working hard to sell us on artificial intelligence, in particular what is called “artificial general intelligence.” At conferences and in interviews corporate leaders describe a not-too-distant future when AI systems will be able to do everything for everyone, producing a world of plenty for all. But they warn, that future depends on our willingness to provide them with a business-friendly regulatory and financial environment.



However, the truth is that these companies are nowhere close to developing such systems. What they have created are “generative AI” systems that are unreliable and dangerous. Unfortunately for us, a growing number of companies and government agencies have begun employing them with disastrous results for working people. Read Article