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Compliance experts are urging organizations to rethink traditional risk management strategies, arguing that compliance officers should act more like coaches who encourage instinctive good behavior rather than relying solely on policies, controls, and annual training. Gartner researchers said only one-third of business leaders currently feel confident managing risk and compliance, highlighting the shortcomings of conventional approaches in today’s fast-changing regulatory environment. Their study argues that companies should build “risk reflex,” a culture where employees naturally recognize and respond to risks. One recommendation is integrating compliance directly into daily operations by embedding controls and approval checkpoints into routine workflows and business systems, making it harder for employees to bypass proper procedures. The authors also recommend fostering stronger risk ownership through more meaningful dialogue. Instead of asking whether teams followed compliance rules, leaders should encourage employees to think critically about potential business consequences and risks, helping shift accountability beyond legal and compliance departments.

 

Corporate Compliance Insights

Guide: Align FP&A and Cash Forecasting to Navigate Market Uncertainty with Confidence

FX swings, tariff pressure, and tighter capital markets are exposing a structural gap most finance teams already know exist. When FP&A and cash forecasting run on separate tracks, timing suffers, credibility with the board weakens, and capacity gets consumed by reconciliation instead of analysis. This 2026 guide gives finance leaders a practical framework and a 12-question scorecard to close the gap before market shifts force the issue.

Download the Free Guide 

 

Walmart is undergoing a reshuffle in its executive ranks as two senior executives, Sam's Club chief operating officer Tom Ward, and Cedric Clark, head of store operations for Walmart U.S., are leaving the company following the appointment of new chief executive John Furner. Mr. Ward is retiring after nearly two decades, with his departure effective at month-end, while Mr. Clark's replacement will be announced shortly. Mr. Furner is focused on maintaining sales growth through enhanced online services and addressing the concerns of lower-income shoppers amid rising fuel costs, which have negatively impacted Walmart's stock.

 

Wall Street Journal

Speaking virtually at a Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) conference in Sydney, OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman said he was initially concerned about the impact artificial intelligence (AI) would have on global employment ​levels, but believed the rapid development ‌and adoption of the technology would not lead to a global "jobs apocalypse." Altman said his executive team had been "roughly right" on the technological predictions made by OpenAI when it launched ​ChatGPT in 2022, but were "pretty wrong" on the social and economic implications. "I'm delighted to ⁠be wrong about this, I thought there would have been more impact on entry-level white-collar jobs being eliminated by now than ​has actually happened," Altman said, adding that he didn't think the human interaction required in ⁠many jobs ​would be replaced by AI. "I don't think we're going to have the kind ​of jobs apocalypse that some of the companies in our space advocate or talk about."

 

Reuters

Bloomberg reports that countries at the United Nations are rewriting international tax rules to tax technology giants based on where their users are located rather than where they are headquartered. A draft tax proposal seen by Bloomberg could significantly increase how much tax companies pay, and where. The draft contains some protections to ensure jurisdictions where companies are headquartered continue to receive some revenue, and it proposes a cap on the share a source country can tax, and has safeguards to ensure companies are not double taxed.

 

Bloomberg

State attorneys general are taking a more aggressive role in antitrust enforcement as the Trump administration adopts a more merger-friendly approach and scales back some federal cases. The shift became especially visible after more than 30 states continued litigating against Live Nation after the Justice Department settled its case with the company, ultimately winning a jury verdict that found Live Nation engaged in illegal monopolization. The states are now seeking sweeping remedies, including forcing Live Nation to divest Ticketmaster and certain amphitheaters. Attorneys general involved in the case said the outcome demonstrated that states can pursue major antitrust actions independently, even when federal regulators step back. Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti said states are likely to become “a lot more assertive” in protecting their interests going forward. Despite having far fewer antitrust lawyers and resources than federal agencies, states are increasingly collaborating across party lines and hiring outside legal specialists to pursue complex competition cases, signaling a broader shift in antitrust power from Washington to state capitals.

 

Wall Street Journal

The Conference Board's U.S. Leading Economic Index rose 0.1% to 97.4 in April, reversing part of the 0.6% decline recorded in March as stronger stock prices and higher building permits supported the improvement. The Conference Board said the index declined 0.7% over the six months to April, an improvement on the 1% contraction seen in the previous six-month period. Senior manager Justyna Zabinska-La Monica said investment in AI infrastructure, data centers and energy production could support economic growth, although higher fuel and energy costs alongside weak hiring conditions are expected to weigh on household spending power in the months ahead.

 

Market Screener

RTT News

Americans’ confidence in the economy has fallen to its weakest level in nearly four years, according to a new Gallup poll, as rising gas prices, inflation, and concerns about the broader economic outlook weigh on sentiment across political groups. Gallup’s Economic Confidence Index fell to -45 in May, down from -38 in April and matching the lowest level recorded since October 2022. The survey found that only 16% of Americans described current economic conditions as “excellent” or “good,” while nearly half rated conditions as poor. The poll showed that 76% of respondents believe economic conditions are worsening, the highest share in three years, with inflation and fuel costs emerging as major concerns. Average gasoline prices reached $4.56 per gallon amid oil supply disruptions linked to the war in Iran. Although Republicans remained more optimistic about the economy than Democrats and independents, confidence among all political groups declined to the lowest levels recorded since President Donald Trump began his second term. Republicans posted a confidence score of 22, compared with -80 for Democrats and -58 for independents.

 

US News and World Report

1-800-Flowers.com is increasing investment in brand marketing and reducing its reliance on transaction-driven digital advertising as it looks to improve customer retention and compete more effectively in the online floral delivery market. Chief executive Adolfo Villagomez said the retailer had previously focused too heavily on “bottom-of-the-funnel” marketing tactics such as paid search ads, which drove sales but failed to build long-term customer loyalty. The company is now increasing spending on influencer marketing and social media platforms including Instagram and TikTok, while also investing in artificial intelligence tools to improve website search, product recommendations and customer service. The shift comes as revenue fell 11.6% in the three months to March 29th and the group reported a net loss of $100.1m amid intensifying competition in online flower delivery.

 

Wall Street Journal

Duke University plans to build a $23m data center on its Durham, North Carolina, campus to support artificial intelligence research and advanced computing, but the project is drawing scrutiny from faculty members and environmental advocates concerned about its impact on the university’s climate commitments. The planned facility will initially operate at 1.5 megawatts, with capacity to expand to 3 megawatts, and is expected to increase Duke’s energy consumption by 2% to 3% at peak load. University officials said the center is designed with a focus on sustainability, including exploring renewable energy sources and potentially reusing waste heat to support campus water-heating systems. Duke also said the facility’s emissions would be publicly tracked as part of its carbon reporting efforts. Critics, however, warned that even smaller-scale data centers consume significant amounts of electricity and water, particularly as Durham faces extreme drought conditions. Additionally, faculty members have questioned whether expanded AI infrastructure could undermine Duke’s long-term carbon neutrality goals, especially as the university acknowledged it will no longer be carbon neutral after 2025 without additional offsets or energy reductions.

 

WUNC News

Germany's Handelsblatt newspaper has reported that the European Union is planning to hand Alphabet's Google the largest penalty it has so far imposed for a ⁠breach of its Digital Markets Act (DMA). The investigation is focused on concerns that Google favors its own services in search results and seeks to ensure compliance with local rules. "The changes we've already made to Search under the DMA represent the ​biggest downgrade in the product's history, creating a ​second-rate experience ⁠for Europeans to the benefit of a few self-interested complainants," a Google spokesperson said.

 

Reuters

Shinsegae Group chair Chung Yong-jin has issued a personal public apology after Starbucks Korea faced mounting criticism over a marketing campaign accused of mocking South Korea’s pro-democracy history. The controversy centered on a May 18th “Tank Day” promotion tied to Starbucks tumblers, which critics said referenced the military crackdown during the 1980 Gwangju Democratic Uprising. The campaign also used wording linked to the torture death of student activist Park Jong-chul, a pivotal moment in South Korea’s democracy movement. Chung said the company had “hurt the hearts” of citizens and accepted full responsibility for the incident. The backlash intensified after Starbucks Korea chief executive Sohn Jeong-hyun was dismissed on the day the promotion launched, with critics accusing management of attempting to deflect blame. Shinsegae said an internal investigation has not found evidence that employees intentionally mocked the democracy movement, although the company warned any staff found to have acted deliberately would be dismissed. The retailer also acknowledged that sales have fallen sharply since the controversy erupted.

 

Korea JoongAng Daily

Bloomberg

South China Morning Post

Pope Leo XIV has issued an encyclical titled "Magnifica Humanitas," which addresses the need for regulation of artificial intelligence (AI) to ensure it serves humanity rather than profit. He criticizes the "culture of power" driving AI advancements, particularly in warfare, saying: "It is not permissible to entrust irreversible, lethal decisions to AI systems." The pope called for robust legal frameworks and independent oversight to protect vulnerable populations, urging developers to prioritize ethical considerations. Taylor Black, a Microsoft AI executive and director of Catholic University of America's AI institute, said the document would prompt people “at the forefront of these tools” to ask questions such as “What does it mean to be human?”

 

Los Angeles Times