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North American Edition
6th August 2025
 
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THE HOT STORY

Musk's 'five things' email to be axed

The Trump administration is set to terminate a program initiated by Elon Musk that required federal employees to summarize their weekly achievements. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) plans to announce the end of the so-called "five things" email, which aimed to enhance accountability but faced backlash from department heads and confusion among workers. Scott Kupor, a venture capitalist who took over at OPM last month, had previously described the processing of the weekly response emails as "very manual" and "not efficient." He had said: "It is "something that we should look at and see, like, are we getting the value out of it that at least the people who put it in place thought they were." The decision marks a shift away from one of Musk's most controversial initiatives, following tensions between him and President Trump over various issues.
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DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION

U.S. targets U.N. aviation gender program

The United States is pushing to rename and defund the International Civil Aviation Organization's (ICAO) Gender Equality Programme, advocating for it to be called the Empowerment Program for Women "in order to remove the ideological term of 'gender.'" A working paper ahead of the U.N. agency's triennial assembly which starts on September 23 said: "The United States recognizes anticipated future personnel shortages in the global aviation industry, including the future need for highly trained professionals . . . However, we do not support programs that grant preferences based on sex or other characteristics other than individual merit." The move aligns with President Donald Trump's administration's broader efforts to dismantle diversity policies. 

Google cuts ties with DEI groups

Google has removed 58 diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) groups from its funding list, according to a recent watchdog report. The change follows pressure from the Trump administration to reduce support for organizations that use terms like "race" and "women." Google has also ceased diversity hiring goals and removed DEI language from its grant website and 10-K filings. A Google spokesperson said: "We are committed to supporting a diverse workforce."
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LEGAL

Suit by fired associate alleges 'egregious and open racism'

A former associate of McDermott Will & Emery has filed a discrimination lawsuit against the firm, claiming she faced “egregious and open racism firsthand” as a Black woman. Ashley Ogedegbe says she was “unceremoniously terminated” from McDermott after she complained about a “particularly harmful act of discrimination” in summer 2024, according to a July 30 lawsuit. Ogedegbe lost her job after taking her bias concerns to McDermott's human resources team despite positive performance reviews, according to the complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. 
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HIRING

Hawaii boards admit Sunshine Law breach

Two state boards in Hawaii have admitted to violating the Sunshine Law during the hiring of top-level employees in closed meetings. The admission follows a lawsuit filed by the Public First Law Center, which advocates for government transparency. Circuit Court Judge Jordon Kimura has ordered the release of previously confidential meeting minutes, revealing the boards' missteps in the hiring processes. The Agribusiness Development Corp. appointed Wendy Gady as executive director, while the Defender Council selected Jon Ikenaga as State Public Defender.
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STRATEGY

Stanford cuts 360 jobs amid budget woes

Stanford University has laid off over 360 employees due to budget constraints linked to federal funding policies under President Donald Trump. A university spokesperson said: "Stanford is in the process of making budget reductions." The institution previously announced a $140m cut in its general funds budget for the upcoming year, citing a challenging fiscal environment. The Trump administration has threatened to cut federal funds for universities over various issues, including pro-Palestinian protests. Rights advocates express concerns about academic freedom amid these developments.
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ECONOMY

U.S. services sector remains in expansionary territory

The Institute for Supply Management (ISM) reported Tuesday that U.S. services sector activity flatlined in July, slipping to 50.1, from 50.8 in June. It also missed the 51.5 reading forecast among economists polled by Reuters, although it remained above the 50-mark separating expansion from contraction. The new orders measure dropped 1.2 points to 50.3m while the measure of services employment fell to 46.4, the lowest since March. Relatedly, the S&P Global U.S. Services PMI rose to 55.7 in July from 52.9 in June, significantly above the initial market consensus of 53, for the most significant expansion in private services activity since the beginning of the year.
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INTERNATIONAL

Companies risk deskilling staff with AI

The U.K.'s Sunday Telegraph has reported on a Finnish study about the erosion of skills as a result of automation, noting that a Finnish financial firm scrapped the use of software designed to help accountants because their knowledge of key processes atrophied as a result of its use. "Deskilling had got to be such a big problem it threatened the viability of the company," the study lead was told. The Telegraph's Andrew Orlowski writes that the paper is one in a long line of studies showing how technology, and particularly artificial intelligence, is making people less intelligent. He observes that "the Finnish accountants realised there was something precious in the corporate ether - the company's value was in its intangible knowledge capital. It could not be replicated by software, even if the daily tasks could be."

P&G Korea seeks to empower Gen Z job seekers

P&G Korea is actively supporting young job seekers from Generation Z, who often face challenges entering the job market due to a lack of experience. The company has initiated internship programs aimed at enhancing their skills in a global context. Recently, 15 interns visited P&G's Singapore office, participating in mentoring sessions, career workshops, and tours of research facilities. Oh Seo-young from P&G Korea's Human Resource Division said: “We are focusing on providing potentially talented interns with an opportunity to develop their professional skills through our internship programs.” The company is currently accepting applicants for its internship program, which runs until August, and promotes internal advancement through its “Build from Within” initiative, encouraging interns to aspire to higher positions within the organization.

Indonesian officials tackle worker ban fears in Japan

Indonesian officials are countering speculation about a potential ban on their workers in Japan following several controversial incidents. Abdul Kadir Karding, Indonesia's minister for the protection of migrant workers, said: “Don't let just three people cause hundreds of thousands of potential [Indonesian] migrant workers to become victims,” as he referred to the arrest of three nationals linked to a robbery. Concerns have been raised about the preparedness of Indonesian workers to adapt to Japanese customs amid calls for better education and oversight from the south east Asian nation's government.
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OTHER

Dental floss could be the next vaccine method, scientists say

A study led by Texas Tech University and the University of North Carolina (NC) suggests that dental floss could eventually double as a vaccine mechanism. In animal models, the researchers found that the filament can effectively release vaccines through the tissue between the teeth and gums. "We expect the approach to work with COVID vaccine that uses mRNA, hepatitis and tetanus since they use subunit proteins as antigens, and other vaccines that use inactivated or attenuated viruses as antigens (such as MMR vaccine)," paper author and NC State nanomedicine professor Harvinder Singh Gill told Newsweek.
 
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