Human Times
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North American Edition
19th January 2026
 
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THE HOT STORY

FTC to scrutinize Big Tech's talent acquisition deals

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission is scrutinizing big tech firms that hire employees of a start-up instead of buying the companies outright. The growing practice is seen as a way to sidestep antitrust review. "We are beginning to examine these acqui-hires to make sure they are not an attempt to get around" the agency’s merger review process, FTC chairman Andrew Ferguson said in an interview with Bloomberg Television. He blamed the Biden administration's aggressive antitrust enforcement for encouraging companies to increase the practice.
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HEALTH & WELLBEING

U.S. Health Department to launch study on cell phone radiation risks

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is to launch a study of cell phone radiation, following Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s linking of such radiation to cancer and neurological harm. The study, part of the “Make America Healthy Again” initiative, aims to assess health risks tied to electromagnetic radiation amid evolving technologies. Agencies including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and National Cancer Institute maintain there is no credible evidence of health risks from cellphone use.
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LEGAL

NYC Mayor Mamdani cracks down on Motoclick over pay

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has announced that NYC has filed a lawsuit against delivery app Motoclick and its chief executive, alleging violations of the city’s minimum pay rules. Officials claim the company underpaid workers, deducted wages for cancelled and refunded orders, and charged fees that reduced earnings. The lawsuit seeks back pay and damages for affected couriers, according to Sam Levine, commissioner of the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection. Motoclick says it works with major platforms including Uber Eats, DoorDash, and Grubhub.
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LEADERSHIP

Walmart overhauls executive team in e-commerce push

Walmart has promoted three executives to its top management team, including two who earlier in their careers worked at Amazon, as the world’s largest retailer drives further into e-commerce. The group has named David Guggina, its current chief e-commerce officer, as the new chief executive of Walmart U.S., succeeding John Furner. Additionally, Chris Nicholas, president of Sam’s Club U.S., will become CEO of Walmart International, replacing Kath McLay, who is stepping down. Finally, Latriece Watkins will lead Sam’s Club as its new CEO, while Seth Dallaire has been appointed Walmart’s global chief growth officer. The company says the leadership changes aim to align teams more closely with customers as artificial intelligence transforms retail operations.
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ECONOMY

U.S. weighs executive action to cap credit card rates

The White House is considering an executive action to enact U.S. President Donald Trump’s call for a cap on credit card interest rates, according to people familiar with the matter. The proposal is designed to lower interest rates on credit cards as part of a broader push to reduce costs for Americans. The plan, which is still being crafted, may include other measures such as a ban on institutional investors buying single-family homes.

Industrial production rose 0.4% in December, beating expectations

U.S. industrial production rose by 0.4% in December, significantly outpacing economists’ forecast of a 0.1% gain, according to Federal Reserve data. The increase was driven largely by a 2.6% surge in utilities output, rebounding from a decline in November. November's figure was also revised upward to 0.4%, indicating stronger momentum in the sector.
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REMUNERATION

Billionaires' wealth hits new peak, Oxfam says

Billionaire fortunes have grown at a rate three times faster than the previous five years since the election of Donald Trump in November 2024, according to Oxfam in a report timed for the opening of the World Economic ‌Forum in Davos. While US billionaires have seen the sharpest growth in their fortunes, billionaires in the rest of the world have also seen double digit increases. The number of billionaires has surpassed 3,000 for the first time, and the level of billionaire wealth is now higher than at any time in history. "The widening gap between the rich and the rest is at the same time ‍creating a political deficit that is highly dangerous and unsustainable," Oxfam's executive director Amitabh Behar said.
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TAX

Newsom vows to block California billionaire wealth tax ballot measure

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has pledged to defeat a proposed wealth tax targeting billionaires, warning it could drive high earners out of the state and damage the local economy. The proposed ballot initiative, backed by the healthcare workers’ union SEIU-UHW, seeks a one-time 5% tax on individuals with a net worth over $1bn, retroactive to January 1st 2026. While the tax could raise tens of billions of dollars for healthcare, food assistance, and education, Newsom argues it would lead to long-term losses by encouraging the wealthy to leave California. He’s working behind the scenes to oppose the measure, even as union supporters gather signatures to qualify it for the November ballot.
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INTERNATIONAL

EU prepares retaliation for Donald Trump’s Greenland threat

EU leaders are considering hitting the U.S. with a €93bn ($107.7bn) package of tariffs in response to Donald Trump’s threats to Nato allies opposed to his campaign to take over Greenland. Another option that will be discussed at an emergency summit in Brussels on Thursday is the to date never-used 'Anti-Coercion Instrument' (ACI), which could limit access to public tenders, investments or banking activity or restrict trade in services, in which the U.S. has a surplus with the bloc, including in digital services. "I'm convinced that [Europe] must not give in," observed Jérémie Gallon, a former French diplomat and current senior managing director at McLarty Associates, a Washington-based international strategic advisory firm. "Resisting a new attempt at humiliation and vassalization is the only way Europe can finally assert itself as a geopolitical actor."

U.K. business leaders shun juniors over false allegations fears

One in ten U.K. business leaders avoids meeting junior colleagues due to fears of false allegations, according to a YouGov survey by global investigations firm Nardello & Co. The study revealed that 25% of leaders consider reputational damage a top concern, with 20% worried about managing wrongful allegations. Alan Kennedy, managing director at Nardello, noted that advancements in AI complicate the challenge of false narratives. Additionally, 42% of businesses are concerned about the reputational impact of data breaches, while 30% cite financial crime as a major threat. Joseph Pochron at Nardello points out that the U.K. Cyber Security and Resilience Bill, which is expected to be enforced later this year, will force organizations to adopt risk-based cybersecurity measures.
 
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