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North American Edition
17th September 2025
 
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THE HOT STORY

Trump appoints board to mediate New York rail labor dispute

President Donald Trump has agreed to appoint an emergency board to review the dispute between the Long Island Rail Road and the unions that represent its employees, according to an executive order released by the White House. A White House spokesperson said Trump had acted at the unions' request "to bring both sides back to the negotiating table and prevent a strike that could have crippled the New York City area and disrupted the upcoming Ryder Cup on Long Island."
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CORPORATE

President Trump calls for end to quarterly earnings reports

President Donald Trump has said that companies should no longer be required to report their earnings on a quarterly basis, and instead publish their financials every six months, arguing that it "will save money, and allow managers to focus on properly running their companies." Currently, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) requires corporations to report their financial statements every 90 days. Half-yearly reporting would mark a huge change in disclosure requirements and put the U.S. in line with the U.K. and several countries in the European Union. Supporters of the change say quarterly reporting is too costly and time-consuming and discourages companies from wanting to go public. They also say company executives focus too much on hitting quarterly earnings targets and not enough on long-term planning. Opponents, however, say that six-month reviews would deprive investors of important financial information. An SEC spokesperson said that the commission "is prioritizing this proposal to further eliminate unnecessary regulatory burdens on companies."

Ben & Jerry’s co-founder quits over Unilever ‘silencing’ of social mission

Ben & Jerry’s co-founder Jerry Greenfield has quit the ice cream brand he launched almost half a century ago, saying the Vermont-based company has lost its independence since Unilever put a stop to its social activism. Ben Cohen, who started the company with Mr Greenfield, shared a statement from him that said quitting was “one of the hardest and most painful decisions” he’d ever made. “Standing up for the values of justice, equity, and our shared humanity has never been more important, and yet Ben & Jerry’s has been silenced, sidelined for fear of upsetting those in power", he said in the statement. “And it’s happening at a time when our country’s current administration is attacking civil rights, voting rights of immigrants, women, and the LGBTQ community." A spokesperson for The Magnum Ice Cream Company, the Unilever subsidiary which controls Ben & Jerry's, said on Wednesday that it disagreed “with Jerry’s perspective and (has) sought to engage both co-founders in constructive conversation.”
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LEGAL

Perkins Coie fires lawyer over Kirk post

Law firm Perkins Coie has terminated a lawyer following a controversial social media post that appeared to criticize conservative activist Charlie Kirk following his fatal shooting. A spokesperson for the firm said: “These comments do not reflect the views of our firm, and the individual's conduct in posting them fell far short of the expectations we have of everyone who works here.” The lawyer was dismissed “effective immediately.”

Tesla faces lawsuit over hiring practices

Tesla is facing a lawsuit alleging that the company systematically favors visa holders over American citizens in its hiring practices. The plaintiffs, who say they were denied employment after revealing their U.S. citizenship status, argue that this preference allows Tesla to pay lower wages to visa-dependent employees, a practice described as "wage theft."
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TECHNOLOGY

AI can’t write good analyst research yet, says analyst

AI tools which sought to mimic the thought processes of an equities analyst make too many mistakes, lack predictive power and tend to miss the big picture, according to Bernstein Research.
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HIRING

BLS announces recruitment drive to aid CPI program

The U.S. Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is hiring approximately 25 part-time assistant economists to assist with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) program amid criticism over recent downward revisions to nonfarm payrolls and inflation data collection. The move follows sharp job downgrades that led to the dismissal of BLS Commissioner Erika McEntarfer by President Trump, who accused her of manipulating employment data. The BLS has faced challenges due to funding cuts and staffing reductions, which have raised concerns about the reliability of economic data, prompting the inspector general's office to review the agency's reporting practices.
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REGULATION

SEC will notify businesses of technical violations before taking action

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Paul Atkins has told the Financial Times that the regulator will give businesses notice of technical violations before "bashing down their door," in a shift away from aggressive enforcement actions. "I think a lot of people rightly criticized the SEC," said Atkins. "Especially in more recent years it was not grounded in precedent or predictability. It would shoot first and then ask questions later," Atkins told the newspaper, adding "What I am trying to address is a market perception that there was a lack of due process, a lack of notice, a lack of rule of law." He condemned the billions of dollars in fines that his predecessor, Gary Gensler, slapped on banks and brokers for record-keeping violations.
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INTERNATIONAL

Novo Nordisk mandates five-day office work

Wegovy-maker Novo Nordisk has said that office employees must return to the workplace five days a week, effectively ending remote work. The Danish company said that this new global standard aims to strengthen collaboration among staff. A company spokesperson confirmed that all employees worldwide have been informed of the updated guidelines. The policy marks a significant shift in the company's approach to workplace flexibility. Kim Jung Olsen, the chair of Danish trade union HK Privat, said he was surprised that Novo had discontinued its remote work policy. "Working from home and a vibrant office culture are not necessarily mutually exclusive," he said. "It is unfortunate for the many employees who have enjoyed being able to work from home from time to time that management has not managed to make this work at Novo Nordisk."

U.S. outsourcing tax worries Indian IT firms

India's IT sector is facing uncertainty as U.S. lawmakers propose a 25% tax on American companies that outsource jobs overseas, which could lead to delays and renegotiations of contracts. Although the bill is unlikely to pass in its current form, it signals a potential shift in how U.S. firms engage with Indian IT services, prompting concerns about increased costs and competitive disadvantages. Industry experts anticipate significant lobbying efforts against the proposal, as well as possible legal challenges from companies reliant on outsourcing.

U.K. sick days hit 15-year high

Sick leave among British workers has reached its highest level in over 15 years, with employees taking an average of nearly two weeks off per year, up from just over one week pre-pandemic. The increase is linked to an ageing workforce and a rise in long-term health conditions, particularly mental health issues causing extended absences. The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development and Simplyhealth are urging employers to foster supportive cultures, offer flexible working, and provide health services to help staff stay in work. The survey found that many employers are taking action, with 66% offering occupational sick pay and 69% providing occupational health schemes.

South Korea to check on U.S. human rights violations

South Korea will check with employers about whether there were any human rights violations for Korean workers that were detained in the U.S., a presidential spokesperson has said. More than 300 South Korean workers returned home on Friday after about a week of detention in a U.S. immigration detention facility.
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OTHER

Tyson Foods to remove corn syrup from products

Tyson Foods has announced that it will stop using high-fructose corn syrup in its products by the end of the year. The Arkansas-based company, which processes one-fifth of all chicken, beef and pork sold in the US, said the decision was voluntary and follows its previous efforts to reduce sodium, sugars and other food additives. The Trump administration has been pushing food companies to change the way they manufacture products as part of an effort led by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to address Americans’ chronic health problems.
 
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