SCROLL NEWS / DISCOVERY

Search headlines

Find the stories shaping the conversation.

Search mode
Refine results
Active filters Keyword All time

Results for " employer " 594 found 🔀 AI-powered Shuffle

Your Employer's Health Plan Is the Single Largest Tax Break in America, and It Never Shows Up on Your Return

The biggest tax break most American workers receive never appears on their return, never gets debated at filing time, and quietly delivers a bigger federal subsidy to higher earners than anything they could ever itemize.

247wallst.com logo
Sep 12 • 9:01 PM EDT • Health • 247wallst.com
They lost their jobs after posting about Charlie Kirk, but some have no regrets

Some people fired in the wake of Kirk's assassination have won big settlements from employers, others have had to start over from scratch.

bbc.com logo
Sep 12 • 8:49 PM EDT • Politics • bbc.com
His Retiree Health Plan Kept Paying After 65. It Paid Only What Medicare Would Have Left Over, and He Had Never Enrolled

His former employer's retiree plan kept paying claims for three years, and every explanation of benefits looked fine until a hospital stay produced a bill worth thousands of dollars that no one had warned him was coming.

247wallst.com logo
Sep 11 • 11:30 AM EDT • Health • 247wallst.com
Former employee convicted of embezzling thousands from Cedar Rapids business

A man has been found guilty this week of stealing hundreds of thousands from his former employer.

kcrg.com logo
Sep 11 • 9:54 AM EDT • Business • kcrg.com
Top Seattle tech and business leaders demand 100-day public safety action plan from City Hall

In a letter sent Thursday, executives from major area employers — including Microsoft, Starbucks, Costco, F5, Alaska Airlines, Zillow, and others — urged city leaders to protect and expand public safety funding amid growing skepticism that the city currently has an effective strategy to address crime and homelessness.

geekwire.com logo
Sep 10 • 6:42 PM EDT • Business • geekwire.com
Deaconess Health System earns spot on Forbes 2026 employer list

Officials say this honor highlights Deaconess Health System’s ongoing commitment to fostering a workplace culture where employees feel supported, valued and empowered to make a difference.

14news.com logo
Sep 10 • 11:49 AM EDT • Health • 14news.com
Broad Payer & Consumer Coalition Urges Congress to Close Loopholes in No Surprises Act That Inflate Health Costs

Two new issue briefs highlight the abuse of the appeals process by private equity and corporations, and also successful solutions at the state level that suggest a federal fix WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, as Congress comes back into session next week, a broad range of 67 consumer, labor, and employer organizations, led by the patient […]

familiesusa.org logo
Sep 10 • 9:46 AM EDT • Health • familiesusa.org
😐 Neutral (15%)
ahah
40%
wow
32%
love
28%
Turnover climbs as employers plan growth on constrained workforces

Gallagher's 2026 benchmark data shows why burnout risk is building before retention numbers move

insurancebusinessmag.com logo
Sep 9 • 11:43 PM EDT • Business • insurancebusinessmag.com
Business Must Become A Co-Designer Of Talent

Why the Future of Education Depends on Employers Becoming Partners in Learning

forbes.com logo
Sep 9 • 11:18 AM EDT • Business • forbes.com
Labor Department Mental Health Insurance Guidance Seeks Balance

The Department of Labor released new guidance seeking to narrow enforcement related to gaps in how employers cover treatments for mental health and substance use disorders.

news.bloomberglaw.com logo
Sep 9 • 9:52 AM EDT • Health • news.bloomberglaw.com
LMH Health announces participation in Astra Health to expand access, improve care and reduce healthcare costs

We are pleased to announce that LMH Health is one of five independent Kansas health systems joining together to form Astra Health, a new regional healthcare collaboration designed to improve patient care, strengthen access to specialty services, and deliver more affordable healthcare options for employers and communities across Kansas. By working together, participating health systems […]

lmh.org logo
Sep 8 • 10:00 AM EDT • Health • lmh.org
Boomerang hiring is growing. Here's why CEOs like it.

More workers are returning to their former employers. CEOs say boomerang hires bring experience, connections, and other benefits.

businessinsider.com logo
Sep 8 • 5:42 AM EDT • Business • businessinsider.com
🙂 Positive (50%)
Some employers let workers buy their own health insurance. Who benefits?

Some Indiana businesses reimburse employees to buy their own health insurance. Lawmakers want more to follow suit.

indystar.com logo
Sep 8 • 5:37 AM EDT • Health • indystar.com
Deep dive
😐 Neutral (12%)
wow
50%
love
26%
ahah
24%
West Hartford’s amenities fuel strong office demand amid broader market slump

West Hartford’s office market has rebounded with low vacancies and rising rents, helping attract employers as demand remains strong near the town center.

hartfordbusiness.com logo
Sep 7 • 4:00 AM EDT • Business • hartfordbusiness.com
A $480,000-a-year pill reflects a new normal for cancer drugs

Cancer drug prices have steadily increased. The expense is borne by government programs like Medicare, employers, patients and Americans who pay taxes and health insurance premiums.

seattletimes.com logo
Sep 6 • 9:00 AM EDT • Business • seattletimes.com
The GLP-1 Squeeze: How Soaring Healthcare Costs Are Forcing Employers to Act

New survey results from the consultancy firm Marsh released last week show that employers expect per-employee health benefit costs to increase 8.2% on average in 2027—which would be the highest jump since 2003.

barrons.com logo
Sep 6 • 3:00 AM EDT • Health • barrons.com
3 Stocks Tied To Rising HSA Use Including CVS Health Stock

Health Savings Accounts are quietly becoming a core part of how Americans pay for care, with more employers auto enrolling workers and pairing HSAs with high deductible health plans. That shift channels more money through platforms that handle contributions, custody, and investments. For investors, the question is which stocks may benefit most from this structural change. This article walks through three HSA exposed stocks from our screener and what the news could mean for each. The three...

simplywall.st logo
Sep 5 • 1:21 PM EDT • Health • simplywall.st
Health care is Democrats' key to winning midterms this fall

Breaking up the health care conglomerates that have enriched themselves by immiserating patients and cheating employers is good policy.

metrowestdailynews.com logo
Sep 5 • 4:45 AM EDT • Health • metrowestdailynews.com
Morrisey: $2.4M of WV’s Rural Health funds will go to 3 organizations for employer-based health

The state of West Virginia will award $2.4 million of its federal Rural Health Transformation Program funding to three organizations to expand worksite and employer-based health services. It’s the first announced allocation of the state’s funding from the federal money. The five-year program awarded West Virginia nearly $199 million for the first year. It’s meant […]

westvirginiawatch.com logo
Sep 4 • 4:49 PM EDT • Health • westvirginiawatch.com
New pancreatic cancer drug could add to employers’ health bills

Rasonque’s approval is an exciting development in the fight to cure cancer, but could further challenge employers to carefully manage use.

hr-brew.com logo
Sep 4 • 2:00 PM EDT • Health • hr-brew.com
Employer and worker health plan costs expected to jump in 2027
cbsnews.com logo
Sep 4 • 10:59 AM EDT • Health • cbsnews.com
High-Signal Publisher
Opinion: Getting new hires in the door is only half the workforce challenge

Chicago has invested heavily in talent pipelines. Employers must now focus on the workplace culture that determines whether new hires stay and succeed.

chicagobusiness.com logo
Sep 4 • 10:33 AM EDT • Business • chicagobusiness.com
Trump health admin promotes insurance program aimed at lowering costs for employers

Employer health insurance costs are expected to spike next year. Federal officials are pointing to an Indiana business offering alternative health insurance to keep costs down.

wfyi.org logo
Sep 4 • 6:36 AM EDT • Health • wfyi.org
Deep dive
😐 Neutral (8%)
wow
69%
love
31%
Large employers drop health benefits as costs rise

It's a sign that year-after-year spikes in medical costs have real consequences.

axios.com logo
Sep 4 • 5:10 AM EDT • Health • axios.com
High-Signal Publisher
Employer healthcare costs projected to rise most since 2003

The cost of health benefits per employee is expected to rise 8.2% in 2027 — the biggest jump for employers since 2003.

abc27.com logo
Sep 4 • 5:02 AM EDT • Health • abc27.com
What to expect from the jobs report today

The August jobs report is due out at 8:30 a.m. ET Friday, and economists are expecting that employers added 65,000 jobs last month and the unemployment rate inched back up to 4.2%.

cnn.com logo
Sep 4 • 5:00 AM EDT • Business • cnn.com
Your health insurance rates are going to rise next year: Here's why

Employer health care costs are on track to climb about 11% next year, the sharpest jump in more than two decades.

medicalxpress.com logo
Sep 3 • 10:40 PM EDT • Health • medicalxpress.com
Employer healthcare costs projected to rise most since 2003

The cost of health benefits per employee is expected to rise 8.2% in 2027 — the biggest jump for employers since 2003.

newsnationnow.com logo
Sep 3 • 6:40 PM EDT • Health • newsnationnow.com
Judi Health Taps Color Health, WellTheory, Cylinder for Clinical Ecosystem

Judi Health expanded its healthcare network to offer specialized virtual care for cancer, autoimmune and GI conditions while helping employers reduce overall healthcare costs.

medcitynews.com logo
Sep 3 • 6:35 PM EDT • Health • medcitynews.com
Paychex: Small-business job growth holds steady in August

Paychex reports stable small-business job growth in august with employers relying on existing workers amid steady demand and restrained wage increases.

rbj.net logo
Sep 3 • 1:00 PM EDT • Business • rbj.net
GoodRx offers health subscription for families, to launch as employee benefit in 2027

GoodRx, a prescription drug savings site, announced on Thursday a family healthcare subscription for access to common medical services and ​over 250 medications, and it plans to launch the program ‌as part of employer health benefits in 2027.

reuters.com logo
Sep 3 • 9:01 AM EDT • Health • reuters.com
Employer health costs are poised to see their biggest jump in over two decades

A Marsh survey of more than 1,800 employers found the expected increase would be the largest since 2003

qz.com logo
Sep 3 • 8:21 AM EDT • Health • qz.com
Appeals court rejects CDOT employee’s discrimination, retaliation claims

Colorado’s second-highest court agreed last week that a Colorado Department of Transportation employee had not shown that his employer discriminated and retaliated against him due to his religion and national origin. Ayman Salloum, who described himself as a 70-year-old Muslim immigrant from Jordan, was an environmental protection specialist at CDOT in December 2024. That month, […]

coloradopolitics.com logo
Sep 2 • 4:50 PM EDT • Politics • coloradopolitics.com
Health insurance costs projected to spike next year by most in two decades

Employers predict an average 8.2% increase in the cost of their insurance plans. Workers will shoulder some of the cost.

washingtonpost.com logo
Sep 2 • 4:30 PM EDT • Health • washingtonpost.com
Employer health costs expected to see sharpest increase in 20+ years: Survey

The cost of employer health benefits is projected to jump by the highest degree in more than 20 years next year, according to new projections released this week. Estimates released by the financial…

thehill.com logo
Sep 2 • 1:09 PM EDT • Health • thehill.com
Employer healthcare costs are expected to jump again. Workers could feel it

As healthcare costs keep climbing, workers could face higher bills, fewer choices and changes to their health benefits.

oregonlive.com logo
Sep 2 • 8:00 AM EDT • Business • oregonlive.com
Employer Health Costs Are Expected to Spike in 2027

A new U.S. survey anticipates an average increase of 11 percent unless benefits are cut, the highest rate in decades. Other findings also predict a sharp rise.

nytimes.com logo
Sep 2 • 6:00 AM EDT • Business • nytimes.com
Employer Health Costs Are Expected to Spike in 2027

A new U.S. survey anticipates an average increase of 11 percent unless benefits are cut, the highest rate in decades. Other findings also predict a sharp rise.

nytimes.com logo
Sep 2 • 6:00 AM EDT • Health • nytimes.com
Principal closes Beam deal, adding digital small business platform

The acquisition is less about premium volume and more about how carriers are competing for small employer relationships

insurancebusinessmag.com logo
Sep 1 • 6:13 AM EDT • Business • insurancebusinessmag.com
Business schools face demand for higher, ‘human’ skills

As AI erodes entry-level tasks, employers want ‘tier two’ abilities that young masters in management graduates once learnt at work

ft.com logo
Aug 31 • 11:30 PM EDT • Business • ft.com
GLP-1 drugs are almost single-handedly forcing employers to reconsider workers' health care

Another hospital system sues CVS Health, how Medicaid cuts will change everything, and more

statnews.com logo
Aug 31 • 11:27 AM EDT • Health • statnews.com
😐 Neutral (0%)
love
67%
angry
33%
Employers are begging colleges to help Zoomers learn how to talk

Every generation of new grads doesn't know how to work. Gen Z has it especially rough.

businessinsider.com logo
Aug 31 • 4:11 AM EDT • Business • businessinsider.com
Colorado Sues EarnIn For “Immoral, Unethical, Oppressive and Unscrupulous” Business Practices

Hey all, Jason here. When this hits your inbox, I should be en route to the airport — not to go anywhere myself, just to pick up my better half. I must admit, it’s been strange to be home alone (well, with two dogs) for two weeks! Really lets me “optimize” to spending more time on reading/writing/working, whether that’s healthy or not! Looking forward to getting back into a (somewhat) more balance routine. Subscribe or Support by Upgrading Compare Notes With the People Who Built Modern Fintech Partner content: Remitly CEO Sebastian Gunningham. Increase founder Darragh Buckley. Linda Du, Co-founder & President at Valon. They’ll unpack the decisions behind building and scaling major financial products: what they got right, what broke, what they would do differently, and how AI and new infrastructure are changing the operator playbook. Most events tell you where fintech is going. NerdCon puts the people who built the present in the room and asks them what comes next. Expect an operator-led conversation grounded in real products, real trade-offs and lessons earned the hard way. Fintech Business Weekly readers save 20% on Regular tickets with code FBW20 before standard pricing ends September 11. Meet the Builders Things To Know & Other Good Reads Advent and Stripe Abandon $50 Billion Pursuit of PayPal (Bloomberg) Trump Family’s New Crypto Bank Is Backed by Abu Dhabi Sheikh (Wall Street Journal) The multiplying risks of financing data centres (FT) Let the Bond Market Speak (Wall Street Journal) Did we waste a crisis? Modest proposals to reform deposit insurance. (Fintech Takes Banking) Untangling Guggenheim: How Private Credit Built Its Own Universe (Net Interest) The Hater’s Guide To Circular Financing — Part One (Ed Zitron) Fiat Ventures Rebrands to FGV Capital, Announces $35M Oversubscribed Fund II (BusinessWire) Socure Announces Strategic Growth Investment at $5.2B Valuation and Acquires Agentic Operations Platform Fravity (Socure) Listen: When Consumer Protection Disclosures Work Too Well (Consumer Finance Monitor Podcast) Colorado Sues EarnIn For “Immoral, Unethical, Oppressive and Unscrupulous” Business Practices When Andreessen Horowitz led EarnIn’s $39 million Series B in 2017, Alex Rampell, a partner at the storied venture capital firm, described EarnIn’s small-dollar advance product as “free,” relying on “entirely on voluntary contributions instead of fees.” Rampell favorably compared EarnIn’s approach to typical payday loans, writing, “Payday loans historically have had the potential to be a slippery slope for consumers into financial distress: opaque systems and steep fees that are hard to repay and set individuals back further than where they started. For many Americans living paycheck to paycheck, that kind of slide into debt can be extremely difficult to recover from.” But EarnIn’s product — which, the company says, isn’t a “loan,” legally speaking — ends up being anything but free for most users. While it is technically possible to take a no-fee advance from the company, most users incur “Lightning Speed” (instant funding) fees and/or ostensibly optional tips that combined can equate to annualized percent rates that can reach over 1,000%. With an average term of 9.77 days, even fees and tips that are small on an absolute dollar basis are equivalent to high APRs on an annualized basis. A lawsuit filed last week by Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser against EarnIn describes the company and its product and business practices quite differently than Andreessen’s Rampell; “EarnIn’s business practices are unfair because they are immoral, unethical, oppressive and unscrupulous,” the complaint, filed in District Court in Denver, Colorado, says. EarnIn’s marquee product, Cash Out, isn’t a loan, the company says, as Cash Out is not “[f]orward [l]ooking” because “[t]he money is transferred based on earnings to date,” does not carry a mandatory fee to access funds, and is “non-recourse,” meaning EarnIn cannot pursue recovery from users who don’t repay advanced funds. EarnIn is sometimes referred to as an “Earned Wage Advance” service. Though, unlike some others in the broader category, EarnIn does not integrate with employers’ payroll or time and attendance systems. Rather, EarnIn attempts to verify a user’s income and employment, by examining direct deposit transaction data in their linked external bank account, by using GPS location and Bluetooth data to estimate a user’s time spent at work, if they work in a fixed location, and/or by having a user provided a work email address. While repayment is theoretically optional, as EarnIn would have no recourse, such as reporting non-payment to the credit bureaus or a collections agency, this is anything but clear to users of the EarnIn app, Colorado’s complaint argues. During the process of taking a Cash Out, users must agree to a preauthorized debit of the amount advanced, plus any expedited funding fee and/or tips. Though users technically can revoke this ACH authorization, the fact that they have this right isn’t presented to users during the Cash Out process, but rather is included in linked terms and conditions few users are likely to actually read. And users who do wish to revoke their ACH authorization must do so three or more days before the scheduled transaction date by emailing EarnIn’s customer support. Similarly, EarnIn’s marketing claims that it carries “no interest” and “no mandatory fees” is technically true, but is not the reality for many of the app’s users, the Colorado complaint argues. Further, EarnIn has extensively marketed to users the ability to “access your pay today,” to get “instant” funds, and to get funds “the same day you work” — when, in reality, this speed of access was only possible by paying the additional, undisclosed Lightning Speed fee. The Colorado complaint highlights this contradiction specifically, noting: EarnIn tells consumers that they can ‘Make any day payday with EarnIn’ and that there no ‘hidden’ or ‘mandatory fees.’ For a consumer to access their pay on the same day requested, they would have to pay the Lightning Speed fee. In the fine print of the advertisement EarnIn discloses that ‘[f]ees apply to use Lightning Speed,’ a direct contradiction to the larger text of the advertisement, and a fact that would not be immediately understood by a consumer as ‘Lightning Speed’ is not defined nor explained. Like other small-dollar lending services, rather than explicitly charge interest, EarnIn collects a markup on the optional Lighting Speed fee, which, given the nature of the transactions, many users opt for, as well as offering users the option to leave “tips.” EarnIn leverages either Real-Time Payments (RTP) rails or push-to-card via debit rails if a user opts for the optional Lightning Speed. But while these capabilities cost EarnIn, on average, $0.075 or $0.20 per transaction, respectively, EarnIn charges users significantly more. Initially, EarnIn charged as little as $1.99 for Cash Outs up to $24. But EarnIn has hiked these fees multiple times, and now charges $4.99 for Cash Outs up to $75 and $6.99 for those over $75. According to the Colorado complaint, EarnIn leverages “dark patterns” to manipulate users and to make it more difficult to avoid tipping. Examples of these “road blocks” highlighted in the complaint include: As of 2023, in the EarnIn app, a consumer attempting to get a loan under the default settings had to make at least eighteen separate taps to complete the transaction and reduce the tip to $0. There is an alternative method to leave a $0 tip, via the “Custom tip” feature, but EarnIn made this option difficult to access by visually deemphasizing it and positioning it near devices’ “home” button. Using language and imagery such as “Tip to pay it forward,” “Your generosity supports the service + helps,” “Your tips make a difference,” and “[t]he APR for this cash out is 0%. Your tips help support us.” While Lightning Speed and tipping are, in theory, both optional, in practice, users nearly always ended up paying something. According to the Colorado suit, users were charged either a tip or an expedite fee for more than 92% of transactions, with an average APR of nearly 388%. And, although the advances are “non-recourse,” EarnIn successfully collects on nearly all transactions — 99.18%, according to the complaint, which, Colorado argues, “demonstrat[es] that EarnIn’s advances function as high cost loans, not voluntary payments.” The share of EarnIn users incurring fees — despite the product being marketed as 0% APR — is hard to reconcile with Andreessen investor Rampell’s favorable description of EarnIn vs. “opaque systems and steep fees” associated with payday loans, which, Rampell says, can be “extremely difficult” for borrowers to extricate themselves from. According to Colorado’s suit, EarnIn’s Cash Out product “trapped many consumers in extreme cycles of high-cost reborrowing.” The suit gives an example of one consumer in the state, who took out a whopping 1,151 loans, paying a total of $4,038.50 in Lightning Speed expedited funding fees on loans that averaged the equivalent of 1,421% APR. Another Colorado user, the suit says, took out 1,033 loans, paying $8,561.22 in tips and fees at an average APR of 1,539% . These types of usage patterns demonstrate “the severe and repeated financial harm caused by EarnIn’s illegal lending model,” the Colorado complaint argues. In aggregate, from January 2023 through July 2025, EarnIn extended 3.1 million loans to 56,778 users in Colorado — an average of nearly 55 transactions per person during the time period. EarnIn lent more than $300 million and collected more than $16 million from Colorado users in Lightning Speed fees and in tips. Ultimately, the Colorado complaint argues that “EarnIn’s Cash Outs are loans under Colorado law, and EarnIn’s contention that its product is not a loan based on its disclaimer of any legal repayment obligation lacks any real-world significance given how the Cash Out transactions actually operate in practice.” Colorado further argues that “EarnIn was not working with companies here in providing consumers with funds but acted as a third-party lender and charged illegally high rates, used deceptive design strategies to extract some charges, and trapped consumers in repeat borrowing. Colorado will continue to stand up for consumers and hold companies accountable when they violate our credit laws or attempt to evade them through misleading practices.” Colorado’s suit alleges EarnIn assesses finance charge in excess of that permitted by Colorado law, that EarnIn failed to make legally required disclosures to Colorado borrowers, that EarnIn made supervised loans to consumers without obtaining the requisite license, that EarnIn violated the state’s Deferred Deposit Loan Act, that EarnIn engage in unfair and deceptive trade practices, and that EarnIn made false or misleading statements concerning price. The suit seeks a court order enjoining EarnIn from violating relevant Colorado laws, for EarnIn to refund amounts charged in excess of state law, fees, costs, and penalties, and other relief the court deems to be just. Fintech Business Weekly is made possible by the generous support of paying subscribers — bringing you independent analysis of banking, fintech, and crypto without fear or favor. You can support my work by becoming a paying subscriber if you aren’t already. Paying subscribers enjoy: access to the entire archive of nearly six years of newsletters extended versions of the weekly newsletter, with additional content and analysis and (for founding member tier) quarterly personal 1:1 fintech Q&A / strategy calls with me, tapping into my unparalleled knowledge of the intersection of banking and fintech and experience working in the sector, including helping to launch Goldman Sachs’ retail bank Marcus Support Fintech Business Weekly You can also support Fintech Business Weekly by sponsoring a newsletter or podcast, putting you in front of 93,000+ of the most influential decision makers in banking, fintech, and crypto. Learn more about sponsor opportunities or request a media kit by dropping me an email. Q2 Quarterly Banking Profile: Five Quick Takeaways The FDIC released its quarterly banking profile, which is always worth a read, for the second quarter. The profile provides an aggregate snapshot about the overall health of the 4,238 institutions whose deposits are insured by the FDIC, who, collectively, hold more than $26 trillion in assets and saw a total net income of more than $90 billion in the second quarter. Net income was up 12% vs. Q1 2026, with lower provisions and realized gains on securities helping to drive the improvement, somewhat offset by increases in non-interest expense and applicable income taxes. Overall net interest margin was basically flat quarter over quarter (up 1 basis point vs. Q1 2026), though community banks saw NIM grow by 10 basis points, to 3.81%. Unsurprisingly, given that interest rates haven’t changed, unrealized losses on securities changed little, edging up slightly to $326.7 billion vs. $325.1 billion in Q1 2026. Aggregate credit quality has remained benign, with asset quality actually improving slightly in Q2. Overall, institutions reported a 9 basis point decline in their past-due and non-accrual rate, to 1.44%. Net charge off rate also declined by 2 basis points, to 0.57%. And finally, the FDIC’s deposit insurance fund stands at $161.1 billion, making the DIF reserve ratio 1.48% — above the statutory minimum of 1.35%, but still below the designated target reserve ratio of 2%. [Paid Subscriber Exclusive] Nissan Withdraws ILC App, State Associations Plan BankChain Alliance, FDIC Defines “Unsafe or Unsound Practice” For First Time Automaker Nissan withdrew its application to charter a Utah industrial loan company and its corresponding application to the FDIC for deposit insurance last week, on August 19th. Nissan’s application had been outstanding for more than a year, as it originally applied in June 2025. Recent applications to the OCC to form national banks have been decisioned, one way or the other, substantially more quickly than has historically been the case.

fintechbusinessweekly.substack.com logo
Aug 30 • 9:00 AM EDT • Business • fintechbusinessweekly.substack.com
Deep dive
😐 Neutral (6%)
wow
43%
love
35%
ahah
22%
Tech workers name their dream employers, from OpenAI to Google

Tech workers share their dream employers, from OpenAI and Anthropic to Google and NVIDIA — and the companies they'd rather pass on.

businessinsider.com logo
Aug 30 • 5:30 AM EDT • Business • businessinsider.com
Small Business 401(k) Adoption Is Surging—Here’s What’s Driving the Boom

New data shows retirement plan creation among smaller employers is outstripping big corporations, driven by a massive spike in hourly worker access.

inc.com logo
Aug 27 • 12:25 PM EDT • Business • inc.com
Women’s Equality Day highlights Portland’s women-owned businesses

Women’s Equality Day on Aug. 26 spotlights the 19th Amendment and women-owned businesses powering Oregon’s economy. Women own 39% of employer firms, from Portland staples to newer community hubs like The Sports Bra.

katu.com logo
Aug 26 • 6:22 PM EDT • Business • katu.com
As Employer Health Costs Rise, Worker Cancer Cases An Increasing Worry

Cancer is the top condition driving healthcare spending for the fifth year in a row, a new report from the Business Group on Health shows.

forbes.com logo
Aug 26 • 3:20 PM EDT • Health • forbes.com
😐 Neutral (22%)
love
42%
wow
37%
ahah
21%
Kirk Herbstreit finds ESPN guilty of limited college football coverage

The longtime ESPN college football analyst doesn't think his employer has done enough to promote the sport on a consistent basis.

sports.yahoo.com logo
Aug 26 • 11:42 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Employers face ‘existential reckoning’ as health costs surge

Employers are expecting a median 9.2% increase in medical spending next year, according to a new survey. But they’ve underestimated actual cost growth for the past three years, so even that figure may be too optimistic.

healthcaredive.com logo
Aug 26 • 7:54 AM EDT • Health • healthcaredive.com
Claude Moore awards $2.7 million for health care scholars program

The Claude Moore Charitable Foundation has awarded $2.7 million in 2026 Claude Moore Scholars grants to 18 school divisions, higher education institutions, health care employers and workforce partners across Virginia,

loudountimes.com logo
Aug 25 • 4:45 PM EDT • Health • loudountimes.com
More US employers to drop weight-loss drugs in 2027, as healthcare costs increase

About 14% of employers in the United States have already or plan to drop GLP-1 drugs in 2027, as companies see rising healthcare ​costs, according to a survey released on Tuesday by the Business Group ‌on Health.

reuters.com logo
Aug 25 • 10:07 AM EDT • Health • reuters.com
More US Employers to Drop Weight-Loss Drugs in 2027, as Healthcare Costs Increase

By Amina Niasse NEW YORK, Aug 25 (Reuters) - About 14% ⁠of ⁠employers in the United States ⁠have already or plan to drop GLP-1 drugs in 2027, as companies see rising healthcare costs, according to a survey released on Tuesday by the Business Group ‌on Health. Healthcare costs are set ‌to increase ...

usnews.com logo
Aug 25 • 10:06 AM EDT • Health • usnews.com
Health Savings Account Participation on the Rise, Retirement Strategy Needs Attention, PSCA Finds

ARLINGTON, Va., August 25, 2026--The Plan Sponsor Council of America’s (PSCA) 2026 Health Savings Account Survey shows increased participation as 83% of employees contributed to their Health Savings Account (HSA) in 2025, up from 73.4% in 2024. Despite the growth, only one-quarter of employers position HSAs as part of a long-term retirement savings strategy.

finance.yahoo.com logo
Aug 25 • 8:53 AM EDT • Health • finance.yahoo.com
Disney Tightens Spousal Health Benefits as Industry Costs Surge

The entertainment giant joins a growing list of major employers scaling back coverage amid a projected 11 percent rise in 2027 healthcare costs.

hollywoodreporter.com logo
Aug 24 • 4:29 PM EDT • Health • hollywoodreporter.com
Health plans will cost more in 2027, for employers and workers

Insurance broker Aon says employer-sponsored plans are poised to increase 9.5% next year, to average more than $19,000 per worker.

marketplace.org logo
Aug 24 • 8:00 AM EDT • Health • marketplace.org
Northwest Arkansas Business Briefs

Arvest Bank on Forbes' best employer list

nwaonline.com logo
Aug 23 • 2:00 AM EDT • Business • nwaonline.com
Deep dive
😐 Neutral (11%)
love
60%
wow
40%
Employer health costs projected to rise 9.5 percent

A new risk analysis released by leading insurance broker Aon this week projected that employer health costs in the U.S. will rise by roughly 10 percent in 2027. Aon, the second largest global insur…

thehill.com logo
Aug 21 • 2:57 PM EDT • Health • thehill.com
Business groups sue to block NJ law fining big employers for workers on Medicaid

Business groups want a judge to void a new statute they say forces employers to ask workers their health status in violation of privacy laws.

newjerseymonitor.com logo
Aug 21 • 7:54 AM EDT • Business • newjerseymonitor.com
Employer healthcare expenses could spike 9.5% in 2027, pressured by GLP-1s

The benefits management company Aon said per-employee expenditures may rise about $19,000. While the broader economy is to blame, part of the rise can be attributed to the management of costly chronic conditions such as diabetes.

healthexec.com logo
Aug 21 • 7:07 AM EDT • Health • healthexec.com
Another tough year ahead for employer health costs

Near double-digit health cost increases are set to continue in 2027.

axios.com logo
Aug 20 • 5:00 PM EDT • Health • axios.com
High-Signal Publisher
Spoiler Alert: How To Manage NDA Breaches In The Entertainment Industry

Nothing is more frustrating than when a member of a project leaks key details about an upcoming film, game release, album, talent decision, or other major production. And if those moves violate a non-disclosure agreement, they create an actionable situation for your legal team. What should you do when talent or employees violate an NDA and how can you mitigate the damage? This Insight will cover practical steps for entertainment employers to respond when an NDA is broken.

fisherphillips.com logo
Aug 20 • 11:32 AM EDT • Entertainment • fisherphillips.com
Deep dive
😐 Neutral (7%)
ahah
53%
wow
47%
US employer healthcare costs set to rise 9.5% in 2027, Aon says

Aug 20 (Reuters) - U.S. employer healthcare costs are expected to rise 9.5% in 2027, pushing the average cost above $19,000 per employee, driven by increased medical use and spending on high-priced

finance.yahoo.com logo
Aug 20 • 10:12 AM EDT • Health • finance.yahoo.com
Aon: U.S. Employer Health Care Costs Continue Multi-Year Climb, Projected to Rise 9.5% in 2027

Fourth straight year of near double-digit increases for U.S. employers Employers now absorb more than 80% of health plan costs as rising expenses increasingly impact workforce and business...

aon.mediaroom.com logo
Aug 20 • 8:00 AM EDT • Health • aon.mediaroom.com
New research underscores child care’s growing economic stakes

For years, employers and working parents have understood the practical challenges created by a shortage of affordable, accessible child care. New research and polling suggest those challenges are increasingly becoming something else, too: an economic issue with growing political salience. The numbers help explain why. A new national poll from the First Five Years Fund […]

chamberbusinessnews.com logo
Aug 19 • 3:00 PM EDT • Business • chamberbusinessnews.com
Christian employers free to conduct business consistent with their faith

Following ADF lawsuit, EEOC agrees to not prosecute Christian Employers Alliance members on gender identity issues

adfmedia.org logo
Aug 19 • 10:15 AM EDT • Business • adfmedia.org
Native businesses in WA navigate ‘very complex’ tax system, red tape

While Washington is home to a relatively sizable population of Native peoples, a disproportionately small slice own employer businesses.

seattletimes.com logo
Aug 19 • 9:00 AM EDT • Business • seattletimes.com
UNO Transitions 7 Business Concentrations to Majors

Clearly defined majors in accounting, entrepreneurship, finance, human resources management, logistics, management and leadership, and marketing will enhance how students present skills to employers.

unomaha.edu logo
Aug 18 • 1:42 PM EDT • Business • unomaha.edu
☹️ Negative (-13%)
How health care costs are undermining America’s public-sector employers

Politicians are contemplating raising taxes and cutting benefits as the cost of health care for government workers surges.

statnews.com logo
Aug 18 • 4:30 AM EDT • Health • statnews.com
😐 Neutral (0%)
love
67%
ahah
33%
Health Alliance Plan: Helping businesses build stronger, healthier teams

Learn how smarter employee health benefits, preventive care and coordinated healthcare help Michigan employers control costs.

crainsdetroit.com logo
Aug 17 • 6:00 AM EDT • Health • crainsdetroit.com
Health Alliance Plan: Helping businesses build stronger, healthier teams

Learn how smarter employee health benefits, preventive care and coordinated healthcare help Michigan employers control costs.

crainsdetroit.com logo
Aug 17 • 6:00 AM EDT • Business • crainsdetroit.com
Why Hybrid Healthcare Is a Business Imperative for Employers in Maine

Access to healthcare is more than an employee recruiting or retention tool. It’s one of the largest line items on the balance sheet and a critical factor in workforce stability. As costs and expectations rise, employers and employees want a simpler healthcare experience.

mainebiz.biz logo
Aug 17 • 12:01 AM EDT • Business • mainebiz.biz
Business Briefcase: Labor and employment law summit set by MAEA

POTTSVILLE — The locally based Northeast Pennsylvania Manufacturers and Employers Association will have the 18th annual Labor & Employment Law Summit 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Sept. 24 at Mountain Valley Clubhouse, 1021 Brockton Mountain D…

republicanherald.com logo
Aug 16 • 8:30 AM EDT • Business • republicanherald.com
Deep dive
😐 Neutral (21%)
love
41%
wow
38%
ahah
21%
Forbes names Huntsville Hospital Health System among nation’s best employers

Huntsville Hospital Health System has been named one of Forbes’ best employers for the sixth time, adding to several recent national recognitions.

whnt.com logo
Aug 15 • 2:25 PM EDT • Health • whnt.com
Before employers shift more healthcare costs to workers, they should ask hospitals a question

Healthcare is a growing operating expense and, per Mercer data, roughly three-quarters of CFOs rank healthcare as a top five operating cost concern.

fortune.com logo
Aug 15 • 7:00 AM EDT • Health • fortune.com
Addressing child care to build a more business-friendly NH

Businesses invest heavily in recruiting talented employees. Increasingly, employers are recognizing child care as a key component of a business-friendly New Hampshire, alongside housing, energy infrastructure and broadband.

nhbr.com logo
Aug 14 • 12:19 PM EDT • Business • nhbr.com
😐 Neutral (15%)
love
68%
wow
32%
MHA CEO Report — Strong Hospitals Help Build Strong Communities - MHA | Michigan Health & Hospital Association

Hospitals are often discussed in relation to their impact on patients, but their influence extends much further. Beyond providing care, hospitals help communities attract employers, support local jobs and provide the services families need to live and work in Michigan. Last week, the MHA released the 2026 Economic Impact of Healthcare in Michigan report

mha.org logo
Aug 14 • 8:00 AM EDT • Health • mha.org
US Employers Abandon Group Health Insurance as Price Hikes Bite

As US employers brace for the largest price hikes on employee health plans in 15 years, a growing number are opting out of group insurance altogether.

bloomberg.com logo
Aug 12 • 9:28 AM EDT • Health • bloomberg.com
Bradley Tusk warns Zohran Mamdani's anti-business policies hurt NYC jobs

Tusk Ventures CEO Bradley Tusk joins Stuart Varney to discuss New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani's anti-business policies in New York City. Tusk warns Mamdani's class warfare rhetoric chases away major employers and hurts local NYC jobs.

foxbusiness.com logo
Aug 11 • 1:24 PM EDT • Business • foxbusiness.com
😐 Neutral (12%)
sad
34%
ahah
33%
wow
33%
Under 500 Employees, Over $500 billion: Small Business Payroll Taxes

Small businesses, those with fewer than 500 employees, are a pillar in the U.S. economy and account for a large share of federal payroll tax revenues. These taxes are paid by both the employer and employee and are primarily used to fund the Social Se

advocacy.sba.gov logo
Aug 11 • 9:00 AM EDT • Business • advocacy.sba.gov
The U.S. Healthcare System is Already Mostly Socialized

Now that Abdul El-Sayed is the Democratic nominee for Michigan’s open Senate seat, the outcome of this crucial race will depend mainly on two things: Whether Republicans succeed in demonizing El-Sayed because he’s brown and a Muslim, and whether they succeed in demonizing him as a left-wing radical. I will defer for the now the question of whether bigotry will be effective this year, although I will address it another day. What I want to address instead is El-Sayed’s signature issue — healthcare. Yes, El-Sayed advocates Medicare for All, a position the usual suspects denounce as “socialism.” I will get to the politics of his stance soon. Today, however, I want to talk about the substance. We should be clear that El-Sayed doesn’t even call himself a socialist. On the contrary, he explicitly disavows the label, saying “I’m a capitalist who just knows about capitalism”. In fact, as I explained in a previous post, the policies that El-Sayed advocates qualify him as a social democrat, not a socialist. Still, El-Sayed advocates a system under which the government would pay almost all medical expenses. Isn’t that socialism? Well, if that is the criterion then much of U.S. healthcare is already socialist. In fact, the government’s role is so large that U.S. healthcare is better described as partially privatized socialism than as anything resembling a free market. Let’s start with the raw numbers on health insurance, which pays the bulk of Americans’ medical expenses. Americans receive health insurance either from private companies or from public programs, overwhelmingly Medicare and Medicaid. Here’s what the breakdown of coverage and spending between private and public looked like in 2024: While a majority of Americans with health insurance get it from private companies, well over 100 million of us are covered by government programs instead. And these government programs pay more total dollars for medical bills than the private insurers do. Why do government programs that cover a minority of the population account for a majority of health insurers’ outlays? Mainly because Medicare covers seniors, and we’re expensive. Also, while Medicaid covers many younger Americans, disabled and elderly beneficiaries account for most of its spending. Even by the raw numbers, then, U.S. health insurance looks as much public as private. But that understates the government’s role: Private health insurance in the U.S. is both highly regulated and heavily subsidized. This is obviously true for the insurance coverage purchased by tens of millions of Americans through the exchanges established by the Affordable Care Act. But employment-based health insurance, which covers 161 million Americans, is far more of a government creation than most people realize. For employment-based insurance exists largely because of huge implicit government subsidies that come with major strings attached. Here’s how that works. If your employer pays you $10,000, that’s taxable income. But if your employer pays $10,000 toward a company health insurance plan that meets certain criteria, it isn’t taxable. That’s a huge effective subsidy, running at more than $300 billion a year. Take that subsidy into account, along with the more than $100 billion per year spent subsidizing policies purchased under the ACA, as well as the outlays on Medicare and Medicaid, and net effect is that the government pays for more than two-thirds of Americans’ health insurance. Granted, there are strings attached. Roughly speaking, employment-based health plans can’t discriminate based on medical history — that is, they can’t deny coverage to employees with pre-existing conditions — and they also can’t offer the plans only to highly compensated employees — a health plan that is only for the C-suite is considered taxable income. So given the restrictions of the federal tax code, employer-based health insurance is a lot like Obamacare, which also prohibits discrimination based on medical history and provides subsidies to make insurance affordable to lower-paid workers. The fact is that virtually all of private healthcare insurance is already well under some form of government control through regulation and tax subsidies. How should we think about this system? First of all, is Medicare socialist? Don’t tell anyone, but the way Medicare operates — it covers every senior’s medical expenses, whatever they turn out to be, while being funded by taxes that depend on one’s income — could be summarized by the old Marxist slogan “From each according to his ability, to each according to his need.” And back in 1961, when Ronald Reagan was the face of a last-ditch effort by the American Medical Association to block the creation of Medicare, he denounced Medicare as “socialized medicine” and warned that it would destroy our freedom. In reality, American freedom survived until Jan. 20, 2025, while Medicare is immensely popular, with an 82 percent favorable rating in the most recent KFF survey. Medicaid, government health insurance for lower-income Americans, comes in at 73 percent. This is in sharp contrast to public views about private insurers, who are widely disliked if not hated and accused of denying essential care. Furthermore, if Medicare is socialism, then the whole U.S. health insurance system, with the government paying most of the bills and placing conditions on private insurers, is almost equally socialist. If you insist on calling any program the government pays for and regulates socialist, then U.S. healthcare would best be described as a partially privatized form of socialism. And one must ask, what is the point of the part that is privatized? Do private insurers add anything positive? Or are they simply parasites, skimming off money that could have been paying for care? The case for viewing insurers as parasites is strong. Many Medicare benefits are now delivered via Medicare Advantage, that is, plans paid for by the government but run through insurance companies. MedPAC, an independent advisory commission, estimates that last year Medicare Advantage plans were overpaid by $84 billion, thanks to practices such as “upcoding,” in which patients’ health problems are overstated to get larger sums from Medicare. Assessing the waste from employer-based insurance is harder, but most evidence suggests that private insurers have substantially higher administrative costs than Medicare does. Furthermore, the complexity of private insurance, with multiple payers all trying to deny care when they can, is a huge burden both on providers — doctors, nurses, and hospitals — and on patients. What do private insurers offer to compensate for these costs? One must go through intellectual contortions to avoid the conclusion that they are, in fact, parasites. Which brings me back to El-Sayed. In supporting Medicare for All, he’s basically calling for an end to the partial, parasitic privatization of a healthcare system that is already hugely dependent on public funding. When one looks at it that way, it’s not at all a radical proposal. Admittedly, the political lift requires overcoming the opposition to higher taxes to pay for Medicare for All. Political realism rather than economics was the reason I and many other progressives supported Obamacare, with all its complexities, rather than demanding an immediate move to Medicare for All. But the political calculus may very well have shifted since the 2000s, as Americans are fed up with a system of unaffordable premiums, rampant claim denials, and byzantine claim administration. Moreover, funding healthcare insurance through taxation would allow for a much more progressive distribution of the cost. That is, compared to the present system, middle-income households would pay less as high-income households would pay more. And the U.S. would stop wasting large sums on pointless administrative costs. So let’s be clear: El-Sayed’s healthcare platform is perfectly reasonable on the merits of cost, fairness and health efficacy. And with private insurers never more hated, while millions of Americans are losing their health insurance, 2026 may be its time. MUSICAL CODA

paulkrugman.substack.com logo
Aug 11 • 6:33 AM EDT • Health • paulkrugman.substack.com
UNCW Business School Students Travel to Prague for Real-Life Consulting Experience by David Glew

This article was contributed by Kestrel Smoot, International Programs Coordinator for UNCW’s Cameron School of Business. During the most recent spring semester, 33 upper-level finance and marketing students from the UNCW’s Cameron School of Business traveled to Prague, Czechia, to participate in an intensive international consulting project. Unlike traditional study-abroad programs, the Prague consultancy project focuses on real client engagement. Each year’s project is entirely new, designed through collaboration between faculty and industry partners to identify a current business challenge that students will address. This year, students worked with MAMS-Champi, a Czech non-alcoholic beverage company that is seeking to expand into other global markets. Throughout the first half of the semester, students attend class at UNCW and prepare for their time abroad by conducting preliminary research, developing analytical frameworks, and organizing themselves into specialized teams responsible for tasks such as marketing strategy, industry analysis, consumer segmentation, and competitive evaluation. The course emphasizes independence and teamwork, requiring students to take ownership of their work, manage deadlines, and collaborate across functional groups. Additionally, faculty serve as advisors, allowing students to navigate the complexities of the project much as they would in a professional consulting environment. Once in Prague, students met with company leadership, toured facilities, and refined their recommendations based on real-time feedback. The in-person component is widely regarded as the most transformative aspect of the program because students must synthesize weeks of work into a cohesive presentation and deliver it to the client, demonstrating professionalism, strategic thinking, and adaptability. Beyond the consulting work, students participated in cultural and educational activities that broadened their understanding of global business environments. They explored Prague’s historic districts, learned about Czech culture, and engaged with local professionals. These experiences helped students understand how economic, regulatory, and social factors shape market opportunities. The Prague consultancy project stands as a defining example of the Cameron School of Business’s commitment to experiential learning, consistently strengthening students’ confidence, enhancing their resumes, and serving as a focal point in job interviews. Employers recognize the value of the hands-on experience and transferable skills students gain, underscoring the program’s role in preparing industry-ready graduates for today’s fast-moving business landscape.

wilmingtonbiz.com logo
Aug 10 • 8:00 AM EDT • Business • wilmingtonbiz.com
MedCity FemFwd: Employer Strategies for Women’s Health

In this episode, we’re joined by Cheryl Larson, president and CEO of the Midwest Business Group on Health, for our first in-person recording at MedCity News’ recent Bullseye event.

medcitynews.com logo
Aug 9 • 10:46 PM EDT • Health • medcitynews.com
The Business of Immigration: Ethics, Economics, and the Future of Our Region

About this Program: Immigration has long shaped the identity, economy, and culture of the San Diego–Baja California region. Today, it remains one of the most significant—and often most debated—public policy issues facing our communities. As employers grapple with workforce shortages, governments respond to evolving immigration policies, and families pursue opportunity and security, important questions arise about the economic, ethical, and practical implications of immigration for our region's future. As part of the Engage San Diego: Tough Topics, Real Discussion series, moderator Andrew Blum will lead a thoughtful conversation with community leaders to examine these issues from multiple perspectives. Together, the panel will explore how immigration and immigration policy influence regional economic growth, workforce development, cross-border commerce, public services, and community well-being. The discussion will consider both the opportunities and the challenges immigration presents for employers, policymakers, and the broader San Diego economy, while also examining the ethical considerations that inform business and public policy decisions. Rather than advocating for a single viewpoint, this program is designed to foster informed, respectful dialogue and deepen public understanding of one of the defining issues of our time. Through a balanced exchange of ideas, panelists will explore practical approaches to strengthening our region while recognizing the diverse perspectives that shape this complex conversation. Join us for an engaging discussion that reflects the spirit of the Engage San Diego series—bringing together diverse voices to tackle difficult topics through civil discourse, informed analysis, and constructive community engagement. What We’ll Explore Immigration and the Regional Economy How does immigration influence San Diego's workforce, economic growth, business competitiveness, and cross-border prosperity? Ethics, Policy, and Public Responsibility How can communities balance economic needs, humanitarian values, public safety, and the rule of law in shaping immigration policy? The Business and Government Perspective What roles do employers, local government, and community leaders play in addressing workforce challenges and creating opportunities for shared prosperity? The Future of Our Region As immigration policy continues to evolve, what practical solutions can help strengthen our economy, support our communities, and ensure the long-term success of the San Diego–Baja California region?

kpbs.org logo
Aug 8 • 6:00 AM EDT • Business • kpbs.org
Leisure and hospitality has lost its strength in the job market

Inflation could be prompting some Americans to cut back on discretionary spending, leading employers to slow hiring.

businessinsider.com logo
Aug 7 • 3:30 PM EDT • Business • businessinsider.com
U.S. employers unexpectedly cut 23,000 jobs amid strain from the Iran war

Labor Department revisions shaved 103,000 jobs off payrolls in May and June

spectrumlocalnews.com logo
Aug 7 • 11:00 AM EDT • Business • spectrumlocalnews.com
U.S. employers unexpectedly cut 23,000 jobs amid strain from the Iran war

Labor Department revisions shaved 103,000 jobs off payrolls in May and June

spectrumlocalnews.com logo
Aug 7 • 11:00 AM EDT • Business • spectrumlocalnews.com
Employers everywhere are using AI – but business schools aren’t preparing students for the shift

Amid the rise of AI, researchers found that employers still value skills like communication, professionalism and teamwork among prospective and new employees.

theconversation.com logo
Aug 7 • 8:35 AM EDT • Business • theconversation.com
Insurers want to hike small businesses’ premiums by 14% next year: KFF

It’s becoming harder for small employers to offer insurance coverage, and another year of double-digit premium increases won’t help. Insurers say their hands are tied.

healthcaredive.com logo
Aug 7 • 6:30 AM EDT • Business • healthcaredive.com
How big is the US Postal Service? Among the largest in business or government

The U.S. Postal Service is one of America's largest employers and retail networks. Here's how its workforce, revenue, and reach compare with major companies.

brookings.edu logo
Aug 6 • 9:00 AM EDT • Business • brookings.edu
WIBN World's Largest Virtual Career Fair. Hire Wrestlers!

Manheim, PA - The Wrestlers in Business Network, an operating division of the National Wrestling Coaches Association, invites employers and wrestling professionals to participate in the WIBN Virtual Career Fair on Thursday, October 1, 2026, from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM Eastern Time.

nwcaonline.com logo
Aug 6 • 4:42 AM EDT • Business • nwcaonline.com
Science|Business summer reads of 2026

As most people in the European research and innovation policy bubble are going on a well-deserved summer break, we have come up with a list of our favourite books, podcasts and essays from the past year that ask deeper questions about science, technology and politics.BooksPasteur’s Quadrant: Basic Science and Technological Innovation, by Donald StokesIf you haven’t read Pasteur’s Quadrant yet, now is the time. In the EU and elsewhere, we’re living through a period of dwindling faith that curiosity-driven research automatically leads to economic growth and technological progress. Pasteur’s Quadrant, published in 1997 by the Princeton academic Donald Stokes, is the most influential critique of the standard “linear model” of R&D: the idea that new discoveries made in ivory-tower labs get neatly passed on for commercialisation by start-ups. In reality, Stokes argues, practical applications often inspire more theorical lines of inquiry. Of course, we have long known that things are more complex than the linear model, but even today, it’s still often assumed in Brussels discourse. The book is a useful corrective, and is being used now to argue for new types of scientific institutions. David MatthewsThe Weaponization of Expertise: How Elites Fuel Populism, by Jacob Hale Russel and Dennis PattersonAre society’s problems solvable by technical expertise alone? “If only the benighted would listen,” say Jacob Hale Russel and Dennis Patterson, two professors at Rutgers Law School who got frustrated with how scientists and politicians handled public health communication during the Covid-19 pandemic. In the book, they argue that clichéd mantras about scientific evidence and expertise perpetrated by academics, journalists and politicians have harmed public trust in the very institutions they were trying to defend. Paradoxically, slogans such as “we believe in science,” “follow the science” and “defer to the experts” can fuel mistrust in science, experts and democratic institutions. The authors criticise “condescension” and “technocratic paternalism” in the public discourse and make the case for a more nuanced approach to scientific and expert policy advice that rests on humility, doubt, scepticism and open dialogue. “Most complex social questions in fact revolve around values, not the recitation of unambiguous facts,” they say. Florin ZubascuBreakneck: China's Quest to Engineer the Future, by Dan WangIn this book, Dan Wang compares the structural differences between the US and Chinese industrial policies, but raises a very timely question for innovation policy wonks: how can advanced manufacturing know-how contribute to technology-intensive economic growth? Wang says technology has three components: the tools, the blueprints and patents, and the process knowledge. The third component represents the “proficiency gained from practical experience, which isn’t easily communicated and requires years of implementation.” According to Wang, rather than seeing tools and blueprints as the ultimate ends of technological progress, policymakers should see them as milestones in the training of better scientists and manufacturers. Over the past decades, China has amassed “process knowledge” because capital flowed to complex fabrication facilities, while investors in the West have parked their money in capital-light businesses such as digital platforms or chip companies that focus on design. As it turns out, thanks to its oversized focus on manufacturing, China has gained remarkable advantages in the global technology race. Florin ZubascuBaltic: The Future of Europe, by Oliver MoodyWhat can Europe learn from the nine countries surrounding the Baltic Sea? Alongside the familiar stories about Estonia's digital transformation, the book examines how the region has used technology, resilience, education, governance and long-term thinking to respond to geopolitical, economic and security challenges. Innovation policy wonks might find fresh perspectives on how innovation can strengthen defence, societal resilience and Europe's capacity to adapt in an uncertain world. Whether or not you agree with all of Oliver Moody's conclusions, the book is a useful guide to a region that is increasingly shaping European debates on security, competitiveness and technology. Goda NaujokaityteThe Invention of Nature, by Andrea Wulf This book chronicles the wild and adventurous life of natural science pioneer Alexander von Humboldt who at some point in the 19th century seems to have been just about the most famous person in the world. Through scientific expeditions to the Andes Mountains and to the depths of Siberia, von Humboldt contributed a host of discoveries and concepts. During his life he met and formed relationships with historical figures as different as Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Simon Bolivar, Thomas Jefferson, Napoleon Bonaparte and Charles Darwin. He is also claimed to be the person in the world with most things named after him, a list that includes an ocean current, a penguin and a region of the Moon. Still venerated in Germany, with numerous scientific institutions named after him, von Humboldt has slipped out of public consciousness in most of the rest of the world. For anyone not familiar with him, this book does a good job of describing his fascinating life. Ole EllekrogCareless People, by Sarah Wynn-WilliamsYou may have heard this referred to as the book Meta doesn’t want you to read. The 2025 memoir from Sarah Wynn-Williams, former director of global public policy at Meta, then just called Facebook, includes explosive claims about everything from a toxic workplace culture to how the company worked with advertisers to target vulnerable teens, and the lengths it was prepared to go to in order to break into China. It’s a fascinating insight into how and why the tech company gradually shifted its approach to policy, whether in the US, Europe or Asia. Meta has denied the allegations in the book, and last year won an emergency ruling to prevent Wynn-Williams from promoting it. In response, the author is now suing her former employer. If that doesn’t make you want to read it. Martin GreenacrePodcastsThe Europeans: Europe’s anti-ElonThis podcast is a great choice for a light-hearted dose of European policy and culture news. Most of it has little to do with research, innovation and technology, but this particular podcast features an interview with Mastadon’s founder Eugen Rochko. He talks about his experience running an open-source, federated, European-made social media platform, and leaving it all behind. The conversation, which starts 14 minutes in, gently encourages us to reflect on what kind of technology we, as Europeans, want to make. Goda NaujokaityteSolarpunk and how we escape dystopiaNew technologies are very often taken from science fiction. Alberto Santos-Dumont, inventor the airship, was inspired as a child by the adventure stories of Jules Verne. OpenAI’s attempt to build a personal assistant with the voice of Scarlett Johansson was lifted from the 2013 film Her, completely ignoring the movie’s cautionary message. So if we want better tech, we need to imagine it first. Unfortunately, the state of current sci-fi is relentlessly dystopian, giving inventors precious few ideas or hope. However, a new genre, Solarpunk, which envisages a technologically advanced but ecologically harmonious future, is now taking off. The actual tech the genre imagines, such as permaculture, renewable energy or community repair workshops, while nice, isn’t all that inspiring or ambitious. But it’s a first step towards rescuing sci-fi from its pessimistic Blade Runner rut. David MatthewsEveryday AbundanceLaunched in June, Everyday Abundance is a podcast that tells the stories of the inventions we now take so for granted that we barely given them a second thought. For example, the washing machine, which liberated women from a lifetime “bent over washtubs and washboards.” Or modern dentistry, which ended the reality that “tooth pain was simply part of human life.” Historians of technology, Virginia Postrel and Charles C Mann are very much on the optimistic end of the spectrum when it comes to the capacity of invention to improve human life. Here, they set out their case: if it wasn’t for progress, you might be hunched over a washtub with toothache rather than reading these words. David Matthews‘We will not know what we lost’: Conservation fallout a year after USAID shutdownSince his return to the White House, Donald Trump has been on a mission to undermine science. He slashed jobs at federal agencies, terminated grants in some research areas, took unprecedented control over university affairs and, within hours of his inauguration, suspended the US Agency for International Development. While its initial focus was to administer health and food aid around the world, it had since expanded to conservation projects. The result? Some of these projects were stopped abruptly. In this Mongabay podcast, environmental reporter Michelle Nijhuis tells the story of the EcoGuard conservation programme in Liberia, whose local patrols had helped protect rainforests, monitor endangered wildlife and track illegal threats. From one day to the next, these were left without salaries. Luckily, she notes, the initiative was able to get emergency funding from international NGOs, but its future remains “incredibly uncertain.” Juliette PortalaEssaysThe Mars Delusion, by Henry WismayerWhy is humankind so fixated on establishing a colony on Mars? asks London-based writer Henry Wismayer. From space evangelists promoting Martian settlement as an insurance policy, to billionaire Jeff Bezos, who said humans should settle on Mars “because it’s cool,” the mission is not running short of advocates. However, in this essay, Wismayer reminds us that some critics expect any future Mars pioneer to end up “irradiated, sick, mad and dead.” Scientists have already looked into the possible effects of prolonged exposure to Martian gravity, and it’s not pretty: muscle shrinking, bones weakening, changes to the central nervous system and other biological modifications to make us all reconsider the journey. “Some researchers have forecast that the future settler, after generations of evolutionary conditioning, will look less like an Übermensch and more like ET,” Wismayer writes. Juliette Portala

sciencebusiness.net logo
Aug 5 • 8:00 PM EDT • Science • sciencebusiness.net
Paychex reports steady small business hiring with more worker hours

Small businesses across the nation continued to maintain a stable hiring environment in July, with employers increasingly relying on existing workers to meet demand

libn.com logo
Aug 5 • 11:09 AM EDT • Business • libn.com
Why Hybrid Healthcare Is a Business Imperative for Employers in Colorado

Health insurance is one of the largest line items on companies’ balance sheets and a critical factor in workforce stability. As costs and expectations rise, employers and employees want a simpler, more integrated healthcare experience. Yet for many, navigating healthcare still feels fragmented, time-consuming, and overwhelming — from finding the right care provider to understanding […]

gazette.com logo
Aug 5 • 2:00 AM EDT • Business • gazette.com
Nurses deliver petition opposing CommonSpirit Health’s planned layoffs of frontline health care workers

RNs delivered a petition to their employer opposing CommonSpirit Health’s planned layoffs of more than 175 frontline health care workers signed by more than 5,000 nurses. The nurses held a rally and press conference to protest the proposed layoffs at 17 hospitals in California and their impact on patient safety. The nurses are demanding that CommonSpirit Health immediately rescind the layoffs.

nationalnursesunited.org logo
Aug 3 • 3:54 PM EDT • Health • nationalnursesunited.org
Apartment complex on 606 trail sold for $42M

A new firm led by former LG Development Group executives bought an apartment complex on the 606 trail in Bucktown from their former employer for $41.5 million.

chicagobusiness.com logo
Aug 3 • 2:24 PM EDT • Business • chicagobusiness.com
The Business of Second Chances: Inside the Jefferson Correctional Institution Employer Partner Showcase

Struggling to find the right employee? Have you ever considered looking inside of a correctional facility? It may not be your first thought when looking to hire for your company, but there is an untapped workforce ready to be hired with proper training and earned certifications. Studies even show that these candidates would more than

rightoncrime.com logo
Aug 3 • 10:20 AM EDT • Business • rightoncrime.com
😐 Neutral (14%)
sad
50%
wow
50%
The computer science major is dying so that the AI literacy minor can be born: ‘we have to democratize it’

Computer science enrollment is falling even as psych, music and biology majors rush into AI minors — colleges are racing to keep up with employer demand.

fortune.com logo
Aug 3 • 8:39 AM EDT • Science • fortune.com
Why hybrid healthcare is a business imperative for employers in Ohio

The hybrid healthcare approach can help Ohio employers improve employee experience while managing healthcare costs.

crainscleveland.com logo
Aug 3 • 5:00 AM EDT • Health • crainscleveland.com
Why hybrid healthcare is a business imperative for employers in Ohio

The hybrid healthcare approach can help Ohio employers improve employee experience while managing healthcare costs.

crainscleveland.com logo
Aug 3 • 5:00 AM EDT • Business • crainscleveland.com
Grants expand Hampton Roads apprenticeships

With a $6 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor, the Hampton Roads Workforce Development Council is offering local employers up to $30,000 to

virginiabusiness.com logo
Aug 2 • 11:55 PM EDT • Business • virginiabusiness.com