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The attempted attack aboard FlyDubai Flight 1073 has exposed apparent failures in aviation security and intelligence-sharing across Oman, the UAE and Israel. Co-pilot Hamam al-Hammami had previously been barred from flying by Oman Air after authorities became concerned about his interest in extremist ideology, yet those concerns were not widely shared. FlyDubai later hired him without contacting Oman to verify his record and assigned him repeatedly to Tel Aviv, despite restrictions affecting Omani nationals. Captain Smit Machchhar said Hammami attacked him with an emergency axe before passengers helped subdue him and recover the aircraft from a dive. Aviation security specialist Matthew Borie said there were “multiple levels of failure” before airport screening even became relevant. Investigations are examining hiring, vetting and information-sharing procedures.

 

Wall Street Journal

Your Vendor's Risk Is Now Your Risk

Third parties are now responsible for more than half of all data breaches, and the regulatory net keeps closing. DORA, GDPR, NYDFS, and a growing list of national frameworks all say the same thing, you cannot outsource liability.

This guide walks through the five principles of modern vendor risk management, the five-stage oversight lifecycle, and the red flags to catch before a vendor relationship becomes a liability.

It is built for risk, compliance, and procurement leaders who need a practical framework, not another static questionnaire that goes stale the moment it is filed.

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The U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear ExxonMobil and Suncor Energy’s attempt to block a Boulder, Colorado lawsuit seeking damages for climate-related harms. Boulder alleges the companies contributed to climate change and misled the public about fossil fuel risks, while Exxon and Suncor argue the claims fall within areas governed by federal authority and the Clean Air Act. The Trump administration supports the companies’ position. Nearly 60 state and local governments have filed similar lawsuits seeking billions of dollars, meaning the ruling could have broad consequences for climate litigation. Justice Samuel Alito has recused himself, and a decision is expected by the end of June. The case opens a Supreme Court term that will also feature major disputes involving immigration policy and state restrictions on assault-style rifles.

 

Reuters

David Robinson, a safety leader at OpenAI, has resigned, citing a broken culture within the company. In his essay for Atlantic magazine, he expressed concerns that AI firms are not exercising sufficient caution in technology development. He highlighted incidents like autonomous OpenAI agents attacking Hugging Face as indicative of the industry's reckless pace. Robinson stated: "We need to talk about culture," emphasising the need for a cultural overhaul. OpenAI has recently shown signs of caution, pausing model training and scrapping a new AI release after safety concerns were raised.

 

Reuters

More than half of business and technology leaders see attacks targeting AI systems as their biggest cybersecurity preparedness gap, according to PwC’s 2027 Global Digital Trust Insights survey of 3,934 executives across 71 countries. The report found that 52% identified adversarial AI attacks as the leading gap, while organizations also face unclear accountability, data protection weaknesses, and shortages of AI security skills. Despite these concerns, 84% of security and finance leaders expect cybersecurity budgets to increase, and 58% rank AI among their top five cyber spending priorities, with responsible AI governance, platform hardening, and supply chain security among the leading areas for investment. Organizations are also deploying AI defensively, particularly for threat detection and alerting, fraud detection, and phishing detection and response.

 

Infosecurity Magazine

Record diesel prices are squeezing U.S. truckers and threatening higher costs across retail supply chains. Diesel has reached a national average of $6.53 a gallon, almost $3 more than a year ago, sharply increasing the cost of transporting groceries, drinks and other goods. Independent drivers are cutting spending and some smaller operators have filed for bankruptcy. Truckers transporting produce to retailers including Walmart say margins are becoming unsustainable. Fuel surcharges offer some protection, but smaller carriers often lack bargaining power, increasing pressure for costs to reach consumers.

 

The Wall Street Journal

Costco has been sued in Oregon over allegations that hundreds of products it sells are linked to child or forced labor despite the retailer promoting its supply chain and products as ethically sourced and sustainable. The proposed class action alleges that products including cocoa from West Africa, cashews from Brazil, Vietnam, and Guinea-Bissau, and shrimp processed in India have been produced using exploitative labour practices. The lawsuit is seeking $200 for each eligible Costco member in Oregon, a group it estimates could exceed 1.1m people, as well as punitive damages and an injunction against the alleged business practices. The complaint also alleges that Costco sells hundreds of products associated with goods on the U.S. Department of Labor’s list of products made using child or forced labour, encompassing both its Kirkland private-label range and third-party brands.

 

The Oregonian

Fred Meyer has been sued by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) over allegations that two pregnant employees at a Vancouver, Washington store were disciplined and subsequently dismissed after seeking accommodations for severe morning sickness. The agency alleges the Kroger-owned retailer refused requests including additional bathroom breaks, modified duties and excused pregnancy-related absences, in violation of federal protections for pregnant workers. The EEOC is seeking back pay and other damages for the two employees, alongside changes to Fred Meyer’s employment practices. 

 

The Oregonian

Amazon has settled a lawsuit with the District of Columbia regarding claims of slower deliveries in low-income neighborhoods. The lawsuit, filed by Attorney General Brian Schwalb in 2024, alleged that Amazon excluded two ZIP codes from its Prime delivery services without informing customers, violating consumer protection laws. As part of the settlement, Amazon will refund $7.25m in Prime membership fees to approximately 69,000 affected customers and pay a $1m penalty to the district. An Amazon spokesperson, Steve Kelly, said the settlement does not imply wrongdoing.

 

Chicago Tribune

IRS chief executive Frank Bisignano has outlined plans for an “AI-first IRS,” arguing that greater use of artificial intelligence can improve employee productivity, taxpayer service, and tax collection without replacing agency jobs. The IRS made more than 4,000 hires this year, but retirements and attrition have kept its workforce effectively flat at about 74,000 employees after the agency cut more than 25,000 positions last year. The IRS is already using AI and automation to accelerate amended tax return processing, with chief information officer Kaschit Pandya saying processing times that previously averaged 12-16 weeks have fallen to under three days in some cases. The agency plans to expand its use of technology as it prepares for a more complex 2027 filing season, while Mr. Bisignano said improved technology could help reduce taxpayer wait times and narrow the gap between taxes owed and revenue collected.

 

Government Executive

Amazon will invest more than $1bn over five years in communities hosting its data centers, funding education, job training, water and energy conservation and other local priorities. The move comes amid growing concerns about data centers’ impact on electricity prices, water supplies and the environment. Amazon Web Services chief Matt Garman also said the company had stopped using non-disclosure agreements with government agencies. Amazon expects capital expenditure to reach $220bn in 2026, including technology and data center investments.

 

Seattle Times

Burger King is refranchising hundreds of company-operated U.S. restaurants as part of its turnaround strategy, prioritizing smaller franchisees who live near, regularly visit, and are personally invested in their locations. The chain expects to sell about 200 restaurants to franchisees in 2026, below its initial target of roughly 300, as it carefully evaluates prospective operators. Ultimately, Burger King plans to retain about 300 company-operated restaurants, with franchisees running the remainder of its more than 6,000 U.S. locations. The strategy follows Burger King parent Restaurant Brands International’s roughly $1bn acquisition of Carrols Restaurant Group in 2024, which added 1,023 company-owned restaurants. Alongside refranchising, Burger King is investing in restaurant renovations, operations, and franchisee profitability as it seeks to sustain its U.S. recovery.

 

CNBC

Keurig Dr Pepper has hired Kimberly-Clark president and chief operating officer Russ Torres to lead its coffee business ahead of its planned spinoff, with him joining as chief executive of the coffee operating unit on November 3rd. He will oversee the integration of Keurig and Peet’s operations and become CEO of the standalone coffee company following the separation, which is targeted for early 2027. Mr Torres is currently leading integration planning for Kimberly-Clark’s $40bn acquisition of Kenvue and will remain through November to support the transition. Keurig Dr Pepper announced plans last year to acquire JDE Peet’s for $18bn and subsequently separate its Peet’s and Keurig businesses into a pure-play coffee company.

 

Wall Street Journal

Starbucks has faced protests outside chief executive Brian Niccol’s Newport Beach office from environmental and labor activists who allege the company is misleading customers about the recyclability of its single-use plastic cups. Beyond Plastics said two investigations using trackers found that none of the Starbucks cups tested reached recycling facilities, instead ending up at landfills, incinerators, and waste-transfer stations. Activists attempted to deliver a petition containing 14,000 signatures calling for changes to the company’s practices. Campaigners also criticized Starbucks’ implementation of its “Better Cups for All” policy, which promotes reusable cups and calls for customers drinking in stores to receive reusable ceramic cups. The Story of Stuff Project said a survey found that dine-in customers received disposable cups 77% of the time.  

 

Los Angeles Times

EY has launched its Sustainability Value Bridge, a framework designed to help companies quantify how climate, nature, and broader sustainability risks and opportunities affect financial performance and enterprise value. The framework identifies potential sources of value erosion, including raw material volatility, supply chain disruption, higher capital and compliance costs, and reputational risks, before assessing actions that could protect value or generate new revenue. Potential value drivers include operational efficiency, supply chain resilience, capital optimization, regulatory proficiency, product innovation, and new business models. EY said the framework is intended to bring sustainability considerations more directly into financial and strategic decision-making as their potential business impacts become increasingly material.

 

ESG Today

Mattel has attracted takeover interest from Authentic Brands Group, which has approached the Barbie and Hot Wheels maker and discussed a potential offer valuing it at more than $20 per share, or around $6bn or more. The discussions coincide with a leadership transition at Mattel, with Condé Nast chief executive Roger Lynch set to become chairman and take over as chief executive within the next month, succeeding Ynon Kreiz, who is leaving to become co-chief executive of Paramount. No formal sale process is currently under way and there is no guarantee Mattel will accept Authentic’s approach or that an agreement will be reached, while another bidder could also emerge.

 

CNBC

Reuters

Wall Street Journal

The Commerce Department reported on Friday that U.S. employers added 29,000 jobs in September, well below economists’ expectations of 84,000, while the unemployment rate edged up from 4.1% to 4.2%. Previous estimates were also revised lower, with employers now reported to have cut 10,000 jobs in July and added 133,000 in August, reducing the combined total for those two months by 60,000 jobs. Healthcare added 17,000 jobs, construction gained 11,000, and manufacturing employment increased slightly, while government, information, and financial-sector employment declined. Average hourly wages rose 3% from a year earlier, below the 3.4% annual inflation rate reported for August. The article characterizes the labor market as increasingly “low-hire, low-fire,” with fewer workers needed to maintain a stable unemployment rate because of an aging population and lower immigration. The report also showed no signs of labor-market tightening that would add to inflationary pressures, giving Federal Reserve officials room to keep interest rates unchanged while awaiting further inflation data.

 

The Hill

Los Angeles Times

Reuters

Wall Street Journal

The Federal Reserve is expected to leave interest rates unchanged in October after weaker-than-expected U.S. jobs data reduced pressure for another immediate increase. Employers added 29,000 jobs in September, while unemployment rose to 4.2% and wage growth slowed. Traders now see around a 25% chance of an October hike. Policymakers remain concerned about inflation, however, and economists expect another rate increase could follow in December if underlying price pressures remain persistent.

 

Reuters

U.S. factory orders increased 0.1% in August after a downwardly revised 0.8% rise in July, according to the Commerce Department, matching economists’ expectations, while orders were up 6.8% from a year earlier. Growth was supported by a 1.1% increase in machinery orders and a 1.1% rise in orders for electrical equipment, appliances, and components, while civilian aircraft and parts orders fell 4.3%. Orders for non-defense capital goods excluding aircraft, a measure of business equipment spending plans, increased 1.6%, while shipments of these goods rose 0.5%. The article said AI infrastructure investment and inventory rebuilding are supporting manufacturing, although high energy prices, supply-chain disruption, tariffs, and trade tensions pose risks to parts of the sector not benefiting from AI-related spending.

 

Reuters

Brazil's attorney general, Jorge Messias, has condemned foreign interference in the country's democracy following a report by The Guardian on the Trump administration's attempts to influence Brazil's electoral process. Messias said: "Disagreements between governments are inherent to international relations. What cannot be tolerated is for foreign political interests to seek to interfere in the functioning of Brazilian institutions or to influence, directly or indirectly, choices that belong exclusively to the Brazilian people." The Trump administration has previously attempted to pressure Brazil through sanctions and tariffs, in a bid to support Flávio Bolsonaro's campaign in the upcoming presidential election against incumbent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

 

The Guardian