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North American Edition
18th September 2026
 
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THE HOT STORY

Korean workers take legal action against U.S. over Georgia raid

More than 300 South Korean workers who were detained in an immigration raid at a Hyundai Motor Group-LG Energy Solution joint venture battery plant in the U.S. state of Georgia have started filing administrative claims with nine federal agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Customs and Border Protection, the FBI and the Departments of Justice and Labor. The claims, which are a necessary step before pursuing lawsuits under the Federal Tort Claims Act, allege unlawful detention and poor conditions at an ICE facility. An attorney representing the workers aims to submit all claims by year-end. Both companies have sought to distance themselves from the legal actions. An LG Energy Solution official told The Korea Times the company would not become involved because the legal actions were based on individual decisions by the workers. The raid, which occurred on September 4, 2025, was the largest single-site enforcement action in ICE's history.
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HIRING

Most young healthcare workers plan to explore new jobs within the next year

A survey by Harris Poll, commissioned by education services ​company Strategic Education and Workforce Edge, suggests that most (70%) younger U.S. healthcare workers plan to explore new jobs within the next year. Yet 65% of Generation ​Z healthcare workers said they ultimately hope to remain with one employer for five years or more, and nearly all said job ​stability was important to them. Across all age groups, the survey found that 59% of healthcare ​workers said they expect to seek a new role over the next year.
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LEGAL

Starbucks settles Florida lawsuit over diversity policies

Starbucks has settled a discrimination lawsuit brought by Florida, agreeing not to use race- or sex-based quotas or preferences in hiring, promotions, or pay decisions. The company, which denied wrongdoing, will pay $1m to cover litigation costs, comply with Florida anti-discrimination law, and submit annual compliance certifications for four years. The agreement, which Florida’s attorney general’s office said applies nationwide, also prevents Starbucks from participating in organizations that require increased racial diversity on its board. The settlement comes amid broader challenges to corporate diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in the U.S.
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ECONOMY

Federal film and TV tax credit could generate $125bn in U.S. production spending

A proposed federal film and television tax credit could increase U.S. production spending by $125bn and create more than 143,000 jobs by 2035, according to an industry-commissioned study released by the Motion Picture Association. The analysis assumes a transferable credit of at least 20% on qualified spending for U.S. resident labor, with potential additional 5% credits for independent production companies and labor costs in federally declared disaster areas. If implemented on January 1st 2027, the study estimates U.S. production spending would reach $277.5bn through 2035, compared with $152.2bn without the incentive. The proposal is being supported by a coalition of industry groups, unions, producers, small production businesses, and lawmakers as Hollywood seeks to compete with production incentives offered by 65 other countries. President Donald Trump expressed support for a proposed federal credit last month, although details of the potential incentive are still being developed.
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WORKFORCE

U.S. jobless claims fall sharply as labor market remains resilient

New jobless claims fell sharply last week, providing further evidence of a resilient labor market as the Federal Reserve continues its efforts to curb inflation. Initial claims for unemployment benefits dropped by 10,000 to 196,000 in the seven days to September 12th, according to the Labor Department, below the 207,000 claims economists surveyed by the Wall Street Journal had expected. The four-week moving average fell 2,750 to 203,250, while continuing claims, reported with a one-week lag, fell by 39,000 to 1.73m. "The exceptionally depressed number last week might reflect seasonal adjustment issues related to Labor Day, but the underlying picture remains encouraging," said Samuel Tombs, chief U.S. economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics. "For now, then, the Fed will remain laser-focused on inflation."
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STRATEGY

Toys R Us accelerates U.S. comeback with 120 new standalone stores

Toys R Us is expanding its U.S. retail presence with plans to open 120 standalone stores in partnership with Go! Retail Group during the holiday season, although locations have yet to be announced. The expansion will add to its existing 40 standalone stores and around 400 shops inside Macy’s stores nationwide, marking a significant revival of the brand after its original U.S. business filed for bankruptcy and closed its stores in 2018. Some of the new locations will feature Creator Studios for influencers, creators and toy brands to produce content, alongside additional attractions including candy shops and cafés.
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TECHNOLOGY

OpenAI reports new incidents of ‘concerning’ AI behavior

OpenAI has published six reports detailing unexpected or concerning model behavior. The incidents include the models generating instructions to get around restrictions imposed on them, hiding mistakes, and fabricating information. The company has also announced a new system to track, investigate and disclose cases of models misbehaving (misalignment). Under the framework, developers will be able to flag incidents for review, and a new set of rules will decide whether the issue is disclosed publicly. "Because we believe in the value of transparency around misalignment, our new framework favors disclosure even when significance is uncertain," OpenAI said.
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TAX

Marin leads U.S. counties in share of high-income taxpayers

Marin County had the highest share of high-income taxpayers among large U.S. counties in 2023, with more than a quarter of tax returns reporting total income above $200,000, according to an analysis of IRS data. Santa Clara County ranked second, while San Mateo and San Francisco placed fifth and sixth, respectively. Nearly every Bay Area county exceeded California’s 11% share of taxpayers earning more than $200,000, as well as the national average of 8%. The data also highlights differences in how Bay Area residents generate their income. In Marin, only about half of reported income came from wages, while 11% came from capital gains, 7% from dividends, and 11% from partnerships or S corporations. Santa Clara, by contrast, derived a much larger share from wages, reflecting Silicon Valley’s employment base, while also recording a relatively high contribution from capital gains.
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INTERNATIONAL

Adidas cuts roles at India technology hub as it reshapes operations

Adidas has cut less than 20% of roles within its Gurgaon, India technology organization as part of efforts to simplify its operating model, strengthen key capabilities and adapt to changing business and technology requirements. Software engineers, data scientists and data engineers are reportedly among those affected, with some employees expected to remain until December to complete handovers or seek alternative internal positions. Adidas said India remains a strategically important market and its technology hub will continue supporting the group’s growth, innovation and digital transformation, with several roles still open across the organization.

GSK to shut vaccine factory in Germany

GlaxoSmithKline is to close a vaccine plant in Dresden, Germany, next year. German trade union Industriegewerkschaft Bergbau, Chemie, ​Energie (IGBCE) said the closure would put 641 jobs at risk. "With decreasing demand for traditional egg-based flu ​vaccines, meaning we have more capacity than we need, ⁠we've conducted a review of the viability of our two ​flu vaccines manufacturing sites in Dresden, Germany, and Ste-Foy, Canada," GSK ​said. "Following this, we have taken a difficult decision to consolidate operations at one site. We have selected the site in Canada, which can fully match ​anticipated future demand in a sustainable and competitive way."

Schneider Electric spends S$25m to upgrade Tuas logistics hub

French multinational Schneider Electric is investing S$25m to enhance the automation and digital capabilities of its Hub Asia logistics distribution center in Singapore's Tuas region, aiming for completion by 2027. The upgrades will introduce robotics and artificial intelligence, including a goods-to-person system that automates inventory delivery. The first phase, launched in June, improved productivity by 10%. Schneider plans to develop a team of 26 workers for the new systems, with S$19m allocated for workforce development through 2030. Pradeep Singh, vice-president for planning and logistics in East Asia, emphasized that automation will not eliminate jobs but change their nature.
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OTHER

Vaccine hesitancy stalls measles eradication, Gates says

Microsoft founder Bill Gates, whose eponymous ‌foundation focuses on global health ‌and the world's poorest people, has said that vaccine hesitancy in wealthy nations has made eradicating measles in such countries a distant goal. He observed that while measles was once nearly eliminated  in affluent countries, recent years have seen a resurgence in cases due to declining vaccination rates. Gates nevertheless said that vaccine hesitancy had not spread to lower-income countries, where measles can be ⁠much deadlier. “There's always that concern that ⁠if you have doubters in the U.S., that becomes a global thing . . . But we haven't seen an increase in vaccine hesitancy in the countries the foundation works in,” he said.
 
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