Human Times

North American Edition

13th November 2026

THE HOT STORY

AI giants face lawsuit over safety

A coalition of advocacy groups has filed a lawsuit against five leading AI companies, including Google and OpenAI, in San Francisco Superior Court. The groups claim the companies cannot prevent their AI systems from causing "catastrophic" harm, and their lawsuit seeks to halt the development of new AI models, citing documented incidents of cyberattacks and the companies' own admissions of potential dangers. The plaintiffs argue that the firms have violated California's unfair competition law by endangering public health, and they warn that unchecked AI development could lead to a permanent loss of control and existential risks to humanity. “No other industry is allowed to treat its own development of unsafe products - much less ones that could kill us all - as inevitable,” the lawsuit says. “Nor is any industry granted the right to self-regulate the development of such dangerous products.”

AP News

Quartz

Reuters

WORKFORCE

Jobless claims rise more than expected, but labor market remains stable

Initial unemployment claims rose more than expected in the seven days to November 7th, increasing by 9,000 to 200,000, according to the Labor Department. The figure exceeded economists’ forecasts of 195,000 and reversed recent declines, although claims remained historically low. The previous week’s total was revised upward to 191,000. The four-week moving average was unchanged at 195,250, while continuing unemployment claims, reported with a one-week lag, fell by 20,000 to just under 1.7m. "Firms are continuing to hold on to labor," said Olivia Cross, senior U.S. economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics. "We expect layoffs to remain low through the fourth quarter, but then come under some pressure next year in response to the recent tightening of financial conditions ⁠and the growing use of AI by firms."

ABC News

Reuters

Wall Street Journal

LEADERSHIP

Trump says former Apple CEO Cook should replace Huang at Nvidia

US President Donald Trump has said ex-Apple chief executive Tim Cook should replace ‌Jensen Huang at the helm of Nvidia. "NOW THAT Nvidia CEO JENSEN HUANG, who has done a fantastic job, has resigned, there is only one man to take his place - TIM COOK of Apple . . . A Legend replaces a Legend!" Trump wrote on social media. Nvidia's co-founder and chief executive resigned yesterday following a company investigation into extramarital affairs involving a woman suspected of working for Chinese intelligence and a senior Nvidia executive. The company has appointed longtime chief financial officer Colette Kress as interim CEO. The New York Times has reported, citing two ⁠people briefed on the ⁠conversation, that Trump called Huang on Tuesday and ⁠urged Nvidia's then-CEO to fight for his job.

New York Times

Reuters

Wall Street Journal

CYBERSECURITY

Microsoft outage disrupts services across more than 70 countries

Microsoft has reported a widespread service outage affecting hundreds of thousands of users across more than 70 countries, disrupting access to Microsoft 365 applications, including Outlook, Teams, and Copilot. The disruption, which began on Thursday afternoon, has affected businesses, government agencies, and educational institutions, including schools in Australia's Northern Territory and government websites in the U.S. Microsoft initially reported partial recovery following technical adjustments, although improvements were not sustained, prompting further remedial action before the company subsequently observed positive results. The outage has also affected third-party AI services, with OpenAI reporting problems involving ChatGPT and Microsoft connectors, while Anthropic identified disruptions to its Microsoft 365 connector and Claude for Outlook. Microsoft executive Charles Lamanna said there was no indication that malicious activity or a cyberattack caused the incident.

ECONOMY

Global economy faces recession risks as dependence on U.S. AI investment grows

The global economy is becoming increasingly vulnerable to a potential collapse in AI investment, as U.S. data-center spending drives growth across international trade and manufacturing. Asian economies, particularly China, Taiwan, and South Korea, have benefited from surging demand for semiconductors, servers, and electronic equipment, while Europe and emerging markets have gained from infrastructure investment. However, Capital Economics estimates that AI-related products account for as much as 80% of recent global export growth, exposing international trade to a sharp slowdown if investment weakens. Recent market volatility has highlighted these risks, with South Korea’s Kospi falling 43% from its peak, Japan’s Nikkei declining 16%, and the Nasdaq dropping 8%. Economists warn that an AI investment downturn, combined with elevated energy costs, tariffs, and rising interest rates, could trigger a severe global recession, particularly in economies already struggling with weak domestic demand.

Wall Street Journal

CORPORATE

SpaceX and Tesla merger talks progress

Bloomberg reports that merger talks between SpaceX and Tesla are progressing, and a deal could be announced as early as ‌next month. The proposed merger would create an entity that would unify Elon Musk's AI, robotics, EV and aerospace ambitions. The companies' boards and advisers are focusing on the details of the tie-up and governance structure of the conglomerate, among other matters, according to people familiar with the matter. JPMorgan analyst Rajat Gupta told clients in a research note last month that national security sensitivities related to SpaceX's US defense contracts and Tesla's reliance on China loom as “key dynamics that are at odds with each other” when it comes to regulatory and shareholder approvals for a deal.

Bloomberg

LEGAL

Canada weighs lawsuit against Stellantis

Canadian Industry Minister Melanie Joly has said Stellantis owes “hundreds of millions” of dollars to the country's government because the automaker has not resumed vehicle production at a factory near Toronto and instead has struck a deal to sell the plant. Stellantis Canada chief executive Trevor Longley said the company has volunteered to return the C$24m ($16.8m) of taxpayer help it received from the federal government to retool the Brampton, Ontario facility. Joly did not confirm exactly how much she believes Stellantis owes. The company said on Monday that it is selling the facility to Canadian armored-vehicle maker Roshel. The deal is opposed by the union representing workers at Canada's Stellantis factories

Bloomberg

Amazon settles pregnancy discrimination case

Dazha Delitz, a former Amazon warehouse associate, has reached a settlement with the company regarding allegations of pregnancy discrimination. Delitz claimed that Amazon restricted her overtime hours compared to non-pregnant employees and ultimately terminated her after she requested accommodations related to her pregnancy. The agreement was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, with both parties planning to dismiss the claims within 60 days.

Bloomberg Law

REMOTE WORK

Sheppard tightens return to office rules

Sheppard Mullin, Richter & Hampton has announced a change to its COVID-era hybrid work policy, and now requires all U.S.-based lawyers and staff to work four days in the office starting January 1, 2027. The new policy adds an additional day to the current three-day requirement. Other major firms, including Cooley, Dechert, Goodwin Procter and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, have all moved to require increased in-person attendance.

ABA Journal

REGULATION

SEC enforcement activity at lowest level since 1991

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) brought 348 ‌enforcement actions in fiscal 2026, the fewest cases since 1991, according to a Reuters review of figures published on the Wall Street watchdog's website. The agency's actions were down from 456 in 2025, a year in which the SEC said it levied nearly $1.1bn in fines and other financial remedies, the lowest level of penalties imposed since 2008, on a non-inflation-adjusted basis, according to the Reuters review. "The success of the SEC’s enforcement program is ultimately measured by how effectively it advances the SEC’s mission, protects investors, holds wrongdoers accountable, and strengthens confidence in our markets,” said SEC Chairman Paul Atkins in a statement about the agency's annual report. "Enforcement actions and financial remedies are important measures of activity, but they are not the only or most telling measures," he added.

Reuters

RISK

Disaster warning systems race to keep pace with climate risks

A draft UN report seen by Reuters highlights significant gaps in operational readiness and financing for disaster preparedness, noting that while 136 countries have early warning systems, only 64 are fully equipped across all four pillars of risk knowledge; detection, monitoring and forecasting; warning dissemination; and preparedness and response. The report emphasizes the need for increased investment, particularly in low-income regions, where fewer than half of those warned can act on alerts.

Reuters

INTERNATIONAL

Mercedes-Benz halts all further investments in Germany

Mercedes-Benz has said it is halting all further investment in Germany and warned that plant closures were now an option to tackle the high cost of car manufacturing in the country. "The executive board has jointly decided to halt all further investments in German sites," Mercedes board member Michael Schiebe said in a memo on the automaker's intranet. Board of management member Britta Seeger said in an interview: "We all want to avoid plant closures at all costs . . . Unfortunately, however, we must now pursue this option in more concrete terms."

Deutsche Welle

Financial Times

Reuters

OTHER

Fast-food chains capitalize on affordable indulgences

American consumers are increasingly spending on colorful, sugary specialty beverages despite persistent inflation, high living costs, and weakening consumer confidence, creating a lucrative growth opportunity for fast-food chains. Spending on beverage-only visits to quick-service restaurants reached approximately $55bn in the 12 months ending August 2026, up 5.1% year-over-year, according to market research. McDonald’s, Starbucks, Taco Bell, Dunkin’, and Wendy’s have expanded their offerings of energy drinks, flavored sodas, and refreshers to attract younger customers and boost afternoon traffic. Nearly 20% of Gen Z consumers purchase specialty beverages daily.

Bloomberg

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