News•Feb 24, 2026
Boom Times for Muni Bonds
State and local governments issued a record $498 billion in municipal bonds in 2024 and topped $580 billion in 2025, driven primarily by infrastructure, education, and transportation projects. The surge reflects a shift from waning federal pandemic aid to local financing for deferred maintenance, renewable energy, and climate‑resilient upgrades. Investors are gravitating toward muni bonds as a lower‑risk, tax‑advantaged alternative to U.S. Treasuries amid equity market volatility. Analysts expect issuance to stay high, potentially reaching $600 billion this year.
By Governing — Finance
News•Feb 24, 2026
I Asked My Team to Record Their Messy AI Workflows—Here's What We Learned
Zapier shifted AI training from polished demos to raw workflow recordings, launching an internal “Behind the Build” series where employees captured their unfiltered problem‑solving with AI. The initiative highlighted behaviors of top AI users—starting with outcomes, iterating prompts, and knowing...
By Zapier – Blog
News•Feb 24, 2026
Japan’s National Security Reckoning
Japan is overhauling its national security strategy as U.S. “America First” policies erode traditional defense guarantees. Rising Chinese assertiveness, the spillover of the Ukraine war, and rapid advances in drone and AI warfare have forced Tokyo to prioritize strategic autonomy....
By Foreign Affairs
News•Feb 24, 2026
How Smarsh Built an AI Front Door for Regulated Industries — and Drove 59% Self-Service Adoption
Smarsh deployed an AI‑powered support agent, Archie, on Salesforce Agentforce 360 to create a unified front‑door for regulated‑industry customers. The system lets users describe needs in plain language, routing them to the right solution and reducing navigation friction. Early results...
By VentureBeat
News•Feb 24, 2026
Samsung Ads Launches Immersive Carousel Home Screen Ad Unit
Samsung Ads has introduced an Immersive Carousel ad unit for Samsung Smart TV home screens across Europe, allowing up to five interactive tiles that rotate automatically or can be navigated with the remote. The format appears on the home screen,...
By Advanced Television
News•Feb 24, 2026
How Sundae Body Turned ‘Beige’ Body Wash Into a 3 Million–Unit Powerhouse
Australian beauty brand Sundae Body has sold over 3 million units and expanded to 9,000 stores worldwide by treating brand as the operating system rather than a marketing afterthought. The company differentiates its body‑care line with sensory‑first formulas, candy‑colored packaging and...
By Inside Retail Australia
News•Feb 24, 2026
Educational Support Reform for Children of Unorganised Workers
India’s Ministry of Labour & Employment has amended the Code on Social Security, 2020 to allow children of unorganised workers to receive both need‑based welfare scholarships and merit‑based scholarships. The existing scheme already supports students from Beedi, Cine and non‑coal...
By HR Katha (India)
Social•Feb 24, 2026
Businesses Prefer SaaS Over Costly In‑House Tool Development
I keep seeing this take and I just don’t think any serious business will waste time and resources on vibe coding internal tools to replace SaaS subscriptions. Some might give it a go and it makes a good headline for...
By Jon Yongfook
News•Feb 24, 2026
Jemmia Diamond Hosts Vietnam UAE Trade Dialogue with Ambassador
On February 9, Jemmia Joint Stock Company welcomed UAE Ambassador Dr. Bader Almatrooshi to its Ho Chi Minh City headquarters for a Vietnam‑UAE trade dialogue. The session gathered Vietnamese firms from real estate, agriculture, robotics, renewable energy and other sectors to discuss cooperation...
By Vietnam Investment Review (VIR)
News•Feb 24, 2026
India Aims to Raise $19.7 Billion From IPOs of State-Run Firms by 2030
India plans to raise 1.79 trillion rupees (about $19.7 billion) by selling stakes in state‑run firms through IPOs by the 2029/30 fiscal year. The effort is part of a broader $183.7 billion asset‑monetisation drive announced by NITI Aayog, following an earlier phase that fell...
By The Economic Times – Markets
News•Feb 24, 2026
City Chic Pares Back Losses, but US Downscaling Weighs Down Sales
City Chic Collective posted a modest improvement in profitability for the fiscal first half, with underlying EBITDA jumping 86% to $6.5 million and losses from continuing operations halving to $3.5 million. Global sales slipped 0.4% to $69.2 million, driven by a 31.4% plunge...
By Inside Retail Australia
News•Feb 24, 2026
Performance Recognition Drive in Andhra Pradesh
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu announced a new performance‑recognition system for Andhra Pradesh’s civil servants. Monthly appreciation letters will be entered into personal service registers and tied to career weightage, giving high‑performers tangible promotion advantages. The scheme also mandates counseling...
By HR Katha (India)
News•Feb 24, 2026
Novo Nordisk, Dr Sara Al Madani Encourage People to ‘Champion a Lighter You’
Novo Nordisk has launched the "Champion A Lighter You" lifestyle‑awareness campaign in the United Arab Emirates, partnering with Emirati influencer Dr Sara Al Madani and Saatchi & Saatchi Middle East. The initiative uses a sky‑diving hero video and a suite of digital and experiential activations...
By Campaign Middle East
Blog•Feb 24, 2026
ClearThink 1 Acquisition Corp. (CTAAU) Prices $125M IPO
ClearThink 1 Acquisition Corp. priced its $125 million initial public offering on February 24, 2026, with units slated to trade on Nasdaq under the ticker CTAAU. The SPAC is focused on merging with a financial‑services company operating in the United States and...
By SPACInsider
News•Feb 24, 2026
Japan Mulls Revising Liquidity-Support JGB Auctions to Ease Market Pressure - Report
Japan's Ministry of Finance is weighing changes to its liquidity‑enhancement auction framework for government bonds, aiming to ease supply pressure on the super‑long end of the curve. From April, the mid‑term bucket could be narrowed from a 5‑15.5‑year range to...
By ForexLive — Feed
Social•Feb 24, 2026
Leadership Wins by Choosing Fewer, Higher‑Impact Priorities
Many leaders chase more. I choose better. I thought growth meant more more meetings, more projects, more noise. It looked productive. It wasn’t. When everything matters, nothing does. Results improve when you remove what doesn’t move them. My rule: • Fewer priorities • Fewer meetings • Fewer distractions • Higher standards Simplicity...
By Abraham Kah
News•Feb 24, 2026
Menarini Consolidates APAC Media Mandate with Agency Appointment
Menarini Asia‑Pacific has appointed Omnicom Media’s PHD as its regional media agency, expanding the partnership to seven additional markets—India, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Taiwan, Vietnam and Korea—effective January 1 2026. The new remit consolidates media planning and buying across Menarini’s pharmaceutical and consumer‑health...
By Marketing-Interactive
News•Feb 24, 2026
Sacking Employee for "Poor Decision-Making" While Off Duty Was Harsh
The Fair Work Commission found that Sleepeezee Bedding Australia’s summary dismissal of a heavy‑combination truck driver was harsh and unreasonable. The driver tested positive for a prohibited drug after a roadside test, but admitted only off‑duty cannabis use over the...
By HR Daily (Australia)
Social•Feb 24, 2026
Leaders Feel Invisible Amid Employee Turnover and Tough Decisions
Leaders have to take care of their teams, appease their bosses, and still have something left for themselves at the end of the day. In this particular economic, social, and political climate, a lot of corporate leaders are struggling to...
By Julia Rock
News•Feb 24, 2026
Swiss Franc to Stay Favourable Amid Safe Haven Allure
The Swiss franc is consolidating its role as the premier safe‑haven currency, with EUR/CHF breaking below the 0.92 support level early this year. Analysts from RBC, Morgan Stanley and Credit Agricole argue that ongoing geopolitical tensions and weak economic data...
By ForexLive — Feed
News•Feb 24, 2026
How Task Batching Saves You Hours Every Week
Task batching—grouping similar work into dedicated time blocks—offers a simple yet powerful way to reclaim hours each week. By minimizing context switches, it reduces mental fatigue and keeps professionals in a flow state. The article outlines three mastery levels, from...
By Asian Efficiency
News•Feb 24, 2026
China’s New Export: Aircraft Debt
China’s state‑owned COMAC is exporting its C909 and C919 aircraft alongside tailored financing, leasing and equity deals, turning planes into long‑term financial levers. The most visible case is Laos, where COMAC holds a 49% stake in Lao Airlines after a lease‑to‑equity...
By The Diplomat – Asia-Pacific
Social•Feb 24, 2026
SpaceX Stake Lifts Blue Owl NAV Amid Credit Slump
Why is the Blue Owl Tech BDC's NAV going UP when private credit sentiment is so bad? While it is primarily a private credit fund, the BDC does have a small equity portfolio, which mostly consists of a large chunk of...
By Julian Klymochko
News•Feb 24, 2026
Bastion Hires Joanne Norton to Lead Insights Arm
Bastion announced the appointment of Joanne Norton as managing director of its Insights division, succeeding Steven Howlett. Norton brings over 25 years of experience, most recently as Global Director of Consumer Insights at Bondi Sands and former L’Oréal ANZ insights...
By Mumbrella Australia
News•Feb 24, 2026
Inside Koala Eco’s Disciplined Push Into the US Natural Channel
Koala Eco, an Australian natural‑care brand, has moved beyond its US entry phase to a disciplined scaling strategy focused on profitable growth. Co‑founders Paul Davidson and Jessica Bragdon prioritize performance per door, deepening presence in premium natural retailers like Sprouts...
By Inside Retail Australia
News•Feb 24, 2026
DLF Rental Business Gets Deepti Kapoor as Head-HR
Deepti Kapoor has been appointed head of HR at DLF Rental Business, bringing over two decades of strategic HR experience. She joins from Cushman & Wakefield, where she led people and culture across India, Southeast Asia and APAC. Kapoor’s career...
By HR Katha (India)
News•Feb 24, 2026
Best Practices Are Meaningless Without Audience Research
The article argues that generic best practices produce mediocre marketing results unless they are informed by audience research. It explains that understanding the specific audience’s preferences, language, and hang‑out places transforms bland tactics into resonant campaigns. Practical methods such as...
By SparkToro Blog
News•Feb 24, 2026
In Flexible Work Decisions, "Best Available" Is Best Practice
HR advisor Merilyn Speiser argues that flexible‑work policies should be tailored to each role rather than applied uniformly. She recommends starting with design principles that categorize roles and then offering the "best available" flexibility for each. The approach treats equity...
By HR Daily (Australia)
Blog•Feb 24, 2026
Ontario Mining at a Moment of Consequence: Turning Policy Commitments Into Global Leadership – by Priya Tandon (Canadian Mining Journal...
Ontario’s mining sector faces heightened global competition as nations vie for critical minerals essential to clean energy and technology. The province’s policy framework emphasizes certainty, efficiency, and reliability to lure investment. Industry leaders argue that turning policy commitments into concrete...
By Republic of Mining
Social•Feb 24, 2026
Islamic Finance Expert Charged; United Plantations Hits 120‑year Record
Additional Major Earnings News to Track on February 24, 2026: 4. Tan Sri Dr Mohd Daud Bakar charged with unlicensed securities dealing The renowned Islamic finance expert is accused of unlicensed dealing activities. 5. United Plantations posts best results in 120 years FY2025 earnings...
By David Chuah
Social•Feb 24, 2026
Confront Challenges Directly: The Only Path to Resolution
“The best way out is always through.” In strategy and leadership, avoidance masquerades as sophistication. We reframe, defer, reorganise—anything to bypass the hard conversation, the failing unit, the flawed assumption. But complexity rarely dissolves when ignored. It compounds. The issues we...
By Fayaz King
News•Feb 24, 2026
This Startup Wants to Make Chicken Cheaper in Nigeria with a Simple Solution
Cubeseed Africa is launching a digital marketplace that links Nigerian poultry farmers directly with restaurants, hotels and other buyers, bypassing traditional middlemen. By using escrow payments and a Sterling Bank‑backed credit line, the platform guarantees timely funds for farmers while...
By Techpoint Africa
Social•Feb 24, 2026
Ticketmaster‑LiveNation Faces Potential Standard Oil‑style Breakup
Ticketmaster - LiveNation has got to be the leading candidate for a return of the Standard Oil style breakup (i.e., the dissolution of an anticompetitive merger)
By Tim Wu
Social•Feb 24, 2026
Accelerating Trade Imbalances Will Deepen Global Tensions
Good PIIE paper by Tamim Bayoumi and Joseph E. Gagnon on the consequences of accelerating trade imbalances. They warn that trade tensions are likely to get worse, something I have been saying for years and continue to say. I don't...
By Michael Pettis
News•Feb 24, 2026
Raising Thailand’s Productivity Through Regulatory Reform
Thailand’s labour productivity has stalled, averaging just 2.1% growth from 2015 to 2023, down from 3.7% in the 1990s‑2010 period. OECD product‑market regulation (PMR) scores rank the country among the most restrictive economies, with a 2.4 rating – the fourth...
By OECD – Ecoscope (Economics blog)
Social•Feb 24, 2026
World Pivots to India as US Tariffs Alienate Allies
#IndiaWatch 🇮🇳: At the margin, the world is making a Pivot away towards India. TRUMP’S TARIFFS = MAKING LOTS OF US ENEMIES. https://t.co/3H8maAoa62
By Steve Hanke
Social•Feb 24, 2026
AI Prediction Markets Rapidly Closing the Human Advantage
I talked with one entrepreneur today that is building a prediction market. Crowds of humans are still better but AI is improving at a fast rate. Here is a prediction market for your Claws. Worth checking out. Not compensated by them.
By Robert Scoble
News•Feb 24, 2026
Manager Unfairly Sacked for "Sounding Out" Career Change Using Work Email
The Fair Work Commission ruled that a national sales manager at Volando Group was unfairly dismissed after using his work email to send a résumé and explore a health‑and‑wellness career. Deputy President Tony Slevin found the conduct was not “serious or...
By HR Daily (Australia)
Social•Feb 24, 2026
China Buys FX as Yuan Rises to Curb Appreciation
A little more complicated -- China consistently buys more fx when the CNY is appreciating (whether for structural or cyclical reasons). Exports start converting, and controlling the pace of appreciation takes intervention. Subtle point, but clear in the data
By Brad Setser
Social•Feb 24, 2026
AI Boom Keeps Payroll Flat, Cuts Original Workers
The software industry's payroll has been flat since ChatGPT launched. The AI productivity boom may be eliminating the workers who created it first. 🔒 Members-Only https://t.co/xRx5vLZILo
By Ed Yardeni
News•Feb 24, 2026
What I Told Israeli Lawmakers About Reviving Regional Integration
Five and a half years after the Abraham Accords, U.S. and Israeli officials argue that regional integration remains viable despite the Gaza war and a Saudi‑UAE rift. The article stresses that advancing phase two of Trump’s Gaza reconstruction plan—contingent on...
By Atlantic Council – All Content
Social•Feb 24, 2026
TICO Faces 99.5% Owned Toyota Tender
I've been a bit quiet on here for a while. I'm still busy over at @smartkarma. Over the weekend I published two pieces on TICO (Toyota Industries Co (6201 JP)) which is currently undergoing a Tender Offer by Toyota Asset...
By Travis Lundy
Social•Feb 24, 2026
Bloomberg's Oil Glut Narrative Shows They're Six Months Late
Bloomberg is still arguing “oil glut” & saying the correlation between geopolitics in the Middle East & oil prices is "broken" How can @bbgoriginals be 6 months behind the curve & still be in the news business? #Oil #EnergyMarkets #Geopolitics #Commodities...
By Art Berman Blog
News•Feb 24, 2026
Brother Marks New Step in Brand Direction with New Campaign ‘For When It Matters’ via Banter
Brother has launched a new Australian brand platform and campaign titled “For When It Matters” in partnership with creative agency Banter. The initiative moves the brand away from pure product‑centric messaging toward a human‑focused narrative that highlights the quiet reliability...
By Campaign Brief
Social•Feb 24, 2026
Shadow Oil Fleet Stressed, Sanctions Spur Higher Prices
The shadow oil fleet isn’t gone — it’s under stress Seizures raise costs & strand barrels, but doing more against Russian & Iranian flows means higher oil prices & inflation https://t.co/P5EDN7PrRY #Oil #Sanctions #EnergySecurity #Russia #Iran #Geopolitics
By Art Berman Blog
Social•Feb 24, 2026
Mexican Civil War Threatens US Supply Chains More than Tariffs
A Mexican civil war would be far more catastrophic to American supply chains than tariffs - Michael Vincent
By Craig Fuller
News•Feb 24, 2026
Can Sting Turn F1 Speed Into Brand Momentum with Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS?
Sting Energy has launched a high‑impact partnership with the Mercedes‑AMG PETRONAS F1 Team, extending PepsiCo’s 2025 global Formula 1 agreement. The collaboration debuted via a unique digital film where the F1 car itself announced the deal, reinforcing the brand’s “Fast just got faster”...
By Marketing-Interactive
Social•Feb 24, 2026
Weighted Avg 2.3% Signals Bullish Breakout Over CBO
The probability weighted average of both @jasonfurman and the survey average is 2.3%*, i.e. solid breakout. That's bullish; CBO is at 1.8%. *(Assumes 5% for the >4% phase transition scenario. I figure probabilities of higher figures quickly fall to...
By Greg Ip
Social•Feb 24, 2026
Openclaw's Clever Design Masks Potential Negligence and Hidden ToS Breaches
Yikes. If this is true, then it’s both pretty ingenious and supremely negligent. I wonder what percentage of users have done a code audit of Openclaw. And what other fun ToS-voiding surprises lurk in there.
By Arvid Kahl
Social•Feb 24, 2026
Japanese Builders Double Down on U.S. Housing Market
Japan’s big bet on the U.S. housing market got even bigger today Japanese builders are rapidly acquiring U.S. homebuilders—now Daiwa House is buying United Homes That's just 10 days after Japan-based Sumitomo Forestry said it's buying Tri Point Homes https://t.co/UnPOshRdS1
By Lance Lambert