VidCruiter Launches AI Interview Scoring
VidCruiter unveiled AI Interview Scoring, a new feature that grades pre‑recorded video responses using client‑approved rubrics. The tool delivers consistent, explainable scores with full audit trails, removing reviewer bias and eliminating black‑box AI criticism. It also excludes biometric data, focusing solely on candidates’ spoken answers to meet fairness and compliance standards. The capability is now live as part of VidCruiter’s broader AI hiring suite, promising faster, more defensible hiring decisions for enterprises.
AI for CPAs: From Efficiency Tool to Decision Engine
Artificial intelligence is moving from a back‑office efficiency tool to a strategic decision engine for finance teams. A KPMG global survey shows 75% of senior finance leaders now use AI, up from 30% two years earlier, and 93% of U.S....
Senate Confirms Kevin Warsh as the New Federal Reserve Chair — Here’s What This ‘Regime Change’ Will Mean
Kevin Warsh was confirmed by the Senate as the next Federal Reserve chair in a 54‑45 vote, succeeding Jerome Powell on May 15. Warsh, a Wall Street veteran, promises a "regime change" as the Fed confronts rising inflation driven by higher...
Producer Prices Jump to Three-Year High, Spurred by War Shortages
U.S. wholesale prices jumped 1.4% in April, pushing the Producer Price Index to a 6% year‑over‑year gain—the strongest increase since December 2022. The surge is driven by war‑related spikes in oil, with wholesale energy prices up 7.8% and transportation costs...
EXEC: Rapala VMC Posts 20 Percent Comp Exchange Growth in North America in Q1
Rapala VMC reported a solid start to 2026, posting 13% comparable‑exchange sales growth driven by new product launches and efficient supply‑chain execution. North America led the surge, with sales up 20% on a CE basis to €40.5 million (≈$44 million), while comparable...
BranchLab Scores $26M Series A
BranchLab, an AI-driven platform that helps pharma companies commercialize therapies, announced a $26 million Series A round on May 13, 2026. The financing was led by McKesson Ventures and included FCA Venture Partners, Sanofi Ventures, and AIX Ventures, bringing total...
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Getting From $0 to $10M: How to Build Your RevOps MVP (and Ensure Efficient Growth)
In a Notion Capital webinar, RevOps specialist Robert Soffel outlined how startups can construct a Revenue Operations Minimum Viable Product to break the $10 million ARR threshold. He stressed that intentional scaling—rooted in a narrow ICP, a solid data model, and a...
EXEC: Leatt Corp Sets Stock Buyback Program
Leatt Corp., the South Africa‑based maker of protective gear for motocross, mountain biking and other action sports, announced that its board has approved a final share repurchase of up to $419,410. The buyback completes the balance of a previously authorized...
Chemours CFO Talks PFAS, Tariffs and Internal Controls
Chemours CFO Shane Hostetter, appointed in July 2024, is guiding a multi‑year “Pathway to Thrive” turnaround that targets $250 million of cost reductions through 2027 while rebuilding internal controls after an ethics scandal. He emphasized the $875 million New Jersey PFAS settlement, which leaves...
Greenfire Strategy Acquires 21b Consulting, Deepening Growth Capabilities for Mid-Market Clients
Greenfire Strategy, a Cleveland‑based B2B growth consultancy, has acquired 21b Consulting to bolster its HubSpot implementation and revenue‑operations expertise. The deal merges Greenfire’s brand, content, and demand‑generation services with 21b’s deep technical know‑how, creating a full‑stack offering for mid‑market companies....
Brown-Forman Has Rejected Sazerac’s $15 Billion Takeover Bid: Report
Brown‑Forman has turned down Sazerac’s roughly $15 billion acquisition proposal, which valued the whiskey maker at $32 per share. The rejection follows Pernod Ricard’s withdrawal, leaving Brown‑Forman without a suitor for now. Sazerac, a private family‑owned group, would have combined its extensive...
Detroit Pistons Games Moving to Scripps-Owned WMYD
The Detroit Pistons will move their locally televised games to free over‑the‑air station WMYD, owned by the E.W. Scripps Company, beginning with the 2026‑27 NBA season. The rights package is underpinned by a production loan exceeding $4 million, though its total...
MrBeast Reveals Plans for the World’s ‘Largest Membership Program’ & New Types of Content
Jimmy "MrBeast" Donaldson announced a plan to launch the world’s largest YouTube membership program, offering early video access, exclusive challenges, and a charitable component. The initiative was unveiled at a Business Insider‑hosted breakfast in New York attended by brands such...
Crude Oil Slides Sharply As Trump-Xi Meeting Sparks Expectations Of End To Gulf War
Crude oil prices slipped on Wednesday, with WTI June futures down $1.04 to $101.14 a barrel, as the Trump‑Xi summit heightened expectations that the U.S.–Iran standoff could end. The dip partially offset gains from the prior two sessions, but market...
Gotham FC in Advanced Talks to Move to NYCFC’s New Queens Stadium
Gotham FC is in advanced negotiations to relocate its home games to NYCFC’s new Etihad Park stadium in Queens, a $780 million, 25,000‑seat venue slated to open for the 2027‑28 MLS season. The move would shift the NWSL club from Sports...
South African Artists Earned $30.69 Million on Spotify in 2025. Most of It Came From Abroad.
South African artists generated R504 million ($30.69 million) on Spotify in 2025, a 28% year‑on‑year rise and almost double the 2023 figure. Nearly 74% of that revenue came from listeners outside South Africa, making the global market the platform’s biggest source of...
PRA Sets Out Road Map for Future UK Banking Prudential Framework
The Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) unveiled a comprehensive roadmap to reshape the UK banking prudential framework, covering capital, liquidity, ring‑fencing, mortgage lending, securitisation, reporting and digital‑asset rules. A key element is the Financial Policy Committee’s reduction of the sector‑wide Tier 1...
Adapt or Get Left Behind: What Private Employers Need to Know About DOL’s Recent Actions on AI Workforce Development
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has rolled out an Artificial Intelligence Literacy Framework and an AI‑focused Registered Apprenticeship portal, signaling federal intent to embed AI competence into workplace standards. Coupled with the White House’s National AI Policy Framework, these...
Anduril Raises Another $5B As Defense Tech Startups Shatter Funding Records
Anduril Industries announced a $5 billion Series H round, pushing its valuation to $61 billion—double the level a year ago. The funding, led by Andreessen Horowitz and Thrive Capital, brings Anduril's total capital raised to $11.4 billion. The raise coincides with a $20 billion,...
The Athlete Influencer Economy Is Now Operating at Scale
College athletes are now a core pillar of influencer marketing, with NIL partnerships valued at $1.67 billion for the 2024‑25 season and projected to hit $2.8 billion by 2026‑27. Brands such as adidas, CVS and Hollister are deploying multi‑athlete, always‑on campaigns that...
4 Strategies That Will End Your Hiring Frustration and Help You Find Better Talent, Faster
Enhancv co‑founder Volen Vulkov outlines four actionable steps to eliminate hiring friction and accelerate talent acquisition. He urges companies to audit pipeline bottlenecks, shift role definitions from credentials to skill‑based impact, streamline decision‑making, and turn hiring data into a continuous...
California Uber, Lyft Drivers Take Step Toward Bargaining Table
California gig drivers filed a petition with the Public Employment Relations Board seeking certification for the California Gig Workers Union, aiming to meet the 10% support threshold required under the new Transportation Network Company Drivers Labor Relations Act. If certified,...
TikTok Announces New AI Advertising Solutions
TikTok unveiled a comprehensive AI‑driven advertising suite at its 6th‑annual TikTok World summit. New premium formats such as TopReach combine TopView and TopFeed for single‑day, high‑visibility buys, while Branded Buzz and Search Hubs enable creator‑powered buzz and top‑of‑search placement. The...
As Coffee Prices Rise, Prefer Bets on a Hybrid Future
Prefer, a Singapore‑based food‑tech startup founded in 2022, uses fermentation to turn rice and chickpeas into coffee and cocoa extenders that can replace up to 40% of traditional beans without altering flavor. The company aims to keep everyday coffee affordable...
Corient Is Set to Leapfrog Its AUM 135% to $479 Billion, Largely Through European Deals; Now It's Circling Back to...
Corient, a fee‑only wealth‑management startup, is set to boost assets under management by 135% to $479 billion, driven by a string of European acquisitions. The firm is now targeting a $7.5 billion U.S. RIA in Tulsa to cement its claim as the...
Private Equity Took a Big Bite Out of Grant Thornton UK Profits
Grant Thornton UK’s first year under Cinven’s private‑equity ownership saw pre‑tax profit plunge 78% to £32 million ($43 million), even as revenue rose 4% to £787.1 million ($1.06 billion). The decline was driven by £156.4 million ($211 million) in one‑off bonuses and £26.2 million ($35 million) in deal‑related...
Fed's Collins Says Rate Hikes May Be Needed to Quell Inflation
Boston Fed President Susan Collins warned that the Federal Reserve may need to raise rates if inflation does not ease, though she sees that outcome as unlikely. She linked the inflation outlook to the duration of the Middle East conflict,...
People News From Virginia Port Authority, HDR and Koppers
Virginia Port Authority’s board unanimously appointed Sarah McCoy as its new CEO after she served as general counsel, chief administrative officer, and interim CEO. McCoy led the $1.4 billion Gateway Investment Program and renegotiated the Virginia International Gateway lease, positioning the port...
ANAV 3D Startup Delivers Large-Scale LFAM Ecosystem to India
Advanced New Age Ventures 3D (ANAV 3D) launched in Mumbai to build India’s largest large‑format additive manufacturing ecosystem, offering turnkey LFAM machines, robotic integration, and full‑service support. Backed by CEAD’s composite printers, the company targets aerospace, defense, marine, automotive and...
US Producer Inflation Surges by 6pc in April
U.S. producer prices jumped 6% year‑over‑year in April, the strongest rise since December 2022, as soaring energy costs tied to the Middle East Gulf war lifted the overall PPI. The Bureau of Labor Statistics revised the index up from a 4.3%...
No Need to Touch Czech Interest Rates Despite Upbeat Core Inflation
Czech headline inflation held at 2.5% year‑on‑year in April, buoyed by modest food price trends but offset by higher transport and housing costs. Core inflation remains elevated at 2.9% and is projected to hover just below 3% for the rest...
The American Diabetes Association Recognized for Workplace Wellness
The American Diabetes Association (ADA) has been named a Silver‑level CareFirst Healthy Business, highlighting its sustained commitment to employee wellbeing. The award recognizes the ADA’s comprehensive wellness suite, including diabetes supply coverage, continuous glucose monitors, and mental‑health resources. ADA CEO...
Deutsche Bank, Santander Test World Bank's Risk Transfer Engine
Deutsche Bank and Banco Santander joined the International Finance Corporation in a $500 million synthetic securitization that insures trade‑finance loans to low‑income and conflict‑affected countries. The transaction, the IFC’s first of its kind, splits the exposure into $340 million senior, $110 million mezzanine...
Origin Lab Raises $8M to Help Video Game Companies Sell Data to World-Model Builders
Origin Lab announced an $8 million seed round led by Lightspeed Ventures to create a data marketplace linking video‑game assets with AI labs building world‑models. The startup will license high‑quality game footage and 3‑D assets, converting them into training data for...
Rent the Runway Co-Founder Jennifer Hyman Steps Down as CEO
Rent the Runway co‑founder Jennifer Hyman announced she will step down as CEO, president, and board member after 18 years at the helm. Former Nordstrom chief merchant Teri Bariquit, who joined the RTR board in October 2025, will assume the role of...
Key US Employment Law Issues of Concern to Chinese Employers in 2026: A Strategic Update
In a May 4, 2026 briefing, Philip M. Berkowitz and Jerry Zhang outline the most pressing U.S. employment‑law challenges facing Chinese companies expanding stateside. They highlight five focal areas—return‑to‑work policies, employee data protection, DEI mandates, whistleblower claims, and immigration compliance—where regulatory scrutiny...
Tata Motors Turns Cautious on Capex Amid West Asia War Headwinds
Tata Motors said it will keep its FY27 capital expenditure at roughly ₹3,000 crore (about $360 million) but may shift timing because of the West Asia conflict. The war has sparked commodity‑price inflation and diesel‑price uncertainty, prompting the company to adopt a...
AI Transforming HR Faster Than Companies Can Set Up Processes to Contain Risks
The 2026 Employer Survey Report reveals that AI is reshaping human‑resources functions faster than firms can establish safeguards. Over three‑quarters of respondents expect AI‑driven changes in hiring, performance reviews, and workforce planning within the next year. Yet fewer than one‑third...
Turkey Removes a Restriction on Direct Trade with Armenia to Improve Ties
Turkey announced on May 13 that it has removed a long‑standing restriction preventing shipments from listing Turkey or Armenia as the final destination or origin, a symbolic step toward normalising ties with its historic rival. The change follows 2021 envoy...
Baldock 'Set for Top Job at Boots' As Potential IPO Looms - Report
Alex Baldock, the outgoing CEO of Currys, is slated to become Boots’ chief executive later this year, according to a Sky News report. The appointment would place him in charge of Boots’ pharmacy, retail, optician and No7 cosmetics divisions across...
The U.S. Inflation Problem Is Getting Worse
U.S. inflation is accelerating as the Producer Price Index jumped 1.4% in April and is up 6% over the past year. Core services inflation reached a 4.4% year‑over‑year increase, the strongest since 2023, driven by higher transportation and warehousing costs....
G2 Unveils Tools to Build Trust in AI Answer Era
G2 unveiled a suite of new capabilities designed to inject trust into AI‑driven software buying. The flagship Model Context Protocol (MCP), powered by Anthropic’s Claude, connects AI assistants directly to G2’s verified reviewer data. Additional features—structured FAQs, guided discussion prompts,...
NWB Returns to Nordic Market with SEK 600m Social Bond
Nederlandse Waterschapsbank (NWB) has launched a five‑year social bond worth SEK 600 million (about $65 million), marking its first issuance in a Nordic currency since 2019. The bond targets investors seeking ESG‑aligned assets and will fund sustainable water‑management projects across the Netherlands. By...
Debtwire Middle-Market – 5/11/2026
The VanEck BDC Income ETF (BIZD) posted a dividend yield of 13.4% on May 8, up 156 basis points year‑to‑date and 168 basis points versus a year ago. Listed business development companies (BDCs) are trading at an average price‑to‑NAV of 0.81×,...
The Hormuz Inflation Shock Is only Just Beginning
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has sent Brent crude soaring to around $100 a barrel, igniting what analysts call the "Hormuz inflation shock." U.S. CPI rose 0.6% in April and 3.8% year‑over‑year, while inflation in the Philippines and...
Groundfloor's Consumer Loan Venture Is in a $3 Million Capital Raise
Groundfloor, a platform known for residential transition‑loan securitizations, announced a $3 million capital raise for its Consumer Credit Portfolio II, its first non‑real‑estate private‑credit offering. The product targets accredited investors with a $10,000 minimum and promises a fixed 10% annual return paid...
Two Harbors Rejects UWM's Hostile $12.50 Offer
Two Harbors’ board rejected UWM Holdings’ updated hostile cash offer of $12.50 per share, deeming it not a superior proposal despite being 50 cents above CrossCountry Mortgage’s price. The board highlighted UWM’s high leverage, the unchanged Mizuho financing commitment, and questioned...
908 Devices Inc. Acquires NIRLAB AG
908 Devices Inc., a leader in handheld real‑time chemical analyzers, announced the acquisition of Swiss AI‑driven spectroscopy firm NIRLAB AG. The deal, advised by Cooley LLP on corporate and capital‑markets matters, adds NIR‑based narcotics detection to 908 Devices' portfolio. NIRLAB’s...
Covenant Trends – 5/11/2026
Covenant Trends published its May 11 2026 report on the share of first‑lien institutional loans that cleared key covenant terms. The latest data show a modest slip in covenant compliance compared with the previous quarter, suggesting tightening credit conditions. The release includes...
TopGum Completes PLD Gummy Manufacturing Acquisition
Israeli functional gummy maker TopGum completed the acquisition of a New York FDA‑compliant manufacturing facility for up to $35 million, marking its first U.S. production site. The plant will enable pharmaceutical‑grade gummy production and supports a commercial agreement to supply store‑brand...