IJR News

Dutch police arrest suspect in ShinyHunters probe tied to OdidoTech — 4hDutch authorities arrested Pepijn van der Stap, a cybersecurity professional previously convicted of data theft and extortion, in an investigation into suspected ShinyHunters activity, including the Odido breach. His employer said an initial review found no evidence he targeted the company or its clients; reporting also says the group escalated attacks after his detention, including a breach involving FBI data.

Report Shows Regional Construction Wage Divide — Sep 21, 2026Illinois leads U.S. cost-adjusted construction wages at $80,604; Florida is lowest at $47,740 as employment hits a record 8.34 million.

Jared Kim Why does Florida pay so much less than Illinois even after adjusting for costs? That gap seems too wide for similar work.

South Africa Open to US Talks Despite Curbs — 2dSouth Africa remains open to talks with the United States despite new visa restrictions, with Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola saying Pretoria wants to avoid retaliation and preserve an important economic relationship. The discussions had included mining investment and Black ownership and employment rules, amid wider disputes over land reform, racial-equity policies and South Africa’s case against Israel at the International Court of Justice.

Barkin Backs Fed Hike, Citing Persistent Inflation Risks — 6dRichmond Fed President Tom Barkin said resilient spending and broader economic strength, alongside inflation pressures that have persisted longer than expected, justified last week’s rate increase. He said inflation risks currently outweigh employment risks, while leaving open whether further hikes will be needed.

UK Workers Spend Nearly £1bn on AI Tools — Sep 15, 2026A Deloitte UK survey of 25,000 workers finds 63% knowingly use generative AI for work, with total personal spending around £958 million annually as shadow AI grows—about a third using tools without employer knowledge and many paying for tools themselves. The findings show AI adoption is outpacing employer policies and leadership, highlighting the need for clear governance and practical guidance to balance productivity with safeguards.

Jared Kim Spending nearly a billion pounds shows real demand, but shadow use without oversight is asking for trouble.

Most Influential Women in World HistoryYourlist — RankingFrom ancient queens who ruled empires to modern activists who changed laws, these women left indelible marks on politics, science, and culture. Vote for who you think shaped history most profoundly.

DHS Moves to End 60-Day Grace Period for Laid-Off H-1B Workers — Sep 10, 2026The Trump administration has proposed eliminating the discretionary 60-day grace period that lets certain employment-based nonimmigrants, including H-1B workers, remain in the U.S. after job loss to seek new sponsorship, potentially forcing immediate departure and affecting hundreds of thousands of dependents. The plan, not yet final and requiring public comment, aims to align status with employment, but could disrupt tech hiring, raise disruption for employers and workers, and prompt legal challenges or appeals as the government weighs public input and potential reapplications in some cases.

Tom Gallagher Employers in tech will face more turnover costs and delays when trying to fill specialized roles.

70% of Gen Z healthcare workers expect to seek new roles — Sep 16, 202670% of Gen Z healthcare workers expect to seek new roles within a year, a Sept. 16 survey found, even as 65% aim to stay with one employer five-plus years and 95% prize stability.

Derek Foss Employers need to step up on education programs and advancement if they expect to hold onto staff.

Taiwan Minister Makes First Lai-Era China Visit — Sep 19, 2026Taiwan’s Labor Minister Hung Sun-han travelled to Nanjing for an APEC human resources meeting, marking the first cabinet-level Taiwan official to visit mainland China under President Lai Ching-te’s administration amid heightened Beijing pressure. Taiwan participates in APEC as “Chinese Taipei” and aims to engage on practical issues like employment and AI’s impact on jobs while avoiding a broader political dialogue with Beijing.

Elena Vasquez Keeping it to practical topics like jobs is the right move for Taiwan right now.

U.S. Employers Add 162,000 Jobs in AugustFinance — Sep 3, 2026Private US employers added 38,000 jobs in August, the slowest pace since January and below expectations, with gains led by education and health services and leisure/hospitality while manufacturing payrolls fell. Pay growth remained modest, and hiring was driven largely by large firms, signaling ongoing but choppy labor-market momentum amid inflation and demographic pressures.

Morocco Parties Woo Youth Ahead of Election — Sep 17, 2026Morocco’s parties are courting young voters ahead of the September 23 election with promises of jobs, affordable housing, and large-scale infrastructure investments tied to the 2030 World Cup, as persistent youth unemployment and disillusionment persist despite economic gains. Analysts note Ceuta’s mass migration as a form of social protest reflecting political frustration, while campaigns stress employment and housing as antidotes, even as youth voter participation remains relatively low and turnout concerns linger.

GoodRx Launches $24.99 Family Plan With 250 Free Medications — Sep 3, 2026GoodRx is expanding its Companion subscription to cover the whole household, including pets, with a $24.99 monthly plan that provides free access to more than 250 generic medications and discounts on telehealth, vision, dental, and lab services, and it will be offered to employers as a benefit starting in 2027. The rollout aims to curb family-wide affordability gaps in care as employers explore cost controls, with the program already seeing strong uptake and the company noting a 39% rise in subscription revenue in Q2 as it scales beyond individual plans.

Jared Kim Employers offering this in 2027 as a benefit could be huge, but I bet the fine print on which 250 drugs qualify matters a lot.

Jim Carrey vs Adam SandlerYourlist — VS BattleRubber-faced mania versus deadpan slob comedy — two 90s comedy titans, two entirely different engines.

Daisy De La Hoya Credits Corey Feldman With Saving Her Life — Sep 12, 2026Daisy De La Hoya says Corey Feldman saved her life during a severe addiction period, helping her recover, relocate to California, and take in her dog; she has been clean since February 29, 2024, but says she lost her home and relationship and spent time in shelters while rebuilding and seeking work. She remains grateful for Feldman’s support as she continues her recovery journey and pursues employment while living with a friend.

Nicole Hardy Corey really came through for Daisy when she was at her lowest, and it's inspiring she has stayed clean through all the setbacks.

New Zealand manufacturing index falls to 53.1 but stays above 50 — Sep 11, 2026New Zealand’s manufacturing sector expanded in August but at a slower pace, with the PMI at 53.1 and employment at the 50.0 breakeven, while new orders and finished stocks remained solid and inventories surged. The softer pace is being monitored for policy implications by the RBNZ, as cost-of-living pressures and external headwinds continue to weigh on sentiment even as underlying demand holds up.

Maya Lindstrom RBNZ should stay cautious on easing rates while inventories pile up and living costs bite.

U.S. Jobless Claims Hold Near Historic Lows — Sep 10, 2026Initial unemployment claims edged down to 206,000 for the week ending Sept. 5, with continuing claims around 1.774 million and four‑week averages near 206,000 and 1.779 million, indicating the U.S. labor market remains at historically low levels. While state rates vary and a small uptick in federal employee claims is noted, the overall trend points to continued resilience in employment despite recent payroll softness.

Maya Lindstrom The payroll softness mentioned still worries me even with claims this low overall.

Eurozone GDP Growth Hits Four-Year High at 0.6% — Sep 7, 2026Eurostat revises euro-zone Q2 GDP to 0.6% q/q and 1.2% y/y, led by a 10.2% surge in Ireland and improved momentum in Germany, even as underlying demand remains weak. Employment across the euro area rose about 0.5% y/y and 0.4% in the EU in Q2, with Malta and Portugal posting the strongest gains and Romania lagging ahead of the ECB’s rate decision.

Chris Dalton Ireland's 10.2% is basically an accounting artifact from multinational tax structuring, not real growth on the ground.

Can you read data — or just vibes?Quizie — QuizFifteen questions on charts, stats, and the tricks numbers play. The rank tells everyone whether to trust your slides.

Sarandon Says Gaza Stance Costs Her Film Roles — Sep 6, 2026Susan Sarandon says she continues to lose major film opportunities because agencies still tell employers not to hire her due to her pro-Palestinian activism and criticism of Israel, even as public opinion appears to shift. She says she feels welcome internationally and has found support from people like director Andrea Pallaoro, while Venice Festival appearances highlight her ongoing conflict with Hollywood’s power structure.

Dana Whitfield Whether you agree with her politics or not, blacklisting actors over their opinions is a bad look for an industry that claims to champion free expression.

Salvadoran TPS for 170,000 Set to Expire — Sep 3, 2026El Salvador’s Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for about 170,000 recipients is set to expire around September 9, terminating work-authorizations and deportation protections and potentially triggering ripple effects for American households and local economies that rely on Salvadoran workers. The termination follows broader moves by the Trump administration to end TPS for multiple countries, heightening urgency and uncertainty for communities, employers, and lawmakers alike.

EQT agrees $2 billion McGill majority stake deal — Sep 4, 2026Private equity firm EQT X has agreed to acquire a majority stake in McGill and Partners from Warburg Pincus for about $2 billion, with Warburg Pincus selling entirely and management reinvesting while Steve McGill remains CEO and John Lloyd stays involved. The London-based broker, employing 600+ staff across seven countries and generating over $250 million in revenue, will use the deal to accelerate global expansion, invest in technology and data, and offer an equity participation plan to staff as part of its growth strategy.

Priya Raman $2 billion for a broker with 600 staff shows how hot the specialty insurance space still is right now.

US military downs over 300 border drones without saying where — Sep 4, 2026U.S. forces have downed well over 300 cartel-linked drones along the U.S.-Mexico border in 2026, with more than 100 shot down in August as the Joint Task Force-Southern Border employs lasers and other technologies to counter cross-border threats. Mexico’s defence secretary says the drones are mainly used by migrant-smuggling groups to scout routes where authorities are scarce, while U.S. officials emphasize a broader fight against illicit drone activity tied to crime across the border.

Chris Dalton Lasers taking down drones sounds like sci-fi but I'd rather know the cost and success rate than just a headline number.

IRS Raises 1099 Reporting Threshold to $2,000 Starting in 2026 — Sep 9, 2026The rise of 1099 independent contractors is highlighted by about 11.9 million workers in 2023, with a federal shift tightening 1099 reporting by raising the Form 1099-NEC/MISC threshold to $2,000 per payee starting in 2026, meaning many small payments won’t trigger a 1099 form even as workers owe taxes on all income. Separately, a proposed DOL rule would make it easier to classify workers as independent contractors by prioritizing control over work and profit potential, a change that could reduce employer costs while expanding contractor opportunities for workers; reforms are unfolding even as workers face ongoing tax obligations regardless of form documentation.

Maya Lindstrom The DOL proposal to focus on control and profit potential seems like a practical way to let more workers stay independent.

Wisconsin farm to school program returns for third year with new database — Aug 31, 2026Across five articles, communities are weaving agriculture into education and capacity-building—from Nashville seminarians gaining agrarian experience on Field of Dreams Farm to Wisconsin schools earning recognition in Farm to School programs; a Virginia middle school math teacher uses hydroponics and hands-on farming to teach critical thinking, and a Gauteng program empowers young women through practical agricultural training with strong external partnerships—demonstrating a broad push to align local food systems with education and employability, even as challenges like water scarcity and stereotypes persist.

Biotech firms award new hires stock options, some worth hundreds of thousands — Aug 31, 2026Several biopharma and biotech companies—X4 Pharmaceuticals, Aura Biosciences, Akebia Therapeutics, Abeona Therapeutics, and Faeth Therapeutics—awarded inducement equity grants to newly hired executives or employees under Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4), including stock options (with Aura also granting RSUs) and with 10-year terms and multi-year vesting schedules designed to align new hires with company goals. Vesting generally starts with 25% after one year and proceeds in monthly or quarterly installments over the following three years, subject to continued employment, with exercise prices set to the grant-date closing price.

Accenture Evaluators to Embed Inside Anthropic for AI Safety Tests — Sep 18, 2026Anthropic and Accenture each plan at least $1 billion over five years; Accenture evaluators get employee-level access inside Anthropic.

Maya Lindstrom Accenture embedding evaluators at Anthropic could bring useful outside perspective on model risks, but the real test is whether they can push back on internal priorities.

Former Bank Manager Pleads Guilty to $335,000 Customer Theft — Sep 10, 2026A former Northern Kentucky bank manager, Reagan France of Home Savings Bank in Ludlow, pleaded guilty to bank fraud, theft by a bank employee and aggravated identity theft for embezzling about $335,000 from more than 20 customer accounts—including two nonprofits—between 2022 and 2024, using other employees’ credentials and forged withdrawal slips. She resigned at the end of 2024, faces restitution and a sentencing hearing set for January 13, 2027.