US-UK zero-tariff deal for pharmaceuticals announcement

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US-UK zero-tariff deal for pharmaceuticals announcement

The United States and the United Kingdom are preparing to announce a deal that will set tariffs on pharmaceutical products to zero. The agreement is expected to include changes to how the UK evaluates drugs for cost-effectiveness, specifically, the threshold used by the body that approves medicines will be raised by 25 percent. In return, the UK will increase its budget for new medicines, which could improve access to innovative treatments under its public health system but likely lead to higher drug costs.

AI compliance boost as data residency for enterprise expands globally

OpenAI now offers expanded data‐residency options for enterprise customers, allowing them to store data at rest in multiple regions including Europe, UK, US, India, UAE, and others, helping businesses meet local regulatory and privacy requirements. Under the update, enterprises using ChatGPT Enterprise, ChatGPT Edu or API services can choose where their data is stored. This supports compliance with regulations such as GDPR or regional data-sovereignty mandates, which are all a growing concern for regulated sectors and firms handling sensitive information. However, data processing (inference) still happens in US-based infrastructure, which may remain a compliance concern for some organisations with stricter data-localization requirements.

Nearly half of US truck-driver schools at risk after federal compliance review

This review by the U.S. federal government found that around 44 % of the 16,000 commercial-driver training schools in the United States fail to meet required compliance standards. The failure reasons include falsified or manipulated training data, sub-standard training curricula, improper documentation, and failure to meet instructor or facility requirements. Schools failing to correct deficiencies within 30 days risk losing certification, which would prevent them from issuing valid training certifications. The crackdown aims to curb “CDL mills” that issue credentials without rigorous training. While backers say the move improves road safety and compliance, critics argue it may disrupt supply of licensed drivers and disproportionately affect small or immigrant-owned training centers.

🧠 Expert Take

They should focus on cases where there's a lot of harm to investors or potential harm to investors and not just technical violations, not foot faults. I think many would say that's a different tone or strategy than what we saw in the last administration. He even went out of his out of his way to say, SEC enforcement should never feel like a gotcha game.  Kurt Wolfe from Quinn Emmanuel.

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Payroll Compliance

Payroll compliance and its understanding is essential for organizations managing compensation, wages and classification of workers. Among the key concerns for employers are properly classifying workers (full-time, part-time, contractors), adherence to minimum wage and overtime regulations, correct tax withholding, and documentation of payroll records to support audits or regulatory reviews. Doing so reduces risk of legal penalties or labour disputes.

Global or multi-jurisdiction employers must also factor in varying labor laws, tax regimes, and compliance requirements across regions, making robust payroll systems and compliance controls essential.

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