EU under intense pressure to address disinformation from tech giants The EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA), adopted in 2022, is designed to safeguard democracy from disinformation, hate speech, and manipulative election campaigns. However, enforcement of the DSA is facing obstacles as leading US firms drop content moderation practices. After taking over X (formerly Twitter), Elon Musk fired moderators and scrapped transparency measures tracking disinformation, in an attempt to turn the platform into a bastion of free speech. Silicon Valley CEOs are now following suit, in efforts to...

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Minimum wage increase As of January 1, 2025, employers in the Netherlands are required to comply with the updated statutory minimum wage. The fixed minimum hourly wage will be increased to €14,06 (for employees aged 21 and older) as per January 2025 and is indexed twice a year. Benefits that are linked to the minimum wage such as AOW, WIA and WW will also increase as a result. Maximum daily wage The maximum daily wage, determined by the Dutch Employee Insurance Agency...

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Dr. Mansur Pour Rafsendjani, Senior Partner of the German law firm Noerr Partnerschaftsges. mbB in Munich, Germany European ESG Developments When the President of the EU Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, took office in 2019, she had a mission: To make the EU the first climate-neutral area in the world by 2050, to cut pollution and restore a healthy balance in nature and ecosystems and to establish fair businesses that respect human rights. It is one of the most ambitious political...

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€1 billion EIB loan will help fuel NXP’s research, development, and innovation (RDI) efforts in Austria, France, Germany, The Netherlands and Romania Loan will accelerate NXP’s RDI aimed at various end markets including automotive, Industrial, and Internet of Things (IoT) Supporting critical EU technology is a key EIB priority as outlined in its strategic roadmap and furthers EIB’s commitment to the EU Chips Act NXP Semiconductors N.V. (NASDAQ: NXPI) today announced that it has secured a €1 billion loan...

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Welcome to the US State Income Tax Digest. We highlight significant income and business tax legislation, regulatory adoptions, judicial decisions, and administrative guidance. We hope that you find the digest valuable and look forward to your feedback. Featured article: Louisiana enacts major tax changes in special session A package of bills approved by the Louisiana State Legislature in special session and signed by Governor Jeff Landry (R) on December 5 includes significant tax changes, including for income, franchise, and sales and...

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Beginning January 1, 2025, Illinois, Minnesota, New Jersey, Vermont and Massachusetts joined the growing list of states and municipalities across the country that have enacted pay transparency legislation imposing compensation disclosure obligations on employers. These new laws, which take effect at various points in 2025, will require employers in these jurisdictions to update their job postings and internal procedures to comply with each state’s pay transparency requirements. Following are the key requirements of each new law.   ILLINOIS Illinois’ pay transparency law, which...

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USA California: Wildfires - how homeowners can receive financial help Property owners whose homes or buildings were damaged or destroyed by the extreme windstorms and wildfires may qualify for temporary tax relief, L.A. County officials announced. Under the Misfortune and Calamity Property Tax Relief program, property owners can receive temporary tax relief with adjustments made to reflect the reduced value of the property until repairs or rebuilding are completed, according to the County Assessor's Office. The damage must exceed $10,000 in the current...

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Welcome to the 119th Congress. Even before President-elect Donald Trump is sworn in on January 20, 2025, change has come to Washington, D.C., as the 119th Congress gaveled in late last week. Here is what the Buzz is watching as the new Congress kicks off: A Trifecta? Yes, but … Republicans control the White House, as well as the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives, but that doesn’t mean that getting legislation to President-elect Trump’s desk is going to be easy. In...

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Eurozone confronts renewed inflationary pressures, challenging ECB’s strategy The eurozone is facing renewed inflationary pressures as 2025 begins, with consumer prices climbing to 2.4% in December – the highest rate since July.  This increase marks the third consecutive month of accelerating inflation, exceeding the European Central Bank’s (ECB) 2% target, and adds pressure on the ECB to stabilise prices while supporting the region’s faltering economy. December’s inflation increase, up from 2.2% in November, reflects a combination of surging energy costs and persistent price increases...

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