The USPTO has opened a new pathway in the examination queue with its Streamlined Claim Set Pilot Program. Effective October 27, 2025, this limited-duration initiative allows qualifying applications to move “out of turn” to a first Office action, offering potential advantages for applicants willing to narrow their claim sets and meet strict procedural requirements—while requiring careful navigation of tradeoffs and procedural pitfalls. What the Program Does—and Does Not Do The pilot advances eligible utility applications to the front of the line...

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By Andy Boettcher, Head of Research, Trepp, and Rachel Szymanski, Chief Economist, Trepp After two years of tightening credit and economic uncertainty, the commercial real estate (CRE) debt market is revealing a split across different lender types. Using data from the Federal Reserve’s Financial Accounts of the United States (Z.1), we examine how outstanding balances are distributed across the market and the timing of future maturities. While some lenders are deploying fresh capital where they see opportunity and stability, others are...

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The world economy is limping into November 2025, buffeted by geopolitical crosswinds, policy fragmentation, and structural shifts that defy easy categorization. Despite record highs in many equity markets, beneath the surface, the global order is being re-engineered—one export restriction, cyberattack, and parliamentary deadlock at a time. US-China Tensions Move Away from the Immediate Brink Let’s start with the main event: the U.S.–China tech war. Washington thought it had cornered the semiconductor chessboard. By the end of September, the U.S. had expanded...

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A new study published today by the European Investment Bank (EIB) shows that scaling up bio-based industries can strengthen EU’s strategic autonomy as well as competitiveness, foster innovation and create growth and jobs, particularly in rural and coastal regions. Improving access to finance by expanding venture debt and early-stage investment offerings can accelerate the upscaling of new technologies that use renewable natural resources to produce sustainable food, materials, and energy. The study, which was commissioned and supported by the European Commission’s Directorate...

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Finland and the United States have signed a memorandum of understanding on icebreaker cooperation. Finnish President Alexander Stubb and US President Donald Trump signed the memorandum of understanding at their meeting in Washington on 9 October. Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo also attended the meeting. This memorandum of understanding lays the foundation for commercial agreements between the United States Coast Guard and Finnish companies. Finland and the United States are deepening their cooperation in the design and construction of icebreakers....

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In this week’s Roar: A big week of trade deals, the government shutdown and air cargo, major infrastructure projects across the U.S., calls to rebuild American commercial shipping capacity, and uncertainty about manufacturing strategies. Resolution of the U.S.-China trade dispute has always been the elephant in the room since the tariff fights began earlier this year. On Thursday, a breakthrough was announced, which lowers the overall tariff on Chinese goods. However, that was just the latest in a series of announcements from the...

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The Tax Foundation has recently published an article titled “There's No Good Way to Pay for Property Tax Repeal” which is another contribution to the current debate in the USA over whether property taxes can be abolished. Written by Jared Walczak, Vice President of State Projects, the key findings are stated by the author to be: • Property taxes currently generate 70 percent of all local tax revenue, some or all of which would have to be replaced with other...

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• The EIB Group – via its subsidiaries the European Investment Bank and the European Investment Fund – is investing in a new Santander securitisation transaction to back the competitiveness and investments of small businesses and mid-caps in Spain. • €200 million will go to financing the construction of near-zero emission buildings by small businesses and mid-caps in the real estate sector. • €70 million will also be directed to supporting companies whose shareholders or management teams are mostly women. • Operation...

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EUDR only to be postponed for small enterprises, but simplifications planned for traders The European Commission was recently publicly considering postponing the application of European Regulation (EU) 2023/1115 on deforestation-free products (Deforestation Regulation – “EUDR”) once again until the end of 2026. This idea with the proposed amendments put forward on 21 October 2025 is no longer on the table. The regulation is only to be postponed for small enterprises. Instead, traders can expect significant simplifications. This means that the legal uncertainty...

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Catherine Connolly elected as Irish President amid unprecedented voter protest Catherine Connolly, an independent TD and former Leas-Cheann Comhairle, was elected as Ireland’s 10th President on 24 October with approximately 63.4% of valid first-preference votes. Voter turnout was around 45.8%, one of the lowest in recent decades, while spoiled or invalid ballots totalled roughly 213,738, about 12.9% of votes cast. This presidential election marked the culmination of a campaign defined more by tone and turnout than by controversy. The presidency remains one...

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