Fake mandatory verification appointments, fake examining attorney phone calls, and fraudulent USPTO emails. There have been reports of law firms receiving a wave of fraudulent emails impersonating the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). These emails target trademark applicants with urgent demands for a “mandatory verification appointment” phone call with a fake examining attorney. They look convincing because scammers pull real application data (serial numbers, owner names, attorney addresses) from the USPTO’s publicly available Trademark Status and Document Retrieval (TSDR)...

On April 13, 2026, the Small Business Innovation and Economic Security Act (the Act) was signed into law, reauthorizing the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs through September 30, 2031. First and foremost, this ends the six-month program pause in new awards. But it also introduces several important changes aimed at improving the effectiveness of the SBIR program and at strengthening national security. Some of the key provisions are detailed here. Strategic Breakthrough Awards:...

Let’s Be Honest About the Hype I’ll be honest: I considered not writing this piece. Any recruiter who goes on record questioning AI right now risks sounding like someone who didn’t see the internet coming. That’s not where I’m coming from. I use technology every day. I’m always looking for ways to work smarter. But after thirty-plus years in recruiting — placing professionals in financial services, compliance, legal, and real estate — I’ve got some observations I think are worth...

Data centre investment is accelerating in Europe, with regulation, grid access and power reshaping how projects get done. At a glance Grid connection is now the defining constraint for European data centre projects, with only 10-15% of applications in Germany expected to be accepted. Regulatory and ESG obligations across the EU and UK are reshaping how data centre projects are structured, priced and permitted from the outset. Investors who align grid strategy, power procurement and sustainability planning early are better...

Speech by EIB Group President Nadia Calviño  at Brookings Institution, on "Investing in a shared future" in Washington DC, during the 2026 World Bank Group-IMF Spring Meetings. Thank you very much for joining us this afternoon. Thank you very much to the Brookings Institution for organising this debate and generally for providing a space, a forum for people to debate, to discuss, to exchange views and to try to build a better, a stronger, a more peaceful future for all of us. It...