Hedge Funds Face California Rebuke Over Role in Wildfire Claims
The transactions in focus are tied to so-called subrogation claims, which hedge funds, private equity firms and other alternative investment managers have been buying from insurers over the past few months. Subrogation kicks in if a third party such as a utility is suspected of being responsible for losses covered by insurers.
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Forbes
a minute ago
- Forbes
Turns Out Research Tax Breaks Alone Can't Conjure Developers
In the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), Congress revived a lapsed tax break that lets companies immediately deduct the cost of research and development (R&D). This was a big win, on its face, for innovation and U.S. job creation. At first glance, it has much promise: job postings for R&D should surge, tech startups are scrapping overseas hiring plans, and software engineers are hot again. So far, so good. But here is the catch—or at least a potential catch: what happens when you juice demand for domestic tech labor without increasing the supply? What happens if, in fact, you reduce supply by constraining immigration? Ultimately, you may find yourself not accelerating innovation—but inflating labor costs. Incentives Without Infrastructure The new version of Section 174 lets companies fully expense R&D costs in the same year they are incurred. However, expensing is limited to domestic costs. That is a huge incentive to hire within the U.S., particularly for high cost, labor-intensive tech startups. It is also a welcome return to the pre-2017 status quo, when the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act phased in a requirement that forced companies to amortize R&D costs over five years domestically, and fifteen years abroad. However, unlikel capital, labor is not instantly and infinitely scalable. You can't conjure a mid-career artificial intelligence engineer or a competent data scientist out of thin air. And, if you enact policies that curtail immigration, you can't call one from abroad either. As it turns out, we've made it harder, not easier, to bring in new talent—and now we've accelerated demand for the talent we do have. A Subsidy for Scarcity You can squint at the numbers and begin to see this shift already. Demand for U.S. based R&D roles is up 15-20% in just the past month, according to staffing firms. And some companies are now paying as much as 20-25% more to hire U.S. based engineers. The deduction, in effect, is being offset by wage inflation. The R&D shift isn't so much a tax incentive for innovation as a subsidy for talent scarcity. While immigration might normally ease that pressure, it is hardly a footnote in today's policy playbook. On the boats and on the planes, people simply aren't coming to America. If you can't import more talent, and you can't afford the rising cost of domestic labor, your only option as a startup is to scale back. This is the quiet paradox of modern innovation policy. We subsidize supply chains, enact tariffs by social media post and whim, fund domestic fabs, and now write off R&D wages – all in the interest of international competitiveness. But if the workforce can't scale with those policies, the policy just cannibalizes itself. Hiring slows, projects get delayed, marginal innovation doesn't happen, and companies we claim to support are left treading water in a labor-crunched economy, unable to fulfill the demand for domestic products that our ill-considered policies helped create. Normally, labor market imbalances can also resolve themselves through expanded domestic training pipelines: STEM programs, coding bootcamps, workforce grants, and more money flowing to education. But none of that is happening—at least not at scale. Even if the current administration reverses course and makes educational initiatives a priority, they can take years to yield results. So what happens next? If you can't import more talent, you can't train more talent, and you can't afford the rising cost of domestic labor, plans need to change. The question becomes, 'should we hire at all or wait out the current political climate and see what 2028 brings?' The Labor Market Becomes the Bottleneck In theory, Section 174 is pro-growth and innovation. In practice, it may just be another short-term sugar rush—juicing the labor market without adding any actual economic nutrients. We're frontloading cost savings, backloading the labor problem, and hoping that somewhere in there innovation still occurs. There is a better way, of course: R&D expensing is good policy. But it needs to be paired with other tools, like high-skilled visa reform, targeted immigration pipelines, and sustained and predictable domestic training investments. Otherwise, we're just creating a bidding war for a small pool of engineers and calling it progress. Turns out, tax breaks can nudge companies toward domestic hiring—they just can't conjure a developer that doesn't exist.
Associated Press
a minute ago
- Associated Press
Center for Social Dynamics Celebrates First Graduating Class of CSD University's Leadership Academy
Empowering Emerging Leaders Through Research-Backed Training and Measurable Growth CONCORD, Calif., Aug. 19, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Center for Social Dynamics (CSD), a leading provider of autism and behavioral health services, proudly announces the graduation of its inaugural Leadership Academy cohort. Designed to cultivate confident, compassionate, and data-driven leaders, the Academy equips participants with practical skills to drive team success, support staff development, and elevate client outcomes. Over the course of 12 weeks, 43 mission-driven leaders engaged in a blend of self-paced learning and live Zoom sessions, exploring evidence-based leadership frameworks such as PERMA, GROW, SBI, SMART, and the Trust Equation. Topics ranged from cultivating positive work cultures to navigating ethical dilemmas and addressing challenging behaviors with clarity and empathy. In a landscape where 60% of new leaders never received formal training before transitioning into their first leadership role (source: Center for Creative Leadership), CSD's Leadership Academy was built to close the gap—with measurable results. Across every domain, participants reported significant growth, even in areas where they already felt confident: 'Leadership Academy was designed to open a world of possibilities for those ready to lead with heart, strategy, and impact,' said Jamey Ouellette, Director of Training. 'We're incredibly proud of this first graduating class—and the ripple effect they'll create throughout our organization and the communities we serve. We are a people-first organization, so investing in development and growth is part of our DNA', noted Kelly Bozarth, CEO. Graduates met rigorous requirements, including at least 80% attendance and active participation across all sessions. The curriculum was tailored to CSD's core values and leadership principles. As CSD continues to invest in professional development through programs like Career Rewards, CSD University, and Dreams Come TRUE, the organization remains committed to shaping the future of autism services by developing leaders who have both the technical and leadership skills to make a difference. To learn more about career growth at CSD— including Career Rewards, CSD University, and Dreams Come TRUE—visit: About Center for Social Dynamics Center for Social Dynamics (CSD) provides personalized, evidence-based therapy services for individuals with autism and other developmental conditions. Our offerings include in-home and center-based ABA, virtual programs through the CSD Global Community, school-based support, social skills groups, diagnostic evaluations, caregiver education, and Adventure Club. CSD is committed to opening a world of possibilities through science, compassion, and humility, ensuring every individual receives the support they need to thrive. Media Contact Derek Thomas [email protected] View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Center for Social Dynamics
Associated Press
a minute ago
- Associated Press
Comcast to Participate in Goldman Sachs Investor Conference
PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug 19, 2025-- Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA) announced that on Tuesday, September 9, 2025, Mike Cavanagh, President of Comcast Corporation, will participate in the Goldman Sachs Communacopia + Technology Conference. A live webcast of the event will be available on the Company's Investor Relations website at on Tuesday, September 9, 2025, at 11:10 A.M. Eastern Time. An on-demand replay will be available shortly after the conclusion of the presentation. To automatically receive Comcast financial news by e-mail, please visit and subscribe to E-mail Alerts. View source version on CONTACT: Investor Contacts: Marci Ryvicker (215) 286-4781 Jane Kearns (215) 286-4794 Marc Kaplan (215) 286-6527 Press Contacts: Jennifer Khoury (215) 286-7408 John Demming (215) 286-8011 KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA PENNSYLVANIA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: ENTERTAINMENT COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY TV AND RADIO TELECOMMUNICATIONS MEDIA CARRIERS AND SERVICES SOURCE: Comcast Corporation Copyright Business Wire 2025. PUB: 08/19/2025 03:00 PM/DISC: 08/19/2025 03:00 PM
