— Trump fired former BLS Commissioner Erika McEntarfer in August hours after a dismal government report showed that hiring had slowed significantly in previous months. At the time, Trump claimed without evidence that the data was "rigged" and implied that McEntarfer had manipulated the numbers "for political purposes".
— The designation triggers EU asset freezes and related restrictive measures. Sanctions also target 15 individuals and six entities including IRGC senior officials, and expand powers to detain IRGC members in the 27-nation bloc.
— More than 60 heads of state and a record 400+ political leaders and 830 CEOs and Chairs came. As Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney put it in Davos this week: "We actively take on the world as it is, not wait around for the world we wish to be." It's clear there's a rupture between the US and Europe and it was a recurrent topic of conversation throughout the week. And the view from China? "Tariffs and trade wars have no winners," said Vice-Premier He Lifeng.
— Extreme weather events dropped from second down to fourth place in the Global Risks ranking this year — not because they are any less urgent a risk, but because geoeconomic fragmentation and societal polarization have become more pressing. Some developing countries are spending more on debt repayments than on healthcare and education.
— 40% of jobs globally are going to be impacted by AI over the next couple of years, Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director of the IMF, said, either by being transformed or eliminated. In advanced economies the figure is 60%. The IMF itself is not immune to this trend, she said — it's gone from 200 translators to just 50.
— Away from the public programme, dialogue continued. High-stakes geopolitical negotiations, and bilateral discussions signalled significant shifts in global economic and security architecture.