President Donald Trump has confirmed that he is considering reducing tariffs on some goods while maintaining or increasing tariffs that have attracted investment and revitalized industries such as automotive and semiconductor manufacturing. Roughly $18 trillion in investment pledges are reportedly linked to tariff relief.

The Trump administration's regulatory rollbacks are expected to accelerate in 2026. Since President Donald Trump's inauguration, 13 federal regulations have been rescinded and the Brookings Institution reports that cuts are on the way for another 17 regulations. Environmental Protection Agency deregulation remains a focus for the administration.

The Environmental Protection Agency has revised its climate change webpage to remove references to coal, oil and natural gas as drivers of global warming, instead emphasizing only natural phenomena such as solar activity and volcanic eruptions. Scientists and former agency officials say the change misrepresents consensus science and misleads the public, but an agency spokesperson defended the changes as consistent with the current administration's priorities and rejected accusations of misinformation.

Ingevity is considering the sale of its road-markings business and Advanced Polymer Technologies, including a UK plant that produces caprolactone-based products. "These proactive actions reflect our commitment to building a more agile, future-ready enterprise that is a clear leader in our priority markets and is optimized for superior performance to deliver sustained shareholder returns," said President and CEO Dave Li.

Artificial intelligence has been heralded as a game-changer for chemical research and development, but a recent survey indicates that 67% of R&D decision-makers are dissatisfied with the pace of AI implementation. The main challenges include the complexity of chemical data, the rapid evolution of scientific knowledge, and a lack of organizational capabilities to support AI.

Researchers have developed a method to convert waste cooking oil into recyclable plastics with incredible strength, according to a study in the Journal of the American Chemical Society. The plastics, tested as adhesives, held up to 123 kilograms and towed a car, matching or surpassing commercial adhesives. The plastics can be recycled multiple times without losing their properties, offering a sustainable alternative to petroleum-based plastics..

As you move up the leadership ladder in your company, you may encounter several cultural challenges, such as a fear-based environment, cutthroat competition or manipulative behaviors like gaslighting, writes strategic advisor Sheila Gujrathi, who offers strategies including finding emotional support from trusted peers and colleagues, as well as developing self-care rituals. "Address challenges and conflicts from a place of calm and centeredness," Gujrathi writes.