Solar power system installations impact less than 1 percent of Arkansas’ ag land

15 counties in Arkansas will a have utility-scale solar power project by 2026

University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture

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Mike Popp, Harold F. Ohlendorf Professor of agricultural economics and agribusiness for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture and the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences, stands on a floating solar array in Spain.

 

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Credit: Courtesy of Mike Popp

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Large-scale solar power arrays occupy about 0.2 percent of agricultural land in Arkansas, according to an analysis by the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.

Solar energy production is increasingly being used to meet both energy needs and zero net emissions goals within the United States. Arkansas is following this trend with several utility-scale solar energy production systems built in 2023 and 2024, and more scheduled to come online in the following years. This has raised some concerns over the displacement of agricultural land for non-food production purposes.

“With the Arkansas economy more reliant on agriculture compared to the nation and surrounding states, diversion of agricultural land to other uses draws producer and consumer interest,” said Mike Popp, Harold F. Ohlendorf Professor of agricultural economics and agribusiness and co-author of a recently released fact sheet titled “Agricultural Land Footprint of Solar Photovoltaic Installations in Arkansas.”

While generally considered to have minimal impact on crop prices, other questions about proximal real estate value impacts, exposure to weather risk and land restoration considerations exist, the fact sheet noted.

By 2026, there will be 15 counties in Arkansas, mostly in the agricultural-dominated Delta, with utility-scale solar arrays. Utility-scale is defined as 20 megawatts or larger. Currently, 11 counties have these large-scale solar projects on lands defined by a U.S. Department of Agricultural census as agricultural land. Four more utility-scale projects are scheduled through 2026, including one in Grant County on land considered “woodland or timberland areas.”

Using information gathered from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the researchers show that utility-scale solar arrays will occupy 0.2 percent of the state’s 13.7 million acres of agricultural land under current projections through 2026. In counties where these larger solar arrays are used, land use ranges from 0.2 to 1.7 percent of agricultural land.

The utility-scale solar projects range from up to 445 acres for a 50-megawatt site to up to 2,670 acres for a 300-megawatt site.

As of 2023, the state had about 15,000 megawatts of electrical generating capacity, with natural gas, coal, nuclear and other energy sources like hydropower, solar and wind. According to the study, up to 133,500 acres of land would be required across the state to double the state’s electrical generating capacity with solar, offsetting demand for power from natural gas, coal, nuclear and hydropower during the day.

“Even under this extreme level of solar development, which is unlikely to happen, solar would use less than 1 percent of the 13.7 million acres of agricultural land,” Popp said.

Popp is a faculty member with the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, the research arm of the Division of Agriculture, and the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences.

Solar’s growth

Solar energy generation has nearly doubled in efficiency in the past decade. To produce 1 megawatt — enough to power roughly 150-200 homes annually — about 5.5 acres of land is required, according to a 2022 study cited by the authors. By contrast, a 2013 study showed that 1 megawatt of solar energy production required about 9 acres of land. 

The number of solar arrays in Arkansas has also grown rapidly in recent years, with 1,100 megawatts added in 2024 and another 400 megawatts scheduled for this year.

According to USDA data cited by the researchers, solar projects have removed less than 0.05 percent of land from agricultural purposes nationwide.

Agrivoltaics

With about 28,000 acres of agricultural land comprised of irrigation reservoirs, Popp said floating solar arrays have become an interesting area for research to decrease impact on agricultural land use.

Several other opportunities exist for solar power systems to integrate with agriculture, known as “agrivoltaics,” Popp said. Combining solar installations with sheep grazing and honeybee management are commonly cited examples of agrivoltaics.

Preferred lands

Private landowners often lease land for solar development, sometimes over a 30-year contract, the study explained. Voluntary solar land leases range from $450 to $2,500 per acre with a preference for cleared, leveled or southward sloping land that are not wetlands.

“Past cost trends and future projections showcase that utility-scale projects to be the least-cost renewable energy source,” the study states. “As such, expansion of this sector is expected. With careful planning, such systems can lead to economic and environmental benefits with minimal negative agricultural land use implications.”

Authors of the study included Travis Wagher, a Public Policy Program Ph.D. student at the University of Arkansas; Hunter Goodman, assistant professor with the Division of Agriculture’s Cooperative Extension Service in the community, professional and economic development department; Shelby Rider, program associate for the experiment station in the agricultural economics and agribusiness department; and Yi Liang, an associate professor of biological and agricultural engineering for the Division of Agriculture and the University of Arkansas’ College of Engineering.

Solar on poultry farms

Popp and colleagues in the agricultural economics and agribusiness department and the USDA’s Economic Research Service have also recently published a study in Agricultural Finance Review examining financing options for solar investment on poultry farms.

Using their Poultry Solar Analysis decision support software, they showed that a 10-year note bundled with a second loan that is repaid using income tax credits over the course of one to five years, resulted in a lower break-even electricity cost while addressing cash flow and borrowing capacity concerns. A longer 20-year note further eased cash flow issues at the cost of less favorable leverage and net present value, the study concluded.

To learn more about the Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website. Follow us on X at @ArkAgResearch, subscribe to the Food, Farms and Forests podcast and sign up for our monthly newsletter, the Arkansas Agricultural Research Report. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit uada.edu. Follow us on X at @AgInArk. To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit uaex.uada.edu.

About the Division of Agriculture

The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation’s historic land grant education system. 

The Division of Agriculture is one of 20 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on three system campuses.  

Pursuant to 7 CFR § 15.3, the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs and services (including employment) without regard to race, color, sex, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, sexual preference, pregnancy or any other legally protected status, and is an equal opportunity institution.

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Method of Research

Case study

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

Agricultural Land Footprint of Solar Photovoltaic Installations in Arkansas

Article Publication Date

30-May-2025

 

Study finds birds nested in Arctic alongside dinosaurs

Paper documents the earliest-known example of birds nesting in the polar regions

University of Alaska Fairbanks

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An illustration of Cretaceous Period birds with other dinosaurs from the same time period in the background. A paper in the journal Science documents the earliest-known example of birds nesting in the polar regions.

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Credit: Illustration by Gabriel Ugueto

Spring in the Arctic brings forth a plethora of peeps and downy hatchlings as millions of birds gather to raise their young.

The same was true 73 million years ago, according to a paper featured on the cover of this week’s edition of the journal Science. The paper documents the earliest-known example of birds nesting in the polar regions.

“Birds have existed for 150 million years,” said lead author Lauren Wilson, a doctoral student at Princeton University who earned her master’s degree at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. “For half of the time they have existed, they have been nesting in the Arctic.”

The paper is the result of Wilson’s master’s thesis research at UAF. Using dozens of tiny fossilized bones and teeth from an Alaska excavation site, she and her colleagues identified multiple types of birds — diving birds that resembled loons, gull-like birds, and several kinds of birds similar to modern ducks and geese — that were breeding in the Arctic while dinosaurs roamed the same lands.

Prior to this study, the earliest known evidence of birds reproducing in either the Arctic or Antarctic was about 47 million years ago, well after an asteroid killed 75% of the animals on Earth.

“This pushes back the record of birds breeding in the polar regions by 25 to 30 million years,” said Pat Druckenmiller, the paper’s senior author, director of the University of Alaska Museum of the North and Wilson’s advisor for her master’s degree work. The bird fossils are part of the museum’s collections.

“The Arctic is considered the nursery for modern birds,” he said. “It’s kind of cool when you go to Creamer’s Field [a Fairbanks-area stopover for migrating geese, ducks and cranes], to know that they have been doing this for 73 million years.”

The mere existence of the large collection of ancient bird fossils is remarkable, Wilson said, given how delicate bird bones are. That is doubly true for baby bird bones, which are porous and easily destroyed.

“Finding bird bones from the Cretaceous is already a very rare thing,” she said. “To find baby bird bones is almost unheard of. That is why these fossils are significant.” 

The fossils were collected from the Prince Creek Formation, an area along the Colville River on Alaska’s North Slope known for its dinosaur fossils. Scientists identified more than 50 bird bones and bone fragments.

“We put Alaska on the map for fossil birds,” Druckenmiller said. “It wasn’t on anyone’s radar.”

The collection is a testament to the value of an uncommon excavation and research approach at the Prince Creek Formation. Much of vertebrate paleontology focuses on recovering large bones.

The scientists who work in the Prince Creek Formation make sure to get every bone and tooth they can, from the visible to the microscopic, Druckenmiller said. The technique, which involves hauling tubs of screened sediment back to the lab for examination under a microscope, has yielded numerous new species and unprecedented insights into the behavior and physiology of the dinosaurs, birds and mammals that lived in the Arctic during the Cretaceous Period.

“We are now one of the best places in the nation for bird fossils from the age of the dinosaurs,” Druckenmiller said. “In terms of information content, these little bones and teeth are fascinating and provide an incredible depth of understanding of the animals of this time.”

It remains to be seen whether the bones found on the Colville River are the earliest-known members of Neornithes, the group that includes all modern birds. Some of the new bones have skeletal features only found in this group. And, like modern birds, some of these birds had no true teeth.

“If they are part of the modern bird group, they would be the oldest such fossils ever found,” Druckenmiller said. Currently, the oldest such fossils are from about 69 million years ago. “But it would take us finding a partial or full skeleton to say for sure.”

Other collaborators on the paper include Daniel Ksepka from the Bruce Museum, John Wilson from Princeton University, Jacob Gardner from the University of Reading, Gregory Erickson from Florida State University, Donald Brinkman and Caleb Brown from the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology and the University of Alberta (Brown is also affiliated with the University of Manitoba), Jaelyn Eberle from the University of Colorado Boulder and Chris Organ from Montana State University.

ADDITIONAL CONTACTS: Pat Druckenmiller, 907-474-6989, psdruckenmiller@alaska.edu. Lauren Wilson, 406-223-4762, lauren.wilson@princeton.edu

NOTE TO EDITORS: Photos, illustrations and video clips are available for download from the UAF press download folder.

The tip of a hatchling bird beak sits on the end of a finger.

Credit

Photo by Pat Druckenmiller

Joe Keeney, Patrick Druckenmiller and Jim Baichtal excavate at a site on the Colville River.

Credit

Photo by Lauren Wilson

Journal

Science

DOI

10.1126/science.adt5189 

Article Title

Arctic bird nesting traces back to the Cretaceous

Article Publication Date

29-May-2025

 

New study reveals bats are key players in cross-species spread of morbilliviruses

German Center for Infection Research

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A bat of the genus Molossus from Costa Rica.

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Credit: Andres Moreira-Soto

Bats in the tropics of the Americas are a reservoir for morbilliviruses—a genus of RNA viruses that includes the human measles virus. However, their role in spreading morbilliviruses to other mammalian species is unclear. An international team of researchers led by Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin and the German Center for Infection Research has now studied the spread of morbilliviruses in bats and monkeys in Brazil and Costa Rica and discovered new virus species and host switches from bats to other mammalian species. The scientists call for increased surveillance and experimental risk assessments of reservoir-bound morbilliviruses. The study was published in Nature Microbiology on May 27, 2025.

Morbilliviruses are highly contagious viruses that cause serious diseases in humans and animals. Prominent examples include measles in humans, rinderpest in cattle and canine distemper in carnivores. Although rinderpest has been successfully eradicated, other morbilliviruses continue to pose a significant threat to human health and livestock. Despite their wide distribution among various mammalian species, little is known about their main hosts, geographical distribution, and their potential to jump to new species.

The evolution of morbilliviruses in bat species of the American tropics

The new study examined more than 1,600 bats from Brazil and Costa Rica. The researchers found evidence of infection with previously unknown morbilliviruses in several species of bats—including vampire bats, whose blood-sucking behavior facilitates contact with other animals. Antibodies against a newly discovered vampire bat morbillivirus were detected in more than one-third of the vampire bats examined, suggesting that such infections are common and usually not fatal.

Morbilliviruses closely related to bat morbilliviruses found in monkeys: danger for humans?

Morbilliviruses were also found in wild monkeys that died in Brazil. While there is no evidence that the viruses caused the deaths, genetic analysis revealed a close relationship between the monkey morbilliviruses and those from bats. Laboratory tests showed that, unlike the bat morbilliviruses, the monkey morbilliviruses can use the same cell receptor as the measles virus, indicating a potential risk of transmission to humans. Fortunately, further testing revealed that antibodies produced by prior measles or distemper infections can neutralize bat morbilliviruses. This suggests some cross-immunity, which could facilitate vaccine development.

"Although morbilliviruses in monkeys can apparently use the human measles receptor, it is too early to determine if they pose a threat to humans," says Dr. Wendy K. Jo, a postdoctoral researcher at the Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin and the study’s first author. "However, this study highlights the importance of monitoring such viruses in wild animals."

Cross-species transmission is more common than expected

Evolutionary analyses of the study suggest that bat morbilliviruses, as well as those from carnivores and ungulates, have crossed species boundaries several times in the past. This includes transmission from bats to pigs and monkeys. Similar host switches involving bats are believed to have resulted in the emergence of human diseases, such as SARS and Ebola, in the recent past.

"Our results show that morbilliviruses are more common and more diverse in bats than previously thought—and that in rare cases they can jump to other animals," says Prof. Jan Felix Drexler of Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, study lead and scientist in the research area "Emerging Infections" at the German Center for Infection Research (DZIF). "This is not a reason for panic, but a clear call for vigilance."

The researchers advocate for increased surveillance of pathogens in wildlife, targeted risk assessments and, in the long-term, the development of protective measures, such as vaccines, for both humans and livestock.

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Journal

Nature Microbiology

DOI

10.1038/s41564-025-02005-8 

Method of Research

Experimental study

Subject of Research

Animals

Article Title

Ecology and evolutionary trajectories of morbilliviruses in neotropical bats

Article Publication Date

27-May-2025

 

New book with a global view of men’s experiences with partner violence

The Routledge Handbook of Men’s Victimization in Intimate Relationships, George Mason University Social Work Professor co-edits landmark book highlighting an often-overlooked group.

George Mason University

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More than two decades ago, Denise Hines began investigating a topic most researchers wouldn’t touch: men as victims of intimate partner violence (IPV). She and collaborator Emily Douglas were the first in the U.S. to earn federal funding for this line of research, publishing studies that challenged entrenched gender assumptions and provoked debate in the field. 

Their new book, The Routledge Handbook of Men’s Victimization in Intimate Relationships, offers the most thorough international synthesis of this topic to date. Drawing on research from 31 contributors across five continents, it surveys how men experience abuse across places as varied as Uganda’s rural villages, the cities of China, and crisis shelters in Denmark. 

“What makes this book different is its global perspective,” says Hines, the Elisabeth Shirley Enochs Endowed Professor of Social Work at George Mason University. “Most of the existing literature has been based in the U.S., U.K., and Canada. We wanted to broaden the lens.” 

Hines co-edited the volume with Douglas, professor of social work and child advocacy at Montclair State University, and Louise Dixon, pro vice-chancellor of education at Glasgow Caledonian University in Scotland.   

Geared toward both academics and frontline professionals—including therapists, social workers, law enforcement, and legal advocates—the book highlights where current systems fall short and prescribes changes needed in prevention, policy, and services for male IPV victims. 

Hines authored two central chapters, reviewing international studies on heterosexual men abused by female partners. She first focuses on English-speaking countries, where the research is more established. Her second chapter surveys a more fragmented but growing body of work from non-English-speaking regions across Europe, Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean. 

“I think this work gave me a better global sense of what colleagues are working on,” Hines says. “It also showed where the gaps are—for example, there’s far less research coming out of Latin America than Africa.” 

As the book’s preface notes, the field of family violence has historically excluded male victims from the narrative. Early researchers who challenged that framework—such as Murray Straus, Suzanne Steinmetz, and Richard Gelles—faced intense backlash, including bomb threats, campaigns to have their tenure revoked, and defamation. Hines recalls similar reactions to her early work, including an online accusation that she was a male abuser using his academic standing to further abuse women and provide excuses to male abusers. 

Despite that resistance, the field has evolved. Hines’ new handbook urges a more inclusive, evidence-based approach, accounting for men’s experiences across cultures, ages, sexual orientations, and social contexts. 

“Partner violence doesn’t fit one mold,” Hines says. “Our laws and our systems need to change to become more inclusive of the range of victims of partner violence.” 

Quebec tables bill to eliminate interprovincial trade barriers on sale of goods

By The Canadian Press
Updated: May 30, 2025 

Quebec Minister for the Economy, Minister Responsible for the Fight Against Racism Christopher Skeete tables legislation at the legislature in Quebec City, Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jacques Boissinot

QUÉBEC — Quebec is moving to lower interprovincial trade barriers, as part of a push by provinces and the federal government to increase domestic trade in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs.

Minister for the Economy Christopher Skeete tabled a bill on Friday to remove all restrictions on the use and sale of products from other provinces and to facilitate labour mobility – with some exceptions.

Skeete told reporters in Quebec City that the bill sends a message the province is ready to drop barriers and stimulate trade between regions.

“If you look at what Quebec is doing today, we’re leading the charge,” he said. “We have one of the most ambitious bills in the federation right now. It’s something we’re very proud of and it’s something that will have lasting change going forward.”

The bill states that goods from other provinces and territories may be “commercialized, used or consumed” in Quebec without further requirements relating to their manufacturing, composition or classification.


The proposed legislation also aims to make it easier for workers who are certified in other provinces to have their credentials recognized in Quebec.

In addition, the bill would allow the government to exclude some goods, and Skeete acknowledged Friday that significant exceptions would apply.

The credential recognition would not extend to the construction industry, he said, because many provinces don’t have the equivalent of the certificates that Quebec requires. He said alcohol, as a controlled substance, would be subjected to a different regime to be tested through a pilot project.

The proposed legislation also “in no way limits the application of the provisions aimed at protecting the French language,” its text states.

Skeete, however, maintained that the bill was ambitious. He said the province would proceed on a “general principle of openness,” which presumes trade will be opened unless an exemption is requested. He said the bill also does not depend on reciprocity, meaning Quebec will reduce barriers even without a commitment from other provinces to do the same.

When asked to provide examples of goods from other provinces that will be allowed by the proposed rules, Skeete mentioned scooters as well as the easing of labelling rules for some milk and eggs products.

The bill states that the government must publish a list of exempted goods online.

Skeete defended barriers for workers in Quebec’s highly-regulated construction industry, which has long been a trade irritant for other provinces. He noted that Quebec’s professional orders set regulations that may not be matched in other provinces.

“What we’re introducing today is legislation that allows the recognition of permit to permit,” he said. “So, if the permit doesn’t exist elsewhere, of course we can’t recognize it,” he said.

However, he said other workers, including lawyers or doctors, can get their credentials recognized in days or weeks.

Canada has made previous attempts to lower trade barriers, notably with the Canadian Free Trade Agreement of 2017. However, Skeete said that the trade war with the United States has given all the provinces the push to drop remaining barriers and “friction points” that had previously been left alone.


“There’s always a good reason not to want to do more, not to want to look at ways of changing the way you’re doing things,” he said. “The impetus that we’re faced with today obviously has greased the wheels, and that makes it easier for us to have the conversations.”

He said Legault would be discussing trade with his counterparts at next week’s first minister’s meeting. He said the premier would urge them to follow Quebec’s example by tabling their own legislation.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 30, 2025.

– With files by Morgan Lowrie in Montreal

By Patrice Bergeron, The Canadian Press

Which major companies in Canada have asked staff to return to the office?

By Christl Dabu

BNNBLOOMBERG

Published: May 30, 2025


A few years after the COVID-19 pandemic, more employers are focusing on in-person collaboration, with one workplace culture expert saying some are asking workers to return to the office.

“We’re seeing a shift in employer priorities because organizations coming back from (COVID-19) are emphasizing more collaboration, culture and oversight, especially in jobs or in roles where teamwork and client engagement are emphasized,” Candy Ho, a consultant for HR departments from different companies, said in a video interview with CTVNews.ca on Friday.

While more companies have moved away from fully remote work since the days of lockdowns and COVID-19 concerns, Ho, a professor at Kwantlen Polytechnic University near Vancouver, expects the trend to “stabilize” rather than continue to accelerate.

“It resides with individual employers ... when they look at their profitability, for instance, and productivity levels of employees, and whether or not they’re working from home and in person, there are two sides of the coin.”

Ho, a board member of the Canadian National Career Development Association, says employees may be more productive when they have more control and flexibility working from home. On the flip side, people with jobs that require more collaboration may find it makes more sense to be in the office.

With news this week of Royal Bank of Canada shifting away from fully remote work, here are some of the major companies in the country that have made similar moves:

Royal Bank of Canada

RBC asked some employees to be in the office four times a week beginning in September, Reuters reported Thursday. Memos were sent by business leaders from the Toronto-based bank on Thursday, following the announcement of its second-quarter earnings, which were lower than analysts’ expectations. The policy doesn’t apply for fully remote workers and those who are already working in the office full-time, according to Reuters. A spokesperson was quoted as saying that RBC “is a relationship-driven bank and in-person, human connection is core to our winning culture.”

Some staff complained about the move during conversations in internal chat groups, noting the extra travel time and expenses, Reuters reported.

RBC didn’t immediately respond to CTVNews.ca’s request for comments.

National Bank of Canada

When asked about Montreal-based National Bank’s back-to-office policy in Canada, a spokesperson said it varies.

“At National Bank, each team defines its way of working based on its specific needs and those of our clients,” a spokesperson wrote in an email to CTVNews.ca on Friday. “Some teams work entirely on-site, while others follow a hybrid model that combines in-person and remote work.”

The spokesperson didn’t respond to CTVNews.ca’s request for more details.

Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce

CIBC began asking staff from its global corporate and investment-banking unit to return to the office five days a week, Bloomberg reported in January 2025. The news outlet cited people with knowledge of the situation.

CIBC didn’t immediately respond to questions from CTVNews.ca about its current policy.

“At CIBC, the amount of time employees spend in the office depends on their role, taking into consideration things like the nature of their work and where they’ll best meet our clients’ needs,” spokesperson Andrew McGrath was quoted as saying in the Bloomberg report in January. “For some teams, that may mean more days in the office, and for others, it may mean more days working remotely.”

CIBC had asked staff in Canada to work remotely amid growing concerns about COVID-19 in December 2021, Reuters reported at the time. In 2021, the Toronto-based bank said staff who had returned on-site were asked to work remotely again.

JPMorgan Chase

Hybrid workers from New York-based bank JPMorgan Chase, which has more than 600 workers in Canada, have been asked to work in the office for five days a week since March, Reuters reported.

JPMorgan Chase didn’t immediately respond to CTVNews.ca’s question about whether its Canadian staff was affected.

Facebook

Meta Platforms Inc., parent company of Facebook, was a strong advocate of remote work during the pandemic, but Bloomberg reported in March 2023 the company encouraged staff to return to the office.

CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in a statement at the time that some early analysis suggests “engineers who either joined Meta in-person and then transferred to remote or remained in-person performed better on average than people who joined remotely,” according to the news report.

Meta had created a policy in 2021 to allow all staff to work remotely if they could work outside the office, even after the pandemic.

When asked what is Meta’s current back-to-office policy in Canada, a spokesperson said in an email to CTVNews.ca on Friday that its policy currently allows employees to work three days a week in office, and those who’ve been with the company for more than 18 months are eligible to apply for remote work.

The spokesperson did not immediately provide more information when asked for more details.

Amazon

Amazon has decided in-office work is best for employees.

Amazon CEO Andy Jassy shared guidelines about its policy, which also applies to staff in Canada, in a message in September 2024. In the letter addressed to all staff, Jassy said the advantages of being together in the office “are significant” after the company observed the situation with those working in the office at least three days a week over the past 15 months.

Jassy said this policy will allow people to be “better set up to invent, collaborate, and be connected enough to each other and our culture to deliver the absolute best for customers and the business.”

Still, Jassy said it will continue to allow people to work remotely, as it did in some cases even before the pandemic, for “extenuating circumstances,” such as family emergencies like a sick child, or if staff are approved to work outside the office.

With files from Reuters and Bloomberg

Christl Dabu
CTVNews.ca National Affairs Writer

Jobs minister urges Canada Post, union to find an agreement

By Lynn Chaya
Updated: May 30, 2025 

BNNBLOOMBERG

Minister of Jobs and Families Patty Hajdu rises during question period in House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Thursday, May 29, 2025. 

THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

Minister of Jobs and Families Patty Hajdu is urging Canada Post and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) to come to an agreement that works for both parties.

Hajdu, with Secretary of State John Zerucelli, met with CUPW and Canada Post earlier today.

Canada Post requested the minister’s office to direct that a vote take place on the final offer submitted by the company on Wednesday.

The minister said her office “is reviewing this order and will have more to say soon.”

“In the meantime, federal mediators will remain available to continue the work at the negotiating table.”

This is a breaking news update. Below is The Canadian Press’ previous story…

OTTAWA — Canada Post says it has asked Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu to force a union vote on the proposals the Crown corporation presented to members earlier this week.

Canada Post presented its “final offers” to the union representing 55,000 workers on Wednesday, with concessions including an end to compulsory overtime and a signing bonus of up to $1,000.

But it stuck to a proposal for a 14 per cent cumulative wage hike over four years and part-time staff on weekend shifts - a major sticking point in the talks.

Canada Post says in a statement that the parties are at an impasse and it believes the best hope of reaching a new collective agreement is a vote administered by the Canada Industrial Relations Board.

The Crown corporation said this week it logged nearly $1.3 billion in operating losses last year, raising further questions about its business model as letter volumes plunge and fears of a second strike in six months persist.

Union representatives met with Hajdu on Friday and say rallies are planned across the country on Saturday.

Lynn Chaya
CTVNews.ca Breaking Digital Assignment Editor

U.S. court case sees Saks Global accuse lender of contributing to Bay’s demise

By The Canadian Press
 May 30, 2025

A Saks Fifth Avenue sign is shown in San Francisco, Sunday, March 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

TORONTO — Saks Global is putting some of the blame for Hudson’s Bay’s demise on one of the faltering department store’s top lenders.

A letter Saks Global filed earlier this month in a New York lawsuit against Pathlight Capital LP said the lender was a “direct cause” of Hudson’s Bay’s inability to secure “much-needed financing.”

“As a result of these actions and inactions by Pathlight, HBC was forced to initiate restructuring proceedings under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA) in Canada,” Saks Global chief legal officer Andrew Woodworth said in a March 26 letter to Pathlight’s managing director.

“Pathlight’s ongoing intransigence further frustrated HBC’s CCAA proceedings, and, on March 21, 2025, forced HBC to announce a near total liquidation.”

After the letter was sent on March 26, Hudson’s Bay determined that it was not going to find the money it needed to keep all of its stores alive. With little hope left, Canada’s oldest company decided to take its liquidation even further and is due to sell off all merchandise at its 80 stores and 16 under the Saks name by Sunday.


The Saks stores in Canada were operated through a license Hudson’s Bay had with Saks Global.

Neither company nor lawyers for the firms or Pathlight immediately responded to a request for comment.

Saks Global was formed last year, when Hudson’s Bay purchased Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman and spun them out with its existing Saks Fifth Avenue into a new company.

Court documents say that transaction was made possible in part because Pathlight agreed to release Saks Global from obligations under a loan the Bay had in exchange for millions in payments.

Now, Pathlight is suing Saks Global because it has yet to be paid US$8.8 million it is owed.

Saks is refusing to pay the sum because it says Pathlight “cannot and should not benefit from its own actions,” which hurt the Bay.

At the start of Hudson’s Bay’s creditor protection case in Canada, Pathlight was listed as a secured creditor owed more than $95 million.

Tara Deschamps, The Canadian Press

CEO pay rose nearly 10% in 2024 as stock prices and profits soared

By The Associated Press
May 29, 2025

Ted Sarandos arrives at the premiere of "The Electric State" on Monday, Feb. 24, 2025, at The Egyptian Theatre in Los Angeles.

 (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File)

The typical compensation package for chief executives who run companies in the S&P 500 jumped nearly 10 per cent in 2024 as the stock market enjoyed another banner year and corporate profits rose sharply.

Many companies have heeded calls from shareholders to tie CEO compensation more closely to performance. As a result, a large proportion of pay packages consist of stock awards, which the CEO often can’t cash in for years, if at all, unless the company meets certain targets, typically a higher stock price or market value or improved operating profits.

The Associated Press’ CEO compensation survey, which uses data analyzed for The AP by Equilar, included pay data for 344 executives at S&P 500 companies who have served at least two full consecutive fiscal years at their companies, which filed proxy statements between Jan. 1 and April 30.

Here are the key takeaways from the survey:

A good year at the top

The median pay package for CEOs rose to $17.1 million, up 9.7 per cent. Meanwhile, the median employee at companies in the survey earned $85,419, reflecting a 1.7 per cent increase year over year.

CEOs had to navigate sticky inflation and relatively high interest rates last year, as well as declining consumer confidence. But the economy also provided some tail winds: Consumers kept spending despite their misgivings about the economy; inflation did subside somewhat; the Fed lowered interest rates; and the job market stayed strong.

The stock market’s main benchmark, the S&P 500, rose more than 23 per cent last year. Profits for companies in the index rose more than 9 per cent.

“2024 was expected to be a strong year, so the (nearly) 10% increases are commensurate with the timing of the pay decisions,” said Dan Laddin, a partner at Compensation Advisory Partners.

Sarah Anderson, who directs the Global Economy Project at the progressive Institute for Policy Studies, said there have been some recent “long-overdue” increases in worker pay, especially for those at the bottom of the wage scale. But she said too many workers in the world’s richest countries still struggle to pay their bills.

The top earners

Rick Smith, the founder and CEO of Axon Enterprises, topped the survey with a pay package valued at $164.5 million. Axon, which makes Taser stun guns and body cameras, saw revenue grow more than 30 per cent for three straight years and posted record annual net income of $377 million in 2024. Axon’s shares more than doubled last year after rising more than 50 per cent in 2023.

Almost all of Smith’s pay package consists of stock awards, which he can only receive if the company meets targets tied to its stock price and operations for the period from 2024 to 2030. Companies are required to assign a value to the stock awards when they are granted.

Other top earners in the survey include Lawrence Culp, CEO of what is now GE Aerospac e ($87.4 million), Tim Cook at Apple ($74.6 million), David Gitlin at Carrier Global ($65.6 million) and Ted Sarandos at Netflix ($61.9 million). The bulk of those pay packages consisted of stock or options awards.

The median stock award rose almost 15 per cent last year compared to a 4 per cent increase in base salaries, according to Equilar.

“For CEOs, target long-term incentives consistently increase more each year than salaries or bonuses,” said Melissa Burek, also a partner at Compensation Advisory Partners. ”Given the significant role that long-term incentives play in executive pay, this trend makes sense.”

Jackie Cook at Morningstar Sustainalytics said the benefit of tying CEO pay to performance is “that share-based pay appears to provide a clear market signal that most shareholders care about.” But she notes that the greater use of share-based pay has led to a “phenomenal rise” in CEO compensation “tracking recent years’ market performance,” which has “widened the pay gap within workplaces.”

Some well-known billionaire CEOs are low in the AP survey. Warren Buffett’s compensation was valued at $405,000, about five times what a worker at Berkshire Hathaway makes. According to Tesla’s proxy, Elon Musk received no compensation for 2024, but in 2018 he was awarded a multiyear package that has been valued at $56 billion and is the subject of a court battle.

Other notable CEOs didn’t meet the criteria for inclusion the survey. Starbucks’ Brian Niccol received a pay package valued at $95.8 million, but he only took over as CEO on Sept. 9. Nvidia’s Jensen Huang saw his compensation grow to $49.9 million, but the company filed its proxy after April 30.

The pay gap

At half the companies in AP’s annual pay survey, it would take the worker at the middle of the company’s pay scale 192 years to make what the CEO did in one. Companies have been required to disclose this so-called pay ratio since 2018.

The pay ratio tends to be highest at companies in industries where wages are typically low. For instance, at cruise line company Carnival Corp., its CEO earned nearly 1,300 times the median pay of $16,900 for its workers. McDonald’s CEO makes about 1,000 times what a worker making the company’s median pay does. Both companies have operations that span numerous countries.

Overall, wages and benefits netted by private-sector workers in the U.S. rose 3.6% through 2024, according to the Labor Department. The average worker in the U.S. makes $65,460 a year. That figure rises to $92,000 when benefits such as health care and other insurance are included.

“With CEO pay continuing to climb, we still have an enormous problem with excessive pay gaps,” Anderson said. “These huge disparities are not only unfair to lower-level workers who are making significant contributions to company value – they also undercut enterprise effectiveness by lowering employee morale and boosting turnover rates.”

DEI

Some gains for female CEOs

For the 27 women who made the AP survey — the highest number dating back to 2014 — median pay rose 10.7 per cent to $20 million. That compares to a 9.7 pre cent increase to $16.8 million for their male counterparts.

The highest earner among female CEOs was Judith Marks of Otis Worldwide, with a pay package valued at $42.1 million. The company, known for its elevators and escalators, has had operating profit above $2 billion for four straight years. About $35 million of Marks’ compensations was in the form of stock awards.

Other top earners among female CEOs were Jane Fraser of Citigroup ($31.1 million), Lisa Su of Advanced Micro Devices ($31 million), Mary Barra at General Motors ($29.5 million) and Laura Alber at Williams-Sonoma ($27.7 million).

Christy Glass, a professor of sociology at Utah State University who studies equity, inclusion and leadership, said while there may be a few more women on the top paid CEO list, overall equity trends are stagnating, particularly as companies cut back on DEI programs.

“There are maybe a couple more names on the list, but we’re really not moving the needle significantly,” she said.

Prioritizing security

Equilar found that a larger number of companies are offering security perquisites as part of executive compensation packages, possibly in reaction to the December shooting of UnitedHealthCare CEO Brian Thompson.

Equilar said an analysis of 208 companies in the S&P 500 that filed proxy statements by April 2 showed that the median spending on security rose to $94,276 last year from $69,180 in 2023.

Among the companies that increased their security perks were Centene, which provides health care services to Medicare and Medicaid, and the chipmaker Intel.

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Reporters Matt Ott and Chris Rugaber in Washington contributed.

Mae Anderson And Paul Harloff, The Associated Press