In a landmark collaboration between two entrepreneurial powerhouses, Alibaba.com has announced Kickstarter as the official Crowdfunding Partner of CoCreate Pitch 2025—a $1 million global competition designed to help product-based startups launch, scale, and succeed. The partnership blends Kickstarter’s creative funding ecosystem—which has helped 23 million backers pledge more than $8.5 billion to innovative ideas—with Alibaba.com’s extensive global B2B platform, spanning ...
Angela Rayner has thrown her weight behind calls from regional mayors for the introduction of a local ‘tourist tax’ on hotel stays — a move that risks deepening divisions within Labour’s top ranks and raising alarm among hospitality leaders. The Deputy Prime Minister is reported to be at odds with Chancellor Rachel Reeves over the issue, supporting proposals to allow ...
President Donald Trump slammed Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., calling the lawmaker ‘the worst Republican Congressman’ in a Monday night Truth Social post, while noting that he is seeking a challenger he can support against the incumbent lawmaker. ‘Thomas Massie, the worst Republican Congressman, and an almost guaranteed NO VOTE each and every time, is an Embarrassment to Kentucky. He’s lazy, ...
Romina Boccia and Ivane Nachkebia Voter turnout has long been the highest among senior Americans, making them one of the most influential voting groups in the country. Politicians, well aware of this, often try to cater to their preferences. The latest example of this trend is Congress’s decision to expand the already larger standard deduction for seniors—who are the wealthiest ...
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) collected a staggering £2.2 billion in inheritance tax (IHT) in the first three months of the current tax year, new data released this morning reveals—£100 million more than the same period last year. The increase highlights a worrying trend: more families are being drawn into the IHT trap due to frozen thresholds, rising property prices, ...
The British Business Bank has swung back into profit with a pre-tax gain of £144 million, marking a significant turnaround for the UK’s state-owned economic development institution after two consecutive years of losses. The return to profitability comes as the bank’s investment portfolio increased by 19% to £4.7 billion, driven by stronger performance across its equity and debt holdings. In ...
Remortgaging means taking out a new mortgage to replace your current one. The most common reason people do this is to save money, especially if their current deal has ended and they’re now paying their lender’s often pricey Standard Variable Rate (SVR). But saving money isn’t the only reason to remortgage, there are plenty of others that might be worth ...
A judge on Monday temporarily blocked the Trump administration from stripping some Medicaid funds from Planned Parenthood after Congress and President Donald Trump agreed to partially defund the nonprofit through passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Judge Indira Talwani of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts said in her order partially granting a preliminary injunction ...
Senate Republican leadership is weighing whether to cancel, or shorten, their upcoming August break following President Donald Trump’s request to stay in town and finish confirming his outstanding nominees. Over the last six months, the Senate has moved at a breakneck pace to confirm the president’s nominees all while facing resistance from Senate Democrats. So far, 96 of Trump’s nominees ...
Michael F. Cannon I have a piece at the Wall Street Journal with the title, “Medicare and Medicaid Fail a Basic Scientific Test.” It explores the implications of the fact that Medicaid failed the test the federal government uses to determine whether new elixirs save lives. Basically, “If Medicaid were a drug, the federal government wouldn’t approve it—and could penalize ...