Finds

消費者洞察追蹤顯示，85% 的受訪者對食品價格感到擔憂，且大多數人認為經濟將會惡化。 根據週四發布的一份 Which? 報告，隨著消費者採取極端措施應對生活成本上漲，英國有 300 萬戶家庭被迫不吃餐點。 中東地區的衝突以及隨之而來的石油與原物料價格飆升，已導致企業準備調漲價格，這為家庭財務帶來了更大壓力，並打擊了消費者信心。 繼續閱讀...

破產實務機構指出，在數量增加至 62,193 家後，稅收增加、員工成本及消費者信心不穩是主因。 根據破產執業者的數據，由於企業面對「一系列增加的稅收」以及中東衝突的影響，過去一年處於「嚴重財務壓力」的英國公司數量上升了超過三分之一。 重組公司 Begbies Traynor 的研究顯示，由於消費者信心搖擺、稅收增加以及員工成本上升，餐飲旅遊與休閒產業的表現尤為糟糕。

Campaigners saying public spaces protection orders also being used to criminalise wide range of everyday activitiesOne in five local councils have banned swearing under new “busybody” orders, up from one in 20 councils in 2022.A new report by the Campaign for Freedom in Everyday Life has found that public spaces protection orders (PSPOs) – originally intended to tackle serious anti-social behaviour – are being used by councils in England and Wales to criminalise a wide range of everyday activities, including standing in groups, shouting and picking up stones. Continue reading...

Utility bills are up as much as 40% in some regions, and companies shut off power to customers 13m times in 2025The US’s top utilities’ CEOs enjoyed a 16% pay raise last year – to an average of $12.3m – even as consumers shoulder the pain from high bills spurred by continuing inflation, the Iran war and datacenter growth, a new review of industry financial documents shows.Utility bills are up as much as 40% in some regions since 2021, and, nationwide, utilities shut off power to customers 13m times last year, federal data shows. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Cambridge research finds socioenvironmental stressors may influence body’s ability to function healthily in pregnancyStress from racism and deprivation could explain why black women are more likely to die during childbirth, a study has found.Researchers reviewed 44 existing studies that examined three physiological pathways associated with worse pregnancy outcomes: oxidative stress, inflammation, and uteroplacental vascular resistance, and found black women had higher levels of the three metrics. Continue reading...

Exclusive: 839,000 homes in urban areas face threat of surface-water flooding, with social housing tenants most vulnerable to costsEight in 10 of the homes that are at high risk of flooding in England are now in towns and cities, according to analysis by the National Housing Federation (NHF), which said social housing tenants are disproportionately vulnerable to the financial cost.Research found that 839,000 homes in urban areas are now classed as being at high risk of surface water flooding, a threefold increase since 2018. Continue reading...