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Replacing government grants with revenue streams from taxation will not in itself reduce regional inequalities. But the political implications are radical Following Wednesday’s budget, the Treasury minister, Torsten Bell, was challenged by the BBC’s Evan Davis on whether its modest series of “breathing space” measures could truly be said to have ended “40 years of neoliberalism”. This line of questioning is becoming a familiar one. Andy Burnham’s ringing declaration of long-term intent is now being regularly deployed by commentators to suggest an emerging gulf between rhetoric and action. Mr Bell’s response was a good one. Recalling how “Margaret Thatcher in the 1980s hugely hollowed out local government [and] tried to emasculate our big cities”, he called the fiscal devolution roadmap unveiled in the budget a step change and a really big deal.From 2028, mayoral strategic authorities will for the first time receive a share of income tax receipts, and from next year they wil...

⚽ League Cup updates from the 8pm GMT kick-off ⚽ Cod Army welcome Gunners to Highbury | Mail Niall Fleetwood Town: Lynch, Rooney, Haughey, Potter, Neal, Bennett, McLean, Helm, Batty, Evans, Loupalo-Bi. Subs: Pradic, Andrew, Cannon, Davies, Thomas, Murphy, Coughlan, Robertson, Cirino. Arsenal: Meslier, Timber, Mosquera, Salmon, Hincapie, Zubimendi, Lewis-Skelly, O’Neill, Dowman, Havertz, Gyokeres. Subs: Arrizabalaga, White, Odegaard, Eze, Konsa, Guimaraes, Hashi, Washington, Harriman-Annous. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/qdhEBsN

Tech company offers buyouts in an effort to reduce costs amid the rising use of AI, according to reports Microsoft announced that it would offer buyouts to 60,000 employees in an effort to reduce costs amid the rising use of artificial intelligence, according to reports, the latest example of how AI is reshaping tech companies and the greater workforce. This is the latest of several trimmings Microsoft has made to its workforce this year. The company announced in April that it was offering voluntary retirement to about 7% of its US workforce, which consisted of about 125,000 employees at the time. Its global workforce is made up of about 223,000 workers globally. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/CZfEg1l

Authentic Brands Group says AI company infringed on rights of songs by the King such as Can’t Help Falling in Love The owners of Elvis Presley ’s music catalogue are suing artificial intelligence ( AI ) company Anthropic for allegedly using Presley’s songs to train their models without permission. Authentic Brands Group, the licensing organization that has ownership of both Presley’s music and likeness, is accusing Anthropic of infringing on the rights of 274 songs by Presley. The lawsuit, first reported by Billboard , was filed on Friday. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/BWu2nKm

Crushing defeat in second Test raises fresh questions about fragile batting lineup before Cape Town decider The old adage that it is harder to get out of the Australia cricket team than into it is about to be put to the test. The horror show against South Africa in the second Test that ended in defeat for Australia by an innings and 31 runs exposed familiar fractures in the lineup that have less than a week between matches to be repaired. The Australian selectors have shown in South Africa they are prepared to change a winning formula with the ball, while they have long been reluctant to cut ties with proven performers with the bat. But the first innings capitulation as Australia were all out for 99 in Gqeberha could force their hand to make a tough call or two – or perhaps more – as a selection storm brews before the series decider in Cape Town. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/TUN8Kwh

Houses being targeted because they are thought to hold immigrants, with dozens of properties affected in recent weeks Criminals are recruiting vulnerable people, including children, to damage houses suspected of being HMOs, police in Manchester believe. In recent weeks, dozens of properties have been targeted across Greater Manchester, mostly in Salford, but also in Stockport and Tameside. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/WQfe2Oi

New account from Pike’s lawyer suggests team was racked by doubts even before pentobarbital began to flow The Tennessee execution team tasked with setting an intravenous line in the arms of the death row prisoner Christa Pike through which she could be injected with a lethal dose of pentobarbital repeatedly warned that her vein might be “blowing”, before they went ahead with the procedure, her lawyer has revealed. Members of the intravenous (IV) team used up to 10 needles as they sought to establish a line through which Pike could be killed with a massive dose of the sedative. About 20 minutes into the attempt, they began discussing among themselves whether the prisoner’s vein “might be blowing”. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/f7PzuLD