Author: Editor

Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered a “significant increase” in tax collection and compliance this year as Russia’s wartime economy continues to lose momentum.The Kremlin announced the directive on Saturday following an early December meeting of the Council for Strategic Development and National Projects.A share of that increase is set to come from higher consumption taxes, which rose from 20% to 22% on January 1. This bump is expected to generate about 1 trillion rubles, or $12.3 billion, in tax revenues.Russia is also planning to introduce a new tax on electronics in September.The push for more aggressive tax collection comes…

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani hit the ground running, signing two executive orders in his first week that combat hidden junk fees.The avowed democratic socialist signed orders targeting business practices that “drain money from New Yorkers and make essential goods and services less affordable,” per a release from his office on Monday.In a Monday speech announcing the orders, Mamdani said, “We reckon with it when we try to buy concert tickets, when we book a flight, when we settle our credit card bill, or even when we pay rent. A $5 fee here, a $10 fee there — what…

The Department of Homeland Security singled out Hilton on X, saying a hotel in Minnesota canceled reservations belonging to Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.According to a screenshot shared by DHS on Monday, a Hampton Inn in Lakeville, south of Minneapolis, said it was “not allowing any ICE or immigration agents to stay at our property.””If you are with DHS or immigration, let us know as we will have to cancel your reservation,” the screenshot said.Hilton said it doesn’t own or operate the hotel. The company’s shares were down nearly 2.5% on Monday. “This hotel is independently owned and operated, and these…

2026-01-05T22:23:22.984Z Share Copy link Email Facebook WhatsApp X LinkedIn Bluesky Threads lighning bolt icon An icon in the shape of a lightning bolt. Impact Link Save Saved Read in app This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now. Have an account? Log in. Sheetz announced on Monday that Stephen G. Sheetz, a longtime executive, had died at 77. The company said he helped expand the family business from a handful of stores to a regional chain. During his tenure, Sheetz started selling gas and built intense customer loyalty. Sheetz announced the death…

A photo of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in US custody may have turned him into an accidental fashion influencer.When US President Donald Trump posted a photo of Maduro on January 3 after he was captured by US forces, internet sleuths quickly identified the outfit — and haven’t stopped talking about it since. Maduro appears to be wearing a gray Nike Tech fleece set in the picture.Following the January 3 post, searches for “Nike Tech” on Google spiked, according to Google Trends.The online conversations about the athleisure line also surged dramatically on X, intelligence platform PeakMetrics told Business Insider. Nike Tech…

A new star has emerged on Twitch: a video game-playing peanut with eyes and lips.Men across America spent their holiday time off tuning into the hourslong livestreams of TheBurntPeanut. The foul-mouthed legume plays the video game “Arc Raiders” while cracking jokes and loving “goop,” his term for the virtual loot found in the popular game.TheBurntPeanut is a VTuber, a type of streamer who conceals their identity using a virtual avatar. There’s a long history of these animated gamers, including Twitch giants like Ironmouse.But the small animated peanut has grown large in viewership, touting 1.4 million followers on Twitch, 1.1 million…

2026 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X with Carbon Aero packageGMDETROIT — General Motors on Monday reported a 5.5% increase in its annual U.S. sales in 2025, despite a 6.9% decrease during the fourth quarter. The Detroit automaker’s sales results were driven last year by incremental sales of EVs as well as gains in large SUVs and entry-level vehicles such as the Buick Envista. GM’s 2025 sales are expected to be among the standouts for the U.S. automotive industry, which Cox Automotive expects to have risen about 2% compared with 2024. Other U.S. automakers also reported 2025 sales. Toyota Motor’s sales were up…

Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro seen on Aug. 17, 2024, in Caracas, Venezuela. He is facing charges of narco-terrorism and is in a federal court in New York this afternoon. Alfredo Lasry R/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Alfredo Lasry R/Getty Images Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro and his wife, politician and attorney Cilia Flores, are making their first court appearance at a federal court in New York City in their narco-terrorism case. U.S. District Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein is overseeing the proceedings. It’s the first time the now-former head of the Venezuelan state will be widely seen publicly since the U.S. attacked Caracas,…

Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro seen on Aug. 17, 2024, in Caracas, Venezuela. He is facing charges of narco-terrorism and is in a federal court in New York this afternoon. Alfredo Lasry R/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Alfredo Lasry R/Getty Images Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro and his wife, politician and attorney Cilia Flores, made their first court appearance at a federal court in New York City Monday afternoon, when they both pleaded not guilty to all charges. Maduro is facing charges of narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine-importation conspiracy and weapons charges. Flores and other senior Venezuelan officials, including Maduro’s son, are also facing charges.…

Adtech is heading into a year of reinvention.Thousands of attendees from the tech and media world are flying out to Las Vegas this week for the annual Consumer Electronics Show. Among them are reams of adtech executives who tend to use the sprawling expo as an opportunity to rehearse and roadtest their plans for the coming year.Facing the disruption from AI and the declining economics of monetizing traditional web pages, adtech companies are being forced to rethink their strategies — and in some cases, their customers — while attempting to stay one step ahead of Big Tech.”Adtech, if nothing else,…