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BIZThe Guardian

JoAnn Fabrics fans seek to stitch void left by private equity with crafts co-op

Photo: Michael Bocchieri/Getty Images

US crafters are looking to build a communal network to replace the company after it was bankrupted by private equity investors in 2025 To its dedicated fans, JoAnn Fabrics wasn’t just a fabric store. It was a vital hub for small businesses – wedding dress makers, upholsters, milliners and rug repairers. It taught generations to make, fix and craft. A visit sparked new ideas in a way that shopping online just can’t replicate. Since it became one of hundreds of US companies bankrupted by private equity investors in 2025, it has been sorely missed.

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BIZBBC News

Reported assaults on Britain's rail services rise by more than a third

Reports of violent incidents and harassment on rail services "rose substantially" last year, figures from the rail regulator show. Reported assaults, including physical and verbal, were up 36% in the year to March 2026 compared with the previous year, according to the Office of Rail and Road (ORR). In total 13,464 assaults against passengers and members of the public were recorded on Britain's mainline railway, the highest number recorded since the series began in 2004.

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