NoneCabinet ministers have been warned they must find more savings in their departments as the Chancellor said “every pound” of Government spending will be scrutinised in a major budget review. Secretaries of State are being told that any outgoings which are not contributing towards one of Labour’s “priorities” must be cut as Rachel Reeves vows to wield “an iron fist against waste.” In letters sent by Chief Secretary to the Treasury Darren Jones, departments will be told to brace for “difficult” spending decisions in order to restore trust in the Government’s handling of the public finances. Every pound of departmental spending will be face a “line-by-line review” involving external finance experts from banks and think tanks in order to ensure it represents value for money, the Treasury said. The Chancellor will on Tuesday launch the next round of Government spending, and is expected to warn departments that they “cannot operate in a business-as-usual way when reviewing their budgets for the coming years”. She will insist that areas focused on Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s “plan for change”, which includes targets to improve living standards across the country and build 1.5 million homes, must be prioritised. Ms Reeves said: “By totally rewiring how the Government spends money we will be able to deliver our plan for change and focus on what matters for working people. “The previous government allowed millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money to go to waste on poor value for money projects. We will not tolerate it; I said I would have an iron grip on the public finances and that means taking an iron fist against waste. “By reforming our public services, we will ensure they are up to scratch for modern day demands, saving money and delivering better services for people across the country. That’s why we will inspect every pound of Government spend, so that it goes to the right places and we put an end to all waste.” Under the Treasury’s plans, departments will ensure budgets are scrutinised by “challenge panels” of external experts including former senior management of Lloyd’s Banking Group, Barclays Bank and the Co-operative Group. These panels, which will also involve think tanks, academics and the private sector, will advise on which spending “is or isn’t necessary”, the ministry said. The Treasury said work has already begun, with an evaluation of the £6.5 million spent on a scheme that placed social workers in schools finding “no evidence of positive impact on social care outcomes”. “Departments will be advised that where spending is not contributing to a priority, it should be stopped,” it said. “Although some of these decisions will be difficult, the Chancellor is clear that the public must have trust in the Government that it is rooting out waste and that their taxes are being spent on their priorities.” Ms Reeves had already announced efficiency and productivity savings of 2% across departments in her autumn budget as she seeks to put the public finances on a firmer footing. In a speech in east London, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Pat McFadden hinted at a further squeeze. “At the Budget the Chancellor demanded efficiency and productivity savings of 2% across departments – and there will be more to come,” he said. “As we launch the next phase of the spending review at its heart must be reform of the state in order to do a better job for the public.”

A rash of bad third-quarter results from key listed companies hit the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) in November, leading to relatively subdued trading activity during the month. External factors also loomed large. The US presidential election affected the SET significantly for the first two weeks of November, and we saw foreign fund outflows that continued through the rest of the month. With Donald Trump winning, investors expect the US economy to strengthen, with all roads pointed towards the US bourses. However, enthusiasm seemed to fade in the second half of the month. SET fundamentals were actually weak in November, but brisk trade in the large-cap Delta Electronics Plc kept the index from falling too much. In fact, every 1-baht change in the DELTA share price was roughly equivalent to a 1-point index change. DELTA shares were supporting the SET until the last week of November, when the stock was placed on a trading alert list and subsequently fell 28 points in one day, pushing the main gauge down 22 points. The Thai market continued to weaken, hitting its low for the month at 1,421.96 points before clawing back to end the month at 1,427.54, down 2.6% from a month earlier. Average daily turnover was 43.1 billion baht, down by 19.6%. Foreign net selling for November was 13.7 billion baht, compared with net buying from local institutions of 3.8 billion baht and retail investors of 8.5 billion baht. Vayupak Fund activities also appear to have pulled back in November. Trump Trade 2.0 has been the talk of analysts since his election win. Both corporate and personal income tax are expected to be reduced, with import tariff hikes specifically for products from China, Mexico and Canada. These increases are expected to lift inflation in the long term and mean the Fed may not be able to decrease interest rates as much as previously expected. The US 10-year bond yield surged to almost 4.5% in early November, while US stock markets reached new highs in the immediate aftermath of the election. Other than the Trump victory, the other big factor influencing the SET in November was the third-quarter results of listed companies. They were mostly negative, with less than 30% of the results beating market expectations. Roughly 30% of the results were in line with forecasts, while more than 40% missed market expectations. This worsened SET sentiment, signalling downward revisions in market earnings forecasts for this year and next. Thus far in December, negative sentiment has continued to pressure the SET. However, we believe investments from tax-saving Thai ESG funds could act as a saviour for the SET at the end of the year. The tax allowance was raised to 300,000 baht and the holding period reduced to five years, seeking to entice investors to buy TESG funds, similar to tactics for long-term investment funds in the past. Net buying of shares by local institutions has picked up in early December and we believe these to be from TESG funds. DECEMBER PICKS Our investment theme this month focuses on companies that could be targeted by TESG funds and should benefit from the festive season, namely Airports of Thailand (AOT), the IT retailer COM7, 7-Eleven operator CPALL, and Siam Commercial Bank (SCB). In the transport space, AOT will enjoy a boost from the tourism high season. In 2025, we expect the number of tourists to grow 14%, while management conservatively projects revenue growth of 10%. AOT's expansion plan is on track and should increase capacity at its six airports to 70 million passengers, up from 60 million currently. We appreciate that as the expansion will happen gradually, capital expenditure should also be booked gradually, rather than in big chunks. With an ESG rating of A and CG rating of 5, we believe AOT will be targeted by TESG funds. The IT retailer COM7 is enjoying its quarterly peak for the year. While its third-quarter net profit of 709 million baht was 10% below our expectations, the launch of the new iPhone 16 has been a hit and that revenue will be fully recognised in the fourth quarter. The company also started a new business line -- solar cells -- and is expecting to enter the SET50 index starting next year. The convenience store giant CPALL continues to be a top pick. We remain focused on domestic retail and expect the company to benefit from a buoyant tourism industry. Moreover, we believe CPALL will benefit from the next round of the government's 10,000-baht handout at the beginning of 2025. Ready-to-eat products continue to be outperformers, offering higher margins. With an ESG rating of AAA and CG rating of 5, CPALL should be another target for TESG funds. Lastly, we like SCB, one of the few banks to report better than expected third-quarter earnings (10.9 billion baht, up 13% year-on-year and 9% quarter-on-quarter). SCB is preparing for lower interest rates; management expects every 1% decline in the policy rate to impact its net interest margin (NIM) by 25-30 basis points for both loans and savings. As SCB expects rates to fall by 50bps, the downside to its NIM should be only 12-15bps. With a yield of 9% per year, SCB's high dividend payout is one of its key selling points.There hasn’t been this much ado about “nothing” since Seinfeld was on the air. Despite at least one report that Anna Delvey , who was ejected in Week 2 of Dancing With the Stars Season 33 would not be returning for last night’s finale, the subject of the Netflix series Inventing Anna did in fact make an appearance. She even danced to the Whitney Houston Bodyguard song “I Have Nothing,” a play on her viral quip that she’d learned “nothing” from her time on the show when leaving. “I don’t know who was spreading those rumors,” Delvey told TV Insider when asked about a report that she would not be at the finale. “Honestly, I didn’t know if you were coming back either,” Ezra Sosa, Delvy’s pro partner, candidly told her. As for the “I Have Nothing” routine, her pro partner, Sosa, says, “That was a brilliant idea of our executive producer Conrad [Green] and our creative director Justin [Mabardi]. I really do think it was so smart of them to create something that a lot of the public didn’t really appreciate [and] put a campy spin on it. I think it painted a really good light on the situation.” We took the opportunity to ask Delvey what exactly she meant by saying she was taking “nothing” away from the experience. Was her DWTS experience an empty one or did she want folks to know she wasn’t walking off the coveted Len Goodman Mirror Ball trophy? Or any of her wardrobe items or props? “That’s not what I meant,” she says. “I saw that Tori [Spelling] was eliminated as well, and she’s the complete opposite of my personality – she’s very open and emotional. She was everything the show wanted me to be. I felt disappointed all the advice that people on the show had given me led me nowhere.” How does she feel about Joey Graziadei’s victory? “Good for him! Go, Joey!” Delvey responds. Only half-kidding, Sosa then asked his partner if she knew who Joey was. “Yeah,” Delvey replied. “Okay, good,” he then said. Asked about her “nothing” comment going viral, Sosa responded, “I’m going to answer that. I thought, ‘Oh, this is going to get tattooed on my back!’” When the couple shared the stage with Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough during the finale, the latter host quipped she had “nothing” to add. Was there tension between the two women? “I love Julianne!” Delvey responds. “We keep going back and forth on social media. She’s been great. People are just taking themselves too seriously. It’s not that deep.” As for what’s next, Delvey shares that she has a documentary for a major streamer in the works and will continue to work on her fashion brand. “You should do Traitors ,” Sosa suggests. “If the internet is listening, let’s make that happen!” Another great idea for a reality series is the couple’s next joint venture: Sosa says that they’re moving in together in New York City. (Asked if their cohabitation might be for Bravo or Hulu, there was no comment!) What advice would Delvey give her younger self? “It’s all about bouncing back – no matter how hard you fall,” she offers. “Just keep moving. Try not to break the law.” This article first appeared on TV Insider and was syndicated with permission.Is Social Media Giving You 'Brain Rot'? 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"This is going to be magical," Riverdance said on its social media channels on Wednesday, the day before its Irish dancers are set to be featured in the world-famous Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City. "This is a very special Riverdance performance because we are joined by guest dancers of all ages from across the country," Riverdance said, adding, "We are so thankful." More than 60 Irish dancers from across the country will take to the streets of New York City on Thursday as part of the Riverdance ensemble for the iconic parade. A post shared by Riverdance (@riverdance) Sign up to IrishCentral's newsletter to stay up-to-date with everything Irish! Irish dancers from Riverdance's North American Tour Group and its Academy will make up the ensemble on Thursday, according to organizers for Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade 2024. The Irish dancers will march and perform in front of approximately 3.5 million spectators along the 2.5-mile parade route in New York City on Thanksgiving, while an estimated 30 million more people will watch the live broadcast at home on NBC and its simulcast on streaming platform Peacock. Riverdance will be marking its 30th anniversary during its Thanksgiving performance on Thursday. The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade 2024 will begin at 8:30 am on Thursday at West 77th Street and Central Park West and ends at Herald Square, home of Macy's flagship store. The Irish dancers will be among the energetic performance groups who will close out the parade's entertainment lineup and deliver a best-in-class performance on 34th Street. "The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is a beloved tradition that marks the beginning of the holiday season for millions of live spectators and viewers across the country," Will Coss, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade executive producer, said. "A dedicated team of artisans and production experts at Macy’s Studios work year-round to bring this experience to life. This year’s 98th Macy’s Parade will create awe with unforgettable character balloons, one-of-a-kind floats, and the world-class entertainment only Macy’s can deliver.”

Jill Norton, an education policy adviser in Massachusetts, has a teenage son with dyslexia and ADHD. Shelley Scruggs, an electrical engineer in the same state, also has a teenage son with ADHD. Both students go to the same technical high school. But this fall, Norton and Scruggs advocated on opposite sides of a Massachusetts ballot referendum scrapping the requirement that high school kids pass a standardized state test to graduate. Norton argued that without the high bar of the standard exam, kids like hers won’t have an incentive to strive. But Scruggs maintained that kids with learning disorders also need different types of measurements than standardized tests to qualify for a high school diploma. Voters last month approved the referendum, 59 percent to 41 percent, ending the Massachusetts requirement. There and in most other states, Scruggs’ position against testing is carrying the day. Just seven states now require students to pass a test to graduate, and one of those — New York — will end its Regents Exam as a requirement by the 2027-28 school year. Florida, Louisiana, New Jersey, Ohio, Texas and Virginia still require testing to graduate, according to the National Center for Fair and Open Testing, a group that opposes such mandates. In Massachusetts, teachers unions favored getting rid of the exam as a graduation requirement. They argued it forced them to teach certain facts at the expense of in-depth or more practical learning. But many business leaders were in favor of keeping the test, arguing that without it, they will have no guarantee that job applicants with high school diplomas possess basic skills. State by state, graduation tests have tumbled over the past decade. In 2012, half the states required the tests, but that number fell to 13 states in 2019, according to Education Week. The trend accelerated during the pandemic, when many school districts scrapped the tests during remote learning and some decided to permanently extend test exemptions. Studies have found that such graduation exams disadvantage students with learning disabilities as well as English language learners, and that they aren’t always a good predictor of success in careers or higher education. An oft-cited 2010 article by researchers at the University of Texas at Austin may have ignited the trend to scrap the tests. Researchers’ review of 46 earlier studies found that high school exit exams “produced few of the expected benefits and have been associated with costs for the most disadvantaged students.” Some states began to find other ways to assess high school competency, such as grades in mandatory courses, capstone projects or technical milestones. “Minimum competency tests in the 1980s drove the idea that we need to make sure that students who graduate from high school have the bare minimum of skills,” said John Papay, an associate professor of education at Brown University. “By the mid-2000s, there was a reaction against standardized testing and a movement away from these exams. They disappeared during the pandemic and that led to these tests going away.” Despite the problems with the tests for English learners and students with learning disabilities, Papay said, the tests are “strong predictors of long-term outcomes. Students who do better on the tests go on to graduate [from] college and they earn more.” Papay, who remains neutral on whether the tests should be required, pointed out that high school students usually have many opportunities to retake the tests and to appeal their scores. Anne Hyslop, director of policy development at All4Ed, a think tank and advocacy group for underserved communities, noted that in many states, the testing requirements were replaced by other measures. The schools “still require some students or all students to demonstrate competency to graduate, but students have many more options on how they could do that. They can pass a dual credit [high school/college] course, pass industry recognized competency tests. ... “A lot of states still have assessments as part of their graduation requirements, but in a much broader form,” she said. Massachusetts moves Scruggs said her son took Massachusetts’ required exam last spring; he passed the science and math portions but fell 1 point short in English. “He could do well in his classes, but if he didn’t pass the three tests, he wouldn’t get his regular diploma,” Scruggs said. “How do you go out into the working world, and you went to school every day and passed your classes, but got no diploma?” Her son has taken the English test again and is awaiting his new score, she said. Norton, by contrast, said the exam, called the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System, or MCAS, gave her son an incentive to work hard. “I worry that kids like him ... are going to end up graduating from high school without the skills they will need,” Norton said. “Without the test, they will just be passed along. I can’t just trust that my kid is getting the basic level of what he needs. I need a bar set where he will get the level of education he needs.” Students in Massachusetts still will have to take the MCAS in their sophomore year of high school, and the scores will be used to assess their overall learning. But failing the test won’t be a barrier to graduation beginning with the class of 2025. The state is still debating how — or whether — to replace the MCAS with other types of required courses, evaluations or measurements. High school students in Massachusetts and most states still have to satisfy other graduation requirements, which usually include four years of English and a number of other core subjects such as mathematics, sciences and social studies. Those requirements vary widely across the country, however, as most are set by individual school districts. In New York, the State Education Department in 2019 began a multiyear process of rethinking high school graduation requirements and the Regents Exam. The department decided last month to phase out the exit exam and replace it with something called a “Portrait of a Graduate,” including seven areas of study in which a student must establish proficiency. Credit options include capstone projects, work-based learning experiences and internships, as well as academic achievement. Several other states have moved recently to a similar approach. Harry Feder, executive director of FairTest, an advocacy group that works to limit standardized testing, said course grades do a better job of assessing students’ abilities. “Standardized tests are poor ways of incentivizing and measuring the kinds of skills and knowledge we should have high school kids focusing on,” Feder said. “You get ‘teaching to the test’ that doesn’t bear much of a relationship to the kinds of things that kids are being asked to do when they go on to college or the workplace.” Max Page, president of the Massachusetts Teachers Association union, said phrases such as “teaching to the test” disrespect teachers and their ability to know when students have mastered content and competency. The high school tests are first taken in the 10th grade in Massachusetts. If the kids don’t pass, they can retake the exam in the 11th or 12th grade. “Educators are still evaluating students,” he said. “It’s a mirage to say that everything that a student does in education can be measured by a standardized test in the 10th grade. Education, of course, goes through the 12th grade.” He added that course grades are still a good predictor of how much a student knows. Colorado’s menu Several of the experts and groups on both sides of the debate point to Colorado as a blueprint for how to move away from graduation test requirements. Colorado, which made the switch with the graduating class of 2021, now allows school districts to choose from a menu of assessment techniques, such as SAT or ACT scores, or demonstration of workforce readiness in various skill areas. A state task force created by the legislature recently recommended some changes to the education accreditation system to “better reflect diverse student needs and smaller school populations.” They include creating assessments that adapt to student needs, offering multilingual options, and providing quicker results to understand student progress. The state hopes the menu of assessment options will support local flexibility, said Danielle Ongart, assistant commissioner for student pathways and engagement at the Colorado Department of Education. “Depending on what the student wants for themselves, they have the ability to show what they know,” she said in an interview. In particular, she said, the menu allows for industry certificates, if a student knows what type of work they want to do. That includes areas such as computer science or quantum computing. “It allows students to better understand themselves and explain what they can do, what they are good at, and what they want to do,” she said.

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Guess?, Inc . GES reported a year-over-year decrease in third-quarter adjusted EPS results on Tuesday. Guess posted quarterly adjusted earnings of 34 cents per share, down from 49 cents per share in the year-ago period. The company's sales rose to $739.0 million from $651.1 million a year ago. Paul Marciano, Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer, commented, “This year we have made significant investments for Guess in new product introductions and increased marketing campaigns, and the customers have responded well. We have also invested in developing our new rag & bone and Guess Jeans brands, adding distribution capacity for both domestically and internationally. Our focus is to create strong brand awareness and increase customer engagement while offering amazing products and a great customer experience. I am excited about our collection this season and believe we are well positioned for this important time of the year.” Guess said it sees FY25 earnings of 70 cents to 82 cents per share, and adjusted earnings o f $1.85 to $2.00 per share Guess shares fell 5.3% to trade at $16.41 on Wednesday. These analysts made changes to their price targets on Guess following earnings announcement. UBS analyst Mauricio Serna maintained Guess with a Neutral rating and lowered the price target from $18 to $16. Small Cap Consumer Research analyst Eric Beder maintained Guess with a Buy rating and cut the price target from $29 to $23. Telsey Advisory Group analyst Dana Telsey maintained the stock with a Market Perform rating and lowered the price target from $21 to $18. Considering buying GES stock? Here’s what analysts think: Read This Next: Urban Outfitters To Rally Around 47%? Here Are 10 Top Analyst Forecasts For Wednesday © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.Published 5:18 pm Thursday, November 21, 2024 By Data Skrive Friday’s college basketball lineup has plenty of excitement, including the matchup between the Duke Blue Devils and the Arizona Wildcats, and you’ll find our best bets against the spread for two games in this article. Watch men’s college basketball, other live sports and more on Fubo. What is Fubo? Fubo is a streaming service that gives you access to your favorite live sports and shows on demand. Use our link to sign up for a free trial. Not all offers available in all states, please visit BetMGM for the latest promotions for your area. Must be 21+ to gamble, please wager responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, contact 1-800-GAMBLER .