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 good 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.” The Liberal Democrats accused the Government of “missing opportunities and making self-defeating decisions” in the Budget, and urged it not to “make the same mistakes” in the spending review. The party’s Treasury spokeswoman, Daisy Cooper, said: “Leaving the social care sector in crisis is a false economy that will only put people at risk and damage the public finances. “The Government cannot afford to make the same mistakes in the spending review as they did with the Budget, missing opportunities and making self-defeating decisions. “The Government must use this Review to invest to save, taking into account the billions of pounds that could be saved in the NHS budget by investing.”

Georgian Elections: OSCE Flags Vote-Buying, Violence, And 'Instrumentalized' Media In Final ReportNone

Tijjani Reijnders has scored twice and helped AC Milan get back to winning ways in Serie A against visiting Empoli. The Netherlands midfielder netted either side of halftime at a foggy San Siro on Saturday after Alvaro Morata opened the scoring. The 3-0 victory keeps Milan in seventh, six points behind Atalanta, Inter Milan, Fiorentina and Lazio — who are all locked on 28 points — and seven below league leaders Napoli. Empoli are 10th, but only five points above the relegation zone. In their last home match, Milan were heavily jeered by their fans after drawing with Juventus 0-0, and had won only one of their past four league matches. The Rossoneri took the lead in the 19th minute. Rafael Leao's shot was blocked by Empoli defender Ardian Ismajli but ricocheted into the path of Morata on the left of the area and he volleyed into the bottom near corner. Milan doubled their tally on the stroke of halftime when a cross was flicked on by Christian Pulisic and fell to Reijnders, who let it bounce before smashing it into the bottom left corner on the half volley. Reijnders' second effectively sealed the result in the 69th. He latched onto a Youssouf Fofana through ball in midfield, raced forward, and fired past Empoli goalkeeper Devis Vasquez, who is on loan from Milan. "We played a great game against a team that is very aggressive defensively, which has the fourth-best defence in the championship," AC Milan coach Paulo Fonseca said. "We scored three goals but could have scored six or seven if we hadn't made the wrong last choices." Elsewhere, Como and Monza remain mired in the relegation zone after a hard-fought derby that finished 1-1. Como inched level on points with 17th-placed Genoa, with Monza a point further back. Yannik Engelhardt headed Como in front in the 36th and Gianluca Caprari levelled from the spot early in the second half after Nico Paz was penalised for handball. Venezia stayed bottom after a fourth straight defeat, this time 3-0 at Bologna. Dan Ndoye scored twice for the hosts, including a penalty, and Riccardo Orsolini also converted a spot kick. With Reuters.

Could Buying Rivian Stock Today Set You Up for Life?

There are two certainties on social media with every Christmas season. On the positive side, there will be countless posts of people sharing their Christmas traditions, decorations, and reasons for celebrating the season. Some of those will be secular in nature, while many practicing Christians will share the true meaning of the holiday: the birth of Jesus Christ. The other certainty is that these celebrations will cause anti-theists to completely melt down and spread their hatred of anyone who dares to speak openly in public about their Christian faith. One of the latest to experience this backlash was pop singer Gwen Stefani. Recently, the former lead singer for No Doubt and a self-professed devout Roman Catholic shared a pledge she was making for the Advent season in conjunction with the Catholic prayer app Hallow. The challenge is a simple one, just to say a prayer every day leading up to Christmas. Harmless, right? Just one person celebrating their faith, not demanding anyone else celebrate with her, but giving those who wish to do so a convenient way to share their Christmas prayers. Well, maybe not so harmless, at least not to anti-theists. Check out how the account Christian Nightmares reacted to Stefani's announcement: Gwen Stefani?! Jesus Christ... pic.twitter.com/o0dKHDx27V We will skip past the irony of an account called 'Christian Nightmares' invoking Jesus Christ to protest Stefani and her prayer pledge. (We're guessing the irony is lost on them as well.) Others who cannot abide anyone celebrating their faith had similar reactions. I can’t believe this woman used to be really cool and make cool music. This hurts my soul. Your soul? Yet more irony, again completely lost on the author of the reply. I loved No Doubt growing up. You broke my heart Gwen. You broke my heart She broke your heart because she prays? Yeah, we're guessing you may not have had one to begin with. I used to really like her 🙄👇 https://t.co/3b6EuWZA1C We're sure she's devastated that you no longer do. gwen stefani’s death has to be one of the saddest moments i’ve seen in my lifetime. may she rest in peace https://t.co/0Th05qy3a9 Yikes. ALL the yikes. That one is extremely scary. Gavin Rossdale basically outed her as a republican and said they had very different politics. This, and her marrying Blake Shelton is so unsurprising LOL. The fact that being Christian is automatically equated with being a Republican is both hilarious and damning to the Democrat Party. For the record, Stefani is not a conservative. She was a major Barack Obama donor, she performed for Joe Biden as recently as last year, and she refuses to be labeled in either party. But she is Catholic, so she must be a 'right-wing extremist.' Ironically, if anything did move Stefani ever-so-slightly to the right, it was likely the left trying to cancel her for 'cultural appropriation.' She has frequently talked about how she likes to show her love for Japanese culture. She also often wore bindis and saris on stage both as an expression of her admiration for Indian culture and as a nod to her No Doubt bandmate (and former boyfriend) Tony Kanal, who is an Indian American. Oh, that brought the cancel mob down upon her in droves back in the early 2000s. Can anyone blame her if she then embraced some of the conservative aspects of her political beliefs a little more tightly? Fortunately, as vile as the anti-theists were, there were plenty more ready to congratulate Stefani and come to her defense. lol everyone finding out their favorite ska-punk Barbie is *gasp* Catholic https://t.co/ARXRxbKMnl It's not like Stefani was hiding this or anything. She has talked openly about her Catholic faith for pretty much her entire professional career. Yeah. She’s Catholic. This isn’t the *own* you think it is. https://t.co/cPTxMu3QhX Some of you struggle with your faith in Jesus Christ, but Gwen Stefani has no doubt. https://t.co/j9ssSNUzfz Ahh, clever. We see what you did there, Cobra. Christmas itself is upsetting to these people. https://t.co/TKQCiUOAh8 Of course, it is. Imagine being upset by this? https://t.co/RNE1yPSCvt It's not all that surprising. If anyone ever talks about their Christianity, particularly someone famous, these people lose their minds. Only demons would be upset by this. https://t.co/prW8nBnSgH Hey, she said it, not us. (But we kind of agree with it.) Gwen Stefani’s Christian glow up is one of the best things about 2024. We don't know about 'best.' But it's certainly a positive thing that happened in 2024. We could use a lot more of it. I'm an atheist but i think religion is lovely. Good for Gwen I’m not Christian anymore and I have zero problem with this. What’s your deal? There is a big difference between being an agnostic or an atheist and being an anti-theist. Anti-theists have a problem with everyone , and they never shut up about it. They're like the vegans of religious discourse. I love Gwen Stefani even more now for this.🥰 It's a beautiful ad, and she looks beautiful presenting it. I love this message! 🙏🏻❤️🎄 https://t.co/2lBiZwfF3B Imagine showing yourself this video in 1994. Seriously, I think it’s great that Gwen Stefani is a Christian, and is now more vocal about her faith. This is incredibly healthy for American culture. https://t.co/z0j2yM2W2U It is all of that. As we said, our culture could use a lot more of this and a lot less of cults that demand everyone accept insane ideas like boys can be girls and girls can be boys. I'll never forget when my ex's liberal mother started screeching at brunch because she saw a truck drive by with an American flag on the back. She yelled so loud the entire restaurant stopped, like a demon in an exorcism That's what this account reminds me of https://t.co/zirHRPrfPw Wow. That's a frightening mother-in-law. And yes, she is exactly like the anti-theists who react to any signs of religious faith from anyone like a vampire reacts to garlic. “Is it me who’s out of touch? No! It’s Gwen Stefani and the other billion+ people!” 😂 HA. It's funny, though, how the anti-theists never react this way to say, practicing Muslims. They tend to focus almost exclusively on Judeo-Christian expressions of faith. If you guessed the reason for that, you win a prize. Because they are not really anti-religion per se. They just want everyone to adhere to their religion, which is Marxism. And Jewish and Christian beliefs are diametrically opposed to that. We're sure that there will be a lot more of this screeching from anti-theist accounts on Twitter as Christmas draws closer. The good news is that nothing they can say will deter any Christians. Especially not any Christians as strong in their faith as Gwen Stefani is.How junk food firms are dodging govt’s advertising ban by targeting young people on gaming sites and social media

Luigi Mangione, a person of interest being questioned in connection with the shooting death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson , had a ghost gun, a type of firearm that can be made at home, police said Monday. Mangione was detained on Monday at a McDonald's in Altoona, Pennsylvania, early a week after Thompson was killed in New York City. Thompson was shot in the back and in the calf. "As of right now the information we're getting from Altoona is that the gun appears to be a ghost gun, may have been made on a 3D printer, with the capability of firing a 9mm round," NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said Monday. "Obviously, that will come out during our ballistics testing." During the investigation, a law enforcement official with knowledge of the investigation had told CBS News that police believed the suspect used a B&T Station SIX gun to carry out the shooting. Investigators visited gun dealers in Connecticut during their search. The gun used in the shooting had a long barrel and a distinctive look , CBS News' Anna Schechter reported. In addition to the unusual gun, the words "delay," "deny" and possibly "depose" appeared on shell casings and bullets recovered from the shooting scene, police said. What is a ghost gun? A privately made firearm , more commonly known as a ghost gun, is a firearm that has been assembled or completed by people other than licensed manufacturers, according to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. They're made without a serial number, which can make them difficult to track. Not all ghost guns are illegal and not all firearms are required to have a serial number. Ghost guns can be pistols, revolvers, rifles, shotguns, machineguns and more. From 2016 through 2021, there were more than 45,000 suspected ghost guns reported to the ATF as having been recovered by police from potential crime scenes. How do people usually make ghost guns? Ghost guns can be made using a 3D printer or assembled from a kit. The weapons can be produced for less than $200, though officials have put the average price at around $500, CBS News previously reported . In 2018, CBS News correspondent Carter Evans was able to purchase a kit for a gun similar to a Glock 9mm with no background check or waiting period. Kits online are available for everything from handguns to AR-15s and AK-47s. "You can buy a box of firearms parts, and you can assemble those firearms together. And I've seen videos on YouTube, where you can see people doing it in record time — 20, 30 minutes," Marvin Richardson, ATF acting director in 2022, has previously said . Are ghost guns illegal? Not all ghost guns are illegal. According to the ATF, individuals can make their own firearms using a 3D printing or other process if the gun is "detectable," as defined in the Gun Control Act. It's generally legal to make a firearm for personal use without a license, according to the ATF . Some states, including New York — where Thompson's shooting happened — have additional laws related to ghost guns. What does a ghost gun look like? There are many types of ghost guns with a range of appearances. The ATF lists 10 categories of privately made firearms: pistol, revolver, rifle, shotgun, frame or receiver, machinegun conversion device, destructive device, machinegun, firearm silencer and any other weapon. Ghost Guns Aliza Chasan is a Digital Content Producer for "60 Minutes" and CBSNews.com. She has previously written for outlets including PIX11 News, The New York Daily News, Inside Edition and DNAinfo. Aliza covers trending news, often focusing on crime and politics.

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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.”

On June 1, 2020, Emergent announced a $628 million contract with the U.S. government to produce COVID-19 vaccines. The company started producing vaccine materials for Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca at its Baltimore facility in late 2020. In March 2021, the facility accidentally contaminated Johnson & Johnson vaccine doses with AstraZeneca ingredients. By April 2021, the FDA halted production at the site, citing quality issues, contamination risks, and poor training. Following the contamination crisis, Emergent stock price dropped by over 60% by November 2021, erasing over half the company’s market value in just months. Shortly after, shareholders filed multiple lawsuits against Emergent, claiming the company misrepresented its vaccine production capabilities and hid serious quality issues. Emergent BioSolutions recently agreed to pay a $40 million settlement to investors to resolve the lawsuits. Affected investors can now file a claim to receive the payout. Overview Emergent BioSolutions EBS secured over $1 billion in government and pharmaceutical contracts during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, in March 2021, workers at its Baltimore facility mistakenly mixed Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca vaccine ingredients, contaminating up to 15 million J&J doses and forcing AstraZeneca to discard tens of millions more. This error delayed J&J's vaccine rollout and disrupted global distribution, causing Emergent stock to drop by over 50% by November 2021. Following these events, a group of shareholders sued Emergent, and recently, Emergent agreed to pay a $40 million settlement to all affected investors. How It All Started: Manufacturing Failures In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Emergent BioSolutions positioned its Bayview facility as a critical vaccine production asset. In March 2020, the company secured over $1 billion in contracts with Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca, including a substantial government Operation Warp Speed contract. On April 30, 2020, CEO Robert Kramer declared during an earnings call that the company had “proven manufacturing capabilities” and was prepared to scale up quickly to meet the demands of vaccine production. In July 2020, following the AstraZeneca agreement, Emergent further bolstered its claims in a press release, with Kramer declaring, “ Emergent is driven by our desire to advance solutions that will make an impact on this pandemic “. The company’s CDMO business unit head, Syed T. Husain, added that “ Emergent stands ready alongside leading innovators to rapidly deploy our CDMO services to help meet the substantial demand for a vaccine. “ By early 2021, Emergent shares were trading above $90, fueled by high expectations for the company's role in vaccine production. However, despite positive public messaging, internal audits and inspections in the summer of 2020 uncovered serious issues at Emergent BioSolutions' manufacturing facilities. Reports highlighted poor staff training, equipment failures, and inadequate quality control measures, revealing long-standing problems within the company’s operations. One audit found that “the flow of workers and materials through the plant was not adequately controlled to prevent mix-ups or contamination.” Another audit discovered that a manager had “knowingly deviated” from standard procedures. After that, in November 2020, AstraZeneca representatives visiting Emergent’s Bayview facility raised concerns about poor oversight and GMP compliance. Emergent’s VP of Manufacturing acknowledged these issues, mentioning trash buildup in hallways and lapses in GMP standards. An external consultant also warned that the facility was “NON-CGMP compliant” and at regulatory risk, but production still continued. Contamination Crisis at Emergent's Facility In March 2021, a major contamination incident at Emergent's Baltimore facility revealed significant oversight failures. Millions of Johnson & Johnson vaccine doses were mixed with AstraZeneca ingredients, an issue initially detected by Johnson & Johnson's lab in the Netherlands, not Emergent. The contamination forced the disposal of tens of millions of AstraZeneca doses and delayed the delivery of approximately 100 million Johnson & Johnson doses during a critical phase of the pandemic. Following this disclosure, Emergent issued a press release, stating that their “quality control systems worked as designed” and that discarding a batch of bulk drug substance “occasionally happens during vaccine manufacturing.” However, that same day the Associated Press released FDA documents obtained through FOIA requests, revealing a history of quality control issues at Emergent’s facilities dating back to 2017. FDA leaders reported that the company “hired a lot of individuals not as familiar with vaccine manufacturing that did not have adequate training.” Inspectors found several issues at Emergent's facility, including mismanaged waste, peeling paint, and cluttered equipment. They also discovered that some quality checks were removed from vaccines before an FDA visit in February 2021. Later, it came to light that Emergent had been forced to destroy vaccine materials equivalent to nearly 400 million doses — much more than the previously reported 85 million. The situation worsened on November 4, 2021, when Emergent announced that the Department of Health and Human Services had cancelled its $628 million contract, requiring the company to reverse $86 million in Q3 2021 revenue and reduce its contract backlog by $180 million. The impact on investors was clear as Emergent's stock price dropped by over 60%, from more than $120 in early 2021 to below $45 by November 2021. These disclosures and the sharp drop in stock price led shareholders to file multiple lawsuits against Emergent, accusing the company of misrepresenting its vaccine production capabilities and concealing serious quality issues. Resolving The Case After three years of legal proceedings, in September 2024, Emergent agreed to pay $40 million to settle the lawsuit from shareholders. If you invested in Emergent, you may be eligible to file for a portion of the settlement to recover your losses. As of now, Emergent BioSolutions has made significant progress in its recovery, securing a $50 million settlement with Johnson & Johnson and driving a broader transformation under CEO Joe Papa. In Q3 2024, the company saw a 9% revenue increase to $293.8 million and secured vital government contracts, including a $250 million order to produce vaccines for anthrax, botulism, and smallpox. It also sold its Camden facility for $30 million to streamline operations. However, its stock remains far below previous highs, trading at $8 in November 2024 — a 93.6% decline from its $125 peak in 2021, showing that there is still a long road ahead for a recovery. © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

Stock market today: Wall Street hits more records following a just-right jobs reportTesla and X CEO Elon Musk spent over a quarter of a billion dollars to help get President-elect Donald Trump back in the White House, according to newly released campaign finance records. The billionaire tech mogul spent over $270 million of his own money through two super PACs that promoted Trump's candidacy and other Republicans, including one that appeared to refer to deceased liberal Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg, according to filings released Thursday night by the Federal Election Commission. Musk spent roughly $240 million on his pro-Trump super PAC America. The PAC was created after Musk endorsed Trump in July, which made Musk the single largest political spender in the shortest period of time. Half of the PAC's money came in the final weeks of the election and in the weeks following the election, and by Nov. 25, the PAC only had $2 million left in the account, according to the FEC. Much of the money was spent on direct mail, canvassing and phone calls, the PAC's filing showed. The filing also showed a total of nine $1 million payments given to nine individuals labeled as "spokesperson consultant," which appeared to be the swing state voters that won Musk's controversial daily $1 million prize. Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner sued the PAC in October contending Musk was running an illegal lottery in Pennsylvania. Common Pleas Court Judge Angelo Foglietta denied an injunction request a few weeks later after an attorney for the PAC testified that the giveaway wasn't random, despite Musk's claims that they were. The PAC also reported roughly $433,000 in legal bills paid to THE GOBER GROUP PLLC, according to the FEC. A new filing showed that Musk was the sole funder of a pro-Trump super PAC named RBG PAC, giving $20 million to the group in the final weeks of the election. The PAC used the initials of former Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg and ran online ads featuring women who claimed Trump would endorse potential national abortion bans. Trump has long boasted about his role in ending Roe v. Wade by taking credit for nominating three of the six conservative justices who voted to overturn the case in 2022. Clara Spera, Ginsberg's granddaughter, chastised the PAC in a statement to the Washington Post stating it "has no connection to the Ginsburg family and is an affront to my late grandmother's legacy." Earlier in the election cycle, Musk had written big checks to groups supporting House and Senate GOP, including $12.3 million to two super PACs supporting Senate GOP candidates, and another $1.3 million supporting other down-ballot Republicans, according to FEC filings. In all, Musk spent at least $273 million in support of various Republicans up and down the ballot at the federal level. Musk has been tapped to co-lead, along with Republican businessman and failed presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, an outside advisory board called the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which aims to cut as much as $2 trillion from the federal budget of what they called waste. The pair met with Republican leaders on the Hill Thursday to discuss their proposals including removing remote work options for federal workers.

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NoneHow junk food firms are dodging govt’s advertising ban by targeting young people on gaming sites and social media