The resolution creating the committee focused in particular on Willis’ hiring of special prosecutor Nathan Wade, with whom she had a romantic relationship, to lead the prosecution against Trump and others.
May 25, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Jordan Romano (68) pitches during the eighth inning of the game against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Brian Bradshaw Sevald-USA TODAY Sports/File Photo The Philadelphia Phillies signed two-time All-Star closer Jordan Romano to a one-year contract on Monday. Financial terms were not disclosed, but ESPN and The Athletic reported the deal was worth $7.75 million. The 31-year-old right-hander was non-tendered by Toronto earlier this offseason. The Phillies bolstered their bullpen after Jeff Hoffman and Carlos Estevez hit free agency. Romano went 1-2 with a 6.59 ERA in 15 relief appearances with the Blue Jays in 2024. Romano battled injuries last season and underwent season-ending right elbow surgery in July. He saved 36 games in 2022 and 2023, earning All-Star nods in each season. Overall, Romano is 20-17 in 231 career relief appearances with 105 saves and a 2.90 ERA. --Field Level Media REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you. Read 3 articles and stand to win rewards Spin the wheel now
Lilyanne is described as being five foot four inches tall, of slim build, with long brown wavy hair. She has nose piercings on both sides, which may help in identifying her. The police are urging anyone who has seen Lilyanne or has information about her whereabouts to come forward. If you have any details, please call 101 or send a message to @MetCC on social media, quoting reference 01/1112099/24. #APPEAL | Can you help us find 19-year-old Lilyanne who is #missing from #Lewisham . She is about 5ft4ins, of slim build, with long brown wavy hair and a nose piercing on both sides. If you see her, please call 101 or message @MetCC quoting 01/1112099/24 #missingperson pic.twitter.com/47YZZxqxfkProspera Financial Services Inc Acquires Shares of 31,979 First Trust Ultra Short Duration Municipal ETF (NYSEARCA:FUMB)
( MENAFN - Jordan Times) AMMAN - The crown prince Foundation (CPF) on Sunday concluded activities of the "Foundation in the Governorates" campaign, which was launched in October to enhance direct contact with youth nationwide. The campaign witnessed a "wide" turnout, as over 7,000 youth engaged in the sessions, while its activities via live streaming service on social media platforms topped 1 million views, according to a CPF statement cited by the Jordan News Agency, Petra. Featuring 15 ad hoc dialogues in 12 public Jordanian universities, the campaign saw the participation of more than 63 experts from various fields to discuss various issues in entrepreneurship, innovation, sports, media, tourism, technology, and artificial intelligence, as well as highlighting youth success stories for participants in the CPF programmes. The CPF provided information-driven platforms within Jordan's public universities with the participation of over 70 volunteers, aimed to offer information about the foundation's action paths and programmes, its opportunities and mechanisms for accessing its offices across the Kingdom. The campaign also aimed to enhance access to "quality" opportunities for youth and provide an "empowering" environment to acquire new expertise and skills that contribute to developing their capabilities. To achieve this goal, universities were picked as the main platforms for engaging with youth due to their "vital role" in bringing together students from different backgrounds. The foundation announced that the campaign will continue next year, calling on youth to follow its official channels via its website and social media platforms to learn about participation in upcoming events. MENAFN08122024000028011005ID1108969411 Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
The China Fund, Inc. Announces Date of Annual Meeting of StockholdersThe Latest: Suspect in United Healthcare CEO's killing charged with weapons, forgery, other chargesThe San Diego Unified School Board is weighing recommendations to build 1,000 income-restricted apartments on five of its properties across the city, with a goal of housing 10% of its employees within the next decade, in what would mark a significant expansion of the district’s decade-old real estate strategy. “The time has come for us to set some bold but achievable long-term goals together,” Lee Dulgeroff, the district’s facilities executive director, said at a board workshop last week. School districts around California are increasingly pursuing the idea of building affordable housing for employees as a way to improve recruitment and retention amid a worsening housing crisis. That idea has become the hallmark of San Diego Unified’s ongoing real estate strategy , in which it has recruited developers to build housing on district-owned land via joint-occupancy lease agreements. Under the arrangement, the district gets to keep valuable land under its ownership while it collects a share of the developer’s revenue. And the money it collects is unrestricted — the district can use it for any part of its budget, unlike many kinds of federal and state funding. About 50 low-income families of district employees are already living in the district’s mixed-income Livia development in Scripps Ranch, which otherwise contains primarily above-market-rate apartments. And in April, the district accepted a developer’s proposal to build 270 rent-restricted units for low- and moderate-income families of district staff, as well as 57 units for seniors, at the former site of Central Elementary in City Heights. District leaders are hoping to add more units to their housing stock soon. In a recent staff survey of interest in affordable housing, most reported that they had a low to moderate household income, were interested in district-provided housing and struggled to afford housing costs. This week the school board heard housing recommendations drawn up by the LeSar Development Consultants firm that suggest the district could build 1,000 income-restricted apartments at five district-owned sites, all of which currently house administrative buildings or vacant land. Those sites are: —Eugene Brucker Center in University Heights: 13.5-acre property that could have 375 moderate-income units and 125 low-income units —Ballard Center in Old Town: 4.4-acre property that could have 234 moderate-income units —Revere Center in Linda Vista: 6.2-acre property that could have 90 low-income units —Instructional Media Center in Serra Mesa: 1.9-acre property that could have 81 moderate-income units —2101 Commercial Street property in Logan Heights: a 0.4-acre property that could have 101 low-income units The moderate-income units would be for district employees whose families have household incomes between 80% and 120% of San Diego County’s area median income, which is $100,400 for an individual and $143,400 for a family of four, according to Craig Adelman, senior principal at LeSar Development Consultants. The low-income units would be for employees with household incomes of up to 80% of the area median income, or up to $84,900 for an individual or $121,250 for a family of four. But realistically, to compete for affordable housing aid, families would actually need to make no more than 60% of the area median income, or up to $63,680 for an individual and $90,940 for a family of four, Adelman said. Adelman also suggested two example models for financing the district’s housing. One would primarily use low-income tax credits, plus long-term bank mortgage and state and local funding, to build low-income housing. That plan could come out to a development cost of about $719,000 per unit. The other model would mostly be financed through a permanent loan and could cost about $430,000 per unit to build. The district has also set aside about $206 million in bond funding from its Measure U, which voters passed two years ago, just for housing. Planning for district housing is complex, Adelman said, because funding sources such as public affordable housing programs and the district’s bond funding cannot always be mixed to fund the same projects. He also said it’s difficult to mix low- and moderate-income housing because of strings attached to low-income housing aid programs. Adelman added that there have been “extreme” increases in construction costs in recent years that exceed the pace of inflation. The affordable housing programs available are mainly focused on low-income families and don’t really offer housing help for moderate-income families, which is a major need in San Diego Unified. And affordable housing programs, such as tax-exempt affordable housing bonds, have become very competitive in California, Adelman added. LeSar’s plans only discussed housing for employees — but student school board Trustee Quinton Baldis said the district should also consider housing for students and their families. Many students’ families are experiencing housing insecurity or leaving the district because it’s too expensive. “I truly feel like providing homes and affordable housing for our students is aligned more with our goals and guardrails as a district,” Baldis said. In response, Dulgeroff suggested the district could consider housing for students and families in the future. He also suggested that housing could even be built on existing school properties. Board Trustee Cody Petterson said he is concerned about the idea of segregating the district’s housing developments by income, with some developments entirely for low-income families — primarily non-teacher employees — in certain neighborhoods and projects for higher-earning families in others. “That to me is, for lack of a better word, toxic,” Petterson said. Jennifer LeSar, CEO of the LeSar firm, instead urged the board to move forward with the plans and see what developers propose. “We have a really smart development community in San Diego and in California,” LeSar said. “I would say you should start with what you want and not solve all the problems. And the developers will tell you.” ©2024 The San Diego Union-Tribune. Visit sandiegouniontribune.com . Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
BPX Launches Advanced SOP Solutions For Kitchen And Service Operations In RestaurantsMerchants Bancorp ( NASDAQ:MBIN – Get Free Report ) and F & M Bank ( OTCMKTS:FMBM – Get Free Report ) are both small-cap finance companies, but which is the superior business? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their profitability, analyst recommendations, dividends, risk, earnings, valuation and institutional ownership. Insider & Institutional Ownership 24.6% of Merchants Bancorp shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 3.9% of F & M Bank shares are owned by institutional investors. 39.7% of Merchants Bancorp shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 10.7% of F & M Bank shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a company will outperform the market over the long term. Analyst Ratings This is a breakdown of recent ratings and target prices for Merchants Bancorp and F & M Bank, as provided by MarketBeat.com. Dividends Merchants Bancorp pays an annual dividend of $0.36 per share and has a dividend yield of 0.9%. F & M Bank pays an annual dividend of $1.04 per share and has a dividend yield of 5.0%. Merchants Bancorp pays out 6.0% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. F & M Bank pays out 66.2% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Both companies have healthy payout ratios and should be able to cover their dividend payments with earnings for the next several years. Profitability This table compares Merchants Bancorp and F & M Bank’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Risk & Volatility Merchants Bancorp has a beta of 1.12, suggesting that its stock price is 12% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, F & M Bank has a beta of 0.4, suggesting that its stock price is 60% less volatile than the S&P 500. Valuation and Earnings This table compares Merchants Bancorp and F & M Bank”s revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation. Merchants Bancorp has higher revenue and earnings than F & M Bank. Merchants Bancorp is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than F & M Bank, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks. Summary Merchants Bancorp beats F & M Bank on 14 of the 16 factors compared between the two stocks. About Merchants Bancorp ( Get Free Report ) Merchants Bancorp operates as the diversified bank holding company in the United States. It operates through three segments: Multi-family Mortgage Banking, Mortgage Warehousing, and Banking. The Multi-family Mortgage Banking segment engages in the mortgage banking, which originates and services government sponsored mortgages, including bridge financing products to refinance, acquire, or reposition multi-family housing projects, and construction lending for multi-family and healthcare facilities. This segment also offers customized loan products for need-based skilled nursing facilities, such as independent living, assisted living, and memory care; and tax credit equity syndicator service. The Mortgage Warehousing segment funds agency eligible residential loans, as well as commercial loans to non-depository financial institutions. The Banking segment offers a range of financial products and services to consumers and businesses, which includes retail banking, commercial lending, agricultural lending, retail and correspondent residential mortgage banking, and small business administration lending. Merchants Bancorp was founded in 1990 and is headquartered in Carmel, Indiana. About F & M Bank ( Get Free Report ) F & M Bank Corp. operates as the bank holding company for Farmers & Merchants Bank that provides financial products and services to consumers and businesses in Virginia. The company offers commercial and individual demand and time deposit accounts, savings accounts, money market accounts, internet and mobile banking services, and drive-in banking services. It also provides construction loans, including residential, and land acquisition and development loans; commercial real estate loans; business loans; consumer loans, such as personal loans, automobile loans, deposit account loans, installment and demand loans, and home equity loans; residential mortgage loans; credit cards; dealer finance; farmland loans; multi-family loans; and commercial and industrial loans. In addition, the company offers brokerage services and commercial and personal insurance products. Further, it originates conventional and government agency sponsored mortgages; and offers title insurance and real estate settlement services. The company was founded in 1908 and is headquartered in Timberville, Virginia. Receive News & Ratings for Merchants Bancorp Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Merchants Bancorp and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .
WASHINGTON — If there’s a theme among President-elect Donald Trump’s health Cabinet picks, it’s this: The vast majority were critics of how the Biden administration handled COVID-19. The pandemic upended Americans’ perspective on public health and health care delivery, both throughout the United States and among Republican lawmakers. Policy experts say that change is evident in Trump’s selections to lead major U.S. health agencies. That change is particularly notable in Trump’s pick for secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a vaccine skeptic who has been critical of the federal government’s pandemic response. Trump and Republicans have praised Kennedy for bucking conventional thinking when it comes to public health, even though many of Kennedy’s theories and proposals are not backed by science. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Kennedy advocated against vaccinating kids against the coronavirus. He also led the anti-vaccination group Children’s Health Defense beginning in 2018. As Trump’s presumptive HHS secretary nominee, Kennedy worked with the Trump team to pick the leaders of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid, the Food and Drug Administration and the National Institutes of Health. Former Rep. Dave Weldon, Trump’s selection to head the CDC, is also a vaccine skeptic. Mehmet Oz, known more commonly as “Dr. Oz,” Trump’s choice to head CMS, promoted use of the anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine to treat COVID-19. FDA commissioner pick Marty Makary promoted herd immunity to stop the virus, as did Trump’s choice to lead the NIH, Jay Bhattacharya. Taken as a whole, the picks reflect a deep skepticism toward the recommendations of the very agencies these men have been tapped to lead. Trust in public health institutions plummeted in the wake of the pandemic, particularly among Republicans, according to polling, and virus prevention measures like wearing a face mask on an airplane or getting a routine vaccination have morphed into political actions in many parts of the United States. “There was a lot of misinformation, uncertain information,” Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., said of the COVID-19 pandemic response. “In the end, when you looked at what the benefits were, the benefits were not as large as promised and some people were penalized. So I’m sure that’s reflected in [Trump’s] Cabinet choices.” But as Republicans cheer these changes to the public health sector, Democrats and medical institutions are concerned about health misinformation and how that could impact the American health care system, which spends roughly $4.5 trillion per year and accounts for 17.3 percent of the nation’s gross domestic product. On the campaign trail, Trump won voters by promising to buck the system. But public health experts warn that moving too far from the medical establishment and rejecting scientific data could have disastrous consequences. A look at other key Trump health picks and their records on COVID-19: Mehmet Oz, CMS Oz has long been criticized for his controversial views on public health. The pandemic was no exception. The Daytime Emmy award winner served as an informal adviser during the first Trump administration, promoting the use of hydroxychloroquine to treat COVID-19 early in the pandemic. He reportedly tried to persuade the president’s advisers to accelerate approval of the drug for use against COVID-19, even though at the time it had not been tested against the virus. Later, the FDA and infectious disease doctors found the antimalarial would not treat the virus. Oz also urged Trump administration officials to back a study he offered to fund at Columbia University Medical Center about the impacts of the antimalarial on COVID-19 patients, according to the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic. Sign up to get our free daily email of the biggest stories! In April 2020, Oz said on Fox News that reopening schools would be worth it, even if it led to increased deaths. He later retracted the statement. Marty Makary, FDA Like Kennedy, Makary has publicly questioned the broad use of COVID-19 vaccines and vaccine mandates. But unlike Kennedy and many others in Trump’s health Cabinet, Makary was an early advocate of masking to prevent the spread of the virus and restricting air travel. The Johns Hopkins surgeon and author publicly opposed COVID-19 booster shots and promoted natural immunity over vaccinations. He went as far as arguing that the federal government censored pandemic data on natural immunity in an attempt to get more people vaccinated. But Makary also promoted early vaccination strategies to protect those most at risk for severe disease, such as getting single doses of vaccines to as many people as possible before allowing people to go back for a second dose of the shot. In late 2020, he criticized the FDA for not moving fast enough to approve mRNA vaccines. Jay Bhattacharya, NIH A Stanford physician and professor, Bhattacharya made a name for himself as a skeptic who opposed COVID-19 lockdowns and vaccine mandates. He also promoted herd immunity, the concept that low-risk people should live their lives normally and build up resistance to COVID-19 through infection while only high-risk individuals took precautions. In October 2020, Bhattacharya co-authored the controversial “Great Barrington Declaration,” an open letter advocating against virus prevention measures with the hopes of quickly obtaining herd immunity. Both the World Health Organization and leading academic and public health organizations condemned the letter, with the American Public Health Association and other health organizations signing a letter calling it a “wrong-headed proposal masquerading as science” and arguing that the declaration would lead to preventable deaths. Dave Weldon, CDC Weldon, a physician who represented Florida in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1995 through 2009, has routinely questioned the links between vaccines and autism throughout his career. He does not specialize in infectious diseases and has never formally worked in public health, having spent his career as a military doctor, internist and politician. In 2007, Weldon introduced a bill that would remove vaccine safety research from the CDC’s domain and house it in a separate HHS agency. Although the bill didn’t advance, some privately worry it’s indicative of the way he’d strip down the public health agency. Former acting CDC Director Richard Besser said he’s concerned about Weldon’s lack of public health credentials and suspects he was nominated to the post largely because his vaccine skepticism aligns with Kennedy’s views. “What we’re seeing with a number of these nominations is a continuation of that politicization [of public health], where you know people coming in who are saying public health is the problem, not the solution,” Besser said.Global stocks pressured ahead of Fed decision
Police arrested a “strong person of interest” Monday in the brazen Manhattan killing of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO after a quick-thinking McDonald’s employee in Pennsylvania alerted authorities to a customer who was found with a weapon and writings linking him to the ambush. The 26-year-old man had a gun believed to be the one used in the killing and writings suggesting his anger with corporate America, police officials said. He was taken into custody after police got a tip that he was eating at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said at a news conference. Police identified the suspect as Luigi Mangione. Mangione was born and raised in Maryland, has ties to San Francisco, and his last known address is in Honolulu, Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said at a news briefing. Here's the latest: When an officer asked Mangione if he’d been to New York recently, he “became quiet and started to shake,” the court documents say. A police criminal complaint charged him with forgery, carrying firearms without a license, tampering with records or identification, possessing an instrument of crime and providing false identification to law enforcement. Video posted on the social platform X shows a handcuffed Mangione arriving at the Blair County Courthouse in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania. For example, it took about 10 months to extradite a man charged with stabbing two workers at the Museum of Modern Art in 2022. The suspect, Gary Cabana, was also arrested in Pennsylvania, where he was charged with setting his Philadelphia hotel room on fire. Cabana was sent back to New York after he pleaded guilty to an arson charge in Pennsylvania. Manhattan prosecutors could seek to expedite the process by indicting Mangione for Thompson’s killing while he’s still in custody of Pennsylvania authorities. They could then obtain what’s known as a supreme court warrant or fugitive warrant to get him back to New York. Freddie Leatherbury hasn’t spoken to Mangione since they graduated in 2016 from Gilman School in Maryland. He said Mangione was a smart, friendly and athletic student who came from a wealthy family, even by the private school’s standards. “Quite honestly, he had everything going for him,” Leatherbury said. Leatherbury said he was stunned when a friend shared the news of their former classmate’s arrest. “He does not seem like the kind of guy to do this based on everything I’d known about him in high school,” Leatherbury said. One of his cousins is Republican Maryland state legislator Nino Mangione, a spokesperson for the delegate’s office confirmed Monday. Luigi Mangione is one of 37 grandchildren of Nick Mangione Sr., according to a 2008 obituary. Mangione Sr. grew up poor in Baltimore’s Little Italy and rose after his World War II naval service to become a millionaire real estate developer and philanthropist, according to a 1995 profile by the Baltimore Sun. He and his wife Mary Cuba Mangione, who died in 2023, directed their philanthropy through the Mangione Family Foundation, according to a statement from Loyola University commemorating her death. They donated to a variety of causes, ranging from Catholic organizations to higher education to the arts. A man who answered the door to the office of the Mangione Family Foundation declined to comment Monday evening. Mangione Sr. was known for Turf Valley Resort, a sprawling luxury retreat and conference center outside Baltimore that he purchased in 1978. The father of 10 children, Nick Mangione Sr. prepared his five sons — including Luigi Mangione’s father, Louis Mangione — to help manage the family business, according to a 2003 Washington Post report. The Mangione family also purchased Hayfields Country Club north of Baltimore in 1986. On Monday afternoon, Baltimore County police officers had blocked off an entrance to the property, which public records link to Luigi Mangione’s parents. A swarm of reporters and photographers gathered outside the entrance. “Our hope is that today’s apprehension brings some relief to Brian’s family, friends, colleagues and the many others affected by this unspeakable tragedy,” a spokesperson for UnitedHealth Group said Monday. “We thank law enforcement and will continue to work with them on this investigation. We ask that everyone respect the family’s privacy as they mourn.” In an email to parents and alumni, Gilman headmaster Henry P.A. Smyth said it “recently” learned that Mangione, a 2016 graduate, was arrested in the CEO’s killing. “We do not have any information other than what is being reported in the news,” Smyth wrote. “This is deeply distressing news on top of an already awful situation. Our hearts go out to everyone affected.” Mangione, a high school valedictorian from a Maryland prep school, earned undergraduate and graduate degrees in computer science in 2020 from the University of Pennsylvania, a spokesman told The Associated Press on Monday. He had learned to code in high school and helped start a club at Penn for people interested in gaming and game design, according to a 2018 story in Penn Today, a campus publication. His posts also suggest that he belonged to the fraternity Phi Kappa Psi. They also show him taking part in a 2019 program at Stanford University, and in photos with family and friends in Hawaii, San Diego, Puerto Rico, the New Jersey shore and other destinations. Police said the suspect arrested Monday had a ghost gun , a type of weapon that can be assembled at home from parts without a serial number, making them difficult to trace. The critical component in building an untraceable gun is what’s known as the lower receiver. Some are sold in do-it-yourself kits and the receivers are typically made from metal or polymer. Altoona police say officers were dispatched to a McDonald’s on Monday morning in response to reports of a male matching the description of the man wanted in connection with the United Healthcare CEO’s killing in New York City. In a news release, police say officers made contact with the man, who was then arrested on unrelated charges. The Altoona Police Department says it’s cooperating with local, state, and federal agencies. “This just happened this morning. We’ll be working, backtracking his steps from New York to Altoona, Pennsylvania,” Kenny said. “And at some point we’ll work out through extradition to bring him back to New York to face charges here, working with the Manhattan district attorney’s office,” NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said. “As of right now, the information we’re getting from Altoona is that the gun appears to be a ghost gun that may have been made on a 3D printer, capable of firing a 9 mm round,” NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said at a news briefing. The document suggested the suspect had “ill will toward corporate America,” police added. Mangione, 26, was born and raised in Maryland, has ties to San Francisco, and his last known address in Honolulu, Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said at a news briefing. Police have arrested a 26-year-old with a weapon “consistent with” the gun used in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson , New York City’s police commissioner says. Thompson , 50, died in a dawn ambush Wednesday as he walked to the company’s annual investor conference at Manhattan hotel. Thompson had traveled from Minnesota for the event. A man being questioned Monday in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson had writings that appeared to be critical of the health insurance industry, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press. The man also had a gun thought to be similar to the one used in the killing, the official said. Police apprehended the man after receiving a tip that he had been spotted at a McDonald’s near Altoona, Pennsylvania, about 233 miles (375 kilometers) west of New York City, said the official, who wasn’t authorized to discuss details of the investigation and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity. Along with the gun, police found a silencer and fake IDs, according to the official. — Michael R. Sisak That’s also according to the law enforcement official. — Michael R. Sisak That’s according to a law enforcement official. — Michael R. Sisak New York City Mayor Eric Adams is expected to address this development at a previously scheduled afternoon news briefing in Manhattan. While still looking to identify the suspect, the FBI has offered a $50,000 reward for information leading to his arrest and conviction. That’s on top of a $10,000 reward offered by the NYPD. That included footage of the attack, as well as images of someone at a Starbucks beforehand. Photos taken in the lobby of a hostel on Manhattan’s Upper West Side showed the person grinning after removing his mask, police said. NYPD dogs and divers returned to New York’s Central Park today while the dragnet for Thompson’s killer stretched into a sixth day. Investigators have been combing the park since the Wednesday shooting and searching at least one of its ponds for three days, looking for evidence that may have been thrown into it. Police say the shooter used a 9 mm pistol that resembled the guns farmers use to put down animals without causing a loud noise. Police said they had not yet found the gun itself. Ammunition found near Thompson’s body bore the words “delay,” “deny” and “depose,” mimicking a phrase used by insurance industry critics . A man with a gun thought to be similar to the one used in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was taken into police custody Monday for questioning in Pennsylvania, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press. The man is being held in the area of Altoona, Pennsylvania, about 233 miles (375 kilometers) west of New York City, the official said. The official was not authorized to discuss details of the ongoing investigation and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity. The development came as dogs and divers returned Monday to New York’s Central Park while the dragnet for Thompson’s killer stretched into a sixth day. — Michael R. Sisak
We’ve just experienced Australia’s hottest spring on record. Here’s what that means for all of usFollowing are reactions from around the world to events in Syria. Syrian rebels ousted President Bashar Assad and seized control of Damascus on Sunday, forcing him to flee and ending his family's decades of rule after more than 13 years of civil war in a seismic moment for the Middle East. European Commission President Ursula von Der Leyen "The cruel Assad dictatorship has collapsed. This historic change in the region offers opportunities but is not without risks. Europe is ready to support safeguarding national unity and rebuilding a Syrian state that protects all minorities." EU Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas "The end of Assad's dictatorship is a positive and long-awaited development. It also shows the weakness of Assad's backers, Russia and Iran." "Our priority is to ensure security in the region. I will work with all the constructive partners, in Syria and in the region." European Parliament President Roberta Metsola "The dictator has fallen. It is clear that Bashar al-Assad's brutal 24-year rule of Syria is over as his regime lies in tatters. This is a critical period for the region and for the millions of Syrians who want a free, stable and secure future. What happens in the next hours and days matters." Iran Foreign Ministry The ministry said in statement Iran respects Syria's unity and national sovereignty and called for "the swift end of military conflicts, the prevention of terrorist actions, and the commencement of national dialog" with all sectors of Syrian society. Tehran said it would continue to support international mechanisms for pursuing the political process, adding that long-standing and friendly relations between the Iranian and Syrian nations are expected to continue. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu The fall of Assad, a major link in the Iranian axis, is an historic day and a direct result of blows dealt to Hezbollah and Iran by Israel, Netanyahu said. "We will not allow any hostile force to establish itself on our border," he added. U.S. President Joe Biden "President Biden and his team are closely monitoring the extraordinary events in Syria and staying in constant touch with regional partners," the White House said in a statement. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump "Assad is gone. He has fled his country. His protector, Russia, Russia, Russia, led by Vladimir Putin, was not interested in protecting him any longer," Trump posted on Truth Social. "Russia and Iran are in a weakened state right now, one because of Ukraine and a bad economy, the other because of Israel and its fighting success." Russian Foreign Ministry The ministry said in a statement, Syrian President Bashar Assad has left office and departed the country after giving orders for there be a peaceful handover of power. The ministry did not say where Assad was now and said Russia has not taken part in the talks around his departure. It said Russia's military bases in Syria had been put on a state of high alert, but that there was no serious threat to them at the current time. Moscow is in touch with all Syrian opposition groups and urges all sides to refrain from violence. Iraqi government spokesperson Iraqi government spokesperson Bassem Al-Awadi said Iraq was closely following developments and reaffirmed the importance of not interfering in the internal affairs of Syria or supporting one party in favor of another. Jordan's King Abdullah King Abdullah said Jordan respected the choices of the Syrian people. He urged the avoidance of any conflict in Syria that might lead to chaos and stressed the need to protect the security of his country's northern neighbor, according to a statement published by the Royal Hashemite Court. French President Emmanuel Macron "The barbaric state has fallen. Finally. I pay tribute to the Syrian people, to their courage, to their patience. In this moment of uncertainty, I wish them peace, freedom and unity," Macron said in a post on X social media. "France will remain committed to the security of all in the Middle East." U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer "The Syrian people have suffered under Assad’s barbaric regime for too long and we welcome his departure." "Our focus is now on ensuring a political solution prevails, and peace and stability is restored." "We call on all sides to protect civilians and minorities and ensure essential aid can reach the most vulnerable in the coming hours and days." Qatar Foreign Ministry Qatar's foreign ministry renewed its call to end the crisis in Syria along the lines of the 2015 U.N. Security Council Resolution 2254 which laid out the steps for a ceasefire and political transition. The foreign ministry said it is following developments in Syria with interest and called for the preservation of the unity of the state. Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia has been communicating with all regional actors on Syria and is determined to do what is possible to avoid a chaotic outcome for the country, a Saudi official told Reuters. "We have been in contact with all actors in the region. We are in constant communication with Turkey and every stakeholder involved," the official said, adding that the kingdom was not aware of Bashar Assad's whereabouts. Foreign Ministry of Egypt Egypt has called on all parties in Syria to preserve the capabilities of the state and national institutions, the Egyptian foreign ministry said. The foreign ministry affirmed its support for the Syrian people and the country's sovereignty and unity. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan Syria has reached a stage where the Syrian people will shape the future of their own country, today there is hope, Fidan said in a news conference in Doha. The Syrian people cannot do this alone. Turkey attaches importance to Syrian territorial integrity. A new Syrian administration must be established inclusively, there should be no desire for revenge. Turkey calls on all actors to act with prudence and to be watchful. Terrorist organizations must not be allowed to take advantage of this situation. Opposition groups must be united. We will work for stability and safety in Syria. The new Syria should not pose a threat to neighbors, it should eliminate threats. Any extension of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) cannot be considered a legitimate counterpart in Syria. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha "Assad has fallen. This is how it has always been and will always be for dictators who bet on Putin. He always betrays those who rely on him. The main goal now is to restore security in Syria and effectively protect its people from violence." Konstantin Kosachyov, Russian Lawmaker Syrians will have to cope with a full-scale civil war alone, deputy chairman of Russia's upper house of parliament Konstantin Kosachyov said, the Interfax news agency reported. Afghanistan Taliban Administration's Ministry of Foreign Affairs "Afghanistan congratulates the leadership of the movement and the people of Syria on the recent developments, which have resulted in the removal of key factors contributing to conflict & instability." "The capital, Damascus, has come under control of Syrian people under the leadership of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham and we express hope that the remaining phases of the revolution will be managed effectively to establish a peaceful, unified, & stable governance system." Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Middle East Daniel Shapiro "The United States will continue to maintain its presence in eastern Syria and will take measures necessary to prevent a resurgence of the Islamic State," Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Middle East Daniel Shapiro told the Manama Dialogue security conference in Bahrain. Shapiro called on all parties to protect civilians, particularly minorities, and respect international norms. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock "It is impossible to say exactly what is happening in Syria now. But one thing is clear: for millions of people in Syria, the end of Assad means the first big sigh of relief after an eternity of atrocities committed by the Assad regime." "Assad has murdered, tortured and used poison gas against his own people. He must finally be held accountable for this. "The country must not now fall into the hands of other radicals — regardless of the guise. We therefore call on the parties to the conflict to live up to their responsibility for all Syrians. This includes the comprehensive protection of ethnic and religious minorities such as Kurds, Alawites or Christians and an inclusive political process that creates a balance between the groups." German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz "Bashar al Assad has brutally oppressed his own people, has countless lives on his conscience and has driven numerous people to flee Syria, many of whom have also come to Germany. The Syrian people have experienced appalling suffering. The end of Assad's rule over Syria is therefore good news. "What matters now is that law and order are quickly restored in Syria. All religious communities, all minorities must enjoy protection now and in the future." Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani "We are calling for a peaceful handover between the fallen regime and the new reality, so for a peaceful rather than military transition. It seems to me that at the moment things are going in this direction," Tajani said in a press conference. U.N. special envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen Special envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen underscores the clear desire expressed by millions of Syrians that stable and inclusive transitional arrangements are put in place, a statement said. He urged all Syrians to prioritize dialog, unity, and respect for international humanitarian law and human rights as they seek to rebuild their society, adding he stands ready to support the Syrian people in their journey toward a stable and inclusive future. "Today marks a watershed moment in Syria’s history — a nation that has endured nearly 14 years of relentless suffering and unspeakable loss... This dark chapter has left deep scars, but today we look forward with cautious hope to the opening of a new one— one of peace, reconciliation, dignity, and inclusion for all Syrians." U.N. Aid Chief Tom Fletcher "Events in Syria moving at remarkable pace. More than [a] decade of conflict has displaced millions. Now many more are in danger. We will respond wherever, whenever, however we can to support people in need, including reception centers —food, water, fuel, tents, blankets."
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