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The head of UnitedHealthcare's parent company acknowledged Friday that America's health care system is flawed ‒ and he pledged his company would help fix it. The promise comes several days after a man accused of murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson said he was motivated by hatred of that system ‒ a hatred apparently shared by many people who have taken to social media in the days since the Dec. 4 killing. While UnitedHealthcare and its employees continue to grapple with grief over the loss of a "brilliant, kind man," Andrew Witty said in a New York Times op-ed , "...We also are struggling to make sense of this unconscionable act and the vitriol that has been directed at our colleagues who have been barraged by threats." And yet, wrote Witty, the CEO of UnitedHealth Group, "We know the health system does not work as well as it should, and we understand people’s frustrations with it." The online reaction: Health insurance CEO shooting unleashes Internet vitriol aimed at industry "No one would design a system like the one we have," Witty wrote, adding that the current health care system in the U.S. is "a patchwork built over decades." United's mission, he added, was to make the system better, and Thompson, who was raised on his family's Iowa farm, was committed to that mission. Thompson's legacy, Witty said, should be as someone whose ideas "were aimed at making health care more affordable, more transparent, more intuitive, more compassionate — and more human." Thompson's shooting, allegedly by Luigi Mangione , who reportedly mentioned UnitedHealthcare in writings found in his possession when he was arrested, set off a barrage of angry posts directed at health insurers, gatekeepers of the country's $4.5 trillion health care system. People posted their stories about denials for coverage, delays in care and other negative interactions with health insurers. Many of those posts were directed at UnitedHealthcare, one of the nation's largest insurance companies. The latest: Evidence against Luigi Mangione being heard by grand jury, reports say: Updates "I've been hearing for years now from people who have been so frustrated because of denials or delays of care, and this was an opportunity for people to vent and to take out their anger against someone who just became known to them all of a sudden," Wendell Potter, former CIGNA executive who became a whistleblower against the health insurance industry, told USA TODAY recently . That anger, Potter said, is "sadly misplaced." " The system is rigged against Americans who need care, people who have health insurance, and it is largely because of the role that Wall Street plays in our health care system," he said. Witty's op-ed, posted on the New York Times' website Friday morning, acknowledged that the factors that drive coverage decisions are not well understood by the public. "Health care is both intensely personal and very complicated," he wrote. "We share some of the responsibility for that. Together with employers, governments and others who pay for care, we need to improve how we explain what insurance covers and how decisions are made."On Thursday, San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan announced that linebacker Dre Greenlaw will miss the team's final two games . Greenlaw, who recently returned from an Achilles injury, has been dealing with lingering soreness after playing in the last two games. As a precaution, the 49ers have decided to shut him down for the remainder of the season. In response, the 49ers have opened the practice window for rookie linebacker Tatum Bethune . Typically, this move initiates a 21-day period for the team to activate Bethune off injured reserve. However, with only two games left in the season, it's unclear if Bethune will be activated in time for Monday night's matchup against the Detroit Lions. The decision could simply be an opportunity for the young defender to earn additional practice reps before the offseason. The 49ers selected Bethune in the seventh round of April's draft. This season, he has played just eight defensive snaps, recording two tackles and a fumble recovery, but he has more on special teams, logging 130 snaps. Bethune was placed on injured reserve on November 23 with a knee injury. This article first appeared on 49ers Webzone and was syndicated with permission."The Republican Party will use its best efforts to eliminate Daylight Saving Time, which has a small but strong constituency, but shouldn't! Daylight Saving Time (DST) is inconvenient, and very costly to our Nation," Trump posted on his website, Truth Social. DST was adopted by the federal government during World War I but was unpopular with farmers rushing to get produce to morning markets, and was quickly abolished. Many states experimented with their own versions but it wasn't reintroduced nationwide until 1967. The Democratic-controlled US Senate advanced a bill in 2022 that, like Trump's plan, would bring an end to the twice-yearly changing of clocks, in favor of a "new, permanent standard time." But The Sunshine Protection Act called for the opposite switch -- moving permanently to DST rather than eliminating it -- to usher in brighter evenings, and fewer journeys home in the dark for school children and office workers. The bill never made it to President Joe Biden's desk, as it was not taken up in the Republican-led House. It had been introduced in 2021 by a Republican, Florida Senator Marco Rubio, who is about to join the incoming Trump administration as secretary of state. He said studies had shown a permanent DST could benefit the economy. Either way, changing to one permanent time would put an end to Americans pushing their clocks forward in the spring, then setting them back an hour in the fall. Colloquially the practice is referred to as "springing" forward and "falling" back. The clamor has increased in recent years to make DST permanent especially among politicians and lobbyists from the Northeast, where frigid conditions are normal in the early winter mornings. "It's really straightforward. Cutting back on the sun during the fall and winter is a drain on the American people and does little to nothing to help them," Rubio said in a statement ahead of the vote. "It's time we retire this tired tradition." Rubio said the United States sees an increase in heart attacks and road accidents in the week that follows the changing of the clocks. Any changes would be unlikely to affect Hawaii and most of Arizona, the Navajo Nation, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands, which do not spring forward in summer. ft/nro
Timeline: Jimmy Carter, 1924-2024
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10 Things To Know Before Buying A Lexus NX (New Or Used)Jimmy Carter, Whose Presidency Was Marred By Iran Hostage Crisis, Dies At 100
Tens of millions of broken or unused electrical appliances are cluttering up Irish homes when they could be easily recycled, with valuable raw materials extracted, junior minister with responsibility for the circular economy Ossian Smyth says. The vast majority of Irish households have at least 15 broken or unused electrical items lying around, Bord Gáis Energy and Electric Ireland announce cuts in the cost of domestic electricity and gas which will save customers about €300 a year. An Post raises the price of a standard postage stamp, the fourth such price hike the State-owned postal carrier has rolled out in less than three years. The rate of inflation in Irish supermarkets continues to slow with data from retail analysts Kantar Worldpanel suggesting prices are increasing by 7.1 per cent. It represents a dramatic decline from a rate of 15.5 per cent that was recorded at the height of the cost-of-living-crisis in the summer of 2023 and marks the eighth month in a row that inflation has fallen. Irish mobile phone and broadband customers face an ongoing risk of significant price hikes every year without being given a chance to shop around for better value, ComReg warns. Many of the State’s leading telecom operators, including Vodafone , Eir and Three Mobile, link the price of their mobile and broadband packages to inflation, with increases of 3 per cent plus the Consumer Price Index rate of inflation rolled out each year. The finances of just under 40 per cent of Irish people have worsened over the last 12 months with large numbers feeling increasingly gloomy about their prospects despite some positive top-line economic news, according to the annual Pulse of the Nation research from Amárach . It identifies what it calls a “vibecession”, which notes that people’s feelings about the economy dip even when economic circumstances appear to be improving. Flogas Energy rolls out price cuts of up to 25 per cent. A new deposit and return scheme is rolled out which sees an automatic 15 cent deposit added to bottles and cans of between 150ml and 500ml, and a 25 cent deposit added to bottles and cans of between 500ml and three litres. It emerges that a record number of complaints were lodged with the Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman in 2023 with concerns over customer service dominating and a significant number of consumers making contact over fraudulent activity on their accounts, according to a report. Diageo announces a price hike of 6 cent and says it is necessary to “maintain a sustainable business”. Publicans condemn it as a “hammer blow” to the sector. The increase hits Diageo products including Guinness, Carlsberg and Smithwick’s. The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) launches High Court proceedings against PhoneWatch and HomeSecure, both of which are owned by Norwegian firm Sector Alarm Group , in connection with an investigation into anticompetitive practices in the sector. Clerys on O’Connell Street re-reopens, sort of. The new-look Clerys Quarter is occupied by H&M – which has spread itself over 30,000sq ft and two floors of the former department store. It will be joined later in the year by Decathalon. Consumers are at risk of being ripped off by rogue locksmiths operating without licences, the State’s private security watchdog warns. Lidl asks the company behind both Facebook and Instagram to remove pages on the social media platforms that are designed to steal money and personal details from unsuspecting shoppers by using its logos and livery and promising discounted “middle-aisle” deals. Irish people are run ragged, stressed by the social media screeching from the far right and struggling with an enduring cost-of-living crisis , according to the latest Sign of the Times survey published by Ipsos B&A. The deposit return scheme introduced in February is still in a transition phase with consumer frustrations including missing logos and broken reverse vending machines set to be resolved within weeks, the chief executive of Re-Turn promises. A judge labels Eir a “disgrace” after a court hears evidence that the telecom provider warned staff they could be disciplined for adhering to statutory regulations governing customer complaints. In a Dublin District Court case taken by ComReg, Eir and its parent company, Eircom, pleads guilty to multiple breaches of the law over its failure to acknowledge customer complaints and provide responses within 10 working days, among other issues. It emerges that the cost for a family of four climbed by about €500 in 2023 when compared with 2022. A Health Insurance Authority report also notes that older people are typically paying almost 50 per cent more for cover than younger cohorts. Irish holidaymakers at home and abroad are warned to be on alert for “complex and deceptive” scams in fraudulent activity recorded in 2023. According to data from a banking umbrella group, fraudsters stole almost €100 million from Irish consumers last year – an increase of 16 per cent on 2022. SSE Airtricity reduces the cost of its domestic electricity and gas by 10 per cent from the start of July. Grocery prices are rising at their slowest rate since the immediate aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine , according to data from retail analysts Kantar Worldpanel. Inflation across Irish supermarkets is put at 2.6 per cent. Up to one-third of Irish home cooks do not wash their hands after handling raw chicken before touching their mobile phones or tablets, according to research from a food safety watchdog. The promoter of Bruce Springsteen’s concert in Dublin apologises to thousands of fans who were left raging in the dark after they found themselves still queuing outside Croke Park as the Boss and his band took to the stage. Bank of Ireland warns consumers about a new wave of purchase scams luring unsuspecting shoppers through online ads to make payments for goods and services that subsequently turn out to be fake. According to a payment fraud report from the BPFI, €98.6 million was lost by Irish people to fraudsters in 2023. Card fraud accounted for 95 per cent of fraudulent transactions, which amounted to a total of €35.2 million, or 36 per cent of the losses. Temu , one of the fastest growing online shopping portals in internet history, is accused of using manipulative sales techniques illegal under EU law and failing to protect European consumers. The online marketplace is “rife with manipulative techniques – dark patterns – to get consumers to spend more than they might originally want to, or to complicate the process of closing down their account”, the Bureau Européen des Unions de Consommateurs says. In response, Temu says it is “a newcomer to Europe” and has been “actively adjusting our service to align with local practices and preferences, and we are committed to full compliance with the laws and regulations of the markets where we operate”. Taylor Swift comes to town and plays three nights in the Aviva Stadium as part of her Eras Tour. All talk of high priced hotel rooms and wildly expensive tickets and merchandise is shaken off as she wows more than 120,000 Swifties with a set lasting almost 31⁄2 hours. The costs are put into perspective when it emerges that many Americans were able to fly to Ireland, stay in hotels in Dublin, see her perform and then fly home for less than the tickets alone would have cost them in the US. Industrial action at Aer Lingus between management and pilots throws the travel plans of thousands into disarray. At the heart of the dispute is the pilots’ demand for a 24 per cent pay hike while management made an initial offer of just under 10 per cent. Tesco is found guilty of breaking the law in connection with how it displayed the price of products it was selling on promotion. The retailer is ordered to pay €1,000 to a charity as well as covering the legal costs of the consumer watchdog that took the case. Tracker mortgages almost immediately benefit from the 0.25 per cent cut in interest rates announced by the European Central Bank (ECB). Retailers and distributors still selling amber teething jewellery that can choke or strangle infants have been told to withdraw the products immediately by the CCPC. Almost three-quarters of secondary school parents and just more than half of parents with children in primary school are worried about covering back-to-school costs this year, according to a survey from children’s charity Barnardos. People with Aer Lingus flight bookings breath a sigh of relief as the industrial action by its pilots is called off after a pay deal is reached which sees the pilots get a 17.75 per cent pay increase. Fans of Nicki Minaj express disappointment tinged with outrage after the rapper appears on stage in Dublin about 90 minutes later than planned, and plays a set that lasted less than an hour. Irish people are increasingly aware of the damage their consumption patterns have on the planet, but a majority are unwilling to pay a premium for more sustainable products, according to research by Amárach on behalf of Penneys . Tickets for Oasis go on sale at 8am on the last Saturday of the month with prices that leave many users looking back in anger. A so-called dynamic, or in-demand, pricing model sees some standing tickets more than double in price over the course of the first three hours of the sale. Customers who bought tickets on the Fota Island Wildlife Park’s website between the middle of May and the end of August have been told to cancel debit or credit cards following a cyberattack. Customers are also urged to review transactions on their accounts since May 12th, to identify any suspicious activity. Complaints to the CCPC jumped sharply in the first half of the year, with telecoms operator Eir and Ryanair the two companies most likely to be referenced by callers to its helpline. Many Irish people who have been mistreated, ripped off or otherwise let down by businesses are being denied access to any form of meaningful legal redress as the Small Claims Court hears only cases involving sums of €2,000 or less. The CCPC describes this ceiling as “out of step with the most basic and unavoidable expenses” with which many consumers have to contend. Retailer Brown Thomas defends its decision to impose a 60 cent charge for paper bags, a move it says has been taken out of concern for the environment with the profits to be used to plant trees across Ireland. Wagamama in Dublin closes after receivers appointed to the Press Up group fail to reach agreement with the UK-based chain on restructuring the franchise arrangement. The health insurance market here has grown too complicated and is overwhelming consumers, working against their best interests and seeing many paying over the odds for cover, according to the HIA. Tupperware is facing an existential crisis. It files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the US as the cost of materials, labour, transportation and more climbed, and its losses soared. The ECB cuts its rates by another quarter of a point. The Government plans to impose “serious restrictions” on vaping including the banning of disposable vapes, restricting the sale of flavours and prohibiting point-of-sale advertising displays. The CCPC opens an official investigation into Ticketmaster over its handling of the sale of Oasis tickets. It acts after receiving more than 100 complaints from disappointed fans of the band. In advance of the investigation being announced, Oasis say they at “no time had any awareness” that dynamic pricing was being used to sell tickets. It emerges that the cost per square metre of building the Leinster House bike shed came in at about twice what it would typically cost to build a five-star hotel in Ireland and more than four-times the price a high-end house. At a cost of €336,000, the bike shed ended up being about 200 times more expensive than a flat-pack bike shelter of roughly the same size. Thousands of people line O’Connell Street on Halloween expecting a parade that never was. They showed up because of a post which first appeared on a website called myspirithalloween.com . The man behind the site apologises and says it was not a hoax but a mistake. Energy bills of Irish consumers are typically more than €500 higher than much of the EU, with the cost of domestic electricity alone about €350 more, according to data from Eurostat . Ireland’s consumer watchdog lacks the teeth to properly take on businesses that break the law and let people down, its chairman admits. Speaking at an event to mark the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the CCPC, Brian McHugh calls on the Government to give it more powers to impose meaningful financial penalties on companies found to have broken the law. Ryanair defends its decision not to offer passengers stuck on its planes for up to 15 hours due to Storm Ashley free bottles of water or any other refreshments because there were “not entitled” to it. Customer service in Ireland is getting worse according to an annual assessment. The customer experience report by Amárach Research suggests that after two years of things looking up, our overall customer experience score fell by just under 2 per cent compared to 2023. The ECB reduces its interest rate by another quarter of a point. The cuts, and a once-off technical reduction of 0.35 per cent rolled out in September, will see the monthly repayments on a tracker mortgage of €180,000 fall by about €104. Alias Tom shuts up shop ending a stretch of more than 50 years on the Dublin retail landscape. The annual rate at which grocery prices have been increasing in the Republic continues to stabilise at less than 3 per cent over the 12 weeks to the end of in September, data from retail analysts Kantar Worldpanel suggests. A scam which uses bogus QR codes on parking meters to fool people into downloading malicious software or submitting sensitive financial details to websites controlled by criminals is identified in areas of the east coast. Almost half the honey on Irish supermarket shelves is likely to be adulterated with sugar syrups and additives, or sourced from countries not properly identified on labels, according to research from the Institute of International and European Affairs . Budget 2024 is unveiled. Billed as the biggest bonanza budget in the history of the State, many people will be substantially better off over the next 12 months as a result of the tax changes and the cost-of-living measures announced by Minister for Finance Jack Chambers. The CCPC secures a commitment from the liquidators of Homebase to fulfil contracts for kitchen and bathroom installations or offer full refunds. The liquidators also agree to honour vouchers for the eight Homebase stores in the Republic while they continue to trade. Retailers selling electronics, cosmetics, furniture and clothes are accused by the CCPC of deliberately misleading shoppers looking for bargains in the sales. It says legal proceedings against a number of retailers nationwide for breaking sales pricing laws will lead to court appearances in January. The general election takes place with the cost-of-living crisis front and centre in people’s minds. It is hardly surprising given that many people are so much worse off as a result of the crisis which is continuing despite a sharp decline in the rate at which prices have been climbing. Irish Life Health announces its third price increase in less than 12 months with customers facing an average hike of just under 4 per cent from the start of next year. The cost of private health insurance has climbed by an average of 11 per cent so far this year, according to a report from the HIA. It says average policy premiums are now €1,712. Ryanair cancels flights to and from airports across Europe and alerts passengers to the changes via email before sending them follow-up emails announcing their flights were not actually cancelled at all. More than 180,000 homeowners have failed to claim up to €1,250 in tax relief that was designed to soften the blow of rising mortgage interest rates. As a group, they could be missing out on as much as €120 million. Fewer than one-in-five domestic energy customers changed provider in 2023 despite potential savings amounting to hundreds of euro for those who moved companies. Dozens of customers of a Dublin-based windows and doors company that went into liquidation express anger and concern that money they paid will never be recovered. One couple say they could lose close to €50,000 after provisional liquidators from Grant Thornton were appointed by the High Court to DK Windows & Doors. Research from the CCPC suggests Christmas spending is rebounding sharply when compared with 2023. It suggests the cost of an Irish Christmas will climb by an average of 14 per cent or €1,177 compared with €1,030 in 2023 and €1,186 a year earlier. Storm Darragh clashed with the Toy Show but its impact would turn out to be far greater. The high winds damaged Holyhead Port which was closed in the run-up to Christmas and left many parcels and people who expected to be driving home for Christmas potentially stuck on the wrong side of the Irish Sea. While delivery companies and ferry operators raced to come up with alternatives it added a bit of pre-Christmas drama to our world that we could really have done without.Jimmy Carter, the 39th US president, has died at 100