‘I love fighting for this club’: Guardiola on his drive to stay at Manchester CityGlentoran boss Declan Devine hails club 'warrior' who 'many people had written off'
Another recount won't be ordered in a North Carolina court race, but protests are aheadTella’s Goal Ends Bayern Munich’s German Cup Campaign
Luigi Nicholas Mangione, the suspect in the fatal shooting of a healthcare executive in New York City, apparently was living a charmed life: the grandson of a wealthy real estate developer, valedictorian of his elite Baltimore prep school and with degrees from one of the nation's top private universities. Friends at an exclusive co-living space at the edge of touristy Waikiki in Hawaii where the 26-year-old Mangione once lived widely considered him a “great guy,” and pictures on his social media accounts show a fit, smiling, handsome young man on beaches and at parties. Now, investigators in New York and Pennsylvania are working to piece together why Mangione may have diverged from this path to make the violent and radical decision to gun down UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in a brazen attack on a Manhattan street. The killing sparked widespread discussions about corporate greed, unfairness in the medical insurance industry and even inspired folk-hero sentiment toward his killer. But Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro sharply refuted that perception after Mangione's arrest on Monday when a customer at a McDonald's restaurant in Pennsylvania spotted Mangione eating and noticed he resembled the shooting suspect in security-camera photos released by New York police. “In some dark corners, this killer is being hailed as a hero. Hear me on this, he is no hero,” Shapiro said. “The real hero in this story is the person who called 911 at McDonald’s this morning.” Mangione comes from a prominent Maryland family. His grandfather, Nick Mangione, who died in 2008, was a successful real estate developer. One of his best-known projects was Turf Valley Resort, a sprawling luxury retreat and conference center outside Baltimore that he purchased in 1978. The Mangione family also purchased Hayfields Country Club north of Baltimore in 1986. On Monday, Baltimore County police officers blocked off an entrance to the property, which public records link to Luigi Mangione’s parents. Reporters and photographers gathered outside the entrance. The father of 10 children, Nick Mangione prepared his five sons — including Luigi Mangione’s father, Louis Mangione — to help manage the family business, according to a 2003 Washington Post report. Nick Mangione had 37 grandchildren, including Luigi, according to the grandfather's obituary. Luigi Mangione’s grandparents donated to charities through the Mangione Family Foundation, according to a statement from Loyola University commemorating Nick Mangione’s wife’s death in 2023. They donated to various causes, including Catholic organizations, colleges and the arts. One of Luigi Mangione’s cousins is Republican Maryland state legislator Nino Mangione, a spokesman for the lawmaker’s office confirmed. “Our family is shocked and devastated by Luigi’s arrest,” Mangione’s family said in a statement posted on social media by Nino Mangione. “We offer our prayers to the family of Brian Thompson and we ask people to pray for all involved.” Mangione, who was valedictorian of his elite Maryland prep school, earned undergraduate and graduate degrees in computer science in 2020 from the University of Pennsylvania, a university spokesman told The Associated Press. He 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 social media posts suggest 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 at the Jersey Shore and in Hawaii, San Diego, Puerto Rico, and other destinations. The Gilman School, from which Mangione graduated in 2016, is one of Baltimore’s elite prep schools. The children of some of the city’s wealthiest and most prominent residents, including Orioles legend Cal Ripken Jr., have attended the school. Its alumni include sportswriter Frank Deford and former Arizona Gov. Fife Symington. In his valedictory speech, Luigi Mangione described his classmates’ “incredible courage to explore the unknown and try new things.” Mangione took a software programming internship after high school at Maryland-based video game studio Firaxis, where he fixed bugs on the hit strategy game Civilization 6, according to a LinkedIn profile. Firaxis' parent company, Take-Two Interactive, said it would not comment on former employees. He more recently worked at the car-buying website TrueCar, but has not worked there since 2023, the head of the Santa Monica, California-based company confirmed to the AP. From January to June 2022, Mangione lived at Surfbreak, a “co-living” space at the edge of touristy Waikiki in Honolulu. Like other residents of the shared penthouse catering to remote workers, Mangione underwent a background check, said Josiah Ryan, a spokesperson for owner and founder R.J. Martin. “Luigi was just widely considered to be a great guy. There were no complaints,” Ryan said. “There was no sign that might point to these alleged crimes they’re saying he committed.” At Surfbreak, Martin learned Mangione had severe back pain from childhood that interfered with many aspects of his life, including surfing, Ryan said. “He went surfing with R.J. once but it didn’t work out because of his back,” Ryan said, but noted that Mangione and Martin often went together to a rock-climbing gym. Mangione left Surfbreak to get surgery on the mainland, Ryan said, then later returned to Honolulu and rented an apartment. An image posted to a social media account linked to Mangione showed what appeared to be an X-ray of a metal rod and multiple screws inserted into someone's lower spine. Martin stopped hearing from Mangione six months to a year ago. An X account linked to Mangione includes recent posts about the negative impact of smartphones on children; healthy eating and exercise habits; psychological theories; and a quote from Indian philosopher Jiddu Krishnamurti about the dangers of becoming “well-adjusted to a profoundly sick society.” Mangione likely was motivated by his anger at what he called “parasitic” health insurance companies and a disdain for corporate greed, according to a law enforcement bulletin obtained by AP. He wrote that the U.S. has the most expensive healthcare system in the world and that the profits of major corporations continue to rise while “our life expectancy” does not, according to the bulletin, based on a review of the suspect’s handwritten notes and social media posts. He appeared to view the targeted killing of the UnitedHealthcare CEO as a symbolic takedown, asserting in his note that he is the “first to face it with such brutal honesty,” the bulletin said. Mangione called “Unabomber” Ted Kaczynski a “political revolutionary” and may have found inspiration from the man who carried out a series of bombings while railing against modern society and technology, the document said. Associated Press reporters Lea Skene in Baltimore; Jennifer Sinco Kelleher in Honolulu; Maryclaire Dale in Philadelphia; John Seewer in Toledo, Ohio; and Michael Kunzelman in Washington, D.C., contributed to this report.Analysis: After Juan Soto's megadeal, could MLB see a $1 billion contract? Probably not soon
Democrats can work with DOGE. I know exactly where to start.
Trump calls for immediate ceasefire in Ukraine and says a US withdrawal from NATO is possibleAnge Postecoglou has admitted his position will be under “a lot of scrutiny” if he has not lifted Tottenham out of mid-table by Christmas. The club play at Manchester City on Saturday – the start of what Postecoglou called a “pivotal” nine-game sequence in 29 days – and he was keen to highlight the fine margins at work. If Spurs had beaten Ipswich at home on the Sunday before last, they would sit third in the Premier League. They have the second-best goal difference in the division, are into the Carabao Cup quarter-final – where they have a home tie against Manchester United – and are going well in the Europa League. Instead, they were beaten by Ipswich – they have lost before each of the three international breaks – to lag in 10th. Postecoglou made a fast start to his Spurs tenure, winning eight and drawing two of 10 league matches at the beginning of last season. Since then his record in the competition reads W17 D5 L17. “It’s a significant period and at the end of it we could be in a decent position for a strong second half of the year,” Postecoglou said. “You can build some momentum or if things don’t go well you could get yourself into a bit of a grind. So it’s going to be a really pivotal part of the season. If we’re still 10th then people won’t be happy, I won’t be happy. But we might not be 10th. “If we had beaten Ipswich, we’d be third and I reckon this press conference would be much different. I’m not going to let my life be dictated by one result. I take a wider perspective because I know how fickle it can be. But we need to address our position. And if we’re 10th at Christmas it won’t be great – for sure. Rightly so, there’d be a lot of scrutiny and probably a lot of scrutiny around me. That’s not where I plan for us to be.” Postecoglou, preparing for his 50th league game in charge, said Spurs were “definitely a better side than we were last year”. He also remembered where the club were when he took over. They had finished eighth, failing to qualify for Europe, and were about to embark on a squad overhaul in terms of personnel and style. “I think there’s enough there that shows we are progressing and developing into the team we want,” Postecoglou said. “The key is the next 50 games: if they can be, in totality, better than the first 50? First, that means I’m here. Second, I think we’ll be in a good space. I firmly believe we’re on the right path. I firmly believe in this squad of players. I firmly believe we will have success. But I can see why outwardly, if you put a pin in it right now, it doesn’t look that way.” Postecoglou reported that Cristian Romero would miss the City game as he looks to recover full fitness after hamstring and toe problems. The manager’s other first-choice centre-half, Micky van de Ven, is out with a hamstring injury, meaning Radu Dragusin and Ben Davies are likely to start. Romero came off at half-time for Argentina against Paraguay on Thursday of last week and missed his country’s game against Peru on Wednesday. His daughter, Lucy, was born on Tuesday. Postecoglou admitted Romero had not been properly fit for a few weeks and he was asked whether he might have had second thoughts about him travelling to South America. Sign up to Football Daily Kick off your evenings with the Guardian's take on the world of football after newsletter promotion “Yeah, you do,” Postecoglou replied. “But there’s always a line there, especially with someone like Romero, where you’ve got to trust his judgment as well. He understands the responsibility he has. “I think when he went away, he realised that this is not healing the way we want it to. I said: ‘Just have a break. We need you 100% fit.’ As much as we’d love to have him out there, it’s best for him he gets totally over everything. He had the birth of his daughter this week, which is a significant event in his life. It’s important for him to pause a little bit and just spend some time with his family. He’s kind of over both [injuries] now. But we’ll just wait.” Postecoglou also addressed the fallout from Rodrigo Bentancur’s seven-game ban for making a racial slur against his teammate Son Heung- min. The club are understood to have not fined him and want the FA’s suspension reduced to the minimum tariff of six matches but their appeal has been criticised for its bad optics, particularly as their position is that Bentancur has made a mistake. The seventh game of his ban is against Liverpool. “I couldn’t care less who it is against and, yes, the appeal is worth it,” Postecoglou said. “We still have a judicial process. That’s why appeals are there. We think it was harsh, we think it should have been the minimum [punishment] and we’ll go through that process.”
The 26-year-old man charged in last week’s killing of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO appeared in a Pennsylvania courtroom Tuesday, where he was denied bail and his lawyer said he'd fight extradition to New York City, where the attack happened. Luigi Nicholas Mangione was arrested Monday in the Dec. 4 attack on Brian Thompson after police say a worker at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, alerted them to a customer who resembled the suspected gunman. When arrested, Mangione had on him a gun that investigators believe was used in the attack and writings expressing anger at corporate America, police said. As Mangione was led into the Hollidaysburg courthouse Tuesday, he struggled with officers and shouted something that was partly unintelligible but referred to an “insult to the intelligence of the American people.” He left hours later without saying anything and was driven away. Mangione is being held on Pennsylvania charges of possession of an unlicensed firearm, forgery and providing false identification to police. Manhattan prosecutors have charged him with five counts, including murder, criminal possession of a weapon and criminal possession of a forged instrument. What's the latest? Wearing an orange jumpsuit, Mangione mostly stared straight ahead during the hearing, occasionally consulting papers, rocking in his chair, or looking back at the gallery. At one point, he began to speak to respond to the court discussion but was quieted by his lawyer. Judge David Consiglio denied bail to Mangione, whose attorney, Thomas Dickey, told the court that his client did not agree to extradition and wants a hearing on the matter. Blair County (Pennsylvania) District Attorney Peter Weeks said that although Mangione will create “extra hoops” for law enforcement to jump through by fighting extradition, it won’t be a substantial barrier to sending him to New York. What evidence has been gathered? In addition to a three-page, handwritten document that suggests he harbored “ill will toward corporate America,” NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said Monday that Mangione also had a ghost gun, a type of weapon that can be assembled at home and is difficult to trace. Officers questioned Mangione, who was acting suspiciously and carrying multiple fraudulent IDs, as well as a U.S. passport, New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said. Officers also found a sound suppressor, or silencer, “consistent with the weapon used in the murder,” she said. He had clothing and a mask similar to those worn by the shooter and a fraudulent New Jersey ID matching one the suspect used to check into a New York City hostel before the shooting, the commissioner said. What do we know about Mangione? Mangione, who comes from a prominent Maryland family, was valedictorian of his elite Baltimore prep school and had degrees from one of the nation’s top private universities. He earned undergraduate and graduate degrees in computer science in 2020 from the University of Pennsylvania. Mangione's grandfather Nick Mangione, who died in 2008, was a successful real estate developer. One of his best-known projects was Turf Valley Resort, a sprawling luxury retreat and conference center outside Baltimore that he purchased in 1978. One of Luigi Mangione’s cousins is Republican Maryland state legislator Nino Mangione, a spokesman for the lawmaker’s office confirmed. From January to June 2022, Mangione lived at Surfbreak, a “co-living” space at the edge of touristy Waikiki in Honolulu. Josiah Ryan, a spokesperson for owner and founder R.J. Martin, said that Martin had learned that Mangione had severe back pain from childhood that interfered with many aspects of his life. Friends in Hawaii widely considered Mangione a “great guy,” and pictures on his social media accounts show a fit and smiling young man on beaches and at parties. Mangione likely was motivated by his anger at what he called “parasitic” health insurance companies and a disdain for corporate greed, according to a law enforcement bulletin obtained by The Associated Press. He wrote that the U.S. has the most expensive healthcare system in the world and that the profits of major corporations continue to rise while “our life expectancy” does not, according to the bulletin, based on a review of the suspect’s handwritten notes and social media posts. The shooting and a quick escape Police said the person who killed Thompson left a hostel on Manhattan's Upper West Side at 5:41 a.m. last Wednesday. Eleven minutes later, he was seen on surveillance video walking back and forth in front of the New York Hilton Midtown, wearing a distinctive backpack. At 6:44 a.m., he shot Thompson at a side entrance to the hotel, fled on foot, then climbed aboard a bicycle and within four minutes had entered Central Park, according to police. Another security camera recorded the gunman leaving the park near the American Museum of Natural History at 6:56 a.m. still on the bicycle but without the backpack, police said. After getting in a taxi, he headed north to a bus terminal near the George Washington Bridge, arriving at around 7:30 a.m. From there, the trail of video evidence runs cold. Police have not located video of the suspect exiting the building, leading them to believe he likely took a bus out of town. Police said they are still investigating the path the suspect took to Pennsylvania. “This just happened this morning," Kenny said. "We’ll be working, backtracking his steps from New York to Altoona, Pennsylvania,” Kenny said. Associated Press reporters Jamie Stengle, Lea Skene, Matt O'Brien, Sean Murphy and Cedar Attanasio contributed to this report. Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. The business news you need Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly.EFL still considering introduction of VAR despite objection from fans
Deepen Cooperation And Create The Future Together | The 2024 SLKOR Annual Agent Seminar Was Successfully ConcludedDecember 30 - Jayden Daniels hit Zach Ertz for a 2-yard touchdown with 2:42 left in overtime as the Washington Commanders beat the Atlanta Falcons 30-24 on Sunday night in Landover, Md., to secure their first playoff berth since the 2020 season. The Commanders (11-5) clinched a wild-card berth with their fourth straight win and could finish as high as the sixth seed in the NFC. In the NFC South, Atlanta (8-8) sits behind the first-place Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-7), who can clinch the division by defeating the New Orleans Saints in Week 18. Washington took the opening kickoff of the extra session, and Daniels later ran for 16 yards on third-and-2 at midfield, then passed to Chris Rodriguez Jr. two plays later for a 12-yard gain and another first down. Daniels eventually added a pair of 6-yard runs that got him in position to find Ertz for the game-winning points. Daniels completed 24 of 36 passes for 227 yards, three touchdowns and one interception and ran for 127 yards on 16 attempts. Ertz caught two touchdown passes, and Olamide Zaccheaus had eight catches for 85 yards and a score. Bijan Robinson ran for two touchdowns for the second straight game for Atlanta, and he finished with 90 yards on the ground. Michael Penix Jr. was 19-of-35 passing for 223 yards, one touchdown and one interception, and Drake London had seven catches for 106 yards. Atlanta's Riley Patterson came up short on a 56-yard field-goal attempt as time expired in regulation. With the Falcons trailing 24-17 and facing fourth-and-11 at the 50 with 2:39 remaining, Penix found London all alone for a 31-yard catch-and-run, but two plays later at the Washington 5, a bad snap on a wildcat play resulted in a 21-yard loss. Later, on fourth-and-goal from the 13, Penix rifled a pass to Kyle Pitts in the end zone to tie the game with 1:19 to go. The Commanders had built their 24-17 lead thanks to a strong fourth quarter, where they got a 2-yard TD run from Rodriguez and a 31-yard field goal from Zane Gonzalez. Robinson had a pair of 1-yard rushing scores in the first half to help Atlanta take a 17-7 lead into the break, but the Commanders drew within 17-14 with 7:13 left in the third quarter when Daniels and Ertz hooked up for a 10-yard touchdown. --Field Level Media Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. , opens new tab
Pakistan denounces U.S. sanctions on its missile program as biased and putting regional peace at risk
ST. CATHERINES , ON , Dec. 19, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Right Time Group of Companies ("Right Time" or the "Company"), a leading provider of residential heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), plumbing and electrical services, announced today it has named Jason Moore as Chief Financial Officer. Right Time is majority-owned by Gryphon Investors, a San Francisco -based middle-market private equity firm. Mr. Moore will be responsible for overseeing Right Time's financial operations and will play a significant leadership role in guiding the Company's financial and business strategy to support its long-term growth objectives. "Jason has extensive experience and a proven track record in financial leadership," said Right Time CEO Doug Hart . "Jason will play a pivotal role in working across the business to drive growth, and we are thrilled to welcome him to Right Time." During a 30+ year career, Mr. Moore has developed deep knowledge and expertise which he now brings to his new role at Right Time. Prior to joining the Company, he served as the CFO of SCI Group Inc., a leading Canadian third-party logistics company and as CFO of Acklands Grainger, Canada's largest distributor of maintenance, repair and operational supplies. Mr. Moore has also held a variety of impactful senior leadership positions at Molson Coors Canada, a multi-national drink and brewing company. He is a Chartered Accountant and began his career in the audit practice at Coopers & Lybrand in Toronto . "This is a very exciting time to join Right Time as the Company focuses on delivering home comfort solutions to Canadians coast to coast, growing its service and product offering as well as continuing to make solid progress towards its long-term strategy," said Mr. Moore. "I look forward to collaborating with Doug and the Right Time team to drive financial excellence, operational efficiency, and continued growth." Gryphon Deal Partner Alex Earls and Operating Partner Jeff Balagna said, "We are thrilled to welcome Jason to Right Time. His depth and breadth of financial and operational experience will be a significant asset to the organization." About Right Time Right Time is the largest independent residential HVAC contractor in Canada and operates 26 locations in Ontario , Nova Scotia , Manitoba , Saskatchewan , Alberta , and British Columbia . With over 1,400 employees, the company provides preventative maintenance programs, repairs, and replacements of household HVAC units. For more information about Right Time, visit https://right-time.ca/ About Gryphon Investors Gryphon Investors is a leading middle-market private investment firm focused on profitably growing and competitively advantaged companies in the Business Services, Consumer, Healthcare, Industrial Growth, Software, and Technology Solutions & Services sectors. With approximately $9+ billion of assets under management, Gryphon prioritizes investments in which it can form strong partnerships with founders, owners, and executives to accelerate the building of leading companies and generate enduring value through its integrated deal and operations business model. Gryphon's highly differentiated model integrates its well-proven Operations Resources Group, which is led by full-time, Gryphon senior operating executives with general management, human capital acquisition and development, treasury, finance, and accounting expertise. Gryphon's three core investment strategies include its Flagship, Heritage, and Junior Capital strategies, each with dedicated funds of capital. The Flagship and Heritage strategies target equity investments of $50 million to $500 million per portfolio company. The Junior Capital strategy targets investments of $10 million to $25 million in junior securities of credit facilities, arranged by leading middle-market lenders, in both Gryphon-controlled companies, as well as in other private equity-backed companies operating in Gryphon's targeted investment sectors. Contact: Lambert Caroline Luz 203-570-6462 cluz@lambert.com or Jennifer Hurson 845-507-0571 jhurson@lambert.com View original content: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/right-time-group-names-jason-moore-as-chief-financial-officer-302336505.html SOURCE Gryphon InvestorsLOS ANGELES (AP) — Southern California quarterback Miller Moss is entering the transfer portal after losing last month. Moss made his announcement on social media Monday. Moss started ' bowl victory last season and their first nine games this season before coach Lincoln Riley replaced him with Jayden Maiava in early November. “Being a USC Trojan was a lifelong dream of mine,” Moss wrote. “Putting on the cardinal and gold and competing on behalf of my teammates and school is something I will forever take pride in. I poured everything I have into this — body, heart, mind and soul — and am humbled by and proud of what my teammates and I accomplished.” Moss, who was born in Los Angeles and went to high school in the San Fernando Valley, signed with USC before Riley arrived at the school. Moss also stayed with the Trojans after Caleb Williams transferred from Oklahoma to rejoin Riley, and he served as Williams’ backup for two seasons before getting his chance to play with six touchdown passes in last year's Holiday Bowl. Moss completed 64.4% of his passes this season for 2,555 yards with 18 touchdowns and nine interceptions. After a spectacular 378-yard performance to beat LSU in the Trojans' season opener, Moss didn't play poorly as a starter, but he also wasn't a difference-maker while USC stumbled to a 4-5 record. Moss threw seven interceptions in his final five starts before losing the job to Maiava. The Trojans went 1-4 in that stretch under Moss, who plays as a more traditional pocket passer while Maiava has the mobility usually favored for quarterbacks in Riley's spread offense. “Looking towards the future, I'm unwaveringly committed to becoming an even better quarterback and leader, and to achieving this at the next level,” Moss wrote. Moss has already graduated from USC, putting him in the portal as a graduate student. USC (6-6) is headed to a lower-tier bowl game again to finish this season, its third under Riley. AP college football: and