The 26-year-old man charged in last week’s killing of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO appeared in a Pennsylvania courtroom on 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 last Wednesday's attack on Brian Thompson after they say a worker at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, alerted authorities 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 arrived at the 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.” 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. Here are some of the latest developments: 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's fighting extradition will create “extra hoops” for law enforcement to jump through, 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? Kenny said Mangione was born and raised in Maryland, has ties to San Francisco and that his last known address is in Honolulu. Mangione, who was valedictorian of his 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 on Monday. 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. Mangione likely was motivated by his anger with what he called “parasitic” health insurance companies and a disdain with corporate greed, said 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, which was based on a review of the suspect’s hand-written notes and social media postings. The defendant appeared to view the targeted killing of the UnitedHealthcare CEO as a symbolic takedown and may have been inspired by “Unabomber” Ted Kaczynski, whom he called a “political revolutionary,” the document said. 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. on 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 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.Learn the Importance of Keeping Business Exteriors Clean With Fresh Power Wash
2024-25 MLB Top 40 Free Agent Big Board: After Fried and Soto, what's the next big move?
50 Cent Suggests Jay-Z Could Be Dropped By NFL As Producer Of Super Bowl Halftime Show After Rape Allegations
Arizona WR Tetairoa McMillan to enter 2025 NFL Draft
Balancerveils Transformative v3 Update with Aave Partnership and Enhanced Developer Tools
Y-mAbs Presents SADA Platform Preclinical Data and Trial in Progress Posters at the 2024 American Society Hematology (ASH) Annual MeetingSuspect in the killing of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO contests extradition to New York
ST. LOUIS COUNTY — A proposed charter school to open in fall 2026 would be the first in the Riverview Gardens School District, which has not been fully accredited in nearly two decades. North County Innovative School plans to start with 100 students in preschool through second grade and add a grade each year to reach eighth grade with a total enrollment of 470. The school, which requires state approval next year, will focus on literacy, mental health and social-emotional learning, said executive director Denitria Neil. “I have been speaking with families that live in the area and they have been asking for educational options,” said Neil, who has previously worked in student support services in the Hazelwood and Normandy districts. Charter schools are taxpayer-funded and operate independently of the school district where they are located. Under state law, charters can open in St. Louis and Kansas City along with any provisionally accredited school district. State legislators passed a law this year that also allows charter schools in Boone County, although none are in the works and newly elected Sen. Stephen Webber, D-Columbia, has filed a bill that would repeal the provision. The Leadership School became the first charter school outside St. Louis or Kansas City when it opened in the Normandy school district in 2022. Neil served as the school’s director of student and community affairs for the first year. Charter schools have a mixed record in St. Louis where more than half of the 35 systems that have opened since 2000 were shut down for academic or financial failures. School districts in Missouri have historically been opposed to the expansion of charter schools. Riverview Gardens spokesman Ishmael Sistrunk did not respond Monday to a request for comment about the proposed North County Innovative School. Neil originally planned to open a high school in Normandy five years ago, but said she wasn’t ready at the time. The school is not affiliated with the Opportunity Trust, a local charter school funder. “The dream is to collaborate with Riverview Gardens School District and to do it collaboratively, to be a blueprint of what charter schools and districts can do together,” Neil said. Riverview Gardens began to falter in academics and finances in the 1990s and lost accreditation in 2007. The state took over the district with an appointed board in 2010. Three years later, a court ruling allowed hundreds of students to transfer to fully accredited districts, a decision that cost Riverview Gardens more than $23 million. Still, the district improved its test scores, graduation rates and attendance to regain provisional accreditation in 2016. Like most districts, Riverview Gardens lost ground after the pandemic and now ranks last academically among all Missouri districts with a 12.5% proficiency rate in English and 4% in math. Enrollment in kindergarten through high school has fallen below 4,900 from a high of 8,000 students in 2006. North County Innovative School will host a town hall meeting at 5:30 p.m. on Jan. 2 at Live Church in Glasgow Village. Jack Suntrup of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report.PRINCETON JUNCTION, N.J., Dec. 12, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MISTRAS Group, Inc. (NYSE: MG)—a leading "one source" multinational provider of integrated technology-enabled asset protection solutions, is pleased to announce the appointment of Hani Hammad as the Company’s Chief Operating Officer (COO), effective January 1, 2025. This appointment follows the recent hiring of Natalia Shuman as the Company’s President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), to whom Mr. Hammad will report directly. In addition to his role as COO, Mr. Hammad will continue serving as MISTRAS Group Executive Vice President. Spearheading Operational Excellence In his role as COO, Mr. Hammad will continue to drive operational excellence, strategic growth, and a culture of innovation at MISTRAS Group. Working closely with both executive and operational management, Mr. Hammad will shape and implement strategies that expand market share by delivering exceptional customer value while overseeing the company’s services and data analytics solutions. MISTRAS Group Executive Chairman of the Board, Manuel (Manny) N. Stamatakis, commented, “With his value-creation approach to operational leadership, Mr. Hammad consistently uncovers growth opportunities and drives impactful changes that accelerate our organizational progress. The Board of Directors and I are confident in his ability to generate high-margin value for MISTRAS Group and our shareholders.” “MISTRAS Group leads the industry due to the strength and expertise of our operational teams,” Hani Hammad stated. “My role is to enhance our resources' position to succeed, emphasizing continuous improvement through innovation and delivering differentiated, high-value solutions that meet our customers' evolving needs.” An Architect of Efficiency and Effectiveness Mr. Hammad joined MISTRAS Group after a tenure with global consultancy firm AlixPartners and recently served as MISTRAS Group’s Chief Transformation Officer (CTO). He has been pivotal in identifying and executing transformational value-creation opportunities, leading various process efficiency and organizational optimization initiatives, and driving MISTRAS’ investments in high-margin growth areas. The goal now is to further engrain the transformational, continuous improvement culture initiated by Project Phoenix into the company’s day-to-day operations on a permanent basis. This will help create additional value creation opportunities while sustaining the progress already made. He was instrumental in designing and managing MISTRAS Group’s Project Phoenix EBITDA Improvement Program, which identified over $47M in annual run rate EBITDA improvement opportunities. His expertise in facilitating operational and financial transformations has made him a trusted advisor in the industry, adept at leading complex value creation programs through challenging landscapes, including mergers & acquisitions and strategic market repositioning. About MISTRAS Group, Inc. - One Source for Asset Protection Solutions ® MISTRAS Group, Inc. (NYSE: MG) is a leading "one source" multinational provider of integrated technology-enabled asset protection solutions, helping to maximize the safety and operational uptime for civilization’s most critical industrial and civil assets. Backed by an innovative, data-driven asset protection portfolio, proprietary technologies, strong commitment to Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) initiatives, and a decades-long legacy of industry leadership, MISTRAS leads clients in the oil and gas, aerospace and defense, renewable and nonrenewable power, civil infrastructure, and manufacturing industries towards achieving operational and environmental excellence. By supporting these organizations that help fuel our vehicles and power our society; inspecting components that are trusted for commercial, defense, and space craft; building real-time monitoring equipment to enable safe travel across bridges; and helping to propel sustainability, MISTRAS helps the world at large. MISTRAS enhances value for its clients by integrating asset protection throughout supply chains and centralizing integrity data through a suite of Industrial IoT-connected digital software and monitoring solutions. The company’s core capabilities also include non-destructive testing field and in-line inspections enhanced by advanced robotics, laboratory quality control and assurance testing, sensing technologies and NDT equipment, asset and mechanical integrity engineering services, and light mechanical maintenance and access services. For more information about how MISTRAS helps protect civilization’s critical infrastructure and the environment, visit https://www.mistrasgroup.com/ . Contact: Nestor S. Makarigakis Group Vice President, Marketing and Communications MISTRAS Group, Inc. marcom@mistrasgroup.com +1 (609) 716-4000
Stock market today: Nvidia drags Wall Street from its records as oil and gold rise
Revolutionary Single-Layer Film Eliminates Helmet Changes, Enhancing Driver Safety and Performance LAS VEGAS , Dec. 11, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Racing Optics®, the global leader in high-performance tearoff visor film technology, proudly unveils its latest innovation: the Twilight Tearoff . This groundbreaking single-layer tearoff is engineered to elevate driver visibility during late-afternoon and early-evening races, providing superior glare reduction and contrast enhancement. The Twilight Tearoff redefines race-day performance by allowing drivers to maintain focus and adapt seamlessly to changing light conditions, eliminating the need for disruptive helmet changes. This innovation represents a significant leap forward in racing vision technology, delivering immediate and measurable benefits to professional drivers and teams alike. "The Twilight Tearoff solves one of racing's most persistent challenges—ensuring optimal visibility as lighting transitions rapidly during twilight races," said Chris Colton , Chief Applications Engineer at Racing Optics . "Our dedication to driver safety and performance drives every innovation, and the Twilight Tearoff is no exception." Transforming Racing at Twilight Racing teams are already embracing the Twilight Tearoff as a game-changing solution for twilight and low-light racing conditions. One racing team manager shared their experience: "In a recent twilight race, the Twilight Tearoff gave our drivers unmatched visual clarity. Transitioning from glaring sunlight to artificial lighting without pausing to change helmets was a decisive advantage that kept us competitive." By streamlining the driver experience, the Twilight Tearoff enhances safety and helps maintain uninterrupted race momentum—a critical edge in the high-stakes world of motorsports. Exclusive Debut at PRI Show 2024 The Twilight Tearoff will make its debut at the Performance Racing Industry (PRI) Show , held December 12–14, 2024, in Indianapolis, Indiana . This highly anticipated event marks Racing Optics' 25th anniversary , celebrating a legacy of trailblazing innovations in motorsports safety and performance. Availability The Twilight Tearoff is now available for purchase at RacingOptics.com and through authorized dealers. Teams and drivers looking to gain a competitive edge are encouraged to explore this latest advancement. About Racing Optics For 25 years, Racing Optics has led the field in racing vision technology, delivering innovative solutions that enhance safety and performance. With a commitment to collaboration and innovation, the company continues to push the boundaries of motorsports protective equipment. For additional information, please visit RacingOptics.com . Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2577485/Racing_Optics_Logo.jpgAmid a power crisis in Syria, India on Tuesday evacuated 75 Indian nationals from the conflict-torn country. The evacuation was conducted two days after the rebel forces ousted President Bashar Assad 's authoritarian government. According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the operation was coordinated by the Indian embassies in Damascus and Beirut following an assessment of the security situation. "The Government of India today evacuated 75 Indian nationals from Syria, following recent developments in that country," it said in a late-night statement. READ | Inside Assad regime's notorious prison: 'Tortured bodies, near-skeletal prisoners' The MEA further added that all the evacuees safely crossed over to Lebanon and would return by available commercial flights to India. Who are the evacuees? "The evacuees included 44 'zaireen' from Jammu and Kashmir who were stranded at Saida Zainab. All Indian nationals have safely crossed over to Lebanon and will return by available commercial flights to India," the MEA statement said. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated that the government prioritises the safety and security of Indian nationals abroad. READ | European countries halt Syrian asylum applications after Assad's fall "Indian nationals remaining in Syria are advised to stay in touch with the Indian Embassy in Damascus," the MEA advised. "The government will continue to closely monitor the situation," it added. The Syrian government on Sunday collapsed as rebel forces took control of Damascus following the strategic capture of several other prominent cities and towns. Soon after the capture, ousted President Bashar al-Assad fled the country and reportedly sought asylum in Russia after the rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) took control of Damascus. This marked the end of his family's 50-year rule. Assad's nearly 14-year tenure was marked by civil war, bloodshed, and a brutal crackdown on political opponents. On Monday, the MEA indicated that it is monitoring the developments in Syria and advocated for a peaceful and inclusive political process led by the Syrian people going forward. (With PTI inputs)