The gunman who stalked and killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson fled New York City by bus, police officials told CNN on Friday. Video of the suspected shooter leaving the scene of the shooting Wednesday showed him riding a bicycle to Central Park and later taking a taxi cab to a bus depot, Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny told CNN. Here's the latest: The gunman who killed the CEO of the largest U.S. health insurer may have fled the city on a bus, New York City police officials told CNN on Friday. Video of the suspected shooter leaving the scene of the shooting Wednesday showed him riding a bicycle to Central Park and later taking a taxi cab to a bus depot, Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny told CNN. “We have reason to believe that the person in question has left New York City,” Commissioner Jessica Tisch said. The gunman who killed the CEO of the largest U.S. health insurer made sure to wear a mask during the shooting yet left a trail of evidence in view of the nation’s biggest city and its network of security cameras that have aided authorities piecing together his movements and his identity. A law enforcement official said Friday that new surveillance footage shows the suspect riding the subway and visiting establishments in Manhattan and provided more clues about his actions in the days before he ambushed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson . The gunman’s whereabouts and identity remain unknown Friday, as did the reason for Wednesday’s killing. New York City police say evidence firmly points to it being a targeted attack . ▶ Read more about the search for the gunman In many companies, investor meetings like the one UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was walking to when he was fatally shot are viewed as very risky because details on the location and who will be speaking are highly publicized. “It gives people an opportunity to arrive well in advance and take a look at the room, take a look at how people would probably come and go out of a location,” said Dave Komendat, president of DSKomendat Risk Management Services, which is based in the greater Seattle area. Some firms respond by beefing up security. For example, tech companies routinely require everyone attending a major event, such as Apple’s annual unveiling of the next iPhone or a shareholder meeting, to go through airport-style security checkpoints before entering. Others forgo in-person meetings with shareholders. ▶ Read more about how companies protect their leaders Those images include New York’s subway system, a law enforcement official said. In establishments where the person was captured on camera, he always appeared to pay with cash, the official said. The official wasn’t authorized to discuss details of the ongoing investigation and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. — Mike Balsamo Medica, a Minnesota-based nonprofit health care firm that serves 1.5 million customers in 12 states, said it’s temporarily closing all six locations. The firm has offices in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Nebraska and North Dakota, and employs about 3,000 people. Employees will work from home, Medica spokesman Greg Bury said in an email Friday. “The safety of Medica employees is our top priority and we have increased security both for all of our employees,” a statement from Medica said. “Although we have received no specific threats related to our campuses, our office buildings will be temporarily closed out of an abundance of caution.” Bury also said biographical information on the company’s executives was taken down from its website as a precaution. The insurer cited the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in its announcement about the Dec. 12 event. “All of us at Centene are deeply saddened by Brian Thompson’s death and want to express our support for all of those affected. Health insurance is a big industry and a small community; many members of the CenTeam crossed paths with Brian during their careers,” Centene CEO Sarah M. London said in a news release. “He was a person with a deep sense of empathy and clear passion for improving access to care. Our hearts are with his family and his colleagues during this difficult time.” Centene Corp. has grown in recent years to become the largest insurer in Medicaid, the state- and federally funded program that covers care for people with low incomes. Insurers manage Medicaid coverage for states, and Centene has more than 13 million people enrolled in that coverage. The insurance company also said it’s focused on ensuring the safety of employees and assisting investigators. “While our hearts are broken, we have been touched by the huge outpouring of kindness and support in the hours since this horrific crime took place,” the company said. But he said Friday that he’s confident police will arrest the shooter. “We are on the right road to apprehend him and bring him to justice,” Adams said on TV station WPIX. Later, it removed their names and biographies entirely. Police and federal agents have been collecting information from Greyhound in an attempt to identify the suspect and are working to determine whether he purchased the ticket to New York in late November, a law enforcement official said. Investigators were also trying to obtain additional information from a cellphone recovered from a pedestrian plaza through which the shooter fled. The fatal shooting of Brian Thompson while walking alone on a New York City sidewalk has put a spotlight on the widely varied approaches companies take to protect their leaders against threats. Experts say today’s political, economic and technological climate is only going to make the job of evaluating threats against executives and taking action to protect them even more difficult, experts say. Some organizations have a protective intelligence group that uses digital tools such as machine learning or artificial intelligence to comb through online comments to detect threats not only on social media platforms such as X but also on the dark web, says Komendat. They look for what’s being said about the company, its employees and its leadership to uncover risks. ▶ Read more about the steps companies take to protect their leadership Police said Thursday they found a water bottle and protein bar wrapper from a trash can near the scene of the ambush and think the suspect bought them from a Starbucks minutes before the shooting. The items were being tested by the city’s medical examiner.WASHINGTON NASA’s Parker Solar Probe survived its record-breaking closest approach to the solar surface on Dec. 24, the US space agency said on Friday. By flying 3.8 million miles (6.1 million kilometers) above the surface of the Sun, it broke its previous record, according to the US space agency. "Flying this close to the Sun is a historic moment in humanity’s first mission to a star," Nicky Fox, leader of NASA’s science mission directorate, said in a statement. "By studying the Sun up close, we can better understand its impacts throughout our solar system, including on the technology we use daily on Earth and in space, as well as learn about the workings of stars across the universe to aid in our search for habitable worlds beyond our home planet," Fox added. Launched in 2018, the spacecraft used seven flybys of Venus to gravitationally direct it ever closer to the Sun.
NoneHeatwave warnings issued for millions of Aussies
Aston Villa fails in its bid to overturn Jhon Duran’s red card at NewcastleKing Machine Launches Ultra Clean Beverage Filling Technology for Enhanced Hygiene and Efficiency
BERKELEY, Calif. , Dec. 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Bamboo Technology , a mental health technology innovation company, is announcing its participation in Batch 19 of the prestigious UC Berkeley Skydeck IPP Program for startup acceleration. The company's HereHear AI therapist solution will be the key focus of the program, driven by the vision of revolutionizing mental health with AI-powered virtual solutions. To learn more about HereHear, please visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngU32WgiWf4 "HereHear is here in the US, and I am truly grateful to the Berkeley Skydeck IPP Program for recognizing its potential," noted Lynia Huang , Bamboo Technology's CEO. "As important as mental health has become in recent years, there is a shortage of mental health providers and access to support is low — and HereHear is paving the way for AI to bridge that gap as a first line of defense." A growing case for incorporating AI into mental healthcare With data showing that the US is in a mental health crisis, the CDC recently noted a dire need for public health initiatives that create environments centered around mental health. Specific to the workplace, the Society for Human Resource Management's Employee Mental Health in 2024 Research Series found that 44% of US employees feel burned out at work. The combination of a shortage of mental health providers in the US with the flourishing capabilities of AI builds a strong case for the technology to be deployed in the form of human-guided mental health solutions. HereHear's YangYang: A personalized 3D virtual therapist As organizations seek out ways to empower team members to take better care of their mental health, AI is increasingly emerging as a solution for on-demand, personalized support. Offering a more engaging interaction than chatbots, HereHear's 3D virtual therapist YangYang was launched in January 2024 and offers: YangYang has already been implemented in several therapy clinics and has helped 70% of users improve stress and depression levels by 25% within 3 months. Taking the form of a sheep further distinguishes her — this functions both to provide a 'cute' aspect lending to the warm, healing emotional support she provides, while also helping users who are struggling emotionally to keep in perspective that their interactions are ultimately not with a human. Bringing success in Taiwan to the US market Bamboo Technology's acceptance into the Berkeley Skydeck IPP Program is a major accomplishment as the platform seeks to enter the US market. Batch 19 has only 117 startups out of around 2300 applications, and the program will support HereHear to develop, pilot and launch, as well as to pitch for funding. The company aims to target the app in the human resources space—as a tool for companies to offer staff for on-demand, privacy-first mental health support. Back in Taiwan , the app already has hospitals, mental health clinics, universities, publicly listed companies, and government agencies that use it, similarly spurred by a shortage of mental health workers. About Bamboo Technology Established in November 2018 , the Taipei -based Bamboo Technology is a mental health technology innovation company that focuses on improving public mental health with voice emotion analysis technology. It embraces a belief that a universal, objective, and scientific mental health system can effectively solve the problem of deteriorating mental health in today's society — a core tenet upheld by its many psychologists; social workers; and information management, AI and big data experts. View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bamboo-technologys-herehear-virtual-ai-therapist-joins-berkeley-skydeck-ipp-program-302325187.html SOURCE BAMBOO TECHNOLOGY LTD.
Opinion editor’s note: Strib Voices publishes a mix of commentary online and in print each day. To contribute, click here . ••• The long lines on election days across countries and continents suggest dynamic democracies. But despite the calendar aligning for a record-setting number of people worldwide eligible to vote this year, democracy itself is actually imperiled. That’s the clear conclusion from Freedom House, which said in its annual “ Freedom in the World ” report that “flawed elections and armed conflicts contributed to the 18th year of democratic decline.” The “breadth and depth of the deterioration was extensive,” the think tank reported, adding that “political rights and civil liberties were diminished in 52 countries, while only 21 countries saw improvements.” That analysis was amplified in a similarly grim report from the Economist Intelligence Unit, which starkly stated that “conflict and polarization drive a new low for global democracy.” This dire data corresponds with, and may have been caused by, a commensurate retreat in media freedom, as evidenced by Reporters Without Borders’ annual World Press Freedom Index , which warned that “press freedom around the world is being threatened by the very people who should be its guarantors — political authorities.” Indeed, if democracy were a stock, “it would have suffered something of a price correction over the last 20 years,” said Richard Haass , the president emeritus of the Council on Foreign Relations. Haass, a veteran envoy who served Republican and Democratic administrations, was speaking via video on Tuesday night at a Minnesota Peace Initiative forum called “The World Votes: Global Democracy at a Crossroads.” The event, held in Minneapolis at Norway House (fitting, considering Norway held the top spot in the World Press Freedom Index and along with fellow Scandinavian nations is ranked as the world’s most free by Freedom House), drew a capacity crowd with many more online to hear from Haass, me and three other panelists: Chad Vickery , vice president of global strategy and technical leadership at the International Foundation for Electoral Systems; Aram Gavoor , a former Justice Department official and current professor at the George Washington University Law School; and Thomas Hanson , diplomat-in-residence at the University of Minnesota Duluth. Haass cited several factors for his clear-eyed diagnosis of democracy, including technological transformations that have ushered in an unsettled media landscape. “We live in one of the odd moments in history where there’s never been greater access to information and never been greater access to disinformation,” Haass said, adding that citizens don’t know if information is “accurate, fully accurate, partially accurate or essentially inaccurate.” That’s to autocrats’ advantage, asserted Gavoor, who said that this country’s competitors “have sought to exploit the U.S. democratic system for quite some time.” The “age of technology, especially with social media,” he said, has “taken on a dramatically different dimension.” Mentioned as additional direct democratic threats were distributed denial-of-service attacks and “strategic foreign mis- and disinformation campaigns that oftentimes are quite opportunistic and play on various doubts in the minds of Americans.” Gavoor gave this good news, however: “The federal government has actually gotten quite adept and capable with regard to identifying foreign mis- and disinformation to the extent that there are significant bodies that exist to combat these things,” like the National Security Council and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. But the threat to democracy from domestic disinformation is an even greater challenge, Gavoor said. And, he added, wherever the disinformation originates, the objective is similar. “Keep in mind that the end goal is not just to disrupt an American election or to cause a particular candidate to be advantaged or not. The end goal is to undermine the entire system of American governance and the faith in American democracy and perhaps greater softening of the resolve to maintain a democracy.” Disinformation is just one component corroding democratic norms within some countries, said Vickery. “We’ve learned how autocracy works: First, you have to win an election by popular vote, usually running against the elites in your country.” Next, he said, “you change the election laws, you game the system to make sure you can win again and not be challenged again.” “But then the third thing is you need to harass civil society in many places” — places like Norway House, he said. “After that, you need to pack the courts with judges who are going to support you, and then you want to enrich your cronies with corruption and then you buy up newspapers and television and make this propaganda machine.” If the democracy-tending attendees at Norway House were any indication, that’s not about to happen here. Indeed, the citizen engagement on display was considered a model by moderator Janet Dolan, who co-created the Minnesota Peace Initiative with her husband, William Moore. The other panelists concurred on Dolan’s admiration, and that along with a free press, such civic involvement should be inviolate in this country and the others it tries to inspire toward a democratic form of government. But the beacon that former Foreign Service officers like Hanson projected and protected on behalf of this country may not shine as bright in recent years. “I think many people in the world perceive that the American model of democracy is less compelling than it was, and that makes our work globally much more challenging,” said Hanson, who added, “and we’re beginning to see other narratives of contestation on democracy and on elections.” Hanson, who will hold his highly anticipated and attended Global Minnesota “ 2025 U.S. Foreign Policy Update ” on Jan. 23, began by saying he was “struck by the dichotomy between an agreed ‘recession of democracy’ and an unprecedented number of elections” this year. “I think that shows how elections nowadays are being used to legitimize variants of democracy.” Many “managed democracies around the world hold elections if they predetermine who can participate. This is the case in Russia. This is the case in Pakistan.” And, he added, “I hate to say it, but at the local level in our own country our two parties go to great lengths to prevent any third-party candidate from participating, which is a minor example of what I’m describing.” According to Vickery, those democracies, however managed or free and fair, have had results that can be categorized as “change-of-status elections” like in the U.S., U.K., South Africa, North Macedonia, Botswana, Senegal and others. Next are elections “solidifying power,” such as in Indonesia and Mexico. And more hopefully, there are examples of “bounce-back” democracies that through elections or civic action have gone “in the right direction,” including Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. While not as many will queue to choose their leaders next year, Vickery noted that there will be 102 elections in 68 nations affecting 1.2 billion citizens worldwide. So for many, 2025 will truly be an election year, even if globally it isn’t quite a year of elections like 2024. But democracy “is about more than voting,” said Haass. “We the citizens, we the people, have the obligation, and I would argue the self-interest, to exercise our democratic rights, to stay informed, to stay involved, and to make sure that those who are entrusted with outsized political power comport themselves and act consistent with the law, and act consistent with the norms that make our democracy what it is.” What it is can be credited in no small part to the kind of civil, civic engagement from groups like the Minnesota Peace Initiative and the involved, inspiring citizens attending Tuesday’s event.
"Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum." Section 1.10.32 of "de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum", written by Cicero in 45 BC "Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo. Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem. Ut enim ad minima veniam, quis nostrum exercitationem ullam corporis suscipit laboriosam, nisi ut aliquid ex ea commodi consequatur? Quis autem vel eum iure reprehenderit qui in ea voluptate velit esse quam nihil molestiae consequatur, vel illum qui dolorem eum fugiat quo voluptas nulla pariatur?" 1914 translation by H. Rackham "But I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system, and expound the actual teachings of the great explorer of the truth, the master-builder of human happiness. No one rejects, dislikes, or avoids pleasure itself, because it is pleasure, but because those who do not know how to pursue pleasure rationally encounter consequences that are extremely painful. Nor again is there anyone who loves or pursues or desires to obtain pain of itself, because it is pain, but because occasionally circumstances occur in which toil and pain can procure him some great pleasure. To take a trivial example, which of us ever undertakes laborious physical exercise, except to obtain some advantage from it? But who has any right to find fault with a man who chooses to enjoy a pleasure that has no annoying consequences, or one who avoids a pain that produces no resultant pleasure?" 1914 translation by H. Rackham "But I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system, and expound the actual teachings of the great explorer of the truth, the master-builder of human happiness. No one rejects, dislikes, or avoids pleasure itself, because it is pleasure, but because those who do not know how to pursue pleasure rationally encounter consequences that are extremely painful. Nor again is there anyone who loves or pursues or desires to obtain pain of itself, because it is pain, but because occasionally circumstances occur in which toil and pain can procure him some great pleasure. To take a trivial example, which of us ever undertakes laborious physical exercise, except to obtain some advantage from it? But who has any right to find fault with a man who chooses to enjoy a pleasure that has no annoying consequences, or one who avoids a pain that produces no resultant pleasure?" To keep reading, please log in to your account, create a free account, or simply fill out the form below.Farage: Badenoch must apologise for ‘crazy conspiracy theory’ on Reform numbersAfter Midnight’s Plan to Fix America Won Late Night This Week
New York Medical Cannabis Industry Challenges The State's System: $20M Fee Per Operator At Stake
Australia has defended the independence of the top international court after it issued arrest warrants for Israel’s prime minister, former defence minister and a Hamas commander. The International Criminal Court (ICC) found there were reasonable grounds that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defence minister Yoav Gallant bore criminal responsibility for alleged war crimes. This includes allegations of using starvation as a method of warfare and directing attacks against civilians in Gaza. The warrants are not a finding of guilt. The ICC rejected Israel’s challenge that it didn’t have jurisdiction over the matter. Australia respects the independence of the ICC and its important role in upholding international law. Australia is focused on working with countries that want peace to press for an urgently needed ceasefire. pic.twitter.com/SeHLuAk83Z — Senator Penny Wong (@SenatorWong) November 21, 2024 Australia respects the independence of the ICC and its “important role in upholding international law”, Foreign Minister Penny Wong said. “We have been clear that all parties to the conflict must comply with international humanitarian law,” she said in a statement on X. Senator Wong reiterated calls for civilians to be protected, hostages to be released, aid workers to be protected and for more humanitarian aid to flow. Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie said it was troubling that the court had targeted “an elected member of a democracy, of a sovereign nation-state, trying to protect his country from terrorists”. The ICC ruled it had jurisdiction to investigate the situation in Palestinian territories and that states couldn’t challenge the jurisdiction prior to a warrant being issued, “thus Israel’s challenge is premature”. Senior coalition figures have repudiated the court’s argument it has jurisdiction, arguing Australia’s position should be in line with the United States, which rejected the ruling. “They’re supposed to be working with nation states and their legal systems, not seeking to supplant them,” Senator McKenzie said of the ICC. “We would be looking to obviously stand with the United States on this issue.” However, the US isn’t an ICC member state – while Australia is – and Washington previously welcomed a warrant issued against Russian President Vladimir Putin for atrocities in Ukraine. Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the European Commission foreign affairs representative Josep Borrell said they would comply with the ruling. An arrest warrant was also issued for Hamas’ military wing commander Mohammed Diab Ibrahim Al-Masri for the crimes against humanity of murder, extermination, torture, and rape and other forms of sexual violence. There were reasonable grounds to believe he was also responsible for the war crimes of murder, cruel treatment, torture, taking hostages, outrages upon personal dignity, and rape and other forms of sexual violence, the court found. The decision by the independent court showed international humanitarian law needed to be upheld through fair and impartial judicial processes in all circumstances, ICC prosecutor Karim Khan said. “Our collective mind and focus should be on the victims of international crimes in Israel and in the State of Palestine,” he said in a statement after the warrants were issued . Situation in the State of Palestine: #ICC Pre-Trial Chamber I rejects the State of Israel’s challenges to jurisdiction and issues warrants of arrest for Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant. Learn more ⤵️ https://t.co/opHUjZG8BL — Int’l Criminal Court (@IntlCrimCourt) November 21, 2024 Arrest warrants for the leader of Hamas in Gaza and the former head of its political bureau were withdrawn following confirmation of their deaths. The official death toll in Gaza has eclipsed 44,000, according to the local health ministry, with tens of thousands more missing or believed to be buried under rubble. Israel’s war in Gaza was sparked by listed terror group Hamas’ attack on October 7, 2023 that killed 1200 people and resulted in 250 hostages being taken, according to Israel’s tallies. Almost 100 hostages are still missing, with 35 believed to be dead.
As we look back on 2024, it’s surprising how frequently McDonald’s has played a role in major news events. From high prices to a food recall, the campaign trail to the stunning capture of the suspect in the healthcare CEO shooting—all roads seem to lead to the Golden Arches. Perhaps there is nothing more American than McDonald’s, and like many consumers, who seem to be dusting themselves off after a difficult year, the Golden Arches heads into 2025 in decent shape . . . despite it all. Here is a recap of some of the biggest McDonald’s stories this year. | Inflation plagues consumers and McDonald’s prices soar McDonald’s faced backlash this year over its $18 Big Macs , leaving many price-conscious customers questioning whether it was still worth the cost . Faced with inflation and the high cost of living, customers just weren’t having it. In order to counteract the bad publicity it was receiving, McDonald’s rolled out a $5 meal deal which seemed to win over at least some customers and gave the stock a boost as Americans came back for the more affordable burgers. While fast-food prices have been on the rise across the board over the past decade , McDonald’s menu prices had the highest increases , doubling since 2014 for its most popular menu items. McDonald’s, however, has refuted that statistic, calling it “significantly inflated ” and saying earlier this year that the price of a Big Mac had risen 21% since 2019 (from $4.39 to $5.29). It also unveiled a new fan favorite, the Chicken Big Mac . Looking ahead, McDonald’s could continue to play a role in the national debate over our health and food supply, for better or worse—especially if Robert Kennedy Jr. is appointed head of Health and Human Services since he continues to scorn Trump’s weakness for fast food , literally calling Big Macs “poison.” McDonald’s Quarter Pounders linked to an E. coli crisis In a year with more than 300 food recalls , none seemed as well publicized, or as lamented, as the McDonald’s Quarter Pounder recall in October. The fast-food chain’s stock price plummeted after it became the center of a full-on E. coli outbreak, linked to onions on its Quarter Pounders. In the end, a significant number of people were affected across 14 states: 104 people became sick, 34 were hospitalized, and one person died. Customers boycott McDonald’s amid the Israel-Hamas war McDonald’s made headlines in the Middle East after McDonald’s Israel franchise gave away thousands of free meals to Israeli soldiers involved in the Israel-Hamas War. When the news came out, it resulted in a massive boycott by pro-Palestine protestors. McDonald’s Oman responded by announcing it would donate to relief efforts in Gaza. McDonald’s president and CEO Chris Kempczinski responded that “misinformation” was hurting sales in the region, and internationally, in part because the protests caused stores to limit their hours. Trump serves fries at McDonald’s on the campaign trail McDonald’s also played a role in the 2024 presidential campaign , when then-Republican nominee Donald Trump tried his hand at operating the fry machine at one of the fast-food giant’s Pennsylvania locations and held a press conference at the drive-thru window. The visit was largely seen as a way to counter, without evidence, stories of Democratic nominee Kamala Harris’s having worked at McDonald’s one summer while in college . Around the same time, the McDonald’s chronically broken ice cream machines became a rallying cry for Trump, who posted on X , “WHEN I’M PRESIDENT THE MCDONALD’S ICE CREAM MACHINES WILL WORK GREAT AGAIN!” (Their reliable unreliability was a source of jokes and memes, and even inspired McBroken, an online tracker ). In the end, however, it was the Biden administration that ended up fixing the machines . Trump called attention to Mickey D’s throughout his campaign, often having his staff pick up Big Macs and Filet-o-Fish sandwiches to serve on his plane . Luigi Mangione is arrested in a Pennsylvania McDonald’s When law enforcement officials first arrested Luigi Mangione, the 26-year-old suspect in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, many people were surprised that Mangione, who had alluded police for five days, was found at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania. “He was just sitting there eating,” said Joseph Kenny, the New York Police Department’s chief of detectives. It was also surprising who found him. Police, who received hundreds of tips and processed forensic evidence including DNA, fingerprints, and ID addresses in the course of its manhunt, eventually found Mangione after a tip from a local McDonald’s employee—which seems like a fitting end to both the manhunt and McDonald’s 2024 year in news. The extended deadline for Fast Company’s World Changing Ideas Awards is this Friday, December 13, at 11:59 p.m. PT. Apply today.
TRAVEL New York can be a magical place for museumgoers. It also can be overwhelming and overcrowded at times, especially at the biggest, most famous museums. Luckily, the city has scores of great museums to choose from: Everything from small and quirky, to elegant gems housed in historic mansions, to preserved Lower East Side tenement apartments and hands-on experiences that might surprise even longtime New Yorkers. "Going to the Museum of Modern Art or the Metropolitan Museum of Art or the American Museum of Natural History is fantastic. But they can be like a big super-sized coff ee drink, while we're more like a cup of espresso," says Alex Kalman, director of two of the city's tiniest museums, Mmuseumm1 and Mmuseumm2. One is built into an old elevator shaft in a downtown alleyway. At other small museums you'll find a cozy, Viennese-style coffee shop; kosher Jewish comfort food; and edgy gift shops. You could view the chair that George Washington sat in before giving his inaugural address to Congress. Or you might make seltzer or solve math puzzles. Here's some of what's happening at NYC's "other" museums: This museum, housed in a 1914 Gilded Age mansion that was once home to society doyenne Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt III, focuses on art and design from Austria and Germany. Its Cafe Sabarsky is a destination of its own, with 1912 upholstery, period decor, and a grand piano in the corner used for cabaret, chamber and classical music performances. On view now is "Egon Schiele: Living Landscapes" and "Austrian Masterworks from the Neue Galerie." Tucked inside the Fashion Institute of Technology, behind the big sculpture in front, is the city's only museum solely devoted to fashion. And it's free. Opening in February is "Fashioning Wonder: A Cabinet of Curiosities," exploring connections between cabinets of curiosities and fashion. On view now are "Illit Azouley: Mere Things," the first solo exhibit in a U.S. museum dedicated to the Berlin-based artist, and "Engaging with History: Works from the Collection." Other displays include the "Tel Dan Stele," a 9th century BCE stone monument fragment containing the earliest mention of the royal House of David outside of the Bible. The gift shop features an impressive array of specialty gifts, including works by artist Oded Halahmy. There's a cafe with updated takes on traditional bagels, blintzes, herring and house-cured salmon. One of the city's two Smithsonian museums, the Cooper Hewitt focuses on innovative design. Its gift shop rivals MoMA's, and there's a private garden and small restaurant. The museum is housed in the former home of industrial magnate Andrew Carnegie.Completed in 1902, the mansion was the first in the U.S. to have a structural steel frame, and one of the first in the city to have a passenger elevator and central heating. It is now LEED-certified and features other cutting-edge technologies. A major exhibit on now, "Making Home: Smithsonian Design Triennial," explores design's role in shaping concepts of home, physically and emotionally. It sprawls over the entire mansion and will be on view through Aug. 10. The other Smithsonian in town, it's at the lower end of Manhattan inside the Alexander Hamilton U.S. Customs House, now a city landmark. Admission is free, and current exhibitions include "Jeff rey Veregge: Of Gods and Heroes," "Native New York" and "Infinity of Nations." The gift shop features authentic Native American art, crafts, apparel and jewelry from a wide representation of groups, in addition to books by and about Native Americans. With something for all ages, the Tenement Museum is housed in two preserved tenement buildings, one from 1863 and the other from 1888. Each apartment is a kind of time capsule, telling the story of a diff erent immigrant or migrant family who lived there. The museum also off ers walking tours of the neighborhood. "What is most unique about the Tenement Museum is that it shines the spotlight on 'ordinary people' — working-class families who never imagined they'd one day be the subject of a museum," says Tenement Museum President Annie Polland. A great way to learn more about the city's history, including the fact that Washington was inaugurated here. A permanent gallery on the fourth floor features a detailed recreation of the White House Oval Office in Washington, D.C., where presidents have worked since 1909. The Meet the Presidents Gallery traces, through artwork and objects, the evolution of the presidency and executive branch. Also on view is the chair from Washington's inauguration at Federal Hall, on Wall Street, the only presidential inauguration held in New York City. Other current exhibits include "Pets and the City," "Fred W. McDarrah: Pride and Protest." There's a permanent "Gallery of Tiff any Lamps." A hands-on museum with all kinds of math-oriented puzzles and thought-inspiring curiosities, like a tricycle with square wheels that rides smoothly on a zigzagged surface. In an exhibit called "Human Tree," visitors can make successively smaller images of themselves that combine to make a "fractal tree" that sways in response to their movements. An interactive museum and factory tour run in partnership with the city's oldest seltzer works, a family business now in its fourth generation. The museum, inside Brooklyn Seltzer Boys' active factory, is "dedicated to preserving and promoting the eff ervescent history of seltzer water," and celebrates "the manufacturing of seltzer, the science of seltzer, and seltzer as a cultural force in New York City and the world beyond." Not to mention, guests can spritz each other with seltzer.A banner hanging from on overpass along the southbound lane of I-83 that says, "Deny Defend Depose Health Care 4 All." Lloyd Fox | Baltimore Sun | Tribune News Service | Getty Images Major insurance stocks have fallen more than 6% since their closing prices last Tuesday, the day before the deadly shooting of Brian Thompson, CEO of UnitedHealth Group 's insurance arm, in midtown Manhattan. That includes UnitedHealth, CVS Health and Cigna , which operate three of the nation's largest private health insurers. Thompson, 50, led UnitedHealthcare, the largest private payer of health insurance benefits in the U.S. Luigi Mangione , 26, is accused of fatally shooting Thompson outside the Hilton hotel in midtown Manhattan early Wednesday last week, as the CEO headed to UnitedHealth Group's investor day. Investigators have said Mangione was a critic of the health-care industry, a view some Americans sympathized with online in the days after Thompson's death. The stock performance of the companies appears to be in response to the "renewed rhetoric" condemning insurers' business models, where they "wind up incredibly profitable at the expense of some patients at different points of the year," Jared Holz, Mizuho's health-care equity strategist, said in an interview. He noted that it is not a new theme in the industry, which many Americans blame for their spiraling health-care costs. "I think the response investors have had is, 'do we want to own this category of stocks if there's going to be this now renewed negative focus on the industry?'" Holz said. UnitedHealthcare, similar to other big insurers, has faced lawsuits and criticism from regulators, lawmakers and patients alike over allegedly denying claims to maximize their profits. Americans have criticized insurance companies over denied coverage for services or treatments, unexpected bills, hefty out-of-pocket costs and the dizzying complexity of navigating coverage, among other issues. While backlash to the industry has mounted since the shooting, Holz said the negative stock reaction will likely wind up being "fairly short-lived." He added that he does not expect insurance companies to make material changes to their policies in response to the killing. "Do I think companies do anything proactively different on the back of this? No," Holz said. Booking photo of Luigi Mangione in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania. Source: PA Department of Corrections New York prosecutors charged Mangione with second-degree murder, criminal possession of a loaded gun and other crimes Monday night, hours after his arrest in Altoona, Pennsylvania. The New York charges followed Mangione's first court appearance in Pennsylvania on separate gun and forgery counts. Mangione, a private-school valedictorian and Ivy League graduate who belongs to an influential Maryland family, was held without bail after his arraignment Monday evening. In a court hearing Tuesday afternoon, Mangione refused to waive his right to challenge his extradition to New York City. A judge denied Mangione's bail, sending him back to a Pennsylvania prison for the time being. At the time of his arrest, Mangione was carrying handwritten pages that criticized the U.S. health-care industry and singled out UnitedHealthcare, law enforcement officials told NBC News. "I do apologize for any strife or traumas but it had to be done. Frankly, these parasites simply had it coming," Mangione wrote, NBC reported. Authorities are still investigating the motive for the shooting, which will "come out as this investigation continues to unfold over the next weeks and months," New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch told NBC's "TODAY" show on Tuesday. But she noted that Mangione's note had "anti-corporatist sentiment, a lot of issues with the health care industry." 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Emotional Coleen Rooney bursts into tears as she reunites with her sons in I'm A Celeb camp as she confesses 'I've missed you so much' For all the latest news from the jungle follow our I'm A Celeb live blog Have YOU got a story? Email tips@dailymail.com By KIRSTEN MURRAY FOR MAILONLINE Published: 09:00 AEDT, 7 December 2024 | Updated: 09:14 AEDT, 7 December 2024 e-mail 13 View comments Coleen Rooney burst into tears after she was greeted by her mother Colette during Friday's emotional episode of I'm A Celeb. The friends and family of the remaining I'm A Celebrity campmates surprised their loved ones and the WAG, 38, was overcome with emotion after she ran to give her mum a huge hug as she exclaimed: 'I don't want you to leave me now!' Yet that wasn't the only surprise for the mother-of-four, as she was interrupted by a 'boo' in the background and turned over her shoulder to see her youngest sons Kit, eight, and Cass, six, running into camp to give their mum a hug. Kit joked: 'She stinks!' as he hugged her before updating her on some special news from the football pitch as he shared: 'I won City!' and she replied: 'Brilliant, did you score?' An emotional Kit nodded, as Coleen reassured him: 'I'm crying because I'm happy, because I've missed you so much!' Coleen wasted no time at all giving her mum and two boys a tour of the camp, including her bed and the dunny, before Cass tried on her jungle hat. Emotional Coleen Rooney burst into tears as she reunited with her sons in I'm A Celeb camp as she confessed 'I've missed you so much' The WAG, 38, was overcome with emotion after she ran to give her mum a huge hug as she exclaimed: 'I don't want you to leave me now!' Giving them an emotional hug goodbye she told the boys it was only a couple more days and then it would be the countdown to Christmas . Meanwhile Danny Jones was also left fighting back his tears after he was reunited with his wife Georgia and son Cooper, six. His son said: 'I'm really excited to see my dad! a s Georgia added: 'He's been doing amazing, he said he wanted to make you proud didn't he, and show you how to be brave. We think he's achieved that.' As Danny came around the corner to see his wife and son, he couldn't believe his eyes and dropped down to give Cooper and Georgia a big joint hug as he fought back tears as he asked his son: 'Are you crying happy tears as well?' An emotional Danny said: 'That was the best surprise I think I've ever had in my life, just an amazing feeling,' as Cooper joked: 'Luckily you haven't been voted out yet!' Danny asked 'Have you been telling everyone at school to vote for me?' As Cooper nodded. With Cooper in his arms, he told her and Georgia: 'Honestly this place is an amazing place, even though it's been challenging. It just makes you realise how much you love people and you put stuff into perspective.' Saying their goodbyes, Cooper hugged his dad tight for one last time as he said: 'I don't wanna let go!' Coleen was joined by her mum Colette and youngest sons Kit, eight, and Cass, six, running into camp to give their mum a hug Coleen looked overjoyed as her sons joined her in camp Coleen said: 'I'm crying because I'm happy, because I've missed you so much!' She ran into her mum's arms Danny Jones was also left fighting back his tears after he was reunited with his wife Georgia and son Cooper, six As Danny came around the corner to see his wife and son, as he fought back tears and asked his son: 'Are you crying happy tears as well?' GK Barry couldn't believe her eyes when she saw her mum Lorretta sat down at the creek as she shrieked and welled up. Giving her mum a hug she joked: 'Do I smell?' before adding: 'I've missed you guys so much!' The social media star has struck a firm but unlikely friendship with Reverend Richard Coles as she explained: 'But you and the Rev, everyone's talking about you and the Rev! 'He's a very calming influence on you' As she added: 'I think you and the Rev should go on the road!' Speaking about one of their rogue conversations, her mum joked: 'Did you really have to talk about scissoring?! Everyone knows about that now!' Richard was joined by his brother Will as the vicar joked: 'We've met in some funny places, haven't we? but this is really the funniest of them all!' Will told Richard that partner, Dickie sent his love and that they have two weeks camping in Bognor Regis to look forward to when they get back, to which Richard replied: 'Great!' Sharing his experience, he said: 'The people are great, we've had a really, really good time and everything that's worked, has worked because we've all come together.' GK Barry couldn't believe her eyes when she saw her mum Lorretta sat down at the creek as she shrieked and welled up Speaking about one of their rogue conversations, her mum joked: 'Did you really have to talk about scissoring?! Everyone knows about that now!' Richard was joined by his brother Will as the vicar joked: 'We've met in some funny places, haven't we? but this is really the funniest of them all!' In an emotional moment Will gushed: 'Seriously, we are really super proud of you,' as Richard replied: 'Don't say that, that's embarrassing!' Oti Mabuse reunited with her husband Marius as he gifted his wife with an outfit her daughter had worn the day before Marking their ten year anniversary, Marius revealed he has bought the dancer a new ring, as an excited Oti couldn't wait to try it on In an emotional moment Will gushed: 'Seriously, we are really super proud of you,' as Richard replied: 'Don't say that, that's embarrassing!' Will continued: 'Don't be embarrassed, allow yourself to be showered with love and glory and all of that malarkey.' 'Whatever you do, whether you stay right through the end or whether you're out sooner, you've just done wonders. Boy done good!' Oti Mabuse reunited with her husband Marius as he gifted his wife with an outfit her daughter had worn the day before. A crying Oti hugged and smelt it, as she declared: 'This is the perfect gift!' Marking their ten year anniversary, Marius revealed he has bought the dancer a new ring, as an excited Oti couldn't wait to try it on. Oti said: 'This is exactly what I needed to spur me on until the end.' As they went their separate ways, Oti gave him lots of kisses goodbye and she told him: 'I love you.' Coleen couldn't wipe the smile off her face as she hugged her sons Later on, a surprised Alan found his brother Stephen waiting for him in the jungle clearing as he asked 'How's Sienna?' Later on, a surprised Alan found his brother Stephen waiting for him in the jungle clearing as he asked 'How's Sienna?' Stephen explained: 'Everyone's proud of you, Sienna especially, she's watching every night.' Getting emotional, Alan said: 'Will you speak to her, yeah, and give her my love? I've missed her a lot, it's been tough!' Asking his brother if he'd lost any weight whilst being in the jungle, Stephen replied: 'You have lost weight, when we see you in the shower on the telly I thought I'm the fat kid now! I'm the fat brother!' Prompting Alan to laugh and cheer: 'Yeaaah!' When the time came to say their goodbyes, Alan gave his brother a final, long hug, and said 'Obviously give everyone my love but make sure you speak to Sienna and just tell her I miss her. It comes after Maura Higgins and Barry McGuigan became the latest contestants to be evicted from I'm A Celeb just days before the final. It was a double eviction during Thursday's episode after celebrities had the chance to win immunity and go straight through to the final and the famous Cyclone challenge in a new twist which debuted this series. After the contestants went head to head in Wednesday's trial, winners Maura Higgins, Oti Mabuse , Coleen Rooney and Danny Jones battled it out for immunity in a final challenge at the Arcade of Agony. But it was Oti who was victorious as the dancer completed the Tetris like challenge in the quickest time and won the golden ticket. However the immunity twist has left the show embroiled in fix rows as fans took to Twitter to share their disappointment that they didn't have full autonomy over the votes. They wrote: 'Anyone else feeling like the Golden ticket to Cyclone has taken something away from us as the viewers? Coleen shares sons Kai, 15, Klay, 11, Kit, eight and Cass, six, with her husband Wayne It comes after Maura Higgins and Barry McGuigan were the latest contestants to be evicted from the camp just days before the final as show becomes embroiled in 'fix' row It was a double eviction during Thursday's episode after celebrities had the chance to win immunity and go straight through to the final in a new twist which debuted this series 'One of the biggest parts of this show is us voting to see our faves in this iconic trial. (No hate to Oti intended, love her. Just a thought and not that serious.)'; 'This feels like a fix. I reckon Oti was low in the voting and she somehow had a 'technique' that helped her win?'; 'For a bit, it felt like producers may have been trying to rig it for either Maura and Coleen to get through but didn't expect Oti to be smarter at figuring it out'. However others were overjoyed that Oti had won as they added: 'I am so glad Oti won the golden ticket, she really deserves that'. Meanwhile Maura was met by her friend Talia off the bridge because her 'Mammy' Sharon was unable to make the 22-hour flight Down Under. A late arrival alongside the Reverend Richard Coles, 63, the pair struck up an unlikely friendship when they were tasked with being the 'villains' of the camp by staying in the luxury Jungle junkyard. So entertaining is their partnership, that fans have since called for the pair to have their own television show when the Reverend comes out of the Jungle. Admitting she had a 'gut feeling' she told Ant and Dec in her exit interview: 'I'm really happy. I said it this morning it's my time, I had a gut feeling and they're never wrong. Oti Mabuse won immunity ahead of the final as she received a 'golden ticket' through to the Cyclone trial after battling it out with Coleen Rooney, Danny Jones and Maura Higgins However the immunity twist has left the show embroiled in fix rows as fans took to Twitter to share their disappointment that they didn't have full autonomy over the votes However others were overjoyed that Oti had won as they added: 'I am so glad Oti won the golden ticket, she really deserves that' Barry captured the nation after he opened up about the death of his daughter, Danika, who died aged 33 from bowel cancer in 2019 after a shock diagnosis Read More I'm A Celeb fans SLAM 'manipulative' twist as it is revealed one celebrity will win immunity 'I didn't think I would embrace it as much as i have and I loved every single second. It's mad how it changes you.' Sharing her love for the Richard she revealed he is her winner as she continued: 'I absolutely love Reverend Coles, he is so hilarious the things he comes out with shocks me and I don't get shocked much' The star added: 'One thing I said when I came in was I do not want to say 'I'm a Celebrity Ge tme out of here' and I still don't know how I did that trial with spiders. I'm much tougher than I ever thought.' Later on I'm A Celebrity Unpacked she joked: 'I take the Lord's name in vain quite a lot and of course I was put in there with a Reverend of all people, but we just clicked.' Maura also admitted: 'I missed my Mammy, I've just been on facetime with her.' Also eliminated, Barry was reunited with his wife of 40 years, Sandra, after two weeks in the Australian jungle as she met him off the bridge. Speaking with hosts Ant and Dec he said: 'I'm the original cyclone, so I'm disappointed that I'm not slipping and looking like a clown in it. 'The Jungle was much tougher than I expected, the food was the toughest part, everything tasted bland and ridiculous.' The boxing legend also opened up on his sweet bond with McFly's Danny Jones, as he added: 'I think he's going to be the King, he's a great fella. We have a lot in common because my dad was a musician and I loved his creativity.' A late arrival alongside the Reverend Richard Coles, 63, the pair struck up an unlikely friendship and are in talks to front their own show Barry was reunited with his wife of 40 years, Sandra, after two weeks in the Australian jungle as she met him off the bridge He also told Sam on the spin off show: 'I knew as son as I saw Danny we were going to get on because he has the same humour as my sons. 'He is so talented and hilariously funny. He hasn't had a great relationship with his Dad and I said: 'I'll be your Dad'. He's a great fella and I truly think we'll be friends for life.' The former sportsman also gushed about his family as he added: 'I'm madly in love with my wife, we've been together since 1981 and I can't wait to see my grandchildren.' The father-of-four captured the nation after he opened up about the death of his daughter, Danika, who died aged 33 from bowel cancer in 2019 after a shock diagnosis. Struggling with her health at an early age, the award-winning Philomena actress was diagnosed with Leukaemia when she was 11 years old. And in what has come to be known as the most emotional moment in I'm A Celebrity's 22-year run, the Northern Irish boxing champion told his campmates about his relenting grief. Maura was met by her friend Talia off the bridge because her 'Mammy' Sharon was unable to make the 22-hour flight Down Under Later on I'm A Celebrity Unpacked she joked: 'I take the Lord's name in vain quite a lot and of course I was put in there with a Reverend of all people, but we just clicked' He said: '[Danika] had leukaemia when I was making The Boxer with Daniel Day-Lewis. 'Three weeks from the end I had to leave because she'd been diagnosed with leukaemia. 'They thought she wasn't going to get better but she fought back and she won it. She had two years of chemo.' As he began to cry campmates gathered around with McFly frontman Danny Jones and NDubz's Tulisa Contostavlos offering a hug, as Barry gushed: 'Thank you, you're all so lovely, I really appreciate it.' Later going to tell Loose Women's Jane Moore about Danika's second and final bout with cancer, he said: 'She had pains in her tummy but she was making the movie, she put it off and went to the doctor, called us all in. 'Stage 4 bowel cancer, 5 weeks, 5 weeks she died.' Meanwhile during her time in the Jungle, Maura lifted the lid about her rumoured relationship with the Strictly star, Pete Wicks, and revealed they had been dating and she missed him. Admitting she had a 'gut feeling' she told Ant and Dec in her exit interview: 'I'm really happy. I said it this morning it's my time, I had a gut feeling and they're never wrong' Sharing her love for the Richard she revealed he is her winner as she continued: 'I absolutely love Reverend Coles, he is so hilarious the things he comes out with shocks me and I don't get shocked much' Meanwhile during her time in the Jungle, Maura lifted the lid about her rumoured relationship with the Strictly star, Pete Wicks, and revealed they had been dating and she missed him She said: 'I am single but I was dating someone before I came out here.' When asked if she and the TOWIE, 39, were exclusively dating, she revealed she didn't know but this relationship felt 'different because we've known each other for so long'. Later on the spin off show Sam Thompson, who is Pete Wicks's best friend, teased: 'Just say Pete, we all know that's who you've missed most. We've all been talking about it. All I can say is, welcome to the family.' It came as sources close to Wicks told the Mail on Sunday that he had ended his 'fling' with his Strictly partner, Jowita Przystal, to 'try and win Maura back' who he is 'smitten' about. A friend said: 'Before Maura entered the jungle, Pete wanted to make their relationship exclusive but Maura, aware of Pete's reputation and his close bond with Jowita, decided to slow things down. She gave him an ultimatum: either commit to her or let it go and she went to the Jungle as a single woman.' Since then, the reality TV lothario has gone all-in, openly expressing his feelings to anyone who'll listen and is showing his support for her on his Instagram page by asking people to vote for Maura. Meanwhile, her mother Sharon, who Maura has called her 'therapist', said she 'didn't know anything' about Pete and that he was 'just some friend of Maura's'. Coleen Rooney Danny Jones Share or comment on this article: Emotional Coleen Rooney bursts into tears as she reunites with her sons in I'm A Celeb camp as she confesses 'I've missed you so much' e-mail Add comment