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: Police believe gunman who killed UnitedHealthcare CEO has left New York City 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. Gunman’s steps after killing UnitedHealthcare’s CEO give police new clues 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 For many companies, investor meetings are seen as a risk 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 Police have obtained other surveillance images of the person wanted for questioning 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 Another health insurer taking precautions after the shooting 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. Government health insurance provider Centene Corp. says its Investor Day will now be virtual 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. UnitedHealth Group says it’s focused on supporting Brian Thompson’s family 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. NY Mayor Eric Adams provided no new information on investigation’s progress during interviews 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. Hours after the shooting, UnitedHealthcare removed photographs of its executives from its website Later, it removed their names and biographies entirely. Investigators believe the suspect may have traveled to NY last month on a bus that originated in Atlanta 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. Killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO spotlights complex challenge companies face in protecting top brass 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 test DNA and fingerprints on discarded bottle as they hunt for UnitedHealthcare CEO’s killer 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. The Associated PressTang Contemporary Art in Hong Kong welcomes the new year with Oracle , a solo exhibition by Japanese artist and fashion designer Ryunosuke Okazaki . With a focus on prayer, peace and spirituality, Okazaki presents a profound meditation on humanity’s relationship with the sacred through his signature of intricate forms, winding lines and infinite spirals. Drawing from ancient texts like the Nihon Shoki and Kojiki , the exhibition reimagines oracles as living entities imbued with spiritual significance. In this space, they are less an absolute truth and more an unresolved mystery, reflecting humanity’s ongoing dialogue with the divine. This influence is echoed in Okazaki’s artistic exploration which emphasizes materiality as an active participant in creating meaning. Blending the simplicity of Jomon pottery with technological precision, his works evoke a symbiosis between humanity, nature and technology. Hailing from Hiroshima, the artist weaves historical memory and advanced technologies into an alluring exploration of spirituality in the modern age. Through recurring themes of prayer, Zen meditation and the principle of “non-action,” his works muddy the lines between material and spiritual realms, reconnecting art to the ineffable essence of existence. Oracle will open at Tang Contemporary Art Hong Kong on January 11 and will be on view through February 19, 2025. Tang Contemporary Hong Kong 20/F, Landmark South, 39 Yip Kan Street, Wong Chuk Hang, Hong Kong
NEW YORK — Technology stocks pulled Wall Street to another record amid a mixed trading session. The S&P 500 rose 0.2 percent Monday from its all-time high set on Friday to post a record for the 54th time this year. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.3 percent, while the Nasdaq composite gained 1 percent. Super Micro Computer, a stock that's been on an AI-driven roller coaster, soared 28.7 percent to lead the market. Following allegations of misconduct and the resignation of its public auditor, the maker of servers used in artificial-intelligence technology said an investigation found no evidence of misconduct by its management or by the company's board. It also said that it doesn't expect to restate its past financials and that it will strengthen its governance. Big Tech stocks also helped prop up the market. Gains of 1.8 percent for Microsoft and 3.2 percent for Meta Platforms were the two strongest forces pushing upward on the S&P 500. Retailers were mixed amid what was expected to be the best Cyber Monday on record and coming off Black Friday. NEW YORK — Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger has retired, the struggling chipmaker said Dec. 2 in a surprise announcement. Two company executives, David Zinsner and Michelle Johnston Holthaus, will serve as interim co-CEOs while the company searches for a replacement for Gelsinger, who also stepped down from the board. The departure of Gelsinger, whose career spanned more than 40 years, underscores the turmoil at Intel. The company was once a dominant force in the semiconductor industry but has been eclipsed by rival Nvidia, which has cornered the market for chips that run artificial intelligence systems. Gelsinger started at Intel in 1979 at Intel and was its first chief technology officer. He returned to Intel as chief executive in 2021. Gelsinger said his exit was "bittersweet as this company has been my life for the bulk of my working career," he said in a statement. "I can look back with pride at all that we have accomplished together. It has been a challenging year for all of us as we have made tough but necessary decisions to position Intel for the current market dynamics." Gelsinger's departure comes as Intel's financial woes have been piling up. The company posted a $16.6 billion loss in the most recent quarter and the company's shares have fallen by more than half since he took over as CEO. Gelsinger announced plans in August to slash 15 percent of its workforce — or about 15,000 jobs — as part of cost-cutting efforts to to save $10 billion in 2025. NEW YORK — Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares is stepping down after nearly four years in the top spot of the automaker, which owns car brands like Jeep, Citroën and Ram, amid an ongoing struggle with slumping sales. The world's fourth-largest carmaker announced that its board accepted his resignation Dec. 1, effective immediately. Stellantis said the process of finding a new, permanent CEO is "well under way." In the meantime, the company says a new interim executive committee, led by chairman John Elkann, will be established. As head of PSA Peugeot, Tavares took control of the Netherlands-based company in January 2021 — when it merged with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, creating an automotive giant that is the parent to several well-known brands today. Beyond Jeep, Citroën and Ram, the company portfolio includes Dodge, Chrysler, Fiat, Peugeot, Maserati and Opel. Stellantis' North American operations had been the company's main source of profits for some time, but struggles piled up this year, with the company citing rising competition and larger market changes. As a result of lofty sticker prices and fewer affordable options, many high-priced vehicles have been left unsold. NEW YORK — Travelers heading home after the Thanksgiving holiday are setting a record. T he Transportation Security Administration said it screened nearly 3.1 million travelers on Dec. 1, breaking the previous record by about 74,000. That mark was set on July 7, also a Sunday after a holiday, July Fourth. Hundreds of thousands of travelers were delayed or had their flights canceled. FlightAware says more 6,800 flights were delayed on Sunday, with the highest numbers at Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International and Chicago’s O’Hare Airport. WASHINGTON — A top Federal Reserve official said he is leaning toward supporting an interest rate cut but that evidence of persistent inflation before then could cause him to change that view. Speaking at George Washington University, Christopher Waller, a key member of the Fed’s board of governors, said he was confident that inflation is headed lower and that the central bank will likely keep reducing its key rate, which affects many consumer and business loans. But he noted that there’s a risk that inflation “may be getting stuck above” the 2 percent target, which would support an argument for keeping the rate unchanged when the Fed meets later this month. DETROIT — A Stellantis joint venture with Samsung SDI has won a commitment from the U.S. Energy Department for up to a $7.54 billion loan to help build two electric vehicle battery plants in Kokomo, Ind. The project being built by StarPlus Energy LLC is expected to create at least 2,800 jobs at the plants and hundreds more at parts suppliers. StarPlus has to meet technical, legal, environmental and financial conditions. It’s unclear whether the loan will be funded before President-elect Donald Trump takes office on Jan. 20. Trump has pledged to end funding for EV projects, which he called the “green new scam.” WASHINGTON — Antitrust enforcers with the Federal Trade Commission have opened a wide-ranging investigation into Microsoft’s business practices, starting off a big legal project that an incoming Trump administration must take up or abandon. The FTC is investigating Microsoft’s cloud computing business and related product lines such as artificial intelligence and cybersecurity, according to a person who was not authorized to publicly discuss details of the investigation and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. It’s the latest action of more than three years of aggressive antitrust enforcement shepherded by FTC Chair Lina Chan, who was elevated to lead the agency by President Joe Biden after he came into office pledging tougher scrutiny of monopolistic behavior by Big Tech companies. FRANKFURT, Germany — Volkswagen workers launched rolling two-hour strikes Monday at nine plants across Germany to underscore their resistance to 10 percent pay cuts and factory closures the company says are necessary to cope with a slack European auto market. The work stoppages included the VWompany's base plant at Wolfsburg, where workers rallied against a cost-cutting drive by the automaker's management in which they face the threat of the company's first plant closures in its home country. VW has said it must lower costs in Germany to levels achieved by competitors and by its plants in eastern Europe and South America. Chief employee representative Daniela Cavallo has said employees should not shoulder the burden of management failures to develop attractive products and come up with a cheaper, entry-level electric vehicle. The so-called warning strikes, a common tactic in German wage negotiations, are taking place as part of talks for a new labor agreement after a mandatory peace period that bars strikes expired on Sunday. The IG Metall industrial union said any job actions beyond those occurring on Monday would be announced later. .None
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