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Black Friday is inching closer, but shoppers may want to lower their expectations for the biggest shopping day of the year. Personal finance website WalletHub said that 41% of products offer no greater savings on Black Friday compared to prices in the days and weeks before. That isn't to say you won't find great deals on Black Friday, but it can vary depending on where you look. WalletHub said jewelry had the best savings at 37% off, followed by apparel and accessories at 31%. Discounts on toys are generally about 23%. Consumer electronics generally have discounts of less than 20%. “WalletHub found that around 41% of Black Friday items offer no real savings for consumers compared to their usual prices, but the items that are on sale are an average of 24% off, with the highest markdown at 89%," Chip Lupo, a WalletHub analyst said in the report. RELATED STORY | Forget about Black Friday; plumbers are getting ready for Brown Friday Last year, a record 200.4 million consumers shopped over the five-day holiday weekend from Thanksgiving Day through Cyber Monday, according to the National Retail Federation. On Black Friday itself, over 76 million Americans shopped in person while more than 90 million people shopped online. Of those who shopped during Thanksgiving weekend last year, 49% purchased clothing and accessories. The National Retail Federation expects Black Friday to be quite busy again this year with 131.7 million people to shop online, in-person or both the day after Thanksgiving. RELATED STORY | Thanksgiving meals expected to be cheaper in 2024 as turkey prices drop Retailers say it's not just deals that attracts customers. There is a social aspect involved with shopping on days like Black Friday. “Younger shoppers are most likely to take advantage of Thanksgiving weekend deals this year, with 89% of young adults between 18-24 planning to shop over the weekend,” Prosper Insights & Analytics Executive Vice President of Strategy Phil Rist said. “The social aspect of holiday shopping is also enticing to this age group, and they are most likely to shop because it’s a group activity that can be enjoyed with friends and family (20%).”NonePalantir stock is hot right now, but it would be a bad idea to chase it now, a Baird analyst said. ( ) has been soaring this year as the company emerged as a major player in artificial intelligence and in the defense market. But Baird analyst William Power counseled caution on the stock at this time. He initiated coverage at neutral with a $70 price target. "We are positive on the company's position, but are wary of chasing given strong year-to-date performance and valuation," Power said in a Wednesday client note. Palantir "has excelled at actually putting generative AI applications into production, which is where we expect most value to be extracted in the coming years." But Power pointed to risks with the stock. One is the fact that Palantir has outpaced the S&P 500 big time, "suggesting high expectations, though we also acknowledge the strong, accelerating operating momentum." The change in Washington also means uncertainty, although it could also benefit Palantir. "New administration risk?" Power wrote. "Any pause in contract awards could be a near-term risk, though ultimately we believe Palantir can provide a force multiplier for government efficiency." The cautious view comes at a time when Palantir remains a Wall Street favorite. PLTR stock has gained more than 325% year to date, making it the top performer in the S&P 500 this year. Palantir stock hit a record 80.91 Monday morning but reversed lower. That was a time when investors could have chosen to take some profits in the highflier. The AI stock fell to 68.09 intraday Wednesday before rebounding for a modest gain. Shares edged up 0.9% to 73.13 on Thursday afternoon. Palantir stock remains well above its 50-day and 21-day moving averages, even with the mini-pause this week. Palantir also has a perfect Relative Strength Rating of 99, according to .
Smart kitchen gadget gifts to wow homeowners this holiday seasonBallybofey and Stranorlar Historical Society launches bumper ‘Annual’ next weekNew contract lows in Chicago wheat futures this week are hardly indicative of global supply concerns, but traders might want to eye what’s happening in the Black Sea region more closely. Winter grains in top wheat exporter Russia are in the worst-ever condition, and Ukraine’s current shipping capabilities could soon come under threat. Russia and Ukraine accounted for a third of global wheat exports last marketing year. Ukraine’s agricultural exports have faced challenges ever since Russia invaded the country nearly three years ago as port infrastructure has been a prime target for attacks. This forced Ukrainian grain exporters to seek an alternative route through Romania’s Constanta port on the Black Sea. The frontrunner for Sunday’s Romanian presidential runoff has suggested halting Ukrainian grain exports out of his country if elected. The move could be popular with Romanian farmers, who have previously protested the transit of Ukrainian farm goods to preserve local markets. It is unclear whether this ban is likely or even possible, but Ukraine’s involvement has had some positive economic impacts. Overall traffic of goods at Constanta in 2023 surged 22.5% on the year, largely owing to ongoing European Union-funded infrastructure projects. But it could be problematic if Ukraine lost Constanta as an outlet under a worst-case scenario. Constanta handled 14 million metric tons of Ukrainian grain in 2023, accounting for roughly 30% of Ukraine’s total grain exports that year. For the 2024-25 marketing year that began July 1, Ukraine’s wheat exports are seen falling 14% from the previous year. However, Ukrainian grain exports from Constanta in the first 10 months of 2024 have dropped 52% on the year as Ukraine has increased reliance on its own seaports. This dampens the impact of a potential Constanta loss, but the continuing war with Russia means that threats to Ukraine’s seaports never completely vanish. Luckily for Ukrainian exporters, they had shipped half of the government-agreed wheat export volume for 2024-25 as of Nov. 13. A top Russian official on Thursday said the winter crops are in poor condition, just one day after Russian analysts reported winter crops in the worst-ever health, citing data not usually made public. The official also said the situation is not critical, but a deeper dive may suggest otherwise. The analysts said at least 37% of winter crops are in poor condition compared with 4% a year ago, and this is the worst rating ever recorded. On average over the last five years, just 8% of winter crops are in poor shape by this date. Further, only 31% of crops are in good condition versus 74% a year ago. The portion of crops in good condition is a 23-year low. The last time Russia’s grains were in concerning shape ahead of the winter was in 2020, when about 22% of the crops were in poor condition as of early December. At the time, it was the worst rating in seven years. Although the exact figure is not known, the share of good-rated crops four years ago was not a seven-year low, setting it apart from this season. The woes in both years were caused by dry weather during fall planting. The 2025 Russian wheat harvest may already be starting in a hole. Farmers said last month they would sow less wheat this year in favor of more profitable crops, including oilseeds. Preliminary estimates have pegged the 2025 harvest close to 2024 levels, which were down 20% from the record 2022 result. Wheat is a notoriously hearty plant that can recover from harsh conditions if weather turns favorable, so it might be difficult to drum up traders’ fears over Russia this early in the game. But once the crop breaks dormancy in the spring, satellite imagery as well as recent weather data should offer good clues as to the state of Russia’s wheat crop, regardless of whether the government chooses to share the intel. Source: Reuters (Editing by Sonali Paul)
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.As the holiday season kicks into high gear, people are filled with excitement to see family and friends, and kitchens begin to buzz with the familiar aroma of festive dishes. According to a recent Instacart survey of over 2,000 U.S. adults by The Harris Poll, 88% are gearing up to cook festive meals for occasions like Christmas, Hanukkah, or New Year's Eve. This report explores the food and drink trends surrounding Christmas, Hanukkah, and New Year's using Instacart purchase data from the 2023 holiday season — as well as a recent Harris Poll survey. Winter Holidays: Deliciously Diverse Traditions 'Tis the season to serve holiday dishes at various gatherings, with 67% of those surveyed saying family traditions are a top influence when selecting winter holiday dishes. Leading on the nostalgia front, a notable 73% of women (vs. 61% of men) and the same percentage of married individuals (vs. 62% not married) find themselves most influenced by these time-honored practices. Boomers (70%) are also more likely than Gen Z and millennials (61% and 63% respectively) to tap into their family favorite recipes for the holidays. When it comes to the different generations, Gen Z and millennials stand out as particularly budget-savvy. Nearly one in three Gen Z (32%) and millennials (30%) consider the cost of ingredients a top priority when planning their holiday feast. And among those who make holiday dishes, 31% of Gen Z and 34% of millennials are adventurous in the kitchen, desiring to experiment with new recipes. Main dish masterpieces: Turkey (56%) and ham (52%) are the most preferred festive staples on holiday tables. However, the younger generations are venturing beyond the traditional, favoring chicken dishes (47% Gen Z and 43% millennials vs. 28% Gen X and 21% Boomers) and enjoying vegetarian or vegan options (13% Gen Z and 11% millennials vs. 6% Gen X and 4% Boomers). Sipping Into the Season Fun beverages can add to the festive atmosphere of the holidays—and hot chocolate is the clear frontrunner warming the hearts of Americans everywhere. According to the survey findings, here are the top five seasonal sippers Americans say are among their favorite winter holiday beverages: Hot chocolate - 58% Eggnog - 42% Cider - 26% Mulled wine - 13% Hot toddy - 13% Gearing Up for Gift Giving During the week before Christmas last year, Instacart data showed an unmissable trend: customers were largely focused on preparing their gifts. Gift wrapping paper is a great proxy to measure gift-giving behavior, and orders containing wrapping paper peaked on Dec. 23—just two days before Christmas. In addition, these are the top five items that surged the week before Christmas, per Instacart purchase data: • Ribeye roast • Christmas cards • Gift wrap • Gift tags • Stockings • Sugar and Spice Delights For many, the holidays aren't complete without a batch of festive cookies. In fact, 41% of Americans look forward to them each year. But which cookie is the real crowd-pleaser? According to this survey, the top five favorite holiday cookies are: • Chocolate chip - 57% • Sugar - 52% • Peanut butter - 40% • Gingerbread - 33% • Snickerdoodle - 32% While some cookies may fly off the plate at a holiday party, some tend to linger a bit longer. Our survey found that the least favorite cookies are: • Oatmeal raisin - 21% • Molasses - 19% • Peppermint or mint chocolate - 17% • Meringues - 16% • Biscotti - 15% Instacart has created the Candy Cane Index to answer questions like, Is it too early to start hanging holiday lights? There's been a lot of talk over the past few years about starting the holidays earlier and earlier, so Instacart looked within its grocery catalog to see if there was a clear indicator of this trend. It turns out that candy cane purchases are the most closely related item to the beginning of Christmas festivities, so this variable is named the Instacart Candy Cane Index. Early Holiday Spirit Shines With Candy Canes and Latkes According to the Instacart Candy Cane Index, orders containing candy canes passed a critical seasonal threshold a full week earlier in 2023 compared to 2017. The earliest this happened was in 2020 (Nov. 30) and 2021 (Nov. 29), when people were social distancing and craving holiday joy sooner than ever before. Instacart anticipates this year the trend will keep pace with 2023, likely with an increase for candy cane purchases on or around Dec. 3. A Hanukkah favorite: Bring out the sour cream and applesauce to enjoy alongside classic Jewish latkes. On the first day of Hanukkah last year, orders for latkes increased by an impressive 2,626% compared to the yearly average. Instacart data also showed that purchases for latkes jumped around other notable Jewish observances of Passover, Rosh Hashanah, and Yom Kippur in early April and mid-September in 2023. New Year's Tradition: Black-Eyed Peas for Luck and Prosperity According to Southern tradition, eating black-eyed peas on New Year's Day is considered to bring luck and prosperity in the year ahead. On New Year's Eve, the share of orders that contained black-eyed peas spiked 2,480% above the yearly average order share. Georgia alone ordered black-eyed peas 217% more often than the overall national average. Survey Method This survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of Instacart from September 19-23, 2024, among 2,077 adults ages 18 and older. The sampling precision of Harris online polls is measured by using a Bayesian credible interval. For this study, the sample data is accurate to within +/- 2.5 percentage points using a 95% confidence level. This story was produced by Instacart and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
It’s official: Justin Trudeau has finally given up on being the prime minister of Canada. There have been plenty of previous warning signs. During the NAFTA renegotiations, for instance, Trudeau pressed the United States and Mexico to include progressive concepts like gender rights and Indigenous rights, which have nothing to do with free trade. His ignorance of the nuances of the job was on full display in 2021, when he said, “You’ll forgive me if I don’t think about monetary policy.” And his decision to go surfing in Tofino, B.C., during the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in 2021 showed his complete disinterest in national leadership. What Trudeau recently said about U.S. president-elect Donald Trump, the U.S. election and feminism proves that he’s shifted from a lame-duck to a dead-duck prime minister. On Tuesday evening, Trudeau spoke at an event hosted by the Equal Voice Foundation, a “registered charity dedicated to improving gender representation in Canadian politics,” according to its website. He clearly decided that this was the perfect venue to spout off several buckets of drivel about Trump and the U.S. election to a largely like-minded audience. “Just a few weeks ago, the United States voted for a second time to not elect its first woman president,” he said at the Equal Voice Gala Marking International Human Rights Day in Ottawa. “Everywhere, women’s rights and women’s progress is under attack. Overtly, and subtly. But I want you to know that I am, and always will be, a proud feminist. You will always have an ally in me and in my government.” These lines perfectly define Trudeau’s nine years as prime minister: divisive and delusional. Let’s start with his decision to keep calling himself a feminist. That’s pretty rich, all things considered. Two former senior cabinet ministers, Jody Wilson-Raybould and Jane Philpott, would likely disagree based on their experiences in pushing back against the prime minister during the SNC-Lavalin affair. Celina Caesar-Chavannes, Trudeau’s former parliamentary secretary, would also likely disagree based on the “hostility” and “anger” she reportedly faced in private conversations with him. Ruth Ellen Brosseau, a former NDP MP who he bumped into during a May 2016 parliamentary session, in what came to be known as “Elbowgate,” might like a word, too. Meanwhile, over half of eligible American voters didn’t decide not to elect its first female president. They decided that Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris was a lousy choice who lacked the political knowledge, policy understanding and horse sense to lead the country. Trump may have his faults, but as I wrote in these pages recently, he’s a “far more competent political leader on his worst day than Harris would ever be on her best.” Also, when has Canada ever elected a female prime minister? The only woman to hold the position, Kim Campbell, was chosen by delegates at the Progressive Conservative leadership convention in 1993. It appears that Trudeau has a selective memory — or no memory at all. Returning to Trump, it’s fair to say that Trudeau’s comment was his mealymouthed way of countering the president-elect’s recent trolling efforts. This goes back to their Nov. 29 dinner meeting at Mar-a-Lago in Florida. Trudeau reportedly told Trump that his proposed 25 per cent tariff on all Canadian goods would destroy Canada’s economy. Trump then jokingly said that Canada could become the 51st state, with Trudeau serving as its governor. Trump continued to tease Trudeau in the days that followed. There was the widely viewed Dec. 3 meme that Trump posted to Truth Social of an AI-generated image of him standing on a mountain next to a Canadian flag, with the words, “Oh Canada!” On Tuesday, he called Trudeau “governor” and Canada a “great state.” Trudeau’s decision to push back by lamenting the results of the U.S. election may have given him some pleasure in private, but it was an extraordinarily stupid move to make in public. Trump, like most world leaders, knows this prime minister is weak and ineffective. He didn’t have much respect for Trudeau to begin with, and this indirect jab probably eliminated what little he had left. In the midst of difficult discussions about forthcoming tariffs that could potentially hurt both countries’ economies, it is beyond comprehension that the prime minister would choose to poke the presidential bear. That’s not the way to save us from Trump, which Trudeau claims only he can accomplish. No one is suggesting the prime minister should lay down and give in to every demand that Trump makes. Then again, Trump makes some fair points about this government’s lack of commitment to border security and national defence. This is the perfect opportunity to implement much-needed reforms. If Canadian goods end up getting hit with a 25 per cent tariffs, it will be due to Trudeau’s decision to have seemingly given up on being our leader. What a disgrace. National Post
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Google has released 'Veo', a generative AI model that can transform images and text into high-resolution videos. 'Veo' is Goolgle's first generative AI model. A recent study by Google found that companies working in generative AI have seen an 86% growth surge. Veo's release follows this trend. Videos produced by Veo will have more accuracy. Veo aims to surpass 'Sora', the AI model developed by OpenAI three months ago. Meanwhile, cyber experts have raised concerns about the potential misuse of women's and children's photos on the platform. However, Google has assured that it will take measures to prevent the misuse of copyrighted images. Videos with 1080p resolution Google's 'Veo' allows users to create custom videos using simple text prompts. For instance, you can instruct Veo to create a video of a butterfly flying through a garden. Alternatively, you can provide separate images of the butterfly and garden. The resulting video will have a 1080p resolution. Veo also enables users to create videos longer than a minute.Luigi Nicholas Mangione, the suspect in the fatal shooting of a healthcare executive in New York City, apparently was living a charmed life: the grandson of a wealthy real estate developer, valedictorian of his elite Baltimore prep school and with degrees from one of the nation's top private universities. Friends at an exclusive co-living space at the edge of touristy Waikiki in Hawaii where the 26-year-old Mangione once lived widely considered him a “great guy,” and pictures on his social media accounts show a fit, smiling, handsome young man on beaches and at parties. Now, investigators in New York and Pennsylvania are working to piece together why Mangione may have diverged from this path to make the violent and radical decision to gun down UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in a brazen attack on a Manhattan street. The killing sparked widespread discussions about corporate greed, unfairness in the medical insurance industry and even inspired folk-hero sentiment toward his killer. But Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro sharply refuted that perception after Mangione's arrest on Monday when a customer at a McDonald's restaurant in Pennsylvania spotted Mangione eating and noticed he resembled the shooting suspect in security-camera photos released by New York police. “In some dark corners, this killer is being hailed as a hero. Hear me on this, he is no hero,” Shapiro said. “The real hero in this story is the person who called 911 at McDonald’s this morning.” Mangione comes from a prominent Maryland family. His grandfather, Nick Mangione, who died in 2008, was a successful real estate developer. One of his best-known projects was Turf Valley Resort, a sprawling luxury retreat and conference center outside Baltimore that he purchased in 1978. The Mangione family also purchased Hayfields Country Club north of Baltimore in 1986. On Monday, Baltimore County police officers blocked off an entrance to the property, which public records link to Luigi Mangione’s parents. Reporters and photographers gathered outside the entrance. The father of 10 children, Nick Mangione prepared his five sons — including Luigi Mangione’s father, Louis Mangione — to help manage the family business, according to a 2003 Washington Post report. Nick Mangione had 37 grandchildren, including Luigi, according to the grandfather's obituary. Luigi Mangione’s grandparents donated to charities through the Mangione Family Foundation, according to a statement from Loyola University commemorating Nick Mangione’s wife’s death in 2023. They donated to various causes, including Catholic organizations, colleges and the arts. One of Luigi Mangione’s cousins is Republican Maryland state legislator Nino Mangione, a spokesman for the lawmaker’s office confirmed. “Our family is shocked and devastated by Luigi’s arrest,” Mangione’s family said in a statement posted on social media by Nino Mangione. “We offer our prayers to the family of Brian Thompson and we ask people to pray for all involved.” Mangione, who was valedictorian of his elite Maryland prep school, earned undergraduate and graduate degrees in computer science in 2020 from the University of Pennsylvania, a university spokesman told The Associated Press. He learned to code in high school and helped start a club at Penn for people interested in gaming and game design, according to a 2018 story in Penn Today, a campus publication. His social media posts suggest he belonged to the fraternity Phi Kappa Psi. They also show him taking part in a 2019 program at Stanford University, and in photos with family and friends at the Jersey Shore and in Hawaii, San Diego, Puerto Rico, and other destinations. The Gilman School, from which Mangione graduated in 2016, is one of Baltimore’s elite prep schools. The children of some of the city’s wealthiest and most prominent residents, including Orioles legend Cal Ripken Jr., have attended the school. Its alumni include sportswriter Frank Deford and former Arizona Gov. Fife Symington. In his valedictory speech, Luigi Mangione described his classmates’ “incredible courage to explore the unknown and try new things.” Story continues below video Mangione took a software programming internship after high school at Maryland-based video game studio Firaxis, where he fixed bugs on the hit strategy game Civilization 6, according to a LinkedIn profile. Firaxis' parent company, Take-Two Interactive, said it would not comment on former employees. He more recently worked at the car-buying website TrueCar, but has not worked there since 2023, the head of the Santa Monica, California-based company confirmed to the AP. From January to June 2022, Mangione lived at Surfbreak, a “co-living” space at the edge of touristy Waikiki in Honolulu. Like other residents of the shared penthouse catering to remote workers, Mangione underwent a background check, said Josiah Ryan, a spokesperson for owner and founder R.J. Martin. “Luigi was just widely considered to be a great guy. There were no complaints,” Ryan said. “There was no sign that might point to these alleged crimes they’re saying he committed.” At Surfbreak, Martin learned Mangione had severe back pain from childhood that interfered with many aspects of his life, including surfing, Ryan said. “He went surfing with R.J. once but it didn’t work out because of his back,” Ryan said, but noted that Mangione and Martin often went together to a rock-climbing gym. Mangione left Surfbreak to get surgery on the mainland, Ryan said, then later returned to Honolulu and rented an apartment. An image posted to a social media account linked to Mangione showed what appeared to be an X-ray of a metal rod and multiple screws inserted into someone's lower spine. Martin stopped hearing from Mangione six months to a year ago. An X account linked to Mangione includes recent posts about the negative impact of smartphones on children; healthy eating and exercise habits; psychological theories; and a quote from Indian philosopher Jiddu Krishnamurti about the dangers of becoming “well-adjusted to a profoundly sick society.” Mangione likely was motivated by his anger at what he called “parasitic” health insurance companies and a disdain for corporate greed, according to a law enforcement bulletin obtained by AP. He wrote that the U.S. has the most expensive healthcare system in the world and that the profits of major corporations continue to rise while “our life expectancy” does not, according to the bulletin, based on a review of the suspect’s handwritten notes and social media posts. He appeared to view the targeted killing of the UnitedHealthcare CEO as a symbolic takedown, asserting in his note that he is the “first to face it with such brutal honesty,” the bulletin said. Mangione called “Unabomber” Ted Kaczynski a “political revolutionary” and may have found inspiration from the man who carried out a series of bombings while railing against modern society and technology, the document said. Associated Press reporters Lea Skene in Baltimore; Jennifer Sinco Kelleher in Honolulu; Maryclaire Dale in Philadelphia; John Seewer in Toledo, Ohio; and Michael Kunzelman in Washington, D.C., contributed to this report.
Independent candidate for Bradfield Nicolette Boele (Image: Private Media) When Liberal frontbencher Paul Fletcher gave a speech declaring the teals a “Green left con job”, it was clear he’d made a huge mistake. Fletcher insulted teal voters, suggesting they’d been “duped” by left-wing front groups. According to Bernard Keane , the bizarre conspiracy was the most interesting thing the Bradfield MP had ever said, arguing Fletcher had failed to grasp why traditional liberals were turning away. Letters from locals were equally scathing, with one declaring Fletcher “just signed [his] own dismissal notice”. It seemed like good news for independent Nicolette Boele, the self-styled “shadow member for Bradfield”, who reduced Fletcher’s margin to just 4.2% in 2022 (a redistribution has since cut it to 2.5%). North Sydney MP Kylea Tink, whose neighbouring seat is being abolished , then revealed she wouldn’t contest Bradfield, backing Boele while comparing Fletcher to “a child throwing his toys out of the cot”. Paul Fletcher’s grand conspiracy theory is the most interesting thing he’s ever said Read More On Tuesday, Fletcher announced his retirement — making him the second “moderate” to quit in as many weeks . Colleagues were surprised , telling Crikey he’d been campaigning for reelection. “Time to let somebody else have a go”, Fletcher said, downplaying teal chances by arguing “the local mood is discernibly different from 2022”, when voters were eager to remove Scott Morrison. Boele was already a community candidate to watch in 2025. But the outlook just became even brighter for the clean energy expert, who’s spent the entire term campaigning (an incumbent’s retirement usually costs their party 1-2% of its margin ). Her team has knocked on about 5,000 doors in the wealthy electorate, spending mornings at bus stops and train stations; she even kept her campaign office, from which “ Voices of Bradfield ” helped run Bradfield for Yes , becoming the only Liberal-held seat to vote in favour of the Voice referendum. Donations have increased since Fletcher’s remarks, allowing Boele to hire more people for her campaign, which is mostly powered by volunteers — the “secret sauce” of the movement. She credits Tink for the extra “momentum”, noting the “generous endorsement” saw several members of Team Tink join Team Nic. Did the backlash to the speech contribute to Fletcher throwing in the towel? “I don’t know what was in Mr Fletcher’s mind,” Boele tells me. “If you can see your main opponent, and it’s a two-horse race, has been in the field for that long ... Maybe the 12 letters to The Sydney Morning Herald as soon as he insulted everybody was a feedback loop that he needed.” Boele has been critical of the speech, arguing it showed little respect for Fletcher’s constituents. Her statement about it was titled , “Bradfield voters aren’t dopes, Paul”. When I ask how it made her feel, she gives a very teal answer. “It was disappointing, but it wasn’t a surprise. I get very protective, kind of a mum instinct, with the constituents. Like, hang on a second, what do you mean we’re dim-witted? Obviously there were some overtones about the gendered part of it, too, which I didn’t take very nicely to.” Hard Solo and human rights: Why Kylea Tink won’t go quietly Read More Boele ticks all the teal boxes, and then some (for the purposes of my pieces, “teal” refers to climate-focused independents who contest wealthy, Liberal seats , all of whom have so far been white, professional mothers, many of whom have unique names). Raised on the North Shore by socially conscious Dutch parents, along with a “Howard-voting, Hawaiian shirt-wearing, Barker boy” stepdad, Boele has a perfectly teal resume , having spent 35 years working in climate policy and finance. She previously ran a consultancy with her brother, who is now “chief purpose officer” at KPMG. “He’s human rights guy and I’m climate change gal,” she jokes, arguing he was a big influence on her. When Kevin Rudd was prime minister, Boele “had a moment”. After initially thinking Rudd had “got my back on climate”, Labor dismissed the findings of the Garnaut Review , setting a 15% emissions reduction target rather than the 25% science demanded. “I actually went to bed for three months,” says Boele, suggesting it was an early case of climate anxiety. “More and more people were turning up, feeling so overwhelmed, who were deep in the policy world ... And it wasn’t like we didn’t have the technology either. It was the political will.” Boele got back up again, with the help of some experts in postnatal depression. But it was then that she gave up on the policy work she’d been involved in (including lobbying on behalf of the Climate Institute and the Australian Conservation Foundation), turning to green finance, where she’s spent the past 15 years trying to “move money away from the harmful things, towards the really constructive and productive things for our economy and for society.” Like many teals, Boele originally had to be talked into running by her community, citing her voting-age son as a motivating factor. “As a mum, when you tell your kid, ‘don’t bother voting ’cause it’s such a safe seat, nothing’s going to change’...” But it was a chance encounter with Fletcher that cemented her decision, with the MP giving disappointing responses on climate. “There’s that point where you finish being an advocate, trying to change the mind of the parliamentarians, where you just go, ‘bugger it, I’ll just try to become one’.” Julian Leeser braces for the teals, Abbott meets JD Vance, and Kim Williams to sing at RN Xmas party? Read More For someone who had to be talked into running, Boele is now running hard , saying she’s fed up with the Liberals taking their moderate constituents for granted. She’s not concerned about who the Liberals preselect , noting they’ll still be expected to vote the same as Peter Dutton, who is “extremely divisive” on the North Shore. “I thought they would have learnt some lessons from 2022,” she adds, saying she hasn’t put much thought into what the dwindling number of moderates in the Liberal Party will mean. “I’m busy with our hundreds of volunteers, door knocking and having conversations.” As for Fletcher’s “recycled scare campaign,” suggesting people like her are a threat to a majority government ? “The premise that a majority government is a good thing is kind of crazy, given that he’s part of a minority Liberal National party,” she says. “A constructive crossbench can help push the parties on their ambition, on their integrity, and I think it’s a really healthy part of democracy. You move away from ideology, and you move towards what the people of Australia want. And I think that can only be a good thing.” Have something to say about this article? Write to us at letters@crikey.com.au . Please include your full name to be considered for publication in Crikey’s Your Say . We reserve the right to edit for length and clarity.Blue Jackets News & Rumors: Werenski, Jenner, Trouba & More
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — An Argentine court on Tuesday dropped aggravated sexual assault charges against two professional French rugby players accused of raping a woman after playing a match in the country earlier this year. The judge in Mendoza, some 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) west of the capital, Buenos Aires, dismissed the case against the 21-year-old athletes, Hugo Auradou and Oscar Jégou, citing insufficient evidence. “The facts under investigation do not constitute a crime," the court said. The explosive case began in July, when a 39-year-old Argentine woman filed a police complaint alleging that she was beaten, choked and repeatedly raped by the rugby players in their Mendoza hotel room. The rugby players have admitted to having sex with the plaintiff — whom they met at during an alcohol-fueled club night after their July 7 victory against Argentina’s Pumas — but insisted that the encounter was consensual. They were held in preventive custody, then placed under house arrest, for a month. The defense said the dismissal reinforced their faith in the justice system. “I think it will be a turning point,” Germán Hnatow, an attorney representing one of the two players, told Radio Mitre Mendoza, a local radio station. "There are many false accusations in terms of sexual crimes, in terms of gender violence, which cause harm.” The plaintiff can appeal the ruling. She has not said whether she intends to and her defense lawyer did not respond to a request for comment. Over the past few months, the case slowly unraveled as the defense punched holes in the woman’s description of events. Citing questionable evidence presented before the court — including WhatsApp voice messages the plaintiff sent to her friend joking and boasting about the rough sex she had with them — the prosecution in September approved the athletes' return to France under certain conditions . The plaintiff's lawyer has explained any inconsistencies in her account as the result of her “shock and extreme stress.” She underwent physical examinations as part of the investigation and was found to have an acute bleeding ulcer and other injuries that she claimed were related to her assault. Dragging on for several months, the investigation has stunned the French rugby world. The French Rugby Federation expressed its “relief and satisfaction" with the judge's decision. It said the athletes, who had been suspended due to the seriousness of the allegations, would be eligible to return to the national team “if their sporting performances allow for it.” It wasn't the only scandal to hit the touring French team during its stay in Argentina. The federation separately fined and suspended French fullback Melvyn Jaminet for 34 weeks over a racist outburst that he posted on social media. The federation said that this close shave with the law served as a reminder “of the need to create new conditions to prevent and avoid risky behavior in high-level rugby, in order to train responsible and exemplary players.” Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-americaApple’s UK engineering teams have ‘doubled in size in five years’
The leader of Ireland’s Labour Party has held talks with the Taoiseach and Tanaiste as efforts to form a new coalition government intensify. Ivana Bacik had separate meetings with Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin and Fine Gael leader Simon Harris on Tuesday afternoon. Fianna Fail, which won 48 seats in last month’s general election, and Fine Gael, which secured 38 seats, headed up the last coalition in Dublin and are expected to continue that partnership into the next mandate. However, with a combined 86 seats, they are just short of the 88 required for a majority in the Dail parliament. If they wish to return to government together, they would need one smaller party as a junior partner, or a handful of independents. Both Fianna Fail and Fine Gael have ruled out doing business with Sinn Fein, which won 39 seats. The centre-left Social Democrats and Irish Labour Party, both of which won 11 seats in the election, are seen as the only two realistic options if Fianna Fail and Fine Gael seek to convince a smaller party to join the coalition. In a statement, the Labour Party said Ms Bacik outlined key policy priorities in her meetings with Taoiseach Mr Harris and Tanaiste Mr Martin. “There was discussion in both meetings on policies and manifesto commitments on housing, health, climate, workers’ rights and disability services among other issues,” said the statement. “The parliamentary party will meet at 1pm on Friday where the party leader will provide an assessment of engagement to date and consider the outcome of these meetings.” A spokesman for Mr Harris said there had been a “constructive engagement” with Ms Bacik. “The Taoiseach is grateful for the time and engagement on a range of substantial policy issues,” he said. The spokesman said Mr Harris had also met independent TDs who are aligned together in what is called the regional group. “These meetings have been productive,” he added. Mr Harris and party colleagues are due to meet the Social Democrats on Wednesday. Fianna Fail deputy leader Jack Chambers and Fine Gael deputy leader Helen McEntee met on Tuesday evening for discussions on government formation, with the parties’ full negotiating teams set to meet on Wednesday. Fine Gael said the meeting between Ms McEntee and Mr Chambers was “positive” and focused on the “structure and format” of the substantive negotiations going forward. When the two parties entered coalition for the first time after the last general election in 2020, there was only a three-seat difference in their relative strength. That resulted in an equal partnership at the head of the coalition, with the Green Party as the junior partner. The two main parties swapped the role of taoiseach halfway through the term. With Fianna Fail’s lead over Fine Gael having grown to 10 seats following this election, focus has turned to the future of the rotating taoiseach arrangement and whether it will operate again in the next mandate and, if so, on what basis. There are similar questions around the distribution of ministries and other roles. While Mr Martin has so far refused to be drawn on the specifics, he has suggested that he expects Fianna Fail’s greater strength of numbers to be reflected in the new administration. However, Mr Harris has insisted that Fine Gael’s mandate cannot be taken for granted when it comes to government formation. Richard Boyd Barrett from People Before Profit-Solidarity, which won three seats, urged Labour not to “prop up” up a Fianna Fail/Fine Gael administration. “We think that’s a huge mistake,” he told reporters in Dublin. “They shouldn’t do it. They should learn the lessons of the past and actually work with other parties of the left to form a decent left opposition to Fianna Fail and Fine Gael and campaign on the issues that matter.” His party colleague Paul Murphy pointed to the experience of the Green Party, which lost all but one of its 12 seats in the election. “In reality, what is going to happen is a changing of the mudguard for Fianna Fail and Fine Gael,” he said. “And for those who are now auditioning to be a new mudguard for Fianna Fail and Fine Gael, there is a very, very sharp and stark lesson in what happened to the Green Party – obviously almost entirely wiped out. “We think it is a very major mistake for anyone who has the perception of being left, with the votes of people who are looking left, to seek to go into coalition with Fianna Fail and Fine Gael.”
NEW YORK (AP) — Remember what you searched for in 2024? Google does. Google released its annual “Year in Search” on Tuesday, rounding up the top trending queries entered into its namesake search engine in 2024. The results show terms that saw the highest spike in traffic compared to last year — ranging from key news events, notably , to the most popular songs, athletes and unforgettable pop-culture moments that people looked up worldwide. Sports — particularly soccer and cricket — dominated Google’s overall trending searches in 2024. topped those search trends globally, followed by the and . Meanwhile, the led news-specific searches worldwide. Queries about and this year’s followed. U.S. President-elect topped searches in Google’s people category this year — followed by , U.S. Vice President and Algerian boxer , who also led athlete-specific searches. Meanwhile, the late , and led search trends among notable individuals who died in 2024. In the world of entertainment, Disney and Pixar’s was the top trending movie of the year, while Netflix’s led TV show trends. And Kendrick Lamar’s dominated song trends. That’s just the tip of the iceberg. Queries for the , made famous by Norwegian swimmer Henrik Christiansen over the summer games, led Google’s global recipe trends this year. The New York Times’ “Connections” puzzle topped game searches. And in the U.S., country-specific data shows, many people asked Google about like the word and “ .” You can find more country-specific lists, and trends , through Google’s . The California company said it collected 2024 search results from Jan. 1 through Nov. 23 of this year. Google isn’t the only one to publish an annual recap or top trends as 2024 draws to a close. , for example, as well as and words of the year, have offered additional reflections for 2024.None