
Healthcare giant Optum has restricted access to an internal AI chatbot used by employees after a security researcher found it was publicly accessible online, and anyone could access it using only a web browser. The chatbot, which TechCrunch has seen, allowed employees to ask the company questions about how to handle patient health insurance claims and disputes for members in line with the company’s standard operating procedures (SOPs). While the chatbot did not appear to contain or produce sensitive personal or protected health information, its inadvertent exposure comes at a time when its parent company, health insurance conglomerate UnitedHealthcare, faces scrutiny for its use of artificial intelligence tools and algorithms to allegedly override doctors’ medical decisions and deny patient claims . Mossab Hussein, chief security officer and co-founder of cybersecurity firm spiderSilk, alerted TechCrunch to the publicly exposed internal Optum chatbot, dubbed “SOP Chatbot.” Although the tool was hosted on an internal Optum domain and could not be accessed from its web address, its IP address was public and accessible from the internet and did not require users to enter a password. It’s not known for how long the chatbot was publicly accessible from the internet. The AI chatbot became inaccessible from the internet soon after TechCrunch contacted Optum for comment on Thursday. Optum spokesperson Andrew Krejci told TechCrunch in a statement that Optum’s SOP chatbot “was a demo tool developed as a potential proof of concept” but was “never put into production and the site is no longer accessible.” “The demo was intended to test how the tool responds to questions on a small sample set of SOP documents,” the spokesperson said. The company confirmed there was no protected health information used in the bot or its training. “This tool does not and would never make any decisions, but only enable better access to existing SOPs. In short, this technology was never scaled nor used in any real way,” said the spokesperson. AI chatbots, like Optum’s, are typically designed to produce answers based on whatever data the chatbot was trained on. In this case, the chatbot was trained on internal Optum documents relating to SOPs for handling certain claims, which can help Optum employees answer questions about claims and their eligibility to be reimbursed. The Optum documents were hosted on UnitedHealthcare’s corporate network and inaccessible without an employee login but are cited and referenced by the chatbot when prompted about their contents. According to statistics displayed on the chatbot’s main dashboard, Optum employees have used SOP Chatbot hundreds of times since September. The chatbot also stored a history of the hundreds of conversations that Optum employees had with the chatbot during that time. The chat history shows Optum employees would ask the chatbot things like “What should be the determination of the claim?” and “How do I check policy renewal date?” Some of the files that the chatbot references include handling the dispute process and eligibility screening, TechCrunch has seen. The chatbot also produced responses that showed, when asked, reasons for typically denying coverage. Like many AI models, Optum’s chatbot was capable of producing answers to questions and prompts outside of the documents it was trained on. Some Optum employees appeared intrigued by the chatbot, prompting the bot with queries like “Tell me a joke about cats” (which it refused: “There’s no joke available”). The chat history also showed several attempts by employees to “ jailbreak ” the chatbot by making it produce answers that are unrelated to the chatbot’s training data. When TechCrunch asked the chatbot to “write a poem about denying a claim,” the chatbot produced a seven-paragraph stanza, which reads in part: In the realm of healthcare’s grand domain Where policies and rules often constrain A claim arrives, seeking its due But alas, its fate is to bid adieu. The provider hopes, with earnest plea, For payment on a service spree, Yet scrutiny reveals the tale, And reasons for denial prevail. UnitedHealthcare, which owns Optum, faces criticism and legal action for its use of artificial intelligence to allegedly deny patient claims. Since the targeted killing of UnitedHealthcare chief executive Brian Thompson in early December, news outlets have reported floods of reports of patients expressing anguish and frustration over denials of their healthcare coverage by the health insurance giant. The conglomerate — the largest private provider of healthcare insurance in the United States — was sued earlier this year for allegedly denying critical health coverage to patients who lost access to healthcare, citing a STAT News investigation . The federal lawsuit accuses UnitedHealthcare of using an AI model with a 90% error rate “in place of real medical professionals to wrongfully deny elderly patients care.” UnitedHealthcare, for its part, said it would defend itself in court. UnitedHealth Group, the corporate owner of UnitedHealthcare and Optum, made $22 billion in profit on revenues of $371 billion in 2023, its earnings show.Okta's Options: A Look at What the Big Money is Thinking
Fresh rallies in Georgia after PM said 'won battle' with pro-EU protestersAgriculture Department orders testing of the nation's milk supply for bird flu
Social media users are misrepresenting a report by the Justice Department inspector general’s office, falsely claiming that it’s proof the FBI orchestrated the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021. The examined a number of areas, including whether major intelligence failures preceded the riot and whether the FBI in some way provoked the violence. Claims spreading online focus on the report’s finding that 26 FBI informants were in Washington for election-related protests on Jan. 6, including three who had been tasked with traveling to the city to report on others who were potentially planning to attend the events. Although 17 of those informants either entered the Capitol or a restricted area around the building during the riot, none of the 26 total informants were authorized to do so by the bureau, according to the report. Nor were they authorized to otherwise break the law or encourage others to do so. Here’s a closer look at the facts. CLAIM: A December 2024 report released by the Department of Justice’s Office of the Inspector General is proof that the Jan. 6 Capitol riot was a setup by the FBI. THE FACTS: That’s false. The report found that no undercover FBI employees were at the riot on Jan. 6 and that none of the bureau’s informants were authorized to participate. Informants, also known as confidential human sources, work with the FBI to provide information, but are not on the bureau’s payroll. Undercover agents are employed by the FBI. According to the report, 26 informants were in Washington on Jan. 6 in connection with the day’s events. FBI field offices only informed the Washington Field Office or FBI headquarters of five informants that were to be in the field on Jan. 6. Of the total 26 informants, four entered the Capitol during the riot and an additional 13 entered a restricted area around the Capitol. But none were authorized to do so by the FBI, nor were they given permission to break other laws or encourage others to do the same. The remaining nine informants did not engage in any illegal activities. None of the 17 informants who entered the Capitol or surrounding restricted area have been prosecuted, the report says. A footnote states that after reviewing a draft of the report, the U.S. attorney’s office in Washington said that it “generally has not charged those individuals whose only crime on January 6, 2021 was to enter restricted grounds surrounding the Capitol, which has resulted in the Office declining to charge hundreds of individuals; and we have treated the CHSs consistent with this approach.” The assistant special agent in charge of the Washington Field Office’s counterterrorism division told the inspector general’s office that he “denied a request from an FBI office to have an undercover employee engage in investigative activity on January 6.” He, along with then-Washington Field Office Assistant Director in Charge Steven D’Antuono, said that FBI policy prohibits undercover employees at First Amendment-protected events without investigative authority. Many social media users drew false conclusions from the report’s findings. “JANUARY 6th WAS A SETUP!” reads one X post that had received more than 11,400 likes and shares as of Friday. “New inspector general report shows that 26 FBI/DOJ confidential sources were in the crowd on January 6th, and some of them went into the Capitol and restricted areas. Is it a coincidence that Wray put in his resignation notice yesterday? TREASON!” The mention of Wray’s resignation refers to FBI Director Christopher Wray’s announcement Wednesday that he at the end of President Joe Biden’s term in January. Other users highlighted the fact that there were 26 FBI informants in Washington on Jan. 6, but omitted key information about the findings of the report. These claims echo a advanced by some Republicans in Congress that the FBI played a role in instigating the events of Jan. 6, 2021, when rioters determined to overturn Republican Donald Trump’s 2020 election loss to Democrat Joe Biden stormed the Capitol in a violent clash with police. The report knocks that theory down. such theories “ludicrous” at a congressional hearing last year. Asked for comment on the false claims spreading online, Stephanie Logan, a spokesperson for the inspector general’s office, pointed The Associated Press to a about the report. In addition to its findings about the the FBI’s involvement on Jan. 6, the report said that the FBI, in an action its now-deputy director described as a “basic step that was missed,” failed to canvass informants across all 56 of its field offices for any relevant intelligence ahead of time. That was a step, the report concluded, “that could have helped the FBI and its law enforcement partners with their preparations in advance of January 6.” However, it did credit the bureau for preparing for the possibility of violence and for trying to identify known “domestic terrorism subjects” who planned to come to Washington that day. The FBI said in a letter responding to the report that it accepts the inspection general’s recommendation “regarding potential process improvements for future events.”AleAnna, Inc. Announces Completion of Business Combination between Swiftmerge Acquisition Corp. ...
POLICE are combing the scene of an armed robbery at Hamilton North Bowling Club, which has hospitalised one person. Login or signup to continue reading The incident occurred in the early hours of Monday morning, December 30. Newcastle Herald understands at least one person has been taken to John Hunter Hospital by ambulance. Emergency services were called to the scene on Boreas Road just before 5am. There were several patrol cars, officers from Waratah police station and paramedics seen at the bowling club site on Monday. Police have established a crime scene and were combing the area, including Smith Park and Parkside Avenue. The bowling club has been cordoned off and is expected to remain closed while detectives complete their initial investigations. No further details have been released at this time. Newcastle Herald will bring you more on this story as the day progresses. Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. Jessica began her journalism career in 2009 as a cadet at The Port Stephens Examiner before moving to London for a two-year stint working in magazines and digital publishing. The Lake Macquarie local returned to Australia where she took up a reporting role at The Maitland Mercury. She worked across several rounds including local council, police and property before moving into digital journalism and joining the team at The Newcastle Herald in 2017. Jessica began her journalism career in 2009 as a cadet at The Port Stephens Examiner before moving to London for a two-year stint working in magazines and digital publishing. The Lake Macquarie local returned to Australia where she took up a reporting role at The Maitland Mercury. She worked across several rounds including local council, police and property before moving into digital journalism and joining the team at The Newcastle Herald in 2017. DAILY Today's top stories curated by our news team. Also includes evening update. WEEKDAYS Grab a quick bite of today's latest news from around the region and the nation. WEEKLY The latest news, results & expert analysis. WEEKDAYS Catch up on the news of the day and unwind with great reading for your evening. WEEKLY Get the editor's insights: what's happening & why it matters. WEEKLY Love footy? We've got all the action covered. WEEKLY Every Saturday and Tuesday, explore destinations deals, tips & travel writing to transport you around the globe. WEEKLY Get the latest property and development news here. WEEKLY Going out or staying in? Find out what's on. WEEKDAYS Sharp. Close to the ground. Digging deep. Your weekday morning newsletter on national affairs, politics and more. WEEKLY Follow the Newcastle Knights in the NRL? Don't miss your weekly Knights update. TWICE WEEKLY Your essential national news digest: all the big issues on Wednesday and great reading every Saturday. WEEKLY Get news, reviews and expert insights every Thursday from CarExpert, ACM's exclusive motoring partner. TWICE WEEKLY Get real, Australia! Let the ACM network's editors and journalists bring you news and views from all over. AS IT HAPPENS Be the first to know when news breaks. DAILY Your digital replica of Today's Paper. Ready to read from 5am! DAILY Test your skills with interactive crosswords, sudoku & trivia. Fresh daily!
WASHINGTON (AP) — A machinists strike. Another safety problem involving its troubled top-selling airliner. A plunging stock price. 2024 was already a dispiriting year for Boeing, the American aviation giant. But when one of the company's jets crash-landed in South Korea on Sunday, killing all but two of the 181 people on board, it brought to a close an especially unfortunate year for Boeing. The cause of the crash remains under investigation, and aviation experts were quick to distinguish Sunday's incident from the company’s earlier safety problems. Alan Price, a former chief pilot at Delta Air Lines who is now a consultant, said it would be inappropriate to link the incident Sunday to two fatal crashes involving Boeing’s troubled 737 Max jetliner in 2018 and 2019. In January this year, a door plug blew off a 737 Max while it was in flight, raising more questions about the plane. The Boeing 737-800 that crash-landed in Korea, Price noted, is “a very proven airplane. "It’s different from the Max ...It’s a very safe airplane.’’ For decades, Boeing has maintained a role as one of the giants of American manufacturing. But the the past year's repeated troubles have been damaging. The company's stock price is down more than 30% in 2024. The company's reputation for safety was especially tarnished by the 737 Max crashes, which occurred off the coast of Indonesia and in Ethiopia less than five months apart in 2018 and 2019 and left a combined 346 people dead. In the five years since then, Boeing has lost more than $23 billion. And it has fallen behind its European rival, Airbus, in selling and delivering new planes. Last fall, 33,000 Boeing machinists went on strike, crippling the production of the 737 Max, the company's bestseller, the 777 airliner and 767 cargo plane. The walkout lasted seven weeks, until members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers agreed to an offer that included 38% pay raises over four years. In January, a door plug blew off a 737 Max during an Alaska Airlines flight. Federal regulators responded by imposing limits on Boeing aircraft production that they said would remain in place until they felt confident about manufacturing safety at the company. In July, Boeing agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy to commit fraud for deceiving the Federal Aviation Administration regulators who approved the 737 Max. Acting on Boeing’s incomplete disclosures, the FAA approved minimal, computer-based training instead of more intensive training in flight simulators. Simulator training would have increased the cost for airlines to operate the Max and might have pushed some to buy planes from Airbus instead. (Prosecutors said they lacked evidence to argue that Boeing’s deception had played a role in the crashes.) But the plea deal was rejected this month by a federal judge in Texas, Reed O’Connor, who decided that diversity, inclusion and equity or DEI policies in the government and at Boeing could result in race being a factor in choosing an official to oversee Boeing’s compliance with the agreement. Boeing has sought to change its culture. Under intense pressure over safety issues, David Calhoun departed as CEO in August. Since January, 70,000 Boeing employees have participated in meetings to discuss ways to improve safety. Paul Wiseman, The Associated Press
South Carolina is off to an uneven start, but that hasn't obscured the steady rise of Collin Murray-Boyles. The 6-foot-7 sophomore will be the player to watch when South Carolina (6-3) hosts South Carolina Upstate (4-8) Saturday afternoon in Columbia. Murray-Boyles leads the Gamecocks in points (16.2), rebounds (9.4), steals (1.2) and blocks (1.1) per game. As South Carolina struggled to a 75-68 victory over East Carolina on Saturday, Murray-Boyles carried the Gamecocks, making all 10 of his shots from the floor and finishing with 20 points and 10 rebounds. "He's been working on pivoting towards the basket and getting on balance and then making a strong move through some contact," South Carolina coach Lamont Paris said. The Gamecocks have been highly dependent on Murray-Boyles. In the two games in which he has fouled out, South Carolina lost to Xavier and Indiana. Meanwhile, the Gamecocks are unbeaten in the six games in which he has collected at least eight rebounds. "He's still growing and it's exciting to see," Paris said. "He's got phenomenal natural touch." Also emerging lately have been Norfolk State transfer Jamarii Thomas, who had season highs of 22 points and seven assists against East Carolina, and Morris Ugusuk, who has hit 10 of 14 shots from 3-point range in the last three games. South Carolina Upstate has been sparked by a pair of guards who each have won multiple Big South freshman of the week awards. Carmelo Adkins had 31 points and 12 rebounds in wins last week over Division III Brevard and at Western Carolina, while Mister Dean leads the Spartans in points (15.7), rebounds (5.6) and steals (2.0) per game. "He sparks runs because he'll make a dynamic dunk," Spartans coach Marty Richter said of Dean. "He brings energy with how he scores the basketball, in a hurry. He can score in bunches." The Spartans enter on a high as the win over Western Carolina was Richter's first over a Division I team. South Carolina Upstate is 1-8 all-time against South Carolina. This year, the Spartans are winless in four games against power conference schools. In an 85-80 loss a month ago at Wake Forest, however, they led for much of the second half. --Field Level Media
[Warning: The following contains MAJOR spoilers for the Dexter: Original Sin series premiere , “And in the Beginning.”] The series premiere of Dexter: Original Sin , which arrived on Paramount+ with Showtime on Friday (December 13), achieves a lot in its less-than-one-hour runtime. First, it answers the question about Dexter’s fate after the events of New Blood and leading up to Resurrection . Then it takes us back to 15 years before the events of Dexter to show how Dexter Morgan (this time, played by Patrick Gibson ) first came to be Miami Metro P.D.’s esteemed blood spatter analyst and, ya know, a serial killer in the first place, revisiting his first kill of Nurse Mary. It also offers something completely new to the Dexter lore: the death of Harry Morgan Jr., a character who did not exist in the prior series. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. Cardlytics reports that card-linked cash-back offers represent a strategic stocking stuffer for smart shoppers navigating the expensive holiday landscape. Click for more. Holiday spending hacks: How to unwrap savings without sacrificing festive cheer
Atletico Madrid and Atalanta scored six apiece and Bayer Leverkusen five while Robert Lewandowski reached 100 Champions League goals. Manchester City’s crisis deepened as they surrendered a three-goal lead late in the game to draw 3-3 against Feyenoord in the Champions League. Pep Guardiola’s side avoided the indignity of a sixth successive defeat in all competitions and looked on course for a welcome victory thanks to a double from Erling Haaland – the first from the penalty spot – and a deflected effort from Ilkay Gundogan. Yet Guardiola was left with his head in hands as Feyenoord roared back in the last 15 minutes with goals from Anis Hadj Moussa, Sergio Gimenez and David Hancko, two of them after Josko Gvardiol errors. Arsenal delivered the statement Champions League win Mikel Arteta had demanded as they swept aside Sporting Lisbon 5-1. Arteta wanted his team to prove their European credentials, and goals from Gabriel Martinelli, Kai Havertz, Gabriel, Bukayo Saka and Leandro Trossard got their continental campaign back on track in style following the 1-0 defeat at Inter Milan last time out. A memorable victory also ended Sporting’s unbeaten start to the season, a streak of 17 wins and one draw, the vast majority of which prompted Manchester United to prise away head coach Ruben Amorim. Paris St Germain were left in serious of danger of failing to progress in the Champions League as they fell to a 1-0 defeat to Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena. Kim Min-jae’s header late in the first half was enough to send PSG to a third defeat in the competition this season, leaving them six points off the automatic qualification places for the last 16 with three games to play. Luis Enrique’s side, who had Ousmane Dembele sent off, were deservedly beaten by Bayern who dominated chances and possession. Elsewhere, Atletico Madrid were 6-0 winners away to Sparta Prague, Julian Alvarez and Angel Correa each scoring twice whilst there were also goals from Marcos Llorente and Antoine Griezmann. Barcelona ended tournament debutants Brest’s unbeaten start with a 3-0 victory courtesy of two goals from Robert Lewandowski – one a penalty – and Dani Olmo. Lewandowski’s first was his 100th Champions League goal, only the third man to reach the mark after Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. A Castello Lukeba own goal saw Inter Milan go top of the standings with a narrow 1-0 win over RB Leipzig at San Siro, whilst Bayer Leverkusen were emphatic victors against Red Bull Salzburg, Florian Wirtz scoring twice to move Xabi Alonso’s side into the automatic qualification places. Atalanta continued their strong start, albeit whilst conceding a first goal in Europe this season in a 6-1 win away to Young Boys, whilst Tammy Abraham scored the decisive goal as AC Milan beat Slovan Bratislava 3-2.
MAI Capital Management Sells 1,382 Shares of Hubbell Incorporated (NYSE:HUBB)I’m A Celebrity viewers can’t believe Maura Higgins’ real age – and are baffled by her shock confession
Winnebago's dominating Revel AWD camper van gets cheaper (ish)
The Latest: Police believe gunman who killed UnitedHealthcare CEO has left New York City The gunman who stalked and killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson fled New York City by bus, police officials told CNN on Friday. Canadian Press Dec 6, 2024 12:49 PM Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message Members of the New York police crime scene unit pick up cups marking the spots where bullets lie as they investigate the scene outside the Hilton Hotel in midtown Manhattan where Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, was fatally shot Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Stefan Jeremiah) 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 Press See a typo/mistake? Have a story/tip? This has been shared 0 times 0 Shares Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message Get your daily Victoria news briefing Email Sign Up More Health Police believe gunman who killed UnitedHealthcare CEO has left New York City Dec 6, 2024 12:49 PM USDA orders nationwide testing of milk for bird flu to halt the virus Dec 6, 2024 12:30 PM Mexico study's surprising finding: Killer heat hit harder for the young than the elderly Dec 6, 2024 11:13 AMMiddle East latest: Syrians celebrate Assad's fall as US seeks a peaceful political transition
OPP seeking witnesses of wrong way driver on Hwy. 401
Sanctuary Advisors LLC reduced its stake in shares of Olin Co. ( NYSE:OLN – Free Report ) by 89.2% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 5,685 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock after selling 47,048 shares during the period. Sanctuary Advisors LLC’s holdings in Olin were worth $273,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. A number of other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the stock. Farther Finance Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Olin by 88.2% in the 3rd quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 589 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 276 shares during the period. nVerses Capital LLC acquired a new position in shares of Olin in the second quarter worth about $33,000. Covestor Ltd boosted its stake in shares of Olin by 357.5% during the 3rd quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 915 shares of the specialty chemicals company’s stock worth $44,000 after acquiring an additional 715 shares in the last quarter. Capital Performance Advisors LLP acquired a new stake in shares of Olin during the 3rd quarter valued at about $47,000. Finally, Denver PWM LLC purchased a new position in shares of Olin in the 2nd quarter valued at about $59,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 88.67% of the company’s stock. Insider Buying and Selling at Olin In other news, VP R Nichole Sumner sold 10,500 shares of Olin stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $43.75, for a total transaction of $459,375.00. Following the sale, the vice president now owns 24,056 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,052,450. The trade was a 30.39 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link . 1.80% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. Analyst Ratings Changes Read Our Latest Analysis on Olin Olin Stock Up 0.9 % Shares of NYSE:OLN opened at $33.77 on Friday. Olin Co. has a 52-week low of $32.90 and a 52-week high of $60.60. The company has a quick ratio of 0.82, a current ratio of 1.40 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.32. The business has a fifty day moving average of $40.44 and a two-hundred day moving average of $43.78. The stock has a market cap of $3.94 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.23, a PEG ratio of 1.51 and a beta of 1.43. Olin announced that its board has approved a share buyback plan on Thursday, December 12th that allows the company to repurchase $2.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization allows the specialty chemicals company to buy up to 45% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are typically a sign that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued. Olin Dividend Announcement The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 13th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, November 14th were paid a dividend of $0.20 per share. This represents a $0.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.37%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, November 14th. Olin’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 64.52%. About Olin ( Free Report ) Olin Corporation manufactures and distributes chemical products in the United States, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Canada. It operates through three segments: Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls; Epoxy; and Winchester. The Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls segment offers chlorine and caustic soda, ethylene dichloride and vinyl chloride monomers, methyl chloride, methylene chloride, chloroform, carbon tetrachloride, perchloroethylene, hydrochloric acid, hydrogen, bleach products, potassium hydroxide, and chlorinated organics intermediates and solvents. Read More Five stocks we like better than Olin What Are Growth Stocks and Investing in Them Buffett Takes the Bait; Berkshire Buys More Oxy in December What is the S&P 500 and How It is Distinct from Other Indexes Top 3 ETFs to Hedge Against Inflation in 2025 Why Invest in 5G? How to Invest in 5G Stocks These 3 Chip Stock Kings Are Still Buys for 2025 Want to see what other hedge funds are holding OLN? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Olin Co. ( NYSE:OLN – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for Olin Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Olin and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .