
Multiple Trump Cabinet Nominees Brutally Targeted with 'Bomb Threats' and 'Swatting Attacks'Powell: Fed's independence from politics is vital to its interest rate decisions WASHINGTON (AP) — Chair Jerome Powell said the Federal Reserve’s ability to set interest rates free of political interference is necessary for it to make decisions to serve “all Americans” rather than a political party or political outcome. Speaking at the New York Times’ DealBook summit, Powell addressed a question about President-elect Donald Trump’s numerous public criticisms of the Fed and of Powell himself. During the election campaign, Trump had insisted that as president, he should have a “say” in the Fed’s interest rate policies. Despite Trump’s comments, the Fed chair said he was confident of widespread support in Congress for maintaining the central bank’s independence. UnitedHealthcare CEO kept a low public profile. Then he was shot to death in New York NEW YORK (AP) — Brian Thompson led one of the biggest health insurers in the US but was unknown to millions of people his decisions affected. The fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare's chief executive on a midtown Manhattan sidewalk Wednesday became a mystery that riveted the nation. Police say it was a targeted killing. Thompson was 50. He had worked at the company for 20 years and had run health care giant UnitedHealth Group Inc.'s insurance business since 2021. It provides health coverage for more than 49 million Americans and brought in $281 billion in revenue last year. Thompson's $10.2 million annual compensation made him one of the company’s highest-paid executives. Trump nominates cryptocurrency advocate Paul Atkins as SEC chair President-elect Donald Trump says he intends to nominate cryptocurrency advocate Paul Atkins to chair the Securities and Exchange Commission. Atkins is the CEO of Patomak Partners and a former SEC commissioner. Trump calls Atkins a “proven leader for common sense regulations.” In the years since leaving the SEC, Atkins has made the case against too much market regulation. The SEC oversees U.S. securities markets and investments. If confirmed next year by the new Republican-led Senate, Atkins would replace Gary Gensler, who's been leading the U.S. government’s crackdown on the crypto industry. Atkins was widely considered the most conservative SEC member during his tenure and known to have a strong free-market bent. Australia is banning social media for people under 16. Could this work elsewhere — or even there? It is an ambitious social experiment of our moment in history. Experts say it could accomplish something that parents, schools and other governments have attempted with varying degrees of success — keeping kids off social media until they turn 16. Australia’s new law was approved by its Parliament last week. It's an attempt to swim against many tides of modern life — formidable forces like technology, marketing, globalization and, of course, the iron will of a teenager. The ban won’t go into effect for another year. But how will Australia be able to enforce it? That’s not clear, nor will it be easy. White House says at least 8 US telecom firms, dozens of nations impacted by China hacking campaign WASHINGTON (AP) — A top White House official says at least eight U.S. telecom firms and dozens of nations have been impacted by a Chinese hacking campaign. Deputy national security adviser Anne Neuberger offered the new details Wednesday about the breadth of the sprawling Chinese hacking campaign that gave officials in Beijing access to private texts and phone conversations of an unknown number of Americans. Neuberger divulged the scope of the hack a day after the FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency issued guidance intended to help root out the hackers and prevent similar cyberespionage in the future. White House officials cautioned that a number of telecommunication firms and countries impacted could still grow. GivingTuesday estimates $3.6B was donated this year, an increase from 2023 NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. donors gave $3.6 billion on Tuesday, an increase from the past two years, according to estimates from the nonprofit GivingTuesday. The Tuesday after Thanksgiving, now known as GivingTuesday, has become a major annual day for nonprofits to fundraise and otherwise engage their supporters. In both 2022 and 2023, nonprofits in the U.S. raised $3.1 billion on GivingTuesday. This year, 18.5 million people made donations to nonprofits and another 9.2 million people volunteered. Both the number of donors and the number of volunteers increased by 4% since 2023, according to the nonprofit GivingTuesday's estimates. Pete Hegseth's mother says The New York Times made 'threats' by asking her to comment on a story A basic tenet of journalism — calling someone for comment on a story — was seen as a threat by defense secretary nominee Pete Hegseth's mother. Penelope Hegseth appeared on Fox News Channel to talk about her son, whose nomination by President-elect Trump to lead the Pentagon is threatened by a series of stories about his past behavior. One came this past weekend, when The New York Times wrote about a private email Penelope Hegseth sent to her son about his treatment of women. She said on Fox News that she felt threatened when the Times called her about the email, which she had quickly regretted sending. The Times said they were engaging in routine journalism. District of Columbia says Amazon secretly stopped fast deliveries to 2 predominantly Black ZIP codes The District of Columbia is alleging in a lawsuit that Amazon secretly stopped providing its fastest delivery service to residents of two predominantly Black neighborhoods in the city. The district says the online retailer still charged residents of two ZIP codes millions of dollars for a service that provides speedy deliveries. The complaint filed on Wednesday in District of Columbia Superior Court revolves around Amazon’s Prime membership service. The lawsuit alleges Amazon in mid-2022 imposed what it called a delivery “exclusion” on the two low-income ZIP codes. An Amazon spokesperson says the company made the change based on concerns about driver safety. The spokesperson says claims that Amazon's business practices are discriminatory are “categorically false.” Biden says 'Africa is the future' as he pledges millions more on the last day of Angola visit LOBITO, Angola (AP) — President Joe Biden has pledged another $600 million for an ambitious multi-country rail project in Africa as one of the final foreign policy moves of his administration. He told African leaders Wednesday that the resource-rich continent of more than 1.4 billion people had been “left behind for much too long. But not anymore. Africa is the future.” Biden used the third and final day of his visit to Angola to showcase the Lobito Corridor railway. The U.S. and allies are investing heavily to refurbish train lines in Zambia, Congo and Angola in a region rich in critical minerals to counter China's influence. The end of an Eras tour approaches, marking a bittersweet moment for Taylor Swift fans NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The global phenomenon that is Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour is coming to an end after the popstar performed more than 150 shows across five continents over nearly two years. Since launching the tour in 2023, Swift has shattered sales and attendance records. It's even created such an economic boom that the Federal Reserve took note. But for many who attended the concerts, and the millions more who eagerly watched on their screens, the tour also became a beacon of joy. It's become a chance not only to appreciate Swift’s expansive music career, but also celebrate the yearslong journey fans have taken with her.
Wounded Bangladesh protesters receive robotic helping hand
US online brokerage Robinhood coming to Asia in 2025 with Singapore HQ - The Straits Times
Spotify criticised for ‘distasteful’ One Direction remarks made by AI Wrapped podcastHealthcare has been undergoing many changes over the past decade, from the implementation of new technologies, advances in treatment and continual digital transformation. There is also the issue of ever-increasing spending and value for money. As a share of Gross Domestic Product, healthcare spending stands at over 17 percent—almost $14,000 per year for every person in the U.S. What does 2025 have in store? Considering matters from the perspective of the U.S. market-based system is Jake Pyles , CEO of CipherHealth . Focusing on patient-centered communications, CipherHealth works with hospitals and healthcare systems including Norton Healthcare , Advocate Health , and Prisma Health ). Value-Based Care Adoption Across the Maturity Spectrum According to Pyles: “While traditionally led by progressive health systems, value-based care (VBC) is now being embraced by more “middle-of-the-pack” organizations, catalyzed by content management systems (CMS) and initiatives like the TEAM payment model (all in one purchasing and spend). In 2025, expect this trend to grow as healthcare providers across the board, regardless of their previous VBC readiness, recognize the need to move beyond fee-for-service models.” As to the significance: “This shift signals that VBC is no longer an optional pathway but a requisite for sustainable, quality care across healthcare settings.” The Rise of Employer Direct Models On new deliver models, Pyles opines: “Employer direct care models, championed by organizations like Transcarent and Collective Health, are creating a new healthcare landscape where quality and cost-effectiveness are prioritized directly at the employer level.” And as to the year ahead: “In 2025, as more employers recognize the need to ensure value-driven care for their employees, health systems will face growing competition from these employer-oriented networks. This trend will press providers to match quality and cost metrics, rethinking how they engage with employers as key stakeholders in population health.” Empowered Patients: The Shifting Provider-Patient Dynamic On the subject of users of healthcare, Pyles says: “Patients today come to healthcare settings with more information and a clearer sense of their own needs, often harnessing technology to better understand and manage their health. This shift is transforming the traditional provider-patient relationship and pressing health systems to engage patients more deeply at every stage of their care.” This leads to the prediction: “In 2025, systems that succeed in meeting patients’ expectations will embrace tools that support shared decision-making, provide tailored guidance, and foster a proactive approach to health. For the industry, this means adopting technologies and strategies that respect patients’ evolving role as active participants, ultimately enhancing satisfaction and loyalty.” Dr. Tim Sandle is Digital Journal's Editor-at-Large for science news.Tim specializes in science, technology, environmental, business, and health journalism. He is additionally a practising microbiologist; and an author. He is also interested in history, politics and current affairs.