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Boulder County high school students take college courses at record levelsHunters and landowners are encouraged to offer their feedback on big game information during the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission’s public meetings this winter. These 21⁄2-hour meetings are scheduled in each Game and Parks district. All in-person meetings, begin at 6:30 p.m. local time. The first 30 minutes will be an open house with time to talk with wildlife biologists, conservation officers and staff. Biologists will make a presentation at 7 p.m. and discuss big game harvest results and season structure. Then they will take questions on topics such as big game management, depredation, permits, antlerless harvest, trophy management and diseases. One of the meetings is planned for Dec. 16 at Central Community College in Columbus. The meeting will take place in Room 330 of the Science and Technology Building, 4500 63rd St. People who cannot attend a meeting can watch an online big game informational session via Zoom. Two Zoom meetings are scheduled for 7 p.m. Central Time Jan. 12 and Jan. 14. See the calendar event entries at Calendar.OutdoorNebraska.gov for the registration links for each meeting. The Heartland Workers Center held a graduation ceremony on Nov. 22 for the fourth cohort of the Family Leadership Institute, a transformative program designed to empower families to lead in their homes, schools, and communities. This event celebrated the achievements of families from across Nebraska, including Omaha, Fremont, Columbus, Schuyler, Nebraska City, and West Point — communities where HWC has an active organizing presence. The FLI program, delivered virtually via Zoom, provided an accessible and inclusive learning environment with sessions offered in English, Spanish, and Haitian Creole. Since its inception, the FLI program has reached over 380 families across Nebraska, helping parents and guardians develop skills in leadership, communication, and educational engagement. The six-week course, which began on Sept. 24 and concluded on Oct. 29, featured a curriculum tailored to support families of diverse backgrounds in fostering personal growth and community impact. The program’s foundation was laid by Consuelo Castillo Kickbusch, a renowned advocate for family empowerment. Raised in Laredo, Texas, Kickbusch created the Family Leadership Institute as a way to equip families with tools to overcome challenges and achieve their goals. Her passion for leadership and education continues to inspire participants to take charge of their lives and their communities. “The Heartland Workers Center is honored to support the Family Leadership Institute,” said Lina Traslavina-Stover, executive director of HWC. “This program exemplifies our mission to develop and train leaders who bring meaningful change to their families and neighborhoods.” The Nov. 22 graduation celebrated the accomplishments of this year’s cohort, marking the culmination of their journey toward becoming empowered leaders. The ceremony included keynote remarks highlighting the profound impact of the FLI program on families and communities alike. Get local news delivered to your inbox!
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — At this point the past two seasons, the San Francisco 49ers were fighting for playoff positioning rather than their playoff lives. After snapping a three-game losing streak with a lopsided win last week against Chicago, the Niners head into a Thursday night division showdown against the Los Angeles Rams hoping to play with the same kind of desperation in a game they almost certainly need to win to get to the postseason. "I think just across the board as a team, everybody had just a bit more of sense of urgency and I think we executed and played together as a team, and we didn't let off," quarterback Brock Purdy said. "Really liked that. But, that was last week so now it's on to this week and how can we do that again?" After getting outscored by 53 points in losses at Green Bay and Buffalo, the 49ers (6-7) played their most complete game of the season to keep their playoff hopes alive. While some credited a feeling of desperation or speeches from players such as Purdy and Deommodore Lenoir for the turnaround, linebacker Fred Warner said it was more about execution than anything else. "We didn't go out there in Green Bay, we didn't go out there in Buffalo saying, 'Let's just hope that we win.' Trust me, I felt desperate as hell going into both those games," he said. "It just didn't work out. ... It didn't happen because last week we decided we wanted to. This was weeks in the making." Whatever the reason, the results were obvious to anyone watching, including the Rams (7-6), who had their own signature performance to boost their playoff chances. Los Angeles held off Buffalo 44-42 to remain one game behind Seattle in the NFC West race and a game ahead of the 49ers and Arizona in the tightly packed division. Coach Sean McVay knows his team will need a similar performance to beat San Francisco and earn a season sweep. "I saw they certainly had a very dominant performance," he said. "If there's anything that you do know, it's a week-to-week league. Humility is only a week away. They have excellent coaches, excellent personnel and really good schemes. No matter what's really happened in terms of the trajectory of the injuries, they're going to be ready to go." Puka Nacua is in dominant form with 33 catches for 458 yards and three TDs in the Rams' past four games, highlighted by a 162-yard performance last week against Buffalo in which he also scored his first rushing TD. Nacua was injured for these clubs' first meeting this season — but last year, he broke the NFL's single-game rookie receptions record with 15 in his first game against San Francisco, and he set the NFL rookie season records for catches and yards receiving during his visit to Santa Clara last January. "He's a tough football player," 49ers defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen said. "Some guys are just competitive. He's got size, he doesn't go down easy. Some things you can't measure and he's just got it." The least productive four-game stretch of Deebo Samuel's career sent the frustrated wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers to social media. In a now-deleted post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Samuel said the reason he gained only 97 yards from scrimmage the past four games was not that he was struggling but that he wasn't getting the ball. His teammates and coaches believe he will get back to his All-Pro form soon. "I want to get Deebo the ball every play if I could," Purdy said. "I want to have him break all the records as best as possible. I want Deebo to do Deebo things." The Rams defense got shredded twice in the past three weeks by Saquon Barkley's Eagles and Josh Allen's Bills, dropping the unit to 27th in total defense. LA's vaunted young pass rush led by rookie Jared Verse has no sacks in its past two games and just three in the past four games. Considering Purdy drove the Niners to 425 yards in the teams' first meeting this season without Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle or Samuel, the Rams' offense might need yet another prolific game to overcome its defense's weaknesses. With Nick Bosa sidelined the past three games, the 49ers have had to generate pass rushes from different sources. They had a season-high seven sacks last week with Yetur Gross-Matos getting three and Leonard Floyd two. The 32-year-old Floyd has 5 1/2 sacks in his past four games. "Leonard's just an Energizer bunny," Shanahan said. "It's crazy with him being one of the older guys and stuff and how many different teams he's been to, but I've played against him enough and felt that." Bosa has a chance to return this week and is listed as questionable. AP Sports Writer Greg Beacham in Los Angeles contributed to this report Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox!Stock market today: Wall Street gains ground as it notches a winning week and another Dow record
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( ) stock tumbled late Tuesday despite the computer hardware company reporting fiscal fourth quarter earnings that met expectations and better-than-expected sales. The company's profit guidance was lower than expected. HP said in a news release that it earned an adjusted 93 cents per share on sales of $14.05 billion, up 1.7% year-over-year, for the October-ended quarter. Analysts polled by FactSet projected the Palo Alto, Calif.-based company would post adjusted earnings of 93 cents per share on sales of $13.99 billion. For the same period a year earlier, HP posted adjusted earnings of 90 cents per share on sales of $13.82 billion. "We are pleased with our Q4 performance where we saw revenue growth for the second consecutive quarter, driven by steady progress in Personal Systems and Print," President and CEO Enrique Lores said in a news release. For the current quarter, HP guided for adjusted earnings of 73 cents per share at the midpoint of its range. Analysts were projecting 85 cents per share adjusted earnings for the January-ending quarter, according to FactSet. HP said in a news release that its guidance excludes 13 cents per share "primarily related to restructuring and other charges." On the , HP stock shed more than 7% to 36.09 in recent after-hours action. HP Stock Up 30% This Year Prior to earnings, HP stock fell a half-percent in regular Tuesday trading. Shares have gained 30.4% this year, helped by optimism that AI will help restart following an industry slump in 2022 and . HP's previous July-ended quarter ended a streak of eight quarters where sales declined. Coming into the report, HP stock had an IBD Composite Rating of 55 out of 99, according to . The score combines five separate proprietary ratings into one rating. The best growth stocks have a Composite Rating of 90 or better. Further, HP's IBD Relative Strength Rating was 81 out of 99. The RS Rating means that HP has outperformed 81% of all stocks in IBD's database over the past year. HP stock broke out above a 39.52 consolidation pattern buy point on Monday but closed below that level Tuesday, according to .
Bieber re-signs with GuardiansELMONT, N.Y. — And just like that, the Blues recently have become a team that jumps to the lead. After they went seven straight games allowing the first goal of the game, the Blues had scored first in five of their last six games entering Saturday night’s game against the Islanders at UBS Arena. Since Nov. 12, no NHL team has scored first more often than the Blues, even if that hasn’t translated to wins (St. Louis is 2-2-1 in those five games). “We’re on our toes more,” Blues captain Brayden Schenn said. “I think we’re just more direct early. At the same time, when you get that feeling a little bit, you have to sustain it. When we score one early last game, 10 seconds in, that’s when you have to go in and try and get that next one right away. That’s kind of the mentality you have to have. I think our starts have been better. Just everyone in general, a little bit more ready to play.” On Thursday night against the Sharks, the Blues scored the fastest goal of the NHL season so far when Nathan Walker scored just 11 seconds into the game. Like in the previous four games in which the Blues scored first, they allowed a game-tying goal (Alexander Wennberg tied it at both 1 and 2) before winning in a shootout. “The first five minutes have been good for us, and we’ve been able to build our game from there,” Blues coach Drew Bannister said. “We want to continue to do that, play on our toes and be aggressive.” The Blues will need to continue their strong starts as they opened a stretch of seven road games of their next eight on Saturday night. They will play all three New York-area teams before Thanksgiving, then have one game at home vs. the Flyers before embarking on a four-game trip through western Canada in early December. “I think tonight’s going to be an important (one) for us to get off to a good start,” Bannister said. “It’s going to be some real good challenges for us, but build on what we did last game at home, and make sure we come here ready to play from the start. Grab some positives, and win a hockey game and go from there.” The Blues entered the trip as a slightly below-average road team, carrying a 4-5-1 record into UBS Arena. Their minus-9 goal differential on the road was among the bottom third of the league, but that’s also weighed down by a 8-1 thumping in Ottawa in late October. What does the Blues’ road game look like? “A hard, simple game,” Schenn said. “Building your game right from puck drop and taking care of pucks and doing the little details that ultimately win you hockey games. Obviously, we don’t play a flashy style of game. The harder and simpler we are, it’s suiting us better this way.” Sundqvist back in After two games as a healthy scratch, Blues forward Oskar Sundqvist re-entered the lineup on Saturday night as Zack Bolduc was a healthy scratch. Sundqvist entered Saturday with two goals in 12 games, and was instrumental on the penalty-killing unit while Robert Thomas was injured. Asked what his message was to Sundqvist, Bannister said: “I want to leave that between me and the players. I think that’s the best way it’s kept.” Sundqvist was to play on a line with Alexey Toropchenko and Nathan Walker, as Radek Faksa was promoted to skate with Dylan Holloway and Mathieu Joseph. “For us, we trust him on the PK,” Bannister said on Sundqvist. “He’s a responsible player in the d-zone, he’s good on faceoffs. Just want him to be a solid veteran out on the ice for us that does the right things.” The Blues made one other change, this one on defense as Corey Schueneman exited as Matthew Kessel was back in for St. Louis.
Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save NEW YORK (AP) — Brian Thompson led one of the biggest health insurers in the U.S. but was unknown to millions of people his decisions affected. Then Wednesday's targeted fatal shooting of the UnitedHealthcare CEO on a midtown Manhattan sidewalk thrust the executive and his business into the national spotlight. Thompson, who was 50, had worked at the giant UnitedHealth Group Inc for 20 years and run the insurance arm since 2021 after running its Medicare and retirement business. As CEO, Thompson led a firm that provides health coverage to more than 49 million Americans — more than the population of Spain. United is the largest provider of Medicare Advantage plans, the privately run versions of the U.S. government’s Medicare program for people age 65 and older. The company also sells individual insurance and administers health-insurance coverage for thousands of employers and state-and federally funded Medicaid programs. People are also reading... York women's prison inmate dies; cause unclear but she was earlier denied echocardiogram Colleen Williams pens farewell letter to viewers after longtime stint on NTV Schuyler Community Schools staff arrested, no longer employed with schools York News-Times Volleyball Player of the Season: EMF's Kaydence Haase Business Beat: Check out the latest on the business scene around York Paige Hubl, former Nebraska volleyball player and Lincoln Southeast coach, dies at age 34 Nebraska volleyball earns No. 2 overall seed in NCAA Tournament, will host first weekend Apprenticeship program to bring more special education teachers to York-area schools Suspect nabbed in York County stop sentenced to prison on drug charge SNC recognizes seven YNT area players as all conference Nebraska company seeks to break China's stranglehold on rare-earth minerals Nebraska football signing day preview: Potential flips and a 5-star up for grabs Previewing the area's top girls basketball returners York News-Times Football Player of the Season: High Plains' Gage Friesen York High event promises songs, Shakespearean speech and suspense The business run by Thompson brought in $281 billion in revenue last year, making it the largest subsidiary of the Minnetonka, Minnesota-based UnitedHealth Group. His $10.2 million annual pay package, including salary, bonus and stock options awards, made him one of the company's highest-paid executives. The University of Iowa graduate began his career as a certified public accountant at PwC and had little name recognition beyond the health care industry. Even to investors who own its stock, the parent company's face belonged to CEO Andrew Witty, a knighted British triathlete who has testified before Congress. When Thompson did occasionally draw attention, it was because of his role in shaping the way Americans get health care. At an investor meeting last year, he outlined his company's shift to “value-based care,” paying doctors and other caregivers to keep patients healthy rather than focusing on treating them once sick. “Health care should be easier for people,” Thompson said at the time. “We are cognizant of the challenges. But navigating a future through value-based care unlocks a situation where the ... family doesn’t have to make the decisions on their own.” Thompson also drew attention in 2021 when the insurer, like its competitors, was widely criticized for a plan to start denying payment for what it deemed non-critical visits to hospital emergency rooms. “Patients are not medical experts and should not be expected to self-diagnose during what they believe is a medical emergency,” the chief executive of the American Hospital Association wrote in an open letter addressed to Thompson. “Threatening patients with a financial penalty for making the wrong decision could have a chilling effect on seeking emergency care.” United Healthcare responded by delaying rollout of the change. Thompson, who lived in a Minneapolis suburb and was the married father of two sons in high school, was set to speak at an investor meeting in a midtown New York hotel. He was on his own and about to enter the building when he was shot in the back by a masked assailant who fled on foot before pedaling an e-bike into Central Park a few blocks away, the New York Police Department said. Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said investigators were looking at Thompson's social media accounts and interviewing employees and family members. “Didn’t seem like he had any issues at all,” Kenny said. "He did not have a security detail.” AP reporters Michael R. Sisak and Steve Karnowski contributed to this report. Murphy reported from Indianapolis. Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Get local news delivered to your inbox!
WASHINGTON D.C., DC — Jimmy Carter, the longest-lived American president died Sunday – more than a year after entering hospice care – at his home in the small town of Plains, Georgia, where he and his wife, Rosalynn, who died at 96 in November 2023, spent most of their lives. President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden are among the many Americans mourning the loss Sunday. “Today, America and the world lost an extraordinary leader, statesman and humanitarian,” they said in a statement . “He saved, lifted, and changed the lives of people all across the globe. He was a man of great character and courage, hope and optimism. We will always cherish seeing him and Rosalynn together.” Their statement continued to recognize the work Carter did for the country and encouraged "young people" in the country to study Carter and his life if they're in "search of what it means to live a life of purpose and meaning." Businessman, Navy officer, evangelist, politician, negotiator, author, woodworker, citizen of the world — Carter forged a path that still challenges political assumptions and stands out among the 45 men who reached the nation’s highest office. The 39th president leveraged his ambition with a keen intellect, deep religious faith and prodigious work ethic, conducting diplomatic missions into his 80s and building houses for the poor well into his 90s. “My father was a hero, not only to me but to everyone who believes in peace, human rights and unselfish love,” said Chip Carter, the former president’s son, in a statement . “My brothers, sister, and I shared him with the rest of the world through these common beliefs. The world is our family because of the way he brought people together, and we thank you for honoring his memory by continuing to live these shared beliefs.” President Carter is survived by his children — Jack, Chip, Jeff, and Amy; 11 grandchildren; and 14 great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Rosalynn, and one grandchild, according to the Carter Center . “We will miss them both dearly, but take solace knowing they are reunited once again and will remain forever in our hearts,” said Jill and Joe Biden. “To the entire Carter family, we send our gratitude for sharing them with America and the world.” President-elect Donald Trump took to his social media website Truth Social to offer the family his condolences and remember Carter. "The challenges Jimmy faced as President came at a pivotal time for our country and he did everything in his power to improve the lives of all Americans. For that, we all owe him a debt of gratitude," he said. "Melania and I are thinking warmly of the Carter Family and their loved ones during this difficult time. We urge everyone to keep them in their hearts and prayers." In a statement issued Sunday, former President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama said Carter’s beloved Maranatha Baptist Church “will be a little quieter on Sunday's” but added that the late former president “will never be far away — buried alongside Rosalynn next to a willow tree down the road, his memory calling all of us to heed our better angels.” Noting the “hundreds of tourists from around the world crammed into the pews” to see the former president teach Sunday school, as he did “for most of his adult life,” the Obamas listed Carter’s accomplishments as president. But they made special note of the Sunday school lessons, saying they were catalysts for people making a pilgrimage to the church. “Many people in that church on Sunday morning were there, at least in part, because of something more fundamental: President Carter’s decency.” Former Vice President Al Gore praised Jimmy Carter for living “a life full of purpose, commitment and kindness” and for being a “lifelong role model for the entire environmental movement.” Carter, who left the White House in 1981 after a landslide defeat to Ronald Reagan. concentrated on conflict resolution, defending democracy and fighting disease in the developing world. Gore, who lost the 2000 presidential election to George W. Bush, remains a leading advocate for action to fight climate change. Both won Nobel Peace Prizes. Gore said it is a testament to his "unyielding determination to help build a more just and peaceful world” that Carter is often “remembered equally for the work he did as President as he is for his leadership over the 42 years after he left office.” During Gore’s time in the White House, President Bill Clinton had an uneasy relationship with Carter. Former President Bill Clinton and his wife former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, remember Carter as a man who lived to serve others. “Hillary and I mourn the passing of President Jimmy Carter and give thanks for his long, good life. Guided by his faith, President Carter lived to serve others — until the very end," they said in a statement . The statement recalled Carter's many achievements and priorities, including efforts “to protect our natural resources in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, make energy conservation a national priority, return the Panama Canal to Panama, and secure peace between Egypt and Israel at Camp David." After he left office, the Clinton statement said, Carter continued efforts in "supporting honest elections, advancing peace, combating disease, and promoting democracy; to his and Rosalynn’s devotion and hard work at Habitat for Humanity — he worked tirelessly for a better, fairer world,” the statement said. Biden issued an official state funeral to be held in Washington D.C. for James Earl Carter, Jr., 39th President of the United States, 76th Governor of Georgia, Lieutenant of the United States Navy, graduate of the United States Naval Academy, and favorite son of Plains, Georgia, who gave his full life in service to God and country.
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CHARLOTTE, N.C.— A pet food company based in North Carolina is recalling puppy mix sold in seven states after a batch tested positive for salmonella, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said. The contamination came to light when a litter of puppies got sick after consuming Blue Ridge Beef’s Puppy Mix, and the customer reported it to the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, according to the FDA. The FDA said it notified the company that the food tested positive for salmonella on Nov. 27, and Blue Ridge Beef issued a voluntary recall on its 2-pound plastic-wrapped logs sold in North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, Connecticut, Massachusetts and New York. The recall affects puppy mix sold from Aug. 6 to Aug. 23 with logs labeled with lot numbers 08/06/N25 and 08/16/N25, with UPC 854298001696. It’s not the company’s only recall in the past year. In January, Blue Ridge Beef expanded of its puppy mix, as well as some of its kitten food, due to possible salmonella and listeria contamination, FDA records show. “Pets with Salmonella infections may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever and vomiting,” according to the FDA. “Some pets will have only decreased appetite, fever, and abdominal pain. Infected but otherwise healthy pets can be carriers and infect other animals or humans.” Pet owners who notice these symptoms should notify their veterinarian. Humans are also at risk of contracting the food-borne illness if they don’t wash their hands or sanitize surfaces the product has touched. The FDA said customers who believe they purchased the recalled mix should return the product to the place they bought it or destroy the food in a way that ensures no humans or animals will be contaminated. The company declined to comment on the recall to McClatchy News on Dec. 3. Blue Ridge Beef is located in Statesville in Iredell County, about a 40-mile drive north from Charlotte. ©2024 The Charlotte Observer. Visit charlotteobserver.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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As a Communist Party member in Calgary in the early 1940s, Frank Hadesbeck performed clerical work at the party office, printed leaflets and sold books. But he also had tasks his party comrades could know nothing about: snooping on mail, copying phone numbers from scratch pads and rummaging through waste baskets. Hadesbeck, known to his RCMP handlers as agent 810, would pass along any information he could glean to the national police force. His lengthy tenure as a paid informant for the Mounties’ security branch is chronicled in “A Communist for the RCMP” by Dennis Gruending, a former New Democrat MP who has worked as a journalist and authored several books. Before the First World War, Hadesbeck’s family left what was then southern Hungary for Canada, settling in Saskatchewan. Frank had a difficult childhood. He was orphaned at age 11, worked on farms, spent time in the United States, and did a number of jobs in the Regina area in the 1930s. He was among the Canadians who volunteered to fight on the Republican side in the Spanish Civil War against Gen. Francisco Franco. Hadesbeck was alone, broke and looking for work in Alberta when the RCMP recruited him as an informant, on condition he join the Communist Party to establish a cover. Several days later, he was fingerprinted, weighed and photographed at an RCMP office. “My contact said I was not an informer or a stool pigeon or a snitch as other informers were classified,” Hadesbeck recorded in his notes. “I was part of a team on a monthly salary, plus expenses and was given a number.” The RCMP has always jealously guarded information about its sources, even decades after events, Gruending writes. He formally requested Hadesbeck’s file through the Access to Information Act, but an official would neither confirm nor deny such records exist. However, Hadesbeck thoroughly documented his efforts for the RCMP over the decades. Gruending acquired a box of his papers through an acquaintance, and managed to corroborate and flesh out many of Hadesbeck’s claims. The files contain the names of hundreds of people on so-called Watch Out lists — individuals of interest to RCMP security officials who grew increasingly concerned about the perceived menace of Communism during the Cold War. The records also describe in detail how Hadesbeck operated as an agent, his dealings with handlers, and his thoughts about the ethics and wisdom of his double life, Gruending notes. RCMP security officials wanted information on people they considered subversive, but were not interested in understanding why those individuals were critical of the existing economic and political system, the book says. Hadesbeck appeared to have a clear sense of his mission. “I soon realized that I was being paid to collect information only, not to think about why they wanted all this information about people who I thought were honest Canadian citizens.” Hadesbeck would meet a handler every couple of weeks, often in a hotel room. The officer typically provided names and photos of people of interest, and told him to make discreet inquiries. The RCMP’s cash payments supplemented the salary from his steady job, from the early 1950s on, at a Regina company that salvaged old tractors. Hadesbeck’s notes and Watch Out lists from the 1950s point to RCMP suspicions about Communist control of the peace movement. Socialist trailblazer Tommy Douglas, who attended numerous peace-related events, turned up alongside dozens of others on Watch Out lists. A handwritten list labelled the Canadian Peace Conference and Voice of Women as Communist Party fronts. Douglas was premier of Saskatchewan and went on to lead the federal New Democratic Party, but Gruending contends the RCMP did not bother much with distinctions between Communists and social democrats. “The force continued to believe that Douglas was secretly a Communist, or at least was unduly influenced by them.” Indeed, a multi-volume RCMP file on Douglas of more than 1,100 pages came to light through Access to Information in 2006. Hadesbeck scribbled half a dozen notes about writer Farley Mowat, another subject of curiosity for the security service. Many prominent Canadians appeared on his Watch Out lists, including author Pierre Berton, journalist June Callwood, musician Stompin’ Tom Connors, Liberal cabinet ministers Walter Gordon and Herb Gray, and broadcaster Adrienne Clarkson — who would later be governor general. Gruending says Hadesbeck not only routinely betrayed Communist Party members, but was reckless in passing along information about many other people. “Often, he implied that they might be party members when they were not,” he writes. Sometimes such scrutiny could have serious consequences. People deemed suspect by the RCMP were harassed, denied employment and promotions, or even fired from government, unions, the media and academia, Gruending notes. Gay and lesbian members of the Canadian Armed Forces, the RCMP and the public service were among those targeted. “Careers were ruined and lives shattered.” At a November gathering in Ottawa to promote the book, Gruending said he was left with mixed feelings about Hadesbeck, “and I think he was somewhat conflicted in the way he felt about the people that he was surveilling.” “I have a good deal of sympathy towards him, but ultimately, he betrayed a lot of people.” In September 1976, Hadesbeck was invited to a meeting at a Regina Holiday Inn with several RCMP officers. He was told his career as an informant was over. “I had to sign a paper, but got no copy for myself, that I would keep my connections with the security force secret and not contact them again in any way,” Hadesbeck’s notes say. He was handed 15 $100 bills as a parting bonus. Even so, Hadesbeck supplied information to the RCMP until 1977, and occasionally for a few more years. “Hadesbeck’s behaviour is difficult to understand because he found his abrupt dismissal to be traumatic,” the book says. “He believed that he deserved, and had been promised, a pension when he retired.” Hadesbeck seemed eager to tell his story in the 1980s, but plans for a book fell through. He died in 2006, shortly after turning 100. In his later jottings, Hadesbeck tried to portray himself as a patriot and anti-Communist, but the pronouncements seem half-hearted, Gruending writes. “It is easy to see Hadesbeck as deceitful, cynical and self-serving. He did not become an informant for ideological reasons or as an act of patriotism. He did it for the money and perhaps a sense of power and excitement.”Jadestone Energy (LON:JSE) Trading Up 0.8% – What’s Next?