646 lodi
NoneThe 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.
MOREHEAD, Ky. (AP) — Isaiah Smith ran for a career-high 205 yards on 31 carries and scored a touchdown and San Diego beat Morehead State 37-14 in a season-ending contest for both teams on Saturday. Grant Sergent threw for 184 yards and two touchdowns for San Diego (8-3, 6-2 Pioneer Football League) which ended the season with a four-game win streak and winners of six of seven.Aditxt, Inc. ( NASDAQ:ADTX – Get Free Report ) was the recipient of a significant drop in short interest in the month of December. As of December 15th, there was short interest totalling 99,100 shares, a drop of 45.2% from the November 30th total of 180,800 shares. Currently, 0.7% of the company’s stock are short sold. Based on an average daily volume of 3,270,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.0 days. Insider Activity at Aditxt In related news, major shareholder Financial Lp Hrt sold 25,534 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, October 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1.17, for a total transaction of $29,874.78. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink . 1.72% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. Aditxt Stock Down 2.3 % NASDAQ ADTX opened at $0.19 on Friday. Aditxt has a 12 month low of $0.18 and a 12 month high of $338.80. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $0.41 and its 200 day moving average price is $24.08. Aditxt Company Profile Aditxt, Inc, a biotech company, engages in the development and commercialization of technologies that focus on improving the health through monitoring and modulating the immune systems. The company develops AditxtScore that allows individuals to understand, manage, and monitor their immune profiles in order to be informed about attacks on or by their immune system; and Apoptotic DNA Immunotherapy, a nucleic acid-based technology that utilizes an approach that mimics the way the body naturally induces tolerance to its tissues. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Aditxt Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Aditxt and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .
Los Angeles Times owner Patrick Soon-Shiong, who blocked the newspaper’s endorsement of Kamala Harris and plans to overhaul its editorial board, says he will implement an artificial intelligence-powered “bias meter” on the paper’s news articles to provide readers with “both sides” of a story. Soon-Shiong, the biotech billionaire who acquired the Times in 2018, told CNN political commentator Scott Jennings — who will join the Times’ editorial board — that he’s been “quietly building” an AI meter “behind the scenes.” The meter, slated to be released in January, is powered by the same augmented intelligence technology that he’s been building since 2010 for health care purposes, Soon-Shiong said. “Somebody could understand as they read it that the source of the article has some level of bias,” he said on Jennings’ “ Flyover Country ,” podcast. “And what we need to do is not have what we call confirmation bias and then that story automatically, the reader can press a button and get both sides of that exact same story based on that story and then give comments.” Soon-Shiong said major publishers have so far failed to adequately separate news and opinion, which he suggested “could be the downfall of what now people call mainstream media.” The comments prompted a rebuke from the union representing hundreds of the Times’ newsroom staffers, which said Soon-Shiong had “publicly suggested his staff harbors bias, without offering evidence or examples.” “Our members — and all Times staffers — abide by a strict set of ethics guidelines , which call for fairness, precision, transparency, vigilance against bias, and an earnest search to understand all sides of an issue,” the Los Angeles Times Guild said in a statement Thursday. “Those longstanding principles will continue guiding our work.” The contentious moves from the paper’s owner also led to the resignation of Harry Litman, a senior legal affairs columnist for the Times’ Opinion page. “My resignation is a protest and visceral reaction against the conduct of the paper’s owner, Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong. Soon-Shiong has made several moves to force the paper, over the forceful objections of his staff, into a posture more sympathetic to Donald Trump,” Litman wrote Thursday. “Given the existential stakes for our democracy that I believe Trump’s second term poses, and the evidence that Soon-Shiong is currying favor with the President-elect, they are repugnant and dangerous.” Litman’s resignation comes days after Kerry Cavanaugh, the Times’ assistant editorial page editor, also announced her exit, Status first reported . In addition to his sweeping changes to the editorial board, a person familiar with the matter said Soon-Shiong has begun reviewing the headlines of all opinion pieces before publication. A spokesperson for the Times did not respond to CNN’s request for comment. The moves come as Soon-Shiong looks to restructure the newspaper’s editorial board, telling CNN last month that he plans to balance the paper’s opinion section with more conservative and centrist voices in the wake of President-elect Donald Trump’s victory. “If we were honest with ourselves, our current board of opinion writers veered very left, which is fine, but I think in order to have balance, you also need to have somebody who would trend right, and more importantly, somebody that would trend in the middle,” Soon-Shiong told CNN in November. The restructuring follows Soon-Shiong’s divisive decision to block a drafted endorsement of Vice President Harris two weeks before Election Day, which resulted in the resignation of several members of the paper’s editorial board, staff protests, and thousands of readers canceling their subscriptions. Just three of the editorial board’s eight members now remain, according to the Times website. On Wednesday, Soon-Shiong told Jennings that when the editorial board shared it had “pre-packaged” a presidential endorsement “without having met with any of the candidates,” he was “outraged.” “I did not want our paper to be part of that method of providing information or misinformation or disinformation,” he said. “Everybody has a right to an opinion, that’s fair,” Soon-Shiong said, underscoring that the paper needs to “actually create some level of balance when it comes to opinion and columnist, and then we need to actually let the reader know this is opinion.” In his resignation Thursday, Litman called the owner’s decision to spike the presidential endorsement a “deep insult to the paper’s readership.” “Trump has made it clear that he will make trouble for media outlets that cross him,” Litman wrote. “Rather than reacting with indignation at this challenge to his paper’s critical function in a democracy, Soon-Shiong threw the paper to the wolves. That was cowardly.”Pierce's 20 lead Presbyterian past Youngstown State 67-42
Detailed Explanation of Common Malfunctions in Tool Unclamping of Machining Centers and Their Solutions. 12-23-2024 08:32 PM CET | Industry, Real Estate & Construction Press release from: ABNewswire Analysis and Solutions for Tool Unclamping Malfunctions in Machining Centers Abstract: This paper elaborates in detail on the common malfunctions in tool unclamping of machining centers and their corresponding solutions. The automatic tool changer (ATC) of a machining center has a crucial impact on processing efficiency and precision, and tool unclamping malfunctions are relatively common and complex issues among them. Through in-depth analysis of different causes of malfunctions, such as abnormalities in components like the tool unclamping solenoid valve, the spindle tool-hitting cylinder, spring plates, and pull claws, as well as problems related to air sources, buttons, and circuits, and combined with corresponding troubleshooting measures, it aims to assist operators and maintenance personnel of machining centers to quickly and accurately diagnose and solve tool unclamping malfunctions, ensure the normal and stable operation of the machining centers, and improve production efficiency and processing quality. I. Introduction As the core equipment in the field of modern mechanical processing, the automatic tool changer (ATC) of a machining center has greatly improved processing efficiency and precision. Among them, the tool unclamping operation is a key link in the automatic tool changing process. Once a tool unclamping malfunction occurs, it will directly lead to the interruption of processing and affect the production progress and product quality. Therefore, it is of great significance to have an in-depth understanding of the common malfunctions in tool unclamping of machining centers and their solutions. II. Overview of the Types of Automatic Tool Changers in Machining Centers and Tool Unclamping Malfunctions There are mainly two commonly used types of tool changing methods for the automatic tool changer (ATC) in machining centers. One is that the tool is directly exchanged by the spindle from the tool magazine. This method is applicable to small machining centers, characterized by a relatively small tool magazine, fewer tools, and relatively simple tool changing operations. When malfunctions such as tool dropping occur, due to the relatively uncomplicated structure, it is easy to find the root cause of the problem and eliminate it in a timely manner. The other is to rely on a manipulator to complete the exchange of tools between the spindle and the tool magazine. From the perspectives of structure and operation, this method is relatively complex, involving the coordinated cooperation of multiple mechanical components and operations. Therefore, the probability and types of malfunctions during the tool unclamping process are relatively numerous.During the use of machining centers, the failure to release the tool is a typical manifestation of tool unclamping malfunctions. This malfunction may be caused by multiple reasons, and the following will conduct a detailed analysis of various causes of malfunctions. III. Analysis of Causes of Tool Unclamping Malfunctions (I) Damage to the Tool Unclamping Solenoid Valve The tool unclamping solenoid valve plays a key role in controlling the flow direction of air or hydraulic oil during the tool unclamping process. When the solenoid valve is damaged, it may not be able to switch the air or oil circuit normally, resulting in the inability to transmit the power required for tool unclamping to the corresponding components. For example, problems such as the valve core getting stuck or the electromagnetic coil burning out may occur in the solenoid valve. If the valve core is stuck, the solenoid valve will not be able to change the on-off state of the channels inside the valve according to instructions. If the electromagnetic coil burns out, it will directly lead to the loss of the control function of the solenoid valve. (II) Damage to the Spindle Tool-Hitting Cylinder The spindle tool-hitting cylinder is an important component that provides the power for tool unclamping. Damage to the tool-hitting cylinder may manifest as air leakage or oil leakage caused by aging or damage to the seals, resulting in the inability of the tool-hitting cylinder to generate sufficient thrust or pull to complete the tool unclamping operation. In addition, wear or deformation of components such as the piston and piston rod inside the tool-hitting cylinder will also affect its normal working performance and impede the tool unclamping operation. (III) Damage to the Spindle Spring Plates The spindle spring plates play an auxiliary role in the tool unclamping process, for example, providing a certain elastic buffer when the tool is tightened and loosened. When the spring plates are damaged, they may not be able to provide appropriate elastic force, resulting in an unsmooth tool unclamping operation. The spring plates may have situations such as fracture, deformation, or weakened elasticity. A fractured spring plate will not be able to work normally. A deformed spring plate will change its force-bearing characteristics, and weakened elasticity may cause the tool not to be completely detached from the tightened state of the spindle during the tool unclamping process. (IV) Damage to the Spindle Pull Claws The spindle pull claws are components that directly contact the tool shank to achieve tightening and loosening of the tool. Damage to the pull claws may be caused by wear due to long-term use, resulting in a decrease in the fitting accuracy between the pull claws and the tool shank and the inability to effectively grip or release the tool. The pull claws may also have severe damage situations such as fracture or deformation. In such cases, the tool will not be able to be loosened normally. (V) Insufficient Air Source In machining centers equipped with a pneumatic tool unclamping system, the stability and adequacy of the air source are crucial for the tool unclamping operation. Insufficient air source may be caused by reasons such as air compressor failures, rupture or blockage of air pipes, and improper adjustment of air source pressure. When the air source pressure is insufficient, it will not be able to provide sufficient power for the tool unclamping device, resulting in the inability of components such as the tool-hitting cylinder to work normally, and thus the malfunction of being unable to release the tool will occur. (VI) Poor Contact of the Tool Unclamping Button The tool unclamping button is an operating component used by operators to trigger the tool unclamping instruction. If the button has poor contact, it may lead to the inability of the tool unclamping signal to be transmitted to the control system normally, and thus the tool unclamping operation cannot be started. Poor contact of the button may be caused by reasons such as oxidation, wear of the internal contacts, or spring failure. (VII) Broken Circuits The tool unclamping control of a machining center involves the connection of electrical circuits. Broken circuits will lead to the interruption of control signals. For example, the circuits connecting components such as the tool unclamping solenoid valve and the tool-hitting cylinder sensor may be broken due to long-term vibration, wear, or being pulled by external forces. After the circuits are broken, the relevant components cannot receive the correct control signals, and the tool unclamping operation cannot be executed normally. (VIII) Lack of Oil in the Tool-Hitting Cylinder Oil Cup For machining centers equipped with a hydraulic tool-hitting cylinder, the lack of oil in the tool-hitting cylinder oil cup will affect the normal operation of the tool-hitting cylinder. Insufficient oil will lead to poor lubrication inside the tool-hitting cylinder, increase the frictional resistance between components, and may also cause the tool-hitting cylinder to be unable to build up sufficient oil pressure to drive the piston movement, thus affecting the smooth progress of the tool unclamping operation. (IX) The Tool Shank Collet of the Customer Does Not Meet the Required Specifications If the tool shank collet used by the customer does not meet the required specifications of the machining center, problems may occur during the tool unclamping process. For example, if the size of the collet is too large or too small, it may cause the spindle pull claws to be unable to correctly grip or release the tool shank, or generate abnormal resistance during tool unclamping, resulting in the failure to release the tool. IV. Troubleshooting Methods for Tool Unclamping Malfunctions (I) Check the Operation of the Solenoid Valve and Replace It if Damaged Firstly, use professional tools to check the operation of the tool unclamping solenoid valve. You can observe whether the valve core of the solenoid valve operates normally when it is powered on and off, or use a multimeter to check whether the resistance value of the electromagnetic coil of the solenoid valve is within the normal range. If it is found that the valve core is stuck, you can try to clean and maintain the solenoid valve to remove impurities and dirt on the surface of the valve core. If the electromagnetic coil burns out, a new solenoid valve needs to be replaced. When replacing the solenoid valve, make sure to select a product with the same or compatible model as the original one and install it according to the correct installation steps. (II) Check the Operation of the Tool-Hitting Cylinder and Replace It if Damaged For the spindle tool-hitting cylinder, check its sealing performance, piston movement, etc. You can preliminarily judge whether the seals are damaged by observing whether there is air leakage or oil leakage on the outside of the tool-hitting cylinder. If there is leakage, it is necessary to disassemble the tool-hitting cylinder and replace the seals. At the same time, check whether there is wear or deformation of components such as the piston and piston rod. If there are problems, the corresponding components should be replaced in a timely manner. When installing the tool-hitting cylinder, pay attention to adjusting the stroke and position of the piston to ensure that it matches the requirements of the tool unclamping operation. (III) Check the Degree of Damage to the Spring Plates and Replace Them if Necessary When checking the spindle spring plates, carefully check whether there are obvious signs of damage such as fracture or deformation. For slightly deformed spring plates, you can try to repair them. However, for spring plates that are fractured, severely deformed, or have weakened elasticity, new spring plates must be replaced. When replacing the spring plates, pay attention to selecting appropriate specifications and materials to ensure that their performance meets the requirements of the machining center. (IV) Check Whether the Spindle Pull Claws Are in Good Condition and Replace Them if Damaged or Worn When checking the spindle pull claws, first observe whether there is wear, fracture, etc. on the appearance of the pull claws. Then use special tools to measure the fitting accuracy between the pull claws and the tool shank, such as whether the gap is too large. If the pull claws are worn, they can be repaired. For example, the surface precision can be restored through grinding and other processes. For pull claws that are fractured or severely worn and cannot be repaired, new pull claws must be replaced. After replacing the pull claws, debugging should be carried out to ensure that they can correctly grip and release the tool. (V) Check the Degree of Damage to the Button and Replace It if Damaged For the tool unclamping button, disassemble the button shell and check the oxidation and wear of the internal contacts as well as the elasticity of the spring. If the contacts are oxidized, you can use sandpaper to gently polish and remove the oxide layer. If the contacts are severely worn or the spring fails, a new button should be replaced. When installing the button, make sure that the button is firmly installed, the operation feel is normal, and it can accurately transmit the tool unclamping signal to the control system. (VI) Check Whether the Circuits Are Broken Check along the tool unclamping control circuits to see if there are any broken circuits. For suspected broken parts, you can use a multimeter to conduct a continuity test. If it is found that the circuits are broken, find out the specific position of the break, cut off the damaged part of the circuit, and then use suitable wire connection tools such as welding or crimping to connect them. After connection, use insulating materials such as insulating tape to insulate the circuit joints to prevent short-circuit and other problems. (VII) Fill Oil into the Tool-Hitting Cylinder Oil Cup If the malfunction is caused by the lack of oil in the tool-hitting cylinder oil cup, first find the position of the tool-hitting cylinder oil cup. Then use the specified type of hydraulic oil to slowly fill oil into the oil cup while observing the oil level in the oil cup and not exceeding the upper limit scale of the oil cup. After filling the oil, start the machining center and conduct several tool unclamping operation tests to make the oil fully circulate inside the tool-hitting cylinder and ensure that the tool-hitting cylinder works normally. (VIII) Install Collets that Meet the Standard When it is found that the tool shank collet of the customer does not meet the required specifications, the customer should be informed in a timely manner and required to replace the tool shank collet that meets the standard specifications of the machining center. After replacing the collet, test the installation of the tool and the tool unclamping operation to ensure that tool unclamping malfunctions caused by collet problems no longer occur. V. Preventive Measures for Tool Unclamping Malfunctions In addition to being able to promptly eliminate tool unclamping malfunctions when they occur, taking some preventive measures can effectively reduce the probability of tool unclamping malfunctions. (I) Regular Maintenance Formulate a reasonable maintenance plan for the machining center and regularly check, clean, lubricate, and adjust the components related to tool unclamping. For example, regularly check the working state of the tool unclamping solenoid valve and clean the valve core; check the seals and oil situation of the tool-hitting cylinder and promptly replace aging seals and replenish oil; check the wear of the spindle pull claws and spring plates and carry out necessary repairs or replacements. (II) Correct Operation and Use Operators should receive professional training and be familiar with the operating procedures of the machining center. During the operation process, use the tool unclamping button correctly and avoid misoperation. For example, do not forcibly press the tool unclamping button when the tool is rotating to avoid damaging the tool unclamping components. At the same time, pay attention to whether the installation of the tool shank is correct and ensure that the tool shank collet meets the required specifications. (III) Environmental Control Keep the working environment of the machining center clean, dry, and at an appropriate temperature. Avoid impurities such as dust and moisture from entering the interior of the tool unclamping device to prevent components from rusting, corroding, or getting blocked. Control the working environment temperature within the allowable range of the machining center to avoid performance degradation or damage to components caused by too high or too low temperatures. VI. Conclusion Tool unclamping malfunctions in machining centers are one of the important factors affecting the normal operation of machining centers. Through detailed analysis of the common causes of tool unclamping malfunctions, including damage to components such as the tool unclamping solenoid valve, the spindle tool-hitting cylinder, spring plates, and pull claws, as well as problems related to air sources, buttons, and circuits, and combined with corresponding troubleshooting methods for different causes of malfunctions, such as detecting and replacing damaged components, filling oil, and adjusting circuits, and combined with preventive measures for tool unclamping malfunctions, such as regular maintenance, correct operation and use, and environmental control, the reliability of tool unclamping in machining centers can be effectively improved, the probability of malfunctions can be reduced, the efficient and stable operation of machining centers can be ensured, and the production efficiency and product quality of mechanical processing can be improved. Operators and maintenance personnel of machining centers should have a deep understanding of these causes of malfunctions and solutions so that they can quickly and accurately diagnose and handle tool unclamping malfunctions in practical work and provide strong support for the production and manufacturing of enterprises. Media Contact Company Name: Qingdao Taizheng Precision Machinery Co., Ltd. Email:Send Email [ https://www.abnewswire.com/email_contact_us.php?pr=detailed-explanation-of-common-malfunctions-in-tool-unclamping-of-machining-centers-and-their-solutions ] Phone: 13605328581 Address:C-101, Building 31, Zhongnan High tech Jimo Technology Innovation Industrial Park, No. 76 Dazhong 1st Road, Jimo District City: Qingdao Country: China Website: https://www.ncmillingmachine.com/ This release was published on openPR.Learn from Pilibhit incident, ensure terrorists can’t target Mahakumbh: YogiPartymen free to marry across political lines: Maya
New pro-European coalition approved in Romania amid period of political turmoil