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The killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson appears to have added fresh fuel to already tense discourse online about wealth, the role of corporations in American health care and power in society. Thompson , 50, was in New York City for an investor conference, where he was shot dead by a masked assailant. Days later, the gunman’s whereabouts and identity remained unknown as did the reason for the killing. New York City police say evidence firmly points to it being a targeted attack. Steven Downing, associate professor of criminology and media at Ontario Tech University, said some posts were celebratory in nature and that reactions may reflect people’s frustration with the health insurance industry in the United States. A thread on a Reddit community, inviting people to share their worst experiences with UnitedHealthcare, drew hundreds of comments, mostly negative, and over a thousand upvotes. “There seems to be some effect here where people are sharing their own narratives,” Downing said. “People are strangely bonding over this.” Social media users reacted to the killing, with the term ‘CEOs’ trending on the social media website X. “I’ve seen very little sort of post being sympathetic to the victim,” Downing said. “Certainly, there is an anti-elitist sentiment that we’re seeing here.” Downing said that while this is a tragedy for those who knew Thompson, the social media reaction indicates a broader anti-elite social sentiment. He said there are also posts “valourizing” the shooter. “I saw a tweet specifically mentioning Robin Hood. The parallels are not exact, but there is this class element embedded in that, like an us versus them,” he said. The shooting has shaken corporate America and the health insurance industry in particular, causing companies to reevaluate security plans and delete photos and biographies of executives from their websites, the Associated Press reported. A different Minnesota-based health care company said Friday it was temporarily closing its offices out of an abundance of caution, telling employees to work from home. UnitedHealthcare is a multinational health insurance and services company and is the largest insurer in the United States . In 2023, Thompson earned a total compensation of $10.2 million, according to a disclosure by UnitedHealth Group. It included his annual salary, bonus and stock option awards. UnitedHealthcare brought in $281 billion in revenue last year. The killing has come amid growing tensions and anger as income inequality remains a persistent challenge, and after the U.S. election saw conversations around health care and the further privatization of insurance and care access in the spotlight. Caitlin Slavens, an Alberta-based psychologist, said posts valourizing a killer may not be a genuine endorsement of violence, but may reflect misplaced anger or desperation. “In this case, the shooter may symbolize rebellion against a system people feel has failed them — like health care or insurance industries. For some, it’s easier to justify or glorify such actions than to sit with the helplessness or rage they feel toward those larger systems,” she said. Amie Grant, a therapist based in Cleveland, Ohio, said prolonged exposure to an oppressive system or situation – like being denied life-saving care – can lead to people’s collective frustrations boiling over into extreme narratives. Social media offers an easy space for people to vent. “Social media amplifies these feelings by creating echo chambers where resentment can turn into dark humor or misplaced validation,” she said. Grant said growing income-inequality, stagnant wages and rising prices have led to a growing collective anger. “Online spaces provide a fertile ground for these feelings to take root, often through humor, memes, and dark satire that make complex issues more accessible. Social media acts as a pressure valve, allowing people to articulate their frustrations in ways that feel both rebellious and communal,” she said. Feeling powerless in the face of large corporations can feel dehumanizing, Slavens said. Sharing those experiences online can be cathartic for some. “Sharing personal stories, especially about struggles with insurance companies, can be incredibly validating. It allows people to feel seen and heard while connecting with others who have faced similar experiences,” Slavens said. “For some, it’s a way to reclaim power over a situation that feels dehumanizing, turning their pain into a call for systemic change.” Matthew Polacko, a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Toronto whose work focuses on the effects of income inequality on political behaviour, said anti-elite sentiments are not limited to the United States. Canada, too, has seen simmering anger since the pandemic. “It’s definitely on the rise, this dissatisfaction with billionaires, in Canada with grocery stores and the rising prices. There is this perception of collusion on their part,” he said. Where that anger goes next remains unclear. Downing said these sentiments could well snowball into populist political movements in the future. “There’s a movement towards populist sentiments,” he said. “If you look at Occupy Wall Street, there were analogous or simultaneous movements in Canada. I do think there will be (more such movements in the future).” Polacko said it’s unlikely that more violence will follow this incident. “This is more of an isolated incident,” he said, “I don’t think we have to worry about more violence happening here (in Canada). I don’t think this is likely to keep happening.”
Vanquishing Thanksgiving losing streak tops Lions' list with Bears on menuPresident-elect Donald Trump praised Pete Hegseth, his embattled nominee for Defense secretary, in a social media post Friday, but some of the president-elect's allies are doubtful Hegseth can make it through the confirmation process. Hegseth doesn't appear to have the votes in the Senate to get confirmed and his nomination is in trouble, according to two sources close to Trump. "I believe the votes are not there for Pete," said a Trump adviser who asked not to be identified. "They're not going to be there. I think Trump will let Pete fight and come to that conclusion on his own." The second source said Hegseth's nomination appears to be doomed unless Trump "goes into full push." More: Pete Hegseth controversy explained: What to know amid backlash to Trump's Defense pick Trump lauded Hegseth, a combat veteran and former Fox News host, on social media Friday, writing that he "is doing very well." "His support is strong and deep, much more so than the Fake News would have you believe," Trump added. Trump seems committed to Hegseth for now, said a third source close to the president-elect. "That is my current sense," said the source. Hegseth's nomination has been teetering, though, amid a series of revelations about his personal life. He was accused of sexual assault, which he denies and for which he has never faced charges. And a whistleblower report first detailed by The New Yorker alleged he was forced out of leadership roles with two nonprofit veterans groups - Concerned Vets for America and Vets for Freedom - for personal misconduct, mismanagement of funds and intoxication on the job. More: Pete Hegseth vows he won't drink 'a drop of alcohol' if confirmed as defense secretary There also have been reports about excessive drinking by Hegseth during his stint at Fox News. The New York Times published an email sent to Hegseth by his mother in which she wrote “I have no respect for any man that belittles, lies, cheats, sleeps around and uses women for his own power and ego. You are that man (and have been for years)." Penelope Hegseth went on television this week to defend him and said she regrets the email. "Pete Hegseth is going to get his hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee, not a sham hearing before the American media. We believe that Pete Hegseth is the right guy to lead the Department of Defense," Vice President-elect JD Vance told reporters Friday in North Carolina. "That’s why President Trump nominated him. We’re not abandoning this nomination.” Mark Lucas, who succeeded Pete Hegseth as executive director of Concerned Vets for America, dismissed the concerns about him as political. He said he didn't have any issues with Hegseth and is volunteering to testify before a Senate panel to support his confirmation Lucas also criticized people attacking Hegseth for doing so behind the cloak of anonymity. More: Alcohol, antipathy cloud Pete Hegseth sex assault allegations with conflicting accounts "They're going to run the same playbook against Pete Hegseth that they did with Brett Kavanaugh ," he told USA TODAY, referring to the Supreme Court justice who was accused sexual assault as a teenager during his 2018 confirmation. "If people want to come forward, they can. They can say whatever they want under oath. But it's going to be investigated." Hegseth may not benefit from the same "choir boy" treatment as Kavanaugh, said Mike Davis, who piloted Kavanaugh's contentious hearings as a Senate Judiciary Committee chief counsel. "Hegseth admits he was certainly not a choir boy. The Kavanaugh claims were ridiculous. Everyone who knew him knew he was a virgin into his 20s − then suddenly he's a serial rapist in high school?" Davis told USA TODAY. "Everyone knows Hegseth was a playboy. That doesn't mean he was a rapist. And the accusations, while serious, may not withstand public scrutiny after her public testimony." Davis said his group, the Article III Project, is mobilizing a phone, email and social media blitz to support Kash Patel and Hegseth. Hegseth's struggles have Trump considering a backup. He has been weighing replacing Hegseth with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis , who ran against him in the GOP presidential primary. DeSantis, a Navy veteran, will join Trump at the Army-Navy football game on Dec. 14, according to Fox News . Hegseth said during his visit to the Capitol this week to meet with senators that he spoke with Trump and the president-elect is standing behind him. "He said: 'Keep going, keep fighting. I’m behind you all the way,'" Hegseth said of his conversation with Trump. "Why would I back down? I’ve always been a fighter. I'm here for the war fighters."
American rugby sevens star Ilona Maher will join 15-a-side club Bristol in January in a bid to play in next year's women's Rugby World Cup, the English club announced on Monday. Maher, 28, helped the USA to a bronze medal at this summer's Olympic Games in Paris and is the sport's most popular player on social media. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.
Oracle Corp. reported quarterly revenue in line with estimates, disappointing investors who have boosted the stock to a record high in recent weeks on enthusiasm for the company’s ascendant cloud business. The shares fell in extended trading. Share Market View All Nifty Gainers View All Company Value Change %Change Fiscal second-quarter revenue increased 9% to $14.1 billion, the company said Monday in a statement. Sales from Oracle’s closely watched cloud infrastructure business jumped 52% to $2.4 billion, in line with the growth projected by analysts. Oracle has long tried to find its footing in the lucrative industry of renting computing power and storage, which is dominated by much-larger rivals led by Amazon.com Inc.’s Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Corp. The recent success has been fueled by demand from artificial intelligence companies seeking to train their models and marquee customers like Uber Technologies Inc. and ByteDance Ltd.’s TikTok. Chairman Larry Ellison has focused particularly on Oracle’s ability to provide the hardware and integrated software needed to handle powerful AI workloads. The stock slipped about 8% in extended trading after closing at $190.45. Expectations were high for Oracle headed into the results, with its stock jumping 81% this year. It was a “mixed quarter against elevated expectations,” wrote Rishi Jaluria, an analyst at RBC Capital Markets. Remaining performance obligations — a measure of bookings — were $97 billion as of the period ended November 30, a step down from $99.1 billion in the previous quarter. Earnings, excluding some items, were $1.47 a share. Analysts, on average, estimated $1.48, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Total cloud sales, including infrastructure and applications, was $5.9 billion. Analysts, on average, estimated $6 billion. That 52% growth in infrastructure sales suggests “strong expansion in AI workloads, both from direct and indirect clients,” wrote Anurag Rana, an analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence. For the fiscal third quarter, revenue will increase about 8%, Chief Executive Officer Safra Catz said on a conference call after the results were released. Profit, excluding some items, will be $1.47 to $1.51 a share. Cloud revenue will rise about 24%, she said. All of those metrics missed analyst estimates. Still, executives remained bullish on company momentum. Oracle’s cloud “trains several of the world’s most important generative AI models because we are faster and less expensive than other clouds,” Ellison said in the statement. He added that Meta Platforms Inc. has signed an agreement to use Oracle’s cloud infrastructure to develop AI agents built on Meta’s Llama models. Capital expenditures, which are watched as a metric of data center investment, were $3.97 billion in the quarter. Analysts estimated $3.52 billion. Overall capital expenditures should double this fiscal year compared to the previous, Catz said. The company spent $6.87 billion in fiscal 2024, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Last week, a US Appeals Court federal court upheld a law that would ban TikTok in the US unless the social media company was sold by its Chinese parent company ByteDance Ltd. Oracle has warned investors that a ban on TikTok would hurt its financial results. Oracle executives didn’t comment on the conference call about TikTok’s situation.None
Dow Jones Industrial Average treads water after lopsided early plunge on TuesdayOregon already secured its spot in the Big Ten championship game, but the top-ranked Ducks have plenty to play for in their regular-season finale. Revenge may be on Oregon's mind when the Ducks host longtime rival Washington on Saturday in Eugene, Ore. Oregon (11-0, 8-0 Big Ten) would perhaps be closing in on its second straight College Football Playoff appearance had the Huskies (6-5, 4-4) not dealt the Ducks their only two losses last season. Washington edged Oregon 36-33 in Seattle last October, then slipped past the Ducks 34-31 in the Pac-12 title game to secure a playoff spot for the second time in school history. Both teams joined the Big Ten in August. Third-year Oregon head coach Dan Lanning is 33-5 leading the Ducks. But he remains winless against the Huskies (0-3). Oregon plots to sprint out of its late-season bye after using time to heal injuries, but Lanning doesn't believe the break should stall the flow of an undefeated season. "It's always about what we're able to do on the field. Motivation is overrated," Lanning said. "Our guys have to want to go out there and execute at a really high level. Since the beginning of the season we've talked about playing our best football at the end of November. We're there. This is our opportunity to go play our best football against a good team." The Ducks could have star wide receiver Tez Johnson back from a shoulder injury this week. Johnson has missed the past two games. That would be good news for quarterback Dillon Gabriel, who would regain the team's leader in receptions (64), receiving yards (649) and receiving touchdowns (eight). Washington, under first-year head coach Jedd Fisch, is 63-48-5 all-time against Oregon but is just 1-12-1 when facing the No. 1-ranked team in the country. The Huskies are led on offense by running back Jonah Coleman, who has racked up 1,008 yards and nine scores on the ground this season. Coleman averages 5.8 yards per carry and has 36 runs of at least 10 yards. In the passing game, wide receiver Denzel Boston is tied for the Big Ten lead with nine in touchdown catches and ranks sixth in the conference with 764 receiving yards. Whom Boston will be catching passes from is not yet known, however. Washington has not revealed whether Will Rogers or Demond Williams Jr. will start at quarterback. Rogers has started every game for the Huskies but was benched in favor of Williams two weeks ago after throwing a pair of interceptions in a 31-19 win over UCLA. Fisch said he has a "good idea" of how he will use his quarterbacks on Saturday, and while he wouldn't go as far as to name a starter, he did say Rogers responded well in practices last week. "On the same token, Demond's energy and Demond's confidence showed up. His ability to jump right in and feel really good about leading the group whenever it was his turn... he did a really nice job there as well," Fisch told Seattle Sports. "I think both guys responded well to the week of practice, and now, really, it's important for us that the guy we believe will start the game gets a significant amount of reps in practice week. But as you know, we're not afraid to play two quarterbacks." --Field Level Media