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MIDTOWN, Manhattan -- A suspect is on the loose in what police called the "brazen" targeted attack of Brian Thompson , the CEO of major insurance group UnitedHealthcare who was fatally shot outside a Midtown Manhattan hotel ahead of an investor conference on Wednesday. The masked gunman appeared to be lying in wait outside the Hilton hotel in what police said was a "premeditated" attack. The shooter arrived at the scene about five minutes before Thompson before shooting the victim in the chest around 6:40 a.m., police said. Video captured the moment the gunman walked up behind the CEO, pointed his gun at him and fired. A witness fled as Thompson stumbled and fell to the ground. The gunman then walked closer to Thompson, firing more times before fleeing. The suspect fled on foot into an alley, where a phone was recovered, according to NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny. He then fled on a bike and he was last seen riding into Central Park at 6:48 a.m., police said. Police released photos of the suspect holding a firearm and on a bike. They also released photos of the suspect in a mask in an undisclosed location. He was described by police as wearing a light brown or cream-colored jacket, a black face mask, black and white sneakers and a "very distinctive" gray backpack. Detectives have retrieved a water bottle and candy wrapper from the area where he was apparently waiting and are currently running tests and analyses to determine if there are any usable fingerprints or DNA, law enforcement sources said. At the same time, NYPD detectives are working with the U.S. Marshals Service to try and track down the shooter and with the FBI, which has the most sophisticated technology for retrieving usable data from cell phones, sources said. The victim's hotel room has already been accessed by investigators, whose top priority is determining Thompson's most recent conversations and movements, sources said. The working theory among detectives right now is that the shooting was carried out by someone who is not a professional killer because too many "mistakes" were made, sources said. Hitmen typically don't carry cell phones to their hits and the shots were fired from a distance that would be considered "too far" away from the victim, the sources said. At this point, detectives are trying to determine whether Thompson was targeted because of some type of personal conflict or as a result of his work as an insurance executive, sources said. The killer apparently had some knowledge of Thompson's schedule on Wednesday and the fact that he would be arriving at the Hilton well before the company meeting was to begin, the sources said. Police are interviewing Thompson's colleagues and family about any potential specific threats, Kenny said. Thompson , 50, was in New York City for the UnitedHealthcare investors conference, which was scheduled to start at 8 a.m. The conference was being held at the Hilton outside of which he was shot, but he was not staying there, police said. UnitedHealthcare's parent company, UnitedHealth Group, the largest health insurer in the world, said in a statement, "We are deeply saddened and shocked at the passing of our dear friend and colleague Brian Thompson." "Brian was a highly respected colleague and friend to all who worked with him," the company said. "We are working closely with the New York Police Department and ask for your patience and understanding during this difficult time. Our hearts go out to Brian's family and all who were close to him." Police urge the public to call Crime Stoppers with any information. A $10,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible.Tice, Otieno lead Quinnipiac to 75-69 OT win over Hofstra
America Still Needs Jimmy Carter’s Health Care Agenda—Even If It FloppedThe company earned strong ratings for technology excellence and customer impact AUSTIN, Texas , Nov. 21, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Zilliant , the leader in pricing lifecycle management, has been named a technology leader in QKS Group's 2024 SPARK MatrixTM analysis of the B2B Price Optimization & Management market. Zilliant was recognized as a leader for its outstanding capabilities in leveraging advanced AI and machine learning to enable businesses to set dynamic, market-aligned pricing strategies. The company also received strong ratings for its outstanding capabilities in optimizing cloud costs and enhancing operational efficiency in complex multi-cloud environments. "Zilliant stood out as a technology leader by providing customers with the price elasticity modeling and real-time optimization they need to make strategic pricing decisions," said Dharun R, Analyst at QKS Group . "Its Price IQ solution delivers predictive pricing that helps businesses maximize profitability while managing risk. This enables companies to swiftly adapt to changing market conditions." The QKS Group SPARK MatrixTM offers an in-depth analysis of global market dynamics, major trends, vendor landscapes and competitive positioning. By providing a competitive analysis and ranking of leading technology vendors, the SPARK Matrix delivers strategic insights that help users assess provider capabilities, differentiate competitively and understand market positions. "This recognition validates our approach of putting customer trust at the center of everything we do," said Zilliant CEO Pascal Yammine . "By combining advanced AI capabilities with deep pricing expertise, we're helping companies transform pricing from a back-office function into a strategic driver of growth and innovation. Our customers' success in adapting to rapid market changes and delivering consistent value demonstrates the power of getting pricing right." QKS Group, a global advisory and research firm, evaluates vendors for its SPARK MatrixTM based on technology excellence and customer impact. It defines B2B Price Optimization & Management as "the part of the pricing solution that helps B2B organizations create effective pricing strategies that align business objectives by leveraging predictive and prescriptive analytics to maximize margins and recommend precise, dynamic, and optimized prices of products or services. It integrates and analyzes business data, easily manages prices, monitors, approves, and reports price changes, and provides insights into customers and markets to help organizations make informed pricing decisions." To download the 2024 SPARK MatrixTM analysis of the B2B Price Optimization & Management, go to https://qksgroup.com/market-research/spark-matrix-b2b-price-optimization-management-q4-2024-8096 . About Zilliant Zilliant helps businesses put pricing at the heart of their business by managing the entire pricing lifecycle. Zilliant's data science, cloud-native software and passion for customer success deliver the highest ROI, fastest time to value and highest customer satisfaction. Learn more about how Zilliant helps businesses unlock the full power of pricing at zilliant.com . Media Contacts Zilliant Treble Matt Grant zilliant@treblepr.com About QKS Group QKS Group is a global advisory and consulting firm focused on helping clients achieve business transformation goals with Strategic Business and Growth advisory services. At QKS Group, our vision is to become an integral part of our client's business as a strategic knowledge partner. Our research and consulting deliverables are designed to provide comprehensive information and strategic insights for helping clients formulate growth strategies to survive and thrive in ever-changing business environments. For more available research, please visit https://qksgroup.com/ QKS Group Shraddha Roy PR & Media Relations QKS Group Regus Business Center 35 Village Road, Suite 100 Middleton Massachusetts 01949 United States Email: shraddha.r@qksgroup.com Press Release Source: https://qksgroup.com/newsroom/zilliant-recognized-as-a-leader-in-the-2024-spark-matrix-for-b2b-price-optimization-management-by-qks-group-872 Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/qksgroup Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2501519/QKS_Group_Logo.jpg
FORT WORTH, Tex — Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark clearly expressed his displeasure about the College Football Playoff rankings while insisting Wednesday that his conference's champion should get a first-round bye over any Group of Five champion. Arizona State and Iowa State, the 10-2 teams that will play in the Big 12 championship game Saturday, are outside the top 12 in the latest CFP rankings and behind three Southeastern Conference teams with three losses: No. 11 Alabama, No. 13 Mississippi and No. 14 South Carolina. The Sun Devils are 15th, and the Cyclones 16th. “The (selection) committee continues to show time and time again that they are paying attention to logos versus resumes,” Yormark said to open a nearly four-minute statement during a Zoom call to preview the Big 12 title game. The Big 12 is below No. 10 Boise State (11-1) from the Mountain West Conference. The Broncos, who play No. 20 UNLV on Friday night in the MWC title game, have a 10-game winning streak since a 37-34 loss on a last-second field goal at top-ranked Oregon, their only P4 opponent. The five highest-ranked conference champs in the the selection committee's final top 25 ranking on Sunday are guaranteed playoff spots, and the top four getting first-round byes. There are now four potential conference champions ahead of the Big 12, which in current projected pairings would be the No. 12 seed and have to play a first-round game on the road. “Strength of schedule should matter and wins against Power Four opponents should matter — 74% of the Big 12 wins were against Power Four opponents this season,” Yormark said. "Meanwhile, the Group of Five is 11-80. ... In no way should a group of Five champion be ranked above our champion.” Yormark repeated that last line for emphasis, and said strength of schedule was reiterated multiple times before the season as a key metric for the CFP rankings. But he says he hasn't seen that taken into account as much as it should, then pointed out that Arizona State and Iowa State both were 7-2 in Big 12 play and won the non-conference games they played against P4 opponents. Arizona State running back Cam Skattebo (4) celebrates a touchdown against BYU with wide receiver Jordyn Tyson (0) and offensive lineman Kyle Scott (77) during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, in Tempe, Ariz. Arizona State won 28-23. Credit: AP/Ross D. Franklin Right below Arizona State and Iowa State in the CFP rankings is No. 17 Clemson (9-3), which plays eighth-ranked SMU in the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game Saturday night. The Tigers would get in the playoff as the ACC champion with a win. No. 5 Georgia (10-2) plays No. 2 Texas (11-1) in the SEC title game. “The committee clearly focuses on the wins and loss column. Going by that principle, no three-loss team from a Power Four conference should get a bye over a two-loss champion from the Big 12,” Yormark said, again forcefully repeating his thought. Yormark had advocated for the 12-team playoff, and believes it has generated the expected excitement and fan engagement that made November “truly magical.” There was a four-way tie for first place in the 16-team Big 12 at the end of the regular season. Arizona State and Iowa State advanced in a series of tiebreakers that knocked No. 18 BYU and No. 23 Colorado out of title game contention. The Big 12 commissioner said that while he disagrees with what has transpired so far, he is hopeful that there will be some adjustments in the final CFP rankings. “Obviously I challenge what I’ve seen to date, and again I'm going to lean on strength of schedule. I don’t think it’s played out the way it should,” Yormark said. “But I do have trust in the committee that ultimately we'll land where we’re supposed to land. And, you know, that ultimately will mean we’ll get a bye. ... It will come down to the selection committee making that decision, but I’m hopeful it will be the right one."
Every Black Friday, there’s a number of viral products that everyone has on their Christmas wish list, and we don’t expect this year to be any different. However, not all of these popular items are going to stay in stock, and we have some insight on the ones that won’t. Black Friday is big business, and last year shoppers spent $222.1 billion during the entire holiday shopping season, according to Queue-it. Sales on Black Friday reached $16.4 billion (online and in stores), and this was a 9% increase from the year before. While it comes as no surprise that electronics are the most sought-after products of the holiday season, Queue-it said this accounts for the majority of holiday sales, jumping to $50.8 billion in 2023. Apparel, furniture, groceries and toys are the other hot sellers of Black Friday. Together, these five categories accounted for 65% of sales during the holidays last year and is only expected to grow in 2024. While many items that sell out over Black Friday are driven by a good deal, we also know that a hot product is just that — a gift that most people want to open on Christmas Day. So, here are our picks for the top 10 hot-ticket items that could sell out over Black Friday. 1. Big TVs The holidays are ripe for TV deals, and we expect shoppers to buy a ton of them in 2024, especially at Walmart. Consumers are trending toward bigger TVs and the super low-price deals over Black Friday force many models to sell out. This is especially true of popular models from Samsung, Hisense, LG and more favorites. 2. Apple Watches Apple's smartwatches are a top pick among Apple fans. We’ve seen prices on the Apple Watch continue to trend downward, which was only spurred by the release of the new Apple Watch 10 in September. This pushed down prices on earlier models, with the best deals coming on the Apple Watch SE and Apple Watch 9. For Black Friday, we think the prices will drop even lower and sell out due to high demand. 3. Beats headphones Wireless headphones are one of the most popular products of 2024, and Beats are one of the top brands. We’re already seeing big markdowns on Beats Wireless Headphones, and we expect these price drops to continue into Black Friday. The Beats Solo3 is likely to be on sale for even cheaper than we’ve already seen, and we think they will sell out for Black Friday, with the possibility of other popular Beats headphones joining them. 4. Apple AirPods If you haven’t picked up a pair of Apple AirPods yet, this could be your year to do it. With Apple launching a fourth generation of AirPods earlier this year, the price on prevvious models are creeping lower. We think over Black Friday they’ll be at their cheapest price ever, with the AirPods (3rd Gen) likely to sell out. 5. JBL bluetooth speakers Bluetooth speakers are a must-have for many this year, and with the big sound that comes from JBL’s speakers, it’s easy to see why they might sell out for Black Friday. These popular speakers come in a variety of portable sizes and waterproof designs. We expect big deals on JBL’s top-rated Clip 5 and Flip 6 Bluetooth speaker models. 6. Apple iPad One of Apple’s most sought-after products of the year was the iPad, and we saw the 9th Gen and 10th Gen models drop to their lowest prices ever. We think this year will bring some iPad bliss with even better discounts, but these deals will disappear just as fast as they arrive. We think that mega discounts on the iPad (9th Gen) and iPad (10th Gen) could cause sell outs, especially on Amazon. 7. Dyson Airwrap The Dyson Airwrap just might be the top product of Black Friday, as this is one of the rare times there’s a discount on the beloved hair styling tool. At $600, the Airwrap carries a hefty price tag, so any discount presented is a welcome surprise. But as we’ve seen in the past, any Black Friday deal on the Dyson Airwrap causes a crush of interest that’s followed by a sell out. 8. UGG Tasman slippers If you’ve tried to scoop up the UGG Tasman Slippers in previous years, you already know they never stay in stock for long. As the “it” slipper of the holiday season, UGG’s Tasman sells out multiple times over the holidays, even without a discount offered. We think that this year will be similar, with popular sizes and colors of the Tasman Slipper snatched up fast over Black Friday. 9. Bissell Little Green The Bissell Little Green carpet cleaner is a popular home product that just can’t seem to stay in stock. With prices falling under $90, this mighty machine can be a blessing for pet owners and parents, as its compact size makes it easy to store and use when needed. We’ve seen the Little Green Machine sell out before, and we’d be surprised if it didn’t do it again over Black Friday. 10. Furby Galaxy Edition We’d be remiss if we didn’t include a top toy that we think will be hard to find and gift this year. Our pick is the Furby Galaxy Edition. This glow-in-the-dark Furby is based on the original Furby from the late ’90s with even more features, interactive modes and more fun. Making a comeback in 2023, we saw the revival of this popular toy sell out last year, and we expect the new Furby Galaxy Edition to do the same.
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