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Back pain, twitching muscles and ‘brain fog’: The Reddit trail of an alleged CEO killer(The Center Square) – President Donald Trump has promised to reduce government waste and employed wealthy businessmen Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to lead the charge. So far, spending on federal Diversity, Equity and Inclusion policies are prime targets for Musk and Ramaswamy, and a recent report shows just how widespread federal DEI spending has become. The report from Do No Harm shows 500 ways the Biden-Harris administration “infused DEI into the federal government.” Those examples include federal agencies starting dozens of equity training programs, doling out federal contracts and jobs based on race and gender, and teaching Americans more about their country’s racism, both past and present. The DEI explosion took off after Biden issued executive orders on his first day in office as well as another in June of 2021. The first executive order “established that affirmatively advancing equity, civil rights, racial justice, and equal opportunity is the responsibility of the whole of our Government.” The second order established “that it is the policy of my Administration to cultivate a workforce that draws from the full diversity of the Nation.” Biden also issued other executive orders, including around gender and sexuality, to the same effect his first year in office. Those orders gave federal bureaucrats not only permission but actually direct orders to embrace DEI policies across the board. And Do No Harm’s report shows they did, full-throttle, citing 80 “Equity Action Plans” submitted by agencies that promised over 500 taxpayer-funded actions. Some of the actions are seemingly mild, such as the U.S. Social Security Administration tracking more racial data. Other examples of DEI policies, though, made the federal government the nation’s teacher. For example, a blog for the U.S. Treasury Department lectures Americans on racial inequality. More directly, the federal government began implementing training programs for many federal employees that fully embrace racial ideology labeled “woke” by its opponents. For instance, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission invested in training for employees to consider equity more in its regulatory decisions. “Training will address how equity and environmental justice involves removing barriers underserved communities may face in the context of the Commission’s practices, processes, and policies,” FERC said in its Equity Action Plan. “Training also will address how, consistent with FERC’s mission and statutory duties, the Commission considers the impact of its actions on such communities. More specific trainings geared toward the responsibilities of different program offices and issue areas also may be identified or developed and offered.” Other actions seem to favor some groups over others. Changing the “percentage” of benefits received necessarily requires giving contracts, grants, or other federal resources to certain groups, almost always at the expense of white Americans, even more often white men. For example, the American Battle Monuments Commissions in its Equity Action Plan called for “expanding the percentage of U.S.-based contracted goods and services awarded to minority-owned, women-owned, and service disabled veteran-owned enterprises.” In fact, the ABMC pledged to pay a worker for this sole purpose. In another instance, the Smithsonian Institute pledged to recruit more Black and indigenous interns. “One of the simplest ways to ensure equity and accessibility in internships is to provide a livable stipend and advertise it clearly in promotion materials,” the federal group said in its Equity Action Plan. “Many units include a statement directly in their internship description about their commitment to equity. They also are intentional about making the application process simple and transparent, offering access services for interviews and allowing for multiple formats in place of a required essay.” The Smithsonian Institution , the federal steward of America’s past, also promised to begin promoting a historical framework that emphasizes American racism in the past and today. The federal group pledged to “Address the historical roots and contemporary impacts of race and racism in the United States and globally through interdisciplinary scholarship, creative partnerships, dialogue, education, and engagement.” The Center Square has reported on other examples of DEI policies and grants becoming the norm in recent years as well, though much of this kind of spending began before the Biden-Harris administration took power. Those include: Get any of our free email newsletters — news headlines, sports, arts & entertainment, state legislature, CFD news, and more.
r stock price high just three years ago. However, the tides have turned. This month, Intel lost its spot on the Dow Jones Industrial Average, and some headlines even suggest it might be acquired by another company. But how did "Team Blue" find itself in this precarious position? Let's dive into the details. The Impact of Instability Issues: Overstated? Intel's recent struggles are often attributed to the instability of its 13th and 14th-gen chips within the gaming PC community. While these issues were well-publicized, their financial impact on Intel was minimal. The problematic chips represented a small subset of high-end models, while Intel's bread-and-butter business lies in selling mid-range chips to major computer manufacturers like Dell and Lenovo. So, the roots of Intel's decline lie elsewhere. The Turning Point: Intel's 10nm Struggles To truly understand Intel's predicament, we need to go back to 2015, when the company's attempts to produce chips on the 10-nanometer process hit a roadblock. Achieving 10nm would have enabled more powerful and energy-efficient chips—critical for staying competitive. However, Intel chose not to invest in extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography, a manufacturing technology that simplifies creating chips with smaller transistors. This decision wasn't just about technical conservatism. At the time, Intel faced little pressure from competitors. AMD was still struggling with its underwhelming Bulldozer CPUs, and Apple was a loyal customer for Intel processors in its Macs. Yet, the landscape began shifting rapidly after 2015. Competition Heats Up AMD's Renaissance : AMD's Zen architecture, launched in 2017, was an immediate hit. AMD began clawing back market share with competitive performance and pricing. : AMD's...
WiMi Develops Quantum Technology-Based QRAM Architecture, Shares Surge
NewAmsterdam Pharma Announces Commencement of $300 Million Public Offering of Ordinary Shares ...CAIRO: The Arab League regional bloc called on Iran on Thursday (Dec 26) not to fuel "strife" in Syria, after the ouster of Tehran ally President Bashar al-Assad ended decades of rule by his clan . Assad's government crumbled on December 8 and he fled for Russia, another key backer of his rule, after an Islamist-led coalition of fighters wrested control of city after city until they reached Damascus. With Assad's fall, Iran lost a key ally in the region, just as its Lebanese proxy Hezbollah emerged massively weakened but not crushed from a year of war with Israel. The Arab League, which last year welcomed back Assad after a decade of isolation, emphasised the need to "respect Syria's sovereignty, territorial integrity and stability, to restrict weapons to the hands of the state, dissolve all armed formations and reject all destabilising foreign interventions". Syria's new authorities on Thursday launched an operation in a stronghold of Assad, after deadly clashes pitting their fighters against gunmen affiliated with the former government. The Arab League said it was "following with concern the events taking place in several Syrian cities and areas with the aim of igniting the sparks of conflict." It also said it "rejects the Iranian statements aimed at fuelling strife among the Syrian people", according to a statement from the secretariat. It did not specify which statements it was referring to. On Sunday, Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei predicted "the emergence of a strong, honourable group" in Syria following the ouster of Assad, saying the country's young men had "nothing to lose". Tehran's foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei lashed out on Thursday against unspecified media reports on Iran "interfering in Syria's internal affairs" as "baseless". Iran was committed to "supporting the territorial integrity and national unity of Syria and the formation of an inclusive political system," he said in a statement. Syria's new leaders have criticised Iran over its role in Syria over the years. "Iran must respect the will of the Syrian people and the sovereignty and safety of its country," Syria's new foreign minister wrote on social media site X on Tuesday. "We warn them against spreading chaos in Syria and hold them responsible for the consequences of their recent statements," he added.
Bengaluru: The year 2025 will be Congress' year of organisational empowerment, AICC president Mallikarjuna Kharge said on Thursday, calling for efforts to increase the party's organisational strength in response to the demand from people who have lost hope in the current NDA regime. ET Year-end Special Reads Corporate Kalesh: Top family disputes of India Inc in 2024 The world of business lost these eminent people in 2024 Fast, faster, fastest: How 2024 put more speed into your shopping Addressing the extended Congress working Committee (CWC) meeting in Belagavi, Kharge reminded the party's top leaders of the discussions they had at the previous meeting on November 29-that they had decided to actively fight the atmosphere of disappointment Haryana and Maharashtra election results created. The CWC held its meeting in Belagavi to commemorate the centenary of the Congress session Mahatma Gandhi had chaired in the north Karnataka city. Kharge pledged to fill all vacant posts in the organisation and implement the Udaipur declaration to make the party combat-ready to win elections at all levels. He urged partymen to identify young people who were ideologically committed and ready to protect the Constitution, and bring them into the mainstream. 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A time-bound and solid strategy and direction are necessary. There is a need to bring forth local and new leadership, he said. "We have the power of ideas, the legacy of Gandhi-Nehru and the heritage of great leaders. We will return from Belgaum with a new message and new resolve," he said. Communal hatred Kharge referred to Gandhi's message and emphasis on communal harmony and alleged that now, after 100 years, the ruling party and its leaders are openly giving provocative slogans and their top leaders are spoiling the harmony in society, spreading hatred between communities. "They are working to make people fight," he said. Congress would continue to fight for the ideology of Nehru-Gandhi and for Baba Saheb, Kharge said, while accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of not being ready to accept the mistake home minister Amit Shah committed with his comments on B R Ambedkar. (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel )
Homebound seniors living alone often slip through health system’s cracksMEXICO CITY − Guatemala is open to receiving citizens of other Central American nations who are deported from the U.S., three sources familiar with the matter said, as the country looks to build a positive relationship with the incoming Trump administration . "There has to be a regional response," a Guatemalan official who requested anonymity told Reuters. "And we want to be part of the solution." The U.S. has struggled to deport nationals from places such as Nicaragua, Venezuela and Haiti due to strained relations. That could prove a challenge for President-elect Donald Trump , who has vowed to deport record numbers of immigrants living in the United States illegally. His team has already reached out to the governments of several countries to test their willingness to take deportees from third countries. More: Tom Homan vs Stephen Miller: Who will decide Trump’s mass deportation agenda? Many U.S. neighbors, including Mexico and the Bahamas , have said they do not want to receive deportees from third countries. In 2022, more than 40% of immigrants living in the U.S. illegally came from Mexico, amounting to 4.8 million of 11 million overall, according to a U.S. Department of Homeland Security report. That was followed by Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras, which together accounted for over one-fifth of the total. More: As Trump plans mass deportation, Mexican views of migration harden Guatemala has been particularly proactive in preparing for a second Trump term relative to neighbors El Salvador and Honduras, meeting with Trump transition team members, Sen. Marco Rubio before he was tapped for secretary of state and the conservative Heritage Foundation think tank, about migration and mass deportations, border security, drug trafficking and China. All three countries, along with a Nicaraguan government that has the most openly hostile relationship with the U.S., face a moment of reckoning, both in handling Trump's demand they accept deportees and in a potential curtailing of remittances from immigrants in the U.S., which are a major contributor to their economies. The Trump transition team did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Seeking a smooth start with Trump The Guatemala-U.S. meetings signal the center-left government of President Bernard Arevalo , a Biden administration ally, wants to start on smooth terms with the Trump administration, despite ties between Guatemala's conservative opposition and many in the president-elect's orbit. Trump's inauguration will happen on Jan. 20. El Salvador, whose populist President Nayib Bukele already has cozy ties with the Trump camp, has taken a less proactive approach. But a source close to discussions between Salvadoran officials and the transition team said the Trump administration foresees smooth cooperation with El Salvador on immigration. The Guatemalan official noted the country already receives 14 deportation flights per week under President Joe Biden and is preparing for an increase. Honduras' Deputy Foreign Minister Antonio Garcia told Reuters the country receives 10 deportation flights a week. Reuters was not able to confirm the number of deportation flights to other Central American countries. Departation increase Guatemala expects a significant increase in deportations in the fall, based on the rationale that it will take time to ramp them up. "We aren't ready for it, but we know it's coming," a second Guatemalan government official said. Guatemala would prioritize Guatemalans for re-integration, the second official said, adding every country should take responsibility for its citizens, but also highlighting a regional pact among Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua and El Salvador that allows free movement. Guatemala's vision for deportees is to put their skills developed in the United States to work in the private sector, the person said. "These are people who have worked in construction, in the service industry, in various sectors, and many speak English. We want to harness that." In late November, Guatemala's security minister and migration director travelled to Washington, according to the three sources close to the matter, and met with Rubio and other key Republicans, where discussions covered drug trafficking, migration and deportations. They also met with the Heritage Foundation , whose employees staffed much of the first Trump administration. While they discussed immigration and deportations, the foundation mainly emphasized it wanted Guatemala to maintain its allegiance to U.S. ally Taiwan over China, the sources said. More: Trump vows to declare national emergency, use military for mass deportations Officials know more deportations could strain Guatemala's economy if remittances drop and the cost of re-integrating deportees rises. Around 20% of Guatemala's GDP comes from remittances – money sent home by the diaspora in the United States. In 2023, remittances accounted for 24% of El Salvador's gross domestic product and nearly 30% of Honduras' GDP. Guatemalan officials said they are not worried about the immediate economic effects of a drop in remittances, but expressed concern about reduced remittances paired with Trump's proposed increased tariffs or taxed remittances. More: Republican Sen. Rand Paul opposes Donald Trump talk of using military in deportations "We don't have a financial plan yet, there are just too many unknowns," said the second official. Guatemalan officials are analyzing surveys by the U.N.'s International Organization for Migration showing from which parts of Guatemala the most migrants departed, hoping to prepare those communities for their possible return, two officials said. The Salvadoran government said it would announce plans once the Trump administration takes action. "We work in facts and it's still all speculation," Vice President Felix Ulloa told Reuters. Bukele, like Trump, casts himself as a political disrupter, and has ties to many people close to Trump. Honduras' Deputy Foreign Minister Garcia said the country's ambassador to the United States had met informally with Trump's transition team and with Guatemala to coordinate a response. Garcia emphasized the country had always received deportees but noted at least 40% of migrants try to migrate to the United States again. He added it was important the two countries work to improve living conditions causing migration, such as gang violence, unemployment and poverty. "Honduras is already experiencing the phenomenon of mass deportations and perhaps the difference will be from 10 flights to 20 or 30 more," Garcia said. "We will have to sit down with the Americans and agree on logistics and slots at return centers to do so within a framework of dignity and respect."LONDON (AP) — A woman who claimed mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor “brutally raped and battered” her in a Dublin hotel penthouse was awarded nearly 250,000 Euros ($257,000) on Friday by a civil court jury in Ireland. Nikita Hand said the Dec. 9, 2018, assault after a night of partying left her heavily bruised and suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. McGregor testified that he never forced the woman to do anything against her will and said she fabricated the allegations after the two had consensual sex. His lawyer had called Hand a gold digger. The fighter, once the face of the Ultimate Fighting Championship but now past his prime, shook his head as the jury of eight women and four men found him liable for assault after deliberating about six hours in the High Court in Dublin. He was mobbed by cameras as he left court but did not comment. He later said on the social platform X that he would appeal the verdict and the “modest award.” Hand's voice cracked and her hands trembled as she read a statement outside the courthouse, saying she would never forget what happened to her but would now be able to move on with her life. She thanked her family, partner, friends, jurors, the judge and all the supporters that had reached out to her online, but particularly her daughter. “She has given me so much strength and courage over the last six years throughout this nightmare to keep on pushing forward for justice,” she said. “I want to show (her) and every other girl and boy that you can stand up for yourself if something happens to you, no matter who the person is, and justice will be served.” The Associated Press generally does not name alleged victims of sexual violence unless they come forward publicly, as Hand has done. Under Irish law, she did not have the anonymity she would have been granted in a criminal proceeding and was named publicly throughout the trial. Her lawyer told jurors that McGregor was angry about a fight he had lost in Las Vegas two months earlier and took it out on his client. “He’s not a man, he’s a coward,” attorney John Gordon said in his closing speech. “A devious coward and you should treat him for what he is.” Gordon said his client never pretended to be a saint and was only looking to have fun when she sent McGregor a message through Instagram after attending a Christmas party. He said Hand knew McGregor socially and that they had grown up in the same area. She said he picked her and a friend up in a car and shared cocaine with them, which McGregor admitted in court, on the way to the Beacon Hotel. Hand said she told McGregor she didn't want to have sex with him and that she was menstruating. She said she told him “no” as he started kissing her but he eventually pinned her to a bed and she couldn't move. McGregor put her in a chokehold and later told her, “now you know how I felt in the octagon where I tapped out three times,” referring to a UFC match when he had to admit defeat, she said. Hand had to take several breaks in emotional testimony over three days. She said McGregor threatened to kill her during the encounter and she feared she would never see her young daughter again. Eventually, he let go of her. “I remember saying I was sorry, as I felt that I did something wrong and I wanted to reassure him that I wouldn’t tell anyone so he wouldn’t hurt me again,” she testified. She said she then let him do what he wanted and he had sex with her. A paramedic who examined Hand the next day testified that she had never before seen someone with that intensity of bruising. A doctor told jurors Hand had multiple injuries. Hand said the trauma of the attack had left her unable to work as a hairdresser, she fell behind on her mortgage and had to move out of her house. Police investigated the woman’s complaint but prosecutors declined to bring charges, saying there was insufficient evidence and a conviction was unlikely. McGregor, in his post on X, said he was disappointed jurors didn't see all the evidence prosecutors had reviewed. He testified that the two had athletic and vigorous sex, but that it was not rough. He said “she never said ‘no’ or stopped” and testified that everything she said was a lie. “It is a full blown lie among many lies,” he said when asked about the chokehold allegation. “How anyone could believe that me, as a prideful person, would highlight my shortcomings.” McGregor’s lawyer told jurors they had to set aside their animus toward the fighter. “You may have an active dislike of him, some of you may even loathe him – there is no point pretending that the situation might be otherwise,” attorney Remy Farrell said. “I’m not asking you to invite him to Sunday brunch.” The defense said the woman never told investigators McGregor threatened her life. They also showed surveillance video in court that they said appeared to show the woman kiss McGregor’s arm and hug him after they left the hotel room. Farrell said she looked “happy, happy, happy.” McGregor said he was “beyond petrified” when first questioned by police and read them a prepared statement. On the advice of his lawyer, he refused to answer more than 100 follow-up questions. The jury ruled against Hand in a case she brought against one of McGregor’s friends, James Lawrence, whom she accused of having sex with her in the hotel without consent.
8 Things to Remember About Dexter’s Childhood Before ‘Original Sin’For Makenzie Gilkison, spelling is such a struggle that a word like rhinoceros might come out as “rineanswsaurs” or sarcastic as “srkastik.” The 14-year-old from suburban Indianapolis can sound out words, but her dyslexia makes the process so draining that she often struggles with comprehension. “I just assumed I was stupid,” she recalled of her early grade school years. But assistive technology powered by artificial intelligence has helped her keep up with classmates. Last year, Makenzie was named to the National Junior Honor Society. She credits a customized AI-powered chatbot, a word prediction program and other tools that can read for her. “I would have just probably given up if I didn’t have them,” she said. Artificial intelligence holds the promise of helping countless other students with a range of visual, speech, language and hearing impairments to that come easily to others. Schools everywhere have been wrestling with , but many are fast-tracking applications for students with disabilities. Getting the latest technology into the hands of students with disabilities is a priority for the U.S. Education Department, which has told schools they whether students need tools like text-to-speech and alternative communication devices. New rules from the Department of Justice also will require schools and other government entities to make apps and to those with disabilities. There is concern about how to ensure students using it — including those with disabilities — are still learning. Students can use artificial intelligence to summarize jumbled thoughts into an outline, summarize complicated passages, or even translate Shakespeare into common English. And computer-generated voices that can read passages for visually impaired and dyslexic students are becoming less robotic and more natural. “I’m seeing that a lot of students are kind of exploring on their own, almost feeling like they’ve found a cheat code in a video game,” said Alexis Reid, an educational therapist in the Boston area who works with students with learning disabilities. But in her view, it is far from : “We’re meeting students where they are.” Ben Snyder, a 14-year-old freshman from Larchmont, New York, who was recently diagnosed with a learning disability, has been increasingly using AI to help with homework. “Sometimes in math, my teachers will explain a problem to me, but it just makes absolutely no sense,” he said. “So if I plug that problem into AI, it’ll give me multiple different ways of explaining how to do that.” He likes a program called Question AI. Earlier in the day, he asked the program to help him write an outline for a book report — a task he completed in 15 minutes that otherwise would have taken him an hour and a half because of his struggles with writing and organization. But he does think using AI to write the whole report crosses a line. “That’s just cheating,” Ben said. Schools have been trying to balance the technology’s benefits against the risk that it will do too much. If a special education plan sets reading growth as a goal, the student needs to improve that skill. AI can’t do it for them, said Mary Lawson, general counsel at the Council of the Great City Schools. But the technology can help level the playing field for students with disabilities, said Paul Sanft, director of a Minnesota-based center where families can try out different assistive technology tools and borrow devices. “There are definitely going to be people who use some of these tools in nefarious ways. That’s always going to happen,” Sanft said. “But I don’t think that’s the biggest concern with people with disabilities, who are just trying to do something that they couldn’t do before.” Another risk is that AI will track students into less rigorous courses of study. And, because it is so good at , AI might be able to figure out a student has a disability. Having that disclosed by AI and not the student or their family could create ethical dilemmas, said Luis Pérez, the disability and digital inclusion lead at CAST, formerly the Center for Applied Specialized Technology. Schools are using the technology to help students who struggle academically, even if they do not qualify for special education services. In Iowa, a new law requires students deemed not proficient — about a quarter of them — to get an individualized reading plan. As part of that effort, the state’s education department spent $3 million on an AI-driven personalized tutoring program. When students struggle, a digital avatar intervenes. More AI tools are coming soon. The U.S. National Science Foundation is funding AI research and development. One firm is developing tools to help children with speech and language difficulties. Called the National AI Institute for Exceptional Education, it is headquartered at the University of Buffalo, which did pioneering work on handwriting recognition that helped the U.S. Postal Service save hundreds of millions of dollars by automating processing. “We are able to solve the postal application with very high accuracy. When it comes to children’s handwriting, we fail very badly,” said Venu Govindaraju, the director of the institute. He sees it as an area that needs more work, along with speech-to-text technology, which isn’t as good at understanding children’s voices, particularly if there is a speech impediment. Sorting through the sheer number of programs developed by can be a time-consuming challenge for schools. Richard Culatta, CEO of the International Society for Technology in Education, said the nonprofit launched an effort this fall to make it easier for districts to vet what they are buying and ensure it is accessible. Makenzie wishes some of the tools were easier to use. Sometimes a feature will inexplicably be turned off, and she will be without it for a week while the tech team investigates. The challenges can be so cumbersome that some students resist the technology entirely. But Makenzie’s mother, Nadine Gilkison, who works as a technology integration supervisor at Franklin Township Community School Corporation in Indiana, said she sees more promise than downside. In September, her district rolled out chatbots to help special education students in high school. She said teachers, who sometimes struggled to provide students the help they needed, became emotional when they heard about the program. Until now, students were reliant on someone to help them, unable to move ahead on their own. “Now we don’t need to wait anymore,” she said. ___ This story corrects that Pérez works for CAST, formerly the Center for Applied Specialized Technology, not the Center for Accessible Technology. The Associated Press’ education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s for working with philanthropies, a of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org. Heather Hollingsworth, The Associated Press
SC nixes ECP order, restores Bazai's NA membershipManmohan Singh: technocrat who became India's accidental PMGeo Fact Check looks into claims of PTI supporters deaths during Islamabad protest Tarar repeats claim on November 30 asking for any proof of dead bodies Senior government ministers have denied any deaths of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) protesters during the November 26 security forces raid in Islamabad. Public hospitals in the federal capital also claimed they received no bodies after the law enforcement operation. However, documentary evidence proves the claim is false. Claim In a press conference on November 28, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar and Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal denied that law enforcement used live ammunition or that any PTI protesters were killed. “The [government’s] health department has issued two statements one from Poly Clinic Hospital and another from PIMS (Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences) Hospital stating that they have not received any dead bodies,” Tarar claims while answering a question from Al Jazeera, “There was a fake list circulating on social media, they have even declared that list to be fake. No bodies have been received by these [hospitals].”Both the Federal Government Poly Clinic Hospital and the PIMS are two of the largest public hospitals in the federal capital. Later Tarar repeated his claim in response to another question from the correspondent of BBC: “Both Polyclinic and PIMS have denied receiving any bodies or any with gunshot wounds. Also there was no live ammunition used. Let me confirm that.” Tarar repeated the claim on November 30 asking for any proof of dead bodies. Both hospitals have also reiterated this in their own statements on November 27, labelling reports of deaths “baseless” and denying they treated gunshot victims or received bodies. In its statement, PIMS hospital asserted that 66 law enforcement personnel and 36 civilians were brought to PIMS emergency and majority of them were discharged after first aid treatment having minor injuries, while few of them are admitted for further treatment. “News circulating on social media is baseless regarding the death toll/ nature of injuries of protestors,” it added. Similarly, on the same day the Federal Government Poly Clinic also released a rebuttal. “FGPC administration denies news being circulated on social media regarding dead bodies in the hospitals due to gunshot wounds/bullet/grenade,” it stated, “Such unverified news pertaining to this hospital circulating on media may be considered as fake.” Fact Documentary evidence and testimonies from families of the victims show these claims by authorities are false. One of the victims was 31-year-old Sadar Ali from Mardan in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. His treatment slip as well as his death certificate issued by the PIMS Hospital have both been seen by Geo Fact Check. Ali was admitted to the hospital at 8:17pm on November 26 and pronounced dead at 8:30pm, as per his death certificate, seen below. Both the treatment slip and the death certificate identify Ali’s injury to have been a result of a firearm. His family identifies him as a supporter of PTI. Another dead body, whose records Geo Fact Check obtained, is of 24-year-old Mobeen Aurengzeb from Abbottabad who was pronounced dead by the Federal Government Poly Clinic hospital at 5:12pm on November 26. Aurengzeb’s cause of death has been listed as gunshot injury, as per the death certificate produced below. His family also identifies him as a PTI supporter. The third victim is 20-year-old Anees Shahzad from Murree whose death certificate was also issued by the Federal Government Poly Clinic hospital on November 26. Shahzad was pronounced dead at 5pm. His injury has been identified as a result of gunshot. Shahzed was a PTI supporter, as per his family. All three names appear on PTI’s list of 12 alleged fatalities. These names also align with burial details reported by local media outlets as well as pictures and videos of the burials shared by family members with Geo Fact Check. Separately, five casualties have also been confirmed by the Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah on November 28, while talking to a local TV channel. Sanaullah acknowledged the deaths of at least five PTI workers. “Officially, there’s confirmation of four or five deaths. Reports indicate funerals in at least three locations, with the possibility of two more,” he said during the show. Geo Fact Check also reached out to over a dozen doctors, nurses as well as the administration at both hospitals who either denied the deaths or refused to talk claiming pressure from government authorities.Conor McGregor must pay $250K to woman who says he raped her, civil jury rules
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Manhattan police have obtained a warrant for the arrest of 26-year-old Luigi Nicholas Mangione , suspect in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson . Mangione was arrested at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, while carrying a gun, mask and writings linking him to the ambush. Mangione is being held without bail in Pennsylvania on charges of possession of an unlicensed firearm, forgery and providing false identification to police. Late Monday, Manhattan prosecutors charged him with five counts, including murder, criminal possession of a weapon and criminal possession of a forged instrument. Here's the latest: Dickey, his defense lawyer, questioned whether the second-degree murder charge filed in New York might be eligible for bail under Pennsylvania law, but prosecutors raised concerns about both public safety and Mangione being a potential flight risk, and the judge denied it. He has 14 days to challenge the detention. Prosecutors, meanwhile, have a month to seek a governor’s warrant out of New York. Mangione, wearing an orange jumpsuit, mostly stared straight ahead at the hearing, occasionally consulting papers, rocking in his chair, or looking back at the gallery. At one point, he began to speak to respond to the court discussion, but was quieted by his lawyer. Luigi Mangione, 26, has also been denied bail at a brief court hearing in western Pennsylvania. He has 14 days to challenge the bail decision. That’s with some intervention from owner Elon Musk. The account, which hasn’t posted since June, was briefly suspended by X. But after a user inquired about it in a post Monday, Musk responded “This happened without my knowledge. Looking into it.” The account was later reinstated. Other social media companies such as Meta have removed his accounts. According to X rules, the platform removes “any accounts maintained by individual perpetrators of terrorist, violent extremist, or mass violent attacks, as well as any accounts glorifying the perpetrator(s), or dedicated to sharing manifestos and/or third party links where related content is hosted.” Mangione is not accused of perpetrating a terrorist or mass attack — he has been charged with murder — and his account doesn’t appear to share any writings about the case. He shouted something that was partly unintelligible, but referred to an “insult to the intelligence of the American people.” He’s there for an arraignment on local charges stemming from his arrest Monday. He was dressed in an orange jumpsuit as officers led him from a vehicle into the courthouse. Local defense lawyer Thomas Dickey is expected to represent the 26-year-old at a Tuesday afternoon hearing at the Blair County Courthouse. Dickey declined comment before the hearing. Mangione could have the Pennsylvania charges read aloud to him and may be asked to enter a plea. They include possession of an unlicensed firearm, forgery and providing false identification to police. In New York, he was charged late Monday with murder in the death of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO Brian Thompson. Mangione likely was motivated by his anger with what he called “parasitic” health insurance companies and a disdain with corporate greed, said a a law enforcement bulletin obtained by The Associated Press. He wrote that the U.S. has the most expensive healthcare system in the world and that the profits of major corporations continue to rise while “our life expectancy” does not, according to the bulletin, based on a review of the suspect’s hand-written notes and social media postings. He appeared to view the targeted killing of the UnitedHealthcare CEO as a symbolic takedown, asserting in his note that he is the “first to face it with such brutal honesty,” the bulletin said. Mangione called “Unabomber” Ted Kaczynski a “political revolutionary” and may have found inspiration from the man who carried out a series of bombings while railing against modern society and technology, the document said. A felony warrant filed in New York cites Altoona Officer Christy Wasser as saying she found the writings along with a semi-automatic pistol and an apparent silencer. The filing echoes earlier statements from NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny who said Mangione had a three-page, handwritten document that shows “some ill will toward corporate America.” Mangione is now charged in Pennsylvania with being a fugitive of justice. A customer at the McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, where Mangione was arrested said one of his friends had commented beforehand that the man looked like the suspect wanted for the shooting in New York City. “It started out almost a little bit like a joke, my one friend thought he looked like the shooter,” said the customer, who declined to give his full name, on Tuesday. “It wasn’t really a joke, but we laughed about it,” he added. The warrant on murder and other charges is a step that could help expedite his extradition from Pennsylvania. In court papers made public Tuesday, a New York City police detective reiterated key findings in the investigation he said tied Mangione to the killing, including surveillance footage and a fake ID he used to check into a Manhattan hostel on Nov. 24. Police officers in Altoona, Pennsylvania, found that ID when they arrested Mangione on Monday. Mangione is being held without bail in Pennsylvania on charges of possession of an unlicensed firearm, forgery and providing false identification to police. Late Monday, Manhattan prosecutors charged him with five counts, including murder, criminal possession of a weapon and criminal possession of a forged instrument. Mangione doesn’t yet have a lawyer who can speak on his behalf, court officials said. Images of Mangione released Tuesday by Pennsylvania State Police showed him pulling down his mask in the corner of the McDonald’s while holding what appeared to be hash browns and wearing a winter jacket and ski cap. In another photo from a holding cell, he stood unsmiling with rumpled hair. Mangione’s cousin, Maryland lawmaker Nino Mangione, announced Tuesday morning that he’s postponing a fundraiser planned later this week at the Hayfields Country Club north of Baltimore, which was purchased by the Mangione family in 1986. “Because of the nature of this terrible situation involving my Cousin I do not believe it is appropriate to hold my fundraising event scheduled for this Thursday at Hayfields,” Nino Mangione said in a social media post. “I want to thank you for your thoughts, prayers, and support. My family and I are heartbroken and ask that you remember the family of Mr. Thompson in your prayers. Thank you.” Officers used New York City’s muscular surveillance system . Investigators analyzed DNA samples, fingerprints and internet addresses. Police went door to door looking for witnesses. When an arrest came five days later , those sprawling investigative efforts shared credit with an alert civilian’s instincts. A customer at a McDonald’s restaurant in Pennsylvania noticed another patron who resembled the man in the oblique security-camera photos New York police had publicized. He remains jailed in Pennsylvania, where he was initially charged with possession of an unlicensed firearm, forgery and providing false identification to police. By late Monday evening, prosecutors in Manhattan had added a charge of murder, according to an online court docket. It’s unclear whether Luigi Nicholas Mangione has an attorney who can comment on the allegations. Asked at Monday’s arraignment whether he needed a public defender, Mangione asked whether he could “answer that at a future date.”The Latest: UnitedHealthcare shooting suspect contests his extradition back to New York