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Kylian Mbappe’s spot-kick woe goes on as Real Madrid lose at Athletic Bilbao
NEW YORK (AP) — A gunman killed UnitedHealthcare’s CEO on Wednesday in a “brazen, targeted attack” outside a Manhattan hotel where the health insurer was holding its investor conference, police said, setting off a massive search for the fleeing assailant hours before the annual Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting nearby. Brian Thompson, 50, was shot around 6:45 a.m. as he walked alone to the New York Hilton Midtown from a nearby hotel, police said. The shooter appeared to be “lying in wait for several minutes” before approaching Thompson from behind and opening fire , New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said. Police had not yet established a motive. “Many people passed the suspect, but he appeared to wait for his intended target,” Tisch said, adding that the shooting "does not appear to be a random act of violence.” Surveillance video reviewed by investigators shows someone emerging from behind a parked car, pointing a gun at Thompson’s back, then firing multiple times from several feet away. The gunman continues firing, interrupted by a brief gun jam, as Thompson stumbles forward and falls to the sidewalk. He then walks past Thompson and out of the frame. “From watching the video, it does seem that he’s proficient in the use of firearms as he was able to clear the malfunctions pretty quickly,” NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said. Thompson was shot at least once in the back and once in the calf, Tisch said. The shooter, who wore a jacket, face mask and large backpack, fled through Midtown on foot before pedaling an electric bike into Central Park a few blocks away, police said. The assailant remained at large Wednesday afternoon, sparking a search that included police drones, helicopters and dogs. “Brian was a highly respected colleague and friend to all who worked with him,” the insurer’s Minnetonka, Minnesota-based parent company, UnitedHealth Group Inc., said in a statement. "We are working closely with the New York Police Department and ask for your patience and understanding during this difficult time.” Police issued a poster showing a surveillance image of the man pointing what appeared to be a gun and another image that appeared to show the same person on a bicycle. Minutes before the shooting, he stopped at a nearby Starbucks, according to additional surveillance photos released by police on Wednesday afternoon. They offered a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to an arrest and conviction. Thompson’s wife, Paulette Thompson, told NBC News that he told her “there were some people that had been threatening him.” She didn’t have details but suggested the threats may have involved issues with insurance coverage. Eric Werner, the police chief in the Minneapolis suburb where Thompson lived, said his department had not received any reports of threats against the executive. The killing shook a part of New York City that's normally quiet at that hour, happening about four blocks from where tens of thousands of people were set to gather for Wednesday night’s tree lighting. Police promised extra security for the event. The hotel is also a short walk from other tourist sites, including the Museum of Modern Art and Radio City Music Hall, and is often dense with office workers and visitors on weekday mornings. Many security cameras are nearby. “We’re encouraging New Yorkers to go about their daily lives and their daily business but to be alert,” NYPD Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey said. Investigators recovered several 9 mm shell casings from outside the hotel and a cellphone from the alleyway through which the shooter fled. They were also searching Thompson's hotel room, interviewing his UnitedHealthcare colleagues and reviewing his social media, Kenny said. Police initially said the shooter rode into Central Park on a bicycle from the city’s bike-share program, CitiBike. But a spokesperson for the program’s operator, Lyft, said police officials informed the company Wednesday afternoon that the bike was not from the CitiBike fleet. Health care giant UnitedHealth Group was holding its annual meeting with investors to update Wall Street on the company's direction and expectations for the coming year. The company ended the conference early in the wake of Thompson's death. “I’m afraid that we — some of you may know we’re dealing with a very serious medical situation with one of our team members,” a company official told attendees, according to a transcript. “And as a result, I’m afraid we’re going to have to bring to a close the event today. ... I’m sure you’ll understand.” Thompson, a father of two sons, had been with the company since 2004 and served as CEO for more than three years. UnitedHealthcare is the largest provider of Medicare Advantage plans in the U.S. and manages health insurance coverage for employers and state-and federally funded Medicaid programs. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz posted on the social platform X that the state is “sending our prayers to Brian’s family and the UnitedHealthcare team.” “This is horrifying news and a terrible loss for the business and health care community in Minnesota,” the Democrat wrote. Associated Press writers Tom Murphy in Indianapolis, Steve Karnowski in St. Paul, Minnesota, and Anthony Izaguirre in Albany, New York, contributed to this story.None
Kylian Mbappe’s spot-kick woe goes on as Real Madrid lose at Athletic BilbaoNEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks tiptoed to more records amid a mixed Tuesday of trading, tacking a touch more onto what’s already been a stellar year so far. The S&P 500 edged up by 2 points, or less than 0.1%, to set an all-time high for the 55th time this year. It’s climbed in 10 of the last 11 days and is on track for one of its best years since the turn of the millennium. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 76 points, or 0.2%, while the Nasdaq composite added 0.4% to its own record set a day earlier. AT&T rose 4.6% after it boosted its profit forecast for the year. It also announced a $10 billion plan to send cash to its investors by buying back its own stock, while saying it expects to authorize another $10 billion of repurchases in 2027. On the losing end of Wall Street was U.S. Steel, which fell 8%. President-elect Donald Trump reiterated on social media that he would not let Japan’s Nippon Steel take over the iconic Pennsylvania steelmaker. Nippon Steel announced plans last December to buy the Pittsburgh-based steel producer for $14.1 billion in cash, raising concerns about what the transaction could mean for unionized workers, supply chains and U.S. national security. Earlier this year, President Joe Biden also came out against the acquisition. Tesla sank 1.6% after a judge in Delaware reaffirmed a previous ruling that the electric car maker must revoke Elon Musk’s multibillion-dollar pay package. The judge denied a request by attorneys for Musk and Tesla’s corporate directors to vacate her ruling earlier this year requiring the company to rescind the unprecedented pay package. All told, the S&P 500 rose 2.73 points to 6,049.88. The Dow fell 76.47 to 44,705.53, and the Nasdaq composite gained 76.96 to 19,480.91. In the bond market, Treasury yields held relatively steady after a report showed U.S. employers were advertising slightly more job openings at the end of October than a month earlier. Continued strength there would raise optimism that the economy could remain out of a recession that many investors had earlier worried was inevitable. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.23% from 4.20% from late Monday. Yields have seesawed since Election Day amid worries that Trump’s preferences for lower tax rates and bigger tariffs could spur higher inflation along with economic growth. But traders are still confident the Federal Reserve will cut its main interest rate again at its next meeting in two weeks. They’re betting on a nearly three-in-four chance of that, according to data from CME Group. Lower rates can give the economy more juice, but they can also give inflation more fuel. The key report this week that could guide the Fed’s next move will arrive on Friday. It’s the monthly jobs report , which will show how many workers U.S. employers hired and fired during November. It could be difficult to parse given how much storms and strikes distorted figures in October. Based on trading in the options market, Friday’s jobs report appears to be the biggest potential market mover until the Fed announces its next decision on interest rates Dec. 18, according to strategists at Barclays Capital. In financial markets abroad, the value of South Korea’s currency fell 1.1% against the U.S. dollar following a frenetic night where President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law and then later said he’d lift it after lawmakers voted to reject military rule. Stocks of Korean companies that trade in the United States also fell, including a 1.6% drop for SK Telecom. Japan’s Nikkei 225 jumped 1.9% to help lead global markets. Some analysts think Japanese stocks could end up benefiting from Trump’s threats to raise tariffs , including for goods coming from China . Trade relations between the U.S. and China took another step backward after China said it is banning exports to the U.S. of gallium, germanium, antimony and other key high-tech materials with potential military applications. The counterpunch came swiftly after the U.S. Commerce Department expanded the list of Chinese technology companies subject to export controls to include many that make equipment used to make computer chips, chipmaking tools and software. The 140 companies newly included in the so-called “entity list” are nearly all based in China. In China, stock indexes rose 1% in Hong Kong and 0.4% in Shanghai amid unconfirmed reports that Chinese leaders would meet next week to discuss planning for the coming year. Investors are hoping it may bring fresh stimulus to help spur growth in the world’s second-largest economy. In France, the CAC 40 rose 0.3% amid continued worries about politics in Paris , where the government is battling over the budget. AP Business Writers Yuri Kageyama and Matt Ott contributed.
Georgia's rights ombudsman on Tuesday accused police of torturing pro-European Union protesters rallying for six consecutive days against the government's decision to shelve EU accession talks amid a post-election crisis. The country of some 3.7 million has been rocked by demonstrations since the ruling Georgian Dream party announced last week it would halt EU accession talks. Police on Tuesday evening used water cannon and tear gas on the sixth night of pro-EU protests in Tbilisi after the prime minister threatened demonstrators with reprisals amid a deepening crisis in the Black Sea nation. Georgia's Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has refused to back down and threatened Tuesday to punish political opponents, accusing them of being behind violence at mass protests. Protesters gathered outside parliament for a sixth straight night but the crowd appeared slightly smaller than on recent nights, an AFP journalist saw. Draped in EU and Georgian flags, protesters booed riot police officers and threw fireworks. Police responded by directing hoses at the protesters, with some dancing in the jets and others sheltering under umbrellas. The police ordered demonstrators to leave through loud hailers and used water cannon to push the crowd away from the parliament. Then they deployed tear gas against the crowd in a nearby street, causing protesters to cough, with some using saline solution to wash out their eyes. Police roughly detained some demonstrators, Georgian independent television showed. Ombudsman Levan Ioseliani said in a statement that most injuries sustained by detained protesters "are concentrated on the face, eyes, and head", adding that "the location, nature, and severity of these injuries strongly suggest that police are using violence against citizens as a punitive measure", which "constitutes an act of torture." Tensions were already high after October parliamentary elections that saw Georgian Dream return to power amid accusations that it rigged the vote. But Kobakhidze's decision that Georgia would not hold EU membership talks until 2028 triggered uproar, although he insisted the country is still heading towards membership. The mostly young protesters accuse Georgian Dream of acting on Russian orders and fear the ex-Soviet country will end up back under Russian influence. Demonstrators projected a message Tuesday that read "thank you for not being tired" onto the parliament building, an AFP reporter saw. During the latest wave of protests, 293 people have been detained, the interior ministry said Tuesday evening, while 143 police have been injured. The health ministry said that on Monday evening 23 protesters were injured. "We want freedom and we do not want to find ourselves in Russia," 21-year-old protester Nika Maghradze told AFP. Demonstrators accuse the government of betraying Georgia's bid for EU membership, which is enshrined in its constitution and supported by around 80 percent of the population. Nugo Chigvinadze, 41, who works in logistics, told AFP at Tuesday's protest that he did not believe the prime minister's claim that the country is still aiming for EU membership. "Whatever our government is saying is a lie. No one believed it. No one," he said. "They are not intending to enter the European Union." Pro-EU President Salome Zurabishvili -- at loggerheads with the government -- has backed the protest and demanded a re-run of the disputed parliamentary vote. But Tbilisi's top court on Tuesday rejected a lawsuit filed by Zurabishvili and opposition parties to overturn the election result. That announcement came shortly after Kobakhidze -- who has ruled out talks with the opposition -- vowed to punish his opponents. "Opposition politicians who have orchestrated the violence in recent days while hiding in their offices will not escape responsibility," he told a press conference. International criticism of Georgia's handling of the protests has grown, with several Western countries saying Tbilisi had used excessive force. Kobakhidze threatened to punish civil servants who join the protests, after several ambassadors and a deputy foreign minister resigned. "We are closely monitoring everyone's actions, and they will not go without a response," he said. Using Kremlin-style language, Kobakhidze alleged the protest movement was "funded from abroad". He also accused non-government groups -- attacked in a repressive pre-election campaign by authorities -- of being behind the protests. At Tuesday's demonstration, Tsotne, 28, who works in IT, defied the threats of reprisals, saying: "It's a peaceful protest, of course but I guess as an individual, I'm ready to defend my country here." Georgia this year adopted Russian-style legislation designed to restrict the activity of NGOs as well measures that the EU says curb LGBTQ rights. The laws prompted the United States to slap sanctions on Georgian officials. But Kobakhidze said his government hoped that the "US attitudes towards us will change after January 20" -- when Donald Trump takes office. Meanwhile, NATO chief Mark Rutte on Tuesday slammed the situation as "deeply concerning", condemning "unequivocally" the reports of violence. led-jc-am-im/givKylian Mbappe’s spot-kick woe goes on as Real Madrid lose at Athletic BilbaoTwo senior members of the federal cabinet were in Florida Friday pushing Canada’s new border plan with Donald Trump’s transition team, a day after Trudeau himself appeared to finally push back at the president-elect over his social media posts about turning Canada into the 51st state. Both Trudeau and former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney, who Trudeau has been courting to become Canada’s next finance minister, shared posts on X Thursday, a day after Trump’s latest jab at Canada in his Christmas Day message. It isn’t clear if Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc, who has repeatedly insisted Trump’s 51st state references are a joke, will raise the issue with Trump’s team when he and Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly meet with them in Palm Beach. The two are there to discuss Canada’s new $1.3 billion border plan with just under four weeks left before Trump is sworn in again as president. He has threatened to impose a new 25 per cent import tariff on Canada and Mexico the same day over concerns about a trade imbalance, as well as illegal drugs and migration issues at the borders. The broad strokes of Canada’s plan were made public Dec. 17, including a new aerial intelligence task force to provide round-the-clock surveillance of the border, and improved efforts using technology and canine teams to seek out drugs in shipments leaving Canada LeBlanc’s spokesman, Jean-Sébastien Comeau, said the ministers will also emphasize the negative impacts of Trump’s threatened tariffs on both Canada and the U.S. Comeau said the ministers will build on the discussions that took place last month when Trudeau and LeBlanc met Trump at Mar-a-Lago just days after Trump first made his tariff threat. It was at that dinner on Nov. 29 when Trump first raised the notion of Canada becoming the 51st state, a comment LeBlanc has repeatedly since insisted was just a joke. But Trump has continued the quip repeatedly in various social media posts, including in his Christmas Day message when he said Canadians would pay lower taxes and have better military protection if they became Americans. He has taken to calling Trudeau “governor” instead of prime minister. Trudeau had not directly responded to any of the jabs, but on Thursday posted a link to a six-minute long video on YouTube from 2010 in which American journalist Tom Brokaw “explains Canada to Americans.” The video, which originally aired during the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, explains similarities between the two countries, including their founding based on immigration, their trading relationship and the actions of the Canadian Army in World War 2 and other modern conflicts. “In the long history of sovereign neighbours there has never been a relationship as close, productive and peaceful as the U.S. and Canada,” Brokaw says in the video. Trudeau did not expand about why he posted a link to the video, posting it only with the words “some information about Canada for Americans.” Carney, who is at the centre of some of Trudeau’s recent domestic political troubles, also called out Trump’s antics on X Thursday, calling it “casual disrespect” and “carrying the ‘joke’ too far.” “Time to call it out, stand up for Canada, and build a true North American partnership,” said Carney, who Trudeau was courting to join his cabinet before Chrystia Freeland resigned as finance minister last week. Freeland’s sudden departure, three days after Trudeau informed her he would be firing her as finance minister in favour of Carney, left Trudeau’s leadership even more bruised than it already was. Despite the expectation Carney would assume the role, he did not and has not made any statements about it. LeBlanc was sworn in as finance minister instead the same day Freeland quit. More than two dozen Liberal MPs have publicly called on Trudeau to resign as leader, and Trudeau is said to be taking the holidays to think about his next steps. He is currently vacationing in British Columbia.
MAGA podcasters plan for their close-ups in Trump’s second termTo The New York Times, it was a standard journalistic practice done in the name of fairness — asking someone involved in a story for comment. To the mother of the nominee for secretary of defense, it constituted a threat. On Wednesday, Pete Hegseth's mother accused the Times of making “threats” by calling about its story on an email she had sent to her son six years earlier that criticized his treatment of women. Recommended Videos Penelope Hegseth sought and received an interview on Fox News Channel to support her son, whose confirmation chances are threatened by a series of damaging stories about his personal conduct. At one point, she said she wanted to directly tell President-elect Trump that her son “is not that man he was seven years ago.” She also called the Times “despicable” and attacked a basic tenet of journalism: giving someone the chance to speak for a story about actions that could be seen in a negative light. The Times' story, published Saturday , quoted from a private email that Penelope Hegseth sent to her son in 2018 while he was in the midst of divorcing his second wife. She criticized his character and treatment of women, suggesting that he get some help. “I have no respect for any man that belittles, lies, cheats, sleeps around and uses women for his own power and ego,” she wrote to her offspring. “You are that man (and have been for many years).” His mother said the message was sent in a moment of anger She told the Times for its story that she had sent the email in a moment of anger and followed it up two hours later with an apology. She disavows its content now. When the Times called her for comment on the story, Hegseth told Fox News that, at first, she did not respond. She said she perceived the calls as a threat — “they say unless you make a statement we will publish it as is and I think that's a despicable way to treat anyone,” she said. “I don't think a lot of people know that's the way they operate,” she said, speaking about the story. She accused the newspaper of being in it "for the money. And they don't care who they hurt, families, children. I don't believe that's the right way to do things.” Charles Stadtlander, a spokesman for the Times, said Hegseth's claim “is flatly untrue,” and she was in no way threatened. “The Times did what it always does in reporting out a story, simply reaching out and asking for a comment, which we included,” he said. Such a call is the opposite of a threat — it's an attempt to be fair, said Tom Rosenstiel, a University of Maryland professor and co-author of “Elements of Journalism: What News People Should Know and What the Public Should Expect.” “She's basically saying that brake lights are a threat because they alert you that the car ahead of you is about to stop," he said. But many Americans would perceive that call as a threat, or certainly as rude and a violation of privacy, said Tim Graham, director of media analysis at the conservative Media Research Center. “She didn't write that email to be on the front page of The New York Times,” he said. What are the ethics of publishing a private email between mother and son? A secondary question is the newsworthiness of publishing the content of the private email, one that Hegseth said she almost immediately regretted sending and doesn't reflect how she perceives her son. Graham suggested that the newspaper wouldn't do the same for the nominee of a Democratic president-elect. “The New York Times is out to destroy these nominees,” he said. In its initial story, the Times wrote that it had obtained a copy of the email “from another person with ties to the Hegseth family.” “This was a piece of independently reported journalism published in the name of public awareness of the nominee to lead the largest department in the federal government,” Stadtlander said. “We stand behind it completely.” In many circumstances, an email from a mother to her son would be considered a private matter and out of bounds to a news organization, Rosenstiel said. But in this case, Hegseth, a former Fox News weekend host chosen by Trump to lead the Pentagon, has built himself into a public figure and is up for a very important job — and one that leads the military, which involves waging war and in which character is considered a fundamental trait. “It makes this news, honestly,” Stadtlander said. The Times wrote about Penelope Hegseth's Fox interview on Wednesday, leading with her saying her son “was not the same man he was in 2018 when she fired off an email accusing him of routinely abusing women and lacking decency and character.” There was some question about whether Hegseth would appear for an interview at his former network on Wednesday, after CNN's Kaitlan Collins posted on X the night before that “multiple people” said that was expected. A Fox News representative said that no such interview had been scheduled, and the nominee was on Capitol Hill meeting with senators. He has faced a flurry of other damaging reports, including stories about a sexual assault allegation reported to police in 2017. No charges were filed then, and Hegseth said the relationship was consensual. The New Yorker magazine wrote about reports of financial mismanagement , sexist behavior and excessive drinking when Hegseth ran a veterans' organization, and NBC News wrote about people at Fox News concerned about his alcohol use. ___ David Bauder writes about media for the AP. Follow him at http://x.com/dbauder and https://bsky.app/profile/dbauder.bsky.social.
US plans more actions against China over telecom hack
An archbishop’s knock formally restores Notre Dame to life as winds howl and heads of state look onBIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Noah Feddersen had 17 points in North Dakota State's 73-61 victory against West Georgia on Wednesday night. Feddersen added nine rebounds for the Bison (4-4). Masen Miller added 15 points while finishing 5 of 9 from 3-point range while he also had six rebounds. Brennan Watkins had 14 points and shot 4 for 5 (3 for 4 from 3-point range) and 3 of 3 from the free-throw line. The Wolves (0-8) were led by Shelton Williams-Dryden, who posted 19 points, eight rebounds and two steals. Tauris Watson added 14 points for West Georgia. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .
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Three candidates who filed for the April 2025 city election in Aurora will not be on the ballot. An Aurora Electoral Board ruled in favor of objections to two aldermanic candidates Friday, and a third withdrew her motion to dismiss the objection against her. The board upheld objections to the nominating papers of Jose Torres, who had filed for the 4th Ward aldermanic race, and Saul Fultz III, who had filed for the 7th Ward race. Adrianna Dallmann withdrew her motion to dismiss the objection against her candidacy for alderman at-large. The dismissal still leaves contests in each of those races. For alderman at-large, incumbent Ron Woerman will face Keith Larson. In the 4th Ward, Jonathan Nunez will face Jeffrey Hansford in a race where there is no incumbent, and in the 7th Ward, Ald. Brandon Tolliver, who was appointed to the position, will face Alex Arroyo and Javier Banuelos. As is often the case in petition objections, the cases involved technicalities. But the technicality in the objection to Torres in the 4th Ward was particularly confusing, because it involved different interpretations of state election statute. In the end, the board ruled to sustain the objection, saying Torres did not have enough legitimate signatures. But there was a question about just how many signatures were needed. Torres submitted 11 pages with 97 signatures. Objector Richard Better objected to 47 of them. The Kane County Clerk’s Office did a review of the signatures, and agreed that 40 of those signatures were questionable and should be stricken. That left Torres with 57 signatures which were presumed valid. Torres said that should have been enough, that he only needed 54 signatures, according to figuring he did using state election law. Attorney Emmanual Llamas, representing Better, said his figuring, also using state law, showed the minimum number of signatures to be 59. Both used state law. Attorney Ross Secler, who was hired by the city to advise the electoral board, said they were both wrong. He also used state law to figure out that a filer needed at least 65 signatures. The confusion was a combination of wording in the statute and the ward redistricting the Aurora City Council did in 2022. The statute gives a formula to be followed, if there was no election following the redistricting. There was an election in Aurora after the redistricting, in 2023, but not in the 4th Ward. Secler said because there was no specific election in the 4th Ward in 2023 – other wards and alderman at-large were elected at that election – the formula of a percentage of number of votes had to revert to the 2021 election. That would put that in line with what the aldermen who ran in 2023 had to use. “That is, I believe, the correct answer,” Secler said. Torres said the situation was confusing, because at different times, he was given four different numbers of the minimum ballots. “I just want to be given the opportunity to represent Aurora, because it’s growing, but how am I to be penalized for something that even the electoral board doesn’t know?” Torres said. City Clerk Jennifer Stallings, one of the members of the electoral board, was persuaded by Torres’ argument. She was the lone vote against upholding the objection. The board ruled 2-1, with Mayor Richard Irvin and Ald. Michael Saville, 6th Ward, voting to uphold the objection. Stallings said she was showing “deference to the people who signed the petition and deference to candidates getting on the ballot.” In the 7th Ward objection, the board ultimately ruled that Saul Fultz III did not file enough signatures to get on the ballot. Secler said the minimum for the 7th Ward was 46 signatures, but Fultz only submitted 30. Fultz had filed to dismiss the objection against him because objector Tolliver did not property file the objection. He said Tolliver filed the original and one copy, but should have filed a second copy. He said paperwork he received from the City Clerk’s Office had only one copy of the objection. But Llamas, representing Tolliver, said when he submitted a Freedom of Information Act request for the paperwork, he received a second copy. He also presented an affidavit signed by Tolliver that he did file two copies. In advising the board, Secler said there is “no reasonable assumption” that there was only one copy. “We have to assume the clerk’s office did their job,” Secler said. In the alderman at-large race, Dallmann withdrew her motion to dismiss after a records exam showed she had 473 valid signatures, short of the 542 she needed. Raised in Aurora and working toward a degree in political science, Dallmann told the board she figured the best way to use her degree “would be to serve my city on the City Council.” She said she would possibly file as a write-in, and file for office again some day. “This is not the end of me,” she said. The Electoral Board will render decisions on three more petition challenges to mayoral candidates John Laesch, Karina Garcia and Jazmine Garcia on Monday morning. slord@tribpub.comNoneBlues supporters also sang the name of head coach Maresca during the closing stages of an emphatic success sealed by goals from Axel Disasi, Christopher Nkunku, Noni Madueke, Cole Palmer and substitute Jadon Sancho. Bottom club Southampton briefly levelled through Joe Aribo but were a man down from the 39th minute after captain Jack Stephens was sent off for pulling the hair of Marc Cucurella. Chelsea, who have endured an underwhelming period since Todd Boehly’s consortium bought the club in 2022, climbed above Arsenal and into second place on goal difference, seven points behind leaders Liverpool. “It was a very good feeling, especially because you can see that they are happy, that is our target,” Maresca said of the atmosphere in the away end. “We work every day to keep them happy and tonight was a very good feeling, especially the one that they can see that Chelsea’s back. This is an important thing.” Maresca rotated his squad in Hampshire, making seven changes following Sunday’s impressive 3-0 win over Aston Villa. Following a sloppy start, his side, who stretched their unbeaten run to six top-flight games, could easily have won by more as they hit the woodwork three times, in addition to squandering a host of chances. “I’m very happy with the five we scored,” said the Italian. “I’m not happy with the first 15, 20 minutes, where we struggled. The reason why we struggled is because we prepared the game to press them man to man and the first 15, 20 minutes we were not pressing them man to man. “After 15, 20 minutes we adjust that and the game was much better. For sure we could score more but five goals they are enough.” Southampton manager Russell Martin rued a costly “moment of madness” from skipper Stephens. The defender’s ridiculous red card was the headline mistake of a catalogue of errors from the beleaguered south-coast club as they slipped seven points from safety following an 11th defeat of a dismal season. “I don’t think anyone will be as disappointed as Jack,” Martin said of Stephens, who was sent off for the second time this term after tugging the curls of Cucurella as Saints prepared to take a corner. “I haven’t got to sit down and talk with him about that at all. He will be hurt more than anyone and it’s changed the game for us tonight, which is disappointing. “I think they have to describe it as violent conduct; it’s not violent really but there’s no other explanation for that really. It’s a moment of madness that’s really cost us and Jack.” Southampton repeatedly invited pressure with their risky attempts to play out from defence, with goalkeeper Joe Lumley gifting Chelsea their second goal, scored by Nkunku. While Saints were booed off at full-time, Martin, who was missing a host of key players due to injuries and suspensions, praised the effort of his depleted team. “When they see such a big scoreline and a couple of the goals we concede, I understand it (the jeers),” he said. “It’s football, it’s emotive, people feel so much about it, it’s why it’s such a special sport in this country and so big. “I understand it but I feel really proud of the players tonight, some of the football we played at 11 v 11 was amazing. “For an hour with 10 men we’ve dug in so deep, there were some big performances. I’m proud of them for that and I’m grateful for that because that’s not easy in that circumstance.”
St. Helens High School Principal Kathryn “Katy” M. Wagner was arraigned in Columbia County Circuit Court Wednesday afternoon on a six-count indictment , the latest development to rock the 2,800-student school district. Wagner, 45, turned herself in to Columbia County Jail at 6:58 a.m. Wednesday and was arrested on a warrant. By the afternoon, she was released from jail after posting 10% of her $55,000 bail. Accompanied by her lawyer Jeffrey M. Jones, she arrived at the courthouse to a flank of parents, former high school staff and the two main St. Helens police detectives handling the case who lined a second-floor hallway, waiting to enter the courtroom. One woman wore a shirt that read, “Your Silence is Sus.” Jones entered not guilty pleas on Wagner’s behalf to two counts of first-degree criminal mistreatment, felonies, and two counts each of first-degree official misconduct and second-degree official misconduct, misdemeanors. The indictment accuses Wagner of failing to report alleged sexual abuse involving two teachers as required by law and failing to care for students under her supervision from approximately November 2018 to Nov. 26, 2024. Circuit Judge Denise E. Keppinger ordered Wagner not to have any contact with the two high school teachers arrested earlier this month on sexual abuse charges, the alleged victims in those cases and not to hold any education-related employment or any other job that requires mandatory reporting of suspected abuse. Jones had objected to the last condition, which Columbia County Deputy District Attorney Erin Leigh Brady had recommended. “She is presumed innocent,” Jones told the judge. He said that his client has “spent an awful lot of her life becoming an educator,” and argued that the final condition barring her from any education-related job was not necessary. “Everyone knows Ms. Wagner and what she’s charged with,” Jones added. But the judge said she found the restriction reasonable, given the charges Wagner is facing, and asked Wagner if she agreed to abide by them. “I do,” Wagner said. The principal’s arrest is the latest fallout from multiple criminal and administrative investigations into alleged sexual misconduct complaints against staff and administrators’ alleged mishandling of them. It also follows just months after the district settled a civil rights suit for a record $3.5 million that was filed by a former student who alleged the district was aware for more than a decade of former track coach Kyle Wroblewski’s predatory behavior but did nothing before he was arrested for sexually abusing her. Wagner’s indictment was issued exactly two weeks after two high school teachers -one current and one retired - were arrested on sexual abuse allegations. Eric Stearns, 46, accused of abusing six students between 2015 and 2024, has pleaded not guilty to seven counts of second-degree sexual abuse and one count of third-degree sex abuse. Mark Collins, 64, of Beaverton, a retired St. Helens High School math teacher has pleaded not guilty to two counts of second-degree sexual abuse and one count of attempted second-degree sexual abuse. He’s accused of abusing three students starting in 2017, court records show. Both Stearns and Collins were arrested on Nov. 12, setting off a firestorm that led to a student walkout at the high school and nearby protest. Students and parents have said that school administrators failed to act immediately to stem the misconduct after receiving complaints about inappropriate teachers’ physical contact with students. St. Helens Acting Police Chief Jospeh Hogue told The Oregonian/OregonLive earlier this month that material obtained by police from a subpoena issued to the district verified that students at the time had reported alleged inappropriate physical contact involving Stearns and Collins to the school administration but that those reports were never shared with police or state officials as required by law. About 35 people attended the brief hearing in court Wednesday, including TikTok creator Doug Weaver, who was identified as one of the people who prompted the investigations. Students had messaged him directly and commented on a video he had posted in September about misconduct he said he experienced while at the high school years ago. He then sent an email to SafeOregon, a state school safety tip line, in September sharing comments the St. Helens High students had made about current and former teachers. Stearns was among those identified in the comments and Collins was named by students during the investigation, according to acting police chief. Weaver, a St. Helens High School alumnus in town for the Thanksgiving holiday, said he wanted to attend the principal’s arraignment in court, partly because he said she had “tried to discredit” him after his video was posted in the fall. Wagner had sent a message to the student body, staff and parents, responding to one of Weaver’s TikTok videos, writing on Sept. 14: “Retraumatization and revisiting past issues that have been addressed make it difficult to move forward in a positive direction as a school community...Sharing videos on social media about events that took place over a decade ago without any context simply invokes fear, spreads rumors and harms our current students and staff, who are doing all the right things.” Other former St. Helens High School teachers and parents also attended Wagner’s arraignment. Shane Kennedy, executive director of an advocacy group called SAFE of Columbia that supports domestic violence and sexual abuse victims and a parent of a St. Helens high school sophomore, said she felt compelled to watch the arraignment. She said her daughter has had classes with the two teachers arrested, and has attended out-of-state choir trips led by Stearns. She was not a victim but is angered that students’ complaints were not addressed sooner, Kennedy said. “I feel the need to do whatever I can here to support the students,” said Terri MacEllven, a former St. Helens High special education teacher who had reported to Wagner. “There’s been a history here for far too long. It shouldn’t have come to this.” Wagner is due back in court on Jan. 22. Police are also investigating alleged criminal conduct by a St. Helens Middle School teacher, who has not been charged. The Oregon Department of Human Services announced last week it was investigating both Wagner and Superintendent Scot Stockwell for alleged neglect due to failure to report child safety concerns. Stockwell and Wagner remain on paid administrative leave. Acting Superintendent Steve Webb announced this week that he plans to appoint an acting St. Helens High School principal. An outside, independent investigation will start Monday and focus on the district’s mandatory reporting policies, reporting of suspected harassment allegations and other misconduct, staff ethics, training and assess the district’s culture, Webb said. -- Maxine Bernstein covers federal court and criminal justice. Reach her at 503-221-8212, mbernstein@oregonian.com , follow her on X @maxoregonian , or on LinkedIn . Our journalism needs your support. Subscribe today to OregonLive.com .