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Vancouver city council approves 3.9% property tax increaseUS budget airlines are struggling. Will pursuing premium passengers solve their problems? DALLAS (AP) — Delta and United Airlines have become the most profitable U.S. airlines by targeting premium customers while also winning a significant share of budget travelers. That is squeezing smaller low-fare carriers like Spirit Airlines, which filed for bankruptcy protection on Monday. Some travel industry experts think Spirit’s troubles indicate less-wealthy passengers will have fewer choices and higher prices. Other discount airlines are on better financial footing but also are lagging far behind the full-service airlines when it comes to recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic. Most industry experts think Frontier and other so-called ultra-low-cost carriers will fill the vacuum if Spirit shrinks, and that there's still plenty of competition to prevent prices from spiking. Bitcoin ticks closer to $100,000 in extended surge following US elections NEW YORK (AP) — Bitcoin is jumping again, setting another new high above $99,000 overnight. The cryptocurrency has been shattering records almost daily since the U.S. presidential election, and has rocketed more than 40% higher in just two weeks. It's now at the doorstep of $100,000. Cryptocurrencies and related investments like crypto exchange-traded funds have rallied because the incoming Trump administration is expected to be more “crypto-friendly.” Still, as with everything in the volatile cryptoverse, the future is hard to predict. And while some are bullish, other experts continue to warn of investment risks. Australia rejects Elon Musk's claim that it plans to control access to the internet MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — An Australian Cabinet minister has rejected X Corp. owner Elon Musk’s allegation that the government intends to control all Australians' access to the internet through legislation that would ban young children from social media. Treasurer Jim Chalmers said on Friday that Musk’s criticism was “unsurprising” after the government introduced legislation to Parliament that would fine platforms including X up to $133 million for allowing children under 16 to hold social media accounts. The spat continues months of open hostility between the Australian government and the tech billionaire over regulators’ efforts to reduce public harm from social media. Parliament could pass the legislation as soon as next week. Oil company Phillips 66 faces federal charges related to alleged Clean Water Act violations LOS ANGELES (AP) — Oil company Phillips 66 has been federally indicted in connection with alleged violations of the Clean Water Act in California. The Texas-based company is accused of discharging hundreds of thousands of gallons of industrial wastewater containing excessive amounts of oil and grease. The U.S. Department of Justice announced the indictment on Thursday. Phillips is charged with two counts of negligently violating the Clean Water Act and four counts of knowingly violating the Clean Water Act. An arraignment date has not been set. A spokesperson for the company said it was cooperating with prosecutors. US regulators seek to break up Google, forcing Chrome sale as part of monopoly punishment U.S. regulators want a federal judge to break up Google to prevent the company from continuing to squash competition through its dominant search engine after a court found it had maintained an abusive monopoly over the past decade. The proposed breakup floated in a 23-page document filed late Wednesday by the U.S. Justice Department calls for Google to sell its industry-leading Chrome web browser and impose restrictions designed to prevent Android from favoring its search engine. Regulators also want to ban Google from forging multibillion-dollar deals to lock in its dominant search engine as the default option on Apple’s iPhone and other devices. What you need to know about the proposed measures designed to curb Google's search monopoly U.S. regulators are proposing aggressive measures to restore competition to the online search market after a federal judge ruled that Google maintained an illegal monopoly. The sweeping set of recommendations filed late Wednesday could radically alter Google’s business. Regulators want Google to sell off its industry-leading Chrome web browser. They outlined a range of behavioral measures such as prohibiting Google from using search results to favor its own services such as YouTube, and forcing it to license search index data to its rivals. They're not going as far as to demand Google spin off Android, but are leaving that door open if the remedies don't work. Stock market today: Wall Street gains ground as it heads for a winning week Stocks gained ground on Wall Street, keeping the market on track for its fifth gain in a row. The S&P 500 was up 0.3% in afternoon trading Friday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 352 points and the Nasdaq composite rose 0.1%. Retailers had some of the biggest gains. Gap soared after reporting quarterly results that easily beat analysts' estimates. EchoStar fell after DirecTV called of its purchase of that company's Dish Network unit. European markets were mostly higher and Asian markets ended mixed. Treasury yields held relatively steady in the bond market. Crude oil prices gained ground. Apple and Google face UK investigation into mobile browser dominance LONDON (AP) — A British watchdog says Apple and Google aren't giving consumers a genuine choice of mobile web browsers. The watchdog's report Friday recommends they face an investigation under new U.K. digital rules taking effect next year. The Competition and Markets Authority took aim at Apple, saying the iPhone maker’s tactics hold back innovation by stopping rivals from giving users new features like faster webpage loading. The CMA’s report also found that Apple and Google manipulate the choices given to mobile phone users to make their own browsers “the clearest or easiest option.” Apple said it disagreed with the findings. German auto supplier Bosch to cut 5,500 jobs in further sign of carmakers' woes FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Germany's technology and services company Bosch is cutting its automotive division workforce by as many as 5,500 jobs in the next several years, in another sign of the headwinds hitting the German and global auto industries. The company cited stagnating global auto sales, too much factory capacity in the auto industry compared to sales prospects and a slower than expected transition to electric-powered, software-controlled vehicles. Some 3,500 of the job reductions would come before the end of 2027 and would hit the part of the company that develops driver assistance and automated driving technologies. About half those job reductions would be at locations in Germany. At least 15 people are sick in Minnesota from ground beef tied to E. coli recall U.S. health officials say at least 15 people in Minnesota have been sickened by E. coli poisoning tied to a national recall of more than 160,000 pounds of potentially tainted ground beef. Detroit-based Wolverine Packing Co. recalled the meat this week after Minnesota state agriculture officials reported multiple illnesses and found that a sample of the product tested positive for E. coli O157:H7, which can cause life-threatening infections. Symptoms of E. coli poisoning include fever, vomiting, diarrhea and signs of dehydration.
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Middle East latest: An Israeli strike on a Gaza hospital kills a teen in a wheelchairMUMBAI: The third and largest phase of the government's broadband project BharatNet, which has an outlay of Rs 65,000 crore, is likely to create 25,000 direct and indirect jobs over the next two-three years, staffing company TeamLease Services said. "The recently launched phase III of BharatNet marks a significant shift in strategy," said Subburathinam P, chief strategy officer at TeamLease Services. "This phase prioritises last-mile connectivity through innovative solutions such as Wi-Fi hotspots (2-5 per gram panchayat) and fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) services. Targeting 6.25 lakh villages, phase III leverages public-private partnerships (PPP) and advanced technologies to deliver high-speed internet of 100 Mbps or more." He said BharatNet's rollout will catalyse job creation for roles like fibre technicians, NOC (network operations centre) staff, and indirect roles such as installation and repair technicians, and customer support professionals. "Additionally, fibre-sharing agreements with other partners are anticipated to scale up, further enhancing, State-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd ( BSNL ) had opened bids for BharatNet phase III in August. Soon after, private players including HFCL , Sterlite Technologies (STL), Polycab and Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) had announced that they had emerged as lowest bidders in separate state-wide tenders to provide middle-mile connectivity. STL said its Rs 2,500 crore was the lowest L1 bid in Jammu and Kashmir, Polycab said it was the lowest in Goa, Puducherry and Karnataka at Rs 5,649 crore, while the HFCL-RVNL consortium said it bid the least in several states for Rs 5,000 crore. The companies are undergoing financial and technical analysis before the final tenders are awarded. 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The Toronto Blue Jays pivoted from their failed pursuit of free agent outfielder Juan Soto in a major way, reportedly agreeing to acquire second baseman Andres Gimenez from the Cleveland Guardians, according to multiple reports Tuesday. BREAKING: The Toronto Blue Jays are finalizing a trade to acquire three-time Gold Glove-winning second baseman Andrés Giménez from the Cleveland Guardians, sources tell ESPN. According to Kiley McDaniel of ESPN , first baseman/second baseman Spencer Horwitz is going to Cleveland as part of the trade. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports right-handed pitcher Nick Sandlin is also part of the Guardians' package to Toronto. Day 2 of the Winter Meetings started slowly in the morning but picked up quickly in the afternoon. The Jays were also active on the free agent front, re-signing right-handed relief pitcher Yimi Garcia to a two-year contract. Gimenez, 26, is under contract through 2029 under the terms of a seven-year, $106.5 million extension he signed with Cleveland in March 2023. Gimenez is a career .261 hitter with 49 home runs and 222 RBIs over parts of five major league seasons. Primarily known for his glove, Gimenez has won three consecutive Gold Glove awards at second base (2022-24). Defense comprised the bulk of his 4.3 Wins Above Replacement, per FanGraphs, over the last three seasons. In 2024, Gimenez slashed .252/.298/.340 in 152 games, hitting nine home runs and stealing 30 bases in 35 attempts. He was an AL All-Star in 2022, when he slashed .297/.371/.466 with 17 home runs and 69 RBIs, all career highs. More news: After Whiffing on Juan Soto, Blue Jays' Plan Hinges on One Player: Report Cleveland acquired Gimenez in the Jan. 2021 trade that sent Francisco Lindor and Carlos Carrasco to the New York Mets. His future was somewhat cloudy after the Guardians used the first overall pick of the 2024 draft on a second baseman, Oregon State's Travis Bazzana. Now, Bazzana can remain at his natural position while Gimenez can bring stability to a Toronto infield that could potentially see first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and shortstop Bo Bichette depart in free agency in a year. More news: Why Juan Soto Chose the Mets: Former GM Sets Record Straight With the trade, Gimenez receives an additional $1 million assignment bonus. The Jays can extend his contract by a year by exercising the $23 million club option in his contract for 2030, or offer him a $2.5 million buyout. Free agency has not been kind to the Blue Jays the last two winters. A year ago, they fell short in their pursuit of Shohei Ohtani. Sunday, they learned they were among the runners-up to Soto. More news: MLB News: Former World Series Champion Outfielder, Coach Dies at 81 Although not a lineup anchor, Gimenez represents an obvious defensive upgrade at a position where Toronto is projected to split time between Will Wagner and Davis Schneider in 2025. More to come on this story from Newsweek Sports .The new, 12-team College Football Playoff brings with it a promise to be bigger, more exciting, more lucrative. Perfect or 100% fair? Well, nobody ever believed that. The first expanded playoff bracket unveiled Sunday left a presumably deserving Alabama team on the sideline in favor of an SMU squad that finished with a better record after playing a schedule that was not as difficult. It ranked undefeated Oregon first but set up a possible rematch against Ohio State, the team that came closest to beating the Ducks this year. It treated underdog Boise State like a favorite and banged-up Georgia like a world beater at No. 2. It gave Ohio State home-field advantage against Tennessee for reasons it would take a supercomputer to figure out. It gave the sport the multiweek tournament it has longed for, but also ensured there will be plenty to grouse about between now and when the trophy is handed out on Jan. 20 after what will easily be the longest college football season in history. All of it, thankfully, will be sorted out on the field starting with first-round games on campuses Dec. 20 and 21, then over three succeeding rounds that will wind their way through traditional bowl sites. Maybe Oregon coach Dan Lanning, whose undefeated Ducks are the favorite to win it all, put it best when he offered: "Winning a national championship is not supposed to be easy.” Neither, it turns out, is figuring out who should play for it. The Big Ten will lead the way with four teams in the tournament, followed by the SEC with three and the ACC with two. The lasting memory from the inaugural bracket will involve the decision that handed the ACC that second bid. Alabama of the SEC didn't play Saturday. SMU of the ACC did. The Mustangs fell behind by three touchdowns to Clemson before coming back to tie. But they ultimately lost 34-31 on a 56-yard field goal as time expired. “We were on pins and needles,” SMU coach Rhett Lashley said. “Until we saw the name ‘SMU’ up there, we were hanging on the edge. We're really, really happy and thankful to the committee for rewarding our guys for their total body of work." The Mustangs only had two losses, compared to three for the Crimson Tide. Even though SMU's schedule wasn't nearly as tough, the committee was impressed by the way the Mustangs came back against Clemson. “We just felt, in this particular case, SMU had the nod above Alabama,” said Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel, the chairman of the selection committee. “But it’s no disrespect to Alabama’s strength of schedule. We looked at the entire body of work for both teams.” Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne was gracious, up to a point. “Disappointed with the outcome and felt we were one of the 12 best teams in the country,” he said on social media. He acknowledged — despite all of Alabama’s losses coming against conference opponents this season — that the Tide’s push to schedule more games against teams from other major conferences in order to improve its strength of schedule did not pay off this time. “That is not good for college football," Byrne said. Georgia, the SEC champion, was seeded second; Boise State, the Mountain West champion, earned the third seed; and Big 12 titlist Arizona State got the fourth seed and the fourth and final first-round bye. All will play in quarterfinals at bowl games on Dec. 31-Jan. 1. Clemson stole a bid and the 12th seed with its crazy win over SMU, the result that ultimately cost Alabama a spot in the field. The Tigers moved to No. 16 in the rankings, but got in as the fifth-best conference winner. The conference commissioners' idea to give conference champions preferable treatment in this first iteration of the 12-team playoff could be up for reconsideration after this season. The committee actually ranked Boise State, the Mountain West Champion, at No. 9 and Big 12 champion Arizona State at No. 12, but both get to skip the first round. Another CFP guideline: There’s no reseeding of teams after each round, which means no break for Oregon. The top-seeded Ducks will face the winner of Tennessee-Ohio State in the Rose Bowl. Oregon beat Ohio State 32-31 earlier this year in one of the season’s best games. No. 12 Clemson at No. 5 Texas, Dec. 21. Clemson is riding high after the SMU upset, while Texas is 0-2 against Georgia and 11-0 vs. everyone else this season. The winner faces ... Arizona State in the Peach Bowl. Huh? No. 11 SMU at No. 6 Penn State, Dec. 21. The biggest knock against the Mustangs was that they didn't play any big boys with that 60th-ranked strength of schedule. Well, now they get to. The winner faces ... Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl. Yes, SMU vs. Boise was the quarterfinal we all expected. No. 10 Indiana at No. 7 Notre Dame, Dec. 20. Hoosiers coach Curt Cignetti thought his team deserved a home game. Well, not quite but close. The winner faces ... Georgia in the Sugar Bowl. The Bulldogs got the No. 2 seed despite a throwing-arm injury to QB Carson Beck. But what else was the committee supposed to do? No. 9 Tennessee at No. 8 Ohio State , Dec. 21. The Buckeyes (losses to Oregon, Michigan) got home field over the Volunteers (losses to Arkansas, Georgia) in a matchup of programs with two of the biggest stadiums in football. The winner faces ... Oregon in the Rose Bowl. Feels like that matchup should come in the semifinals or later. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football
A national Newspoll , conducted December 2–6 from a sample of 1,258, had a 50–50 tie, a one-point gain for Labor since the previous Newspoll in early November. Primary votes were 39% Coalition (down one), 33% Labor (steady), 11% Greens (steady), 7% One Nation (up two) and 10% for all Others (down one). The primary vote changes don’t suggest a two-party gain for Labor from the previous Newspoll, but the previous two Newspolls probably had Labor’s two-party estimate rounded down. Anthony Albanese’s net approval was up one point to -14, with 54% dissatisfied and 40% satisfied. Peter Dutton’s net approval slid one point to -12. Albanese led Dutton as better PM by 45–38 (45–41 previously). Here is the graph of Albanese’s net approval in Newspoll. The plus signs are the Newspoll data points and a trend line has been fitted. The last three Newspolls have all had Albanese below -10 net approval, so the trend line is going down. While Newspoll had a slight improvement for Labor, the Resolve poll below was Labor’s worst this term, and other recent polls have been poor for them. A key finding from Resolve was that by 59–13 voters said they were worse off rather than better off since the last election. Labor’s worst Resolve poll this term A national Resolve poll for Nine newspapers, conducted December 4–8 from a sample of 1,604, gave the Coalition a 51–49 lead by 2022 election preference flows, a one-point gain for the Coalition from the November Resolve poll estimate. This is Labor’s worst result in Resolve this term. Primary votes were 38% Coalition (down one), 27% Labor (down three), 12% Greens (up one), 7% One Nation (up two), 11% independents (steady) and 5% others (up one). Albanese’s net approval slumped 12 points to -26, with 57% rating him poor and 31% good. Dutton’s net approval dropped seven points to -2. Albanese and Dutton were tied as preferred PM 35–35 (a 37–37 tie in November). By 59–13, respondents said they were worse off rather than better off since the 2022 election with 28% about the same. By 36–27, they thought the Coalition and Dutton were more likely to make them better off in the next three years than Labor and Albanese. By 56–21, they thought Labor did not have their back. The Liberals led Labor by 41–23 on economic management (41–27 in November). On keeping the cost of living low, the Liberals led by 38–22, a big swing in their favour from 35–28 previously. Resolve was taken after GDP figures were released last Wednesday. Negative media coverage of these figures may have affected voting intentions. In additional questions from the November Resolve poll, voters supported the HECS funding changes that the government announced by 54–27. On university fees, 45% wanted them reduced with subsidies or caps, 26% wanted them completely scrapped and 19% kept the same. Essential poll: Coalition regains lead A national Essential poll , conducted November 27 to December 1 from a sample of 1,123, gave the Coalition a 48–47 lead including undecided (48–47 to Labor in mid-November). Primary votes were 35% Coalition (steady), 32% Labor (up two), 11% Greens (down two), 8% One Nation (up one), 1% UAP (down one), 9% for all Others (up one) and 5% undecided (steady). The primary votes suggest little two-party change from mid-November, but respondent preferences were stronger for the Coalition. The government was rated poor by 54–20 on increasing the amount of affordable housing, but good by 39–28 on protecting children on social media. Over 75% thought Australia was free on religious freedom, freedom of association (right to join a union), freedom to access an abortion, freedom to protest and freedom of speech. Voters thought we had freedom from surveillance by 56–34. Morgan poll and GDP figures A national Morgan poll, conducted November 25 to December 1 from a sample of 1,666, gave the Coalition a 51–49 lead, a two-point gain for the Coalition since the November 18–24 Morgan poll. Primary votes were 38.5% Coalition (up 1.5), 30% Labor (down 1.5), 12.5% Greens (steady), 6.5% One Nation (steady), 8.5% independents (steady) and 4% others (steady). The headline figure uses respondent preferences. If preferences were allocated using 2022 election flows, there would be a 50–50 tie, a 1.5-point gain for the Coalition. The Australian Bureau of Statistics reported last Wednesday that GDP grew 0.3% in the September quarter , up from 0.2% in the June quarter. In the 12 months to September, GDP increased 0.8%, its lowest since the COVID recession in 2020. The household savings ratio improved 0.8% since June to 3.2%, implying that people were saving money from real wage growth and the stage three tax cuts, rather than spending it. MRP poll: Coalition would win more seats than Labor A national Multilevel Regression with Post-stratification (MRP) poll was jointly conducted by Redbridge and Accent Research from October 29 to November 20 from a sample of 4,909. MRP use modelling to estimate the outcomes of individual seats. This MRP poll estimated the Coalition would win 64–78 of the 150 House of Representatives seats if an election had been held in November, with Labor winning 59–71. The Coalition would have an 82% chance of winning more seats than Labor, but only a 2% chance of winning the 76 seats needed for a majority. In the first wave of this MRP poll, taken from February to May, Labor led the Coalition in a point estimate of seats by 78–56, but their lead dropped to 71–66 in August and now the Coalition has a 71–65 seat lead. Substantial swings to the Coalition in regional and outer suburban seats are driving its gains. In the MRP poll, the Tasmanian regional seat of Lyons was likely to be a Coalition gain from Labor. However, an EMRS poll of the five federal Tasmanian seats has Labor well ahead in Lyons, particularly with new candidate the former Tasmanian state Labor leader Rebecca White. This poll was reported by The Australian on Friday. Redbridge Victorian and NSW polls The Poll Bludger reported on December 2 that a Redbridge Victorian state poll, conducted November 6–20 from a sample of 920, gave the Coalition a 51–49 lead, unchanged since early October. Primary votes were 43% Coalition (up three), 30% Labor (steady), 14% Greens (up two) and 13% for all Others (down five). A byelection in the Greens-held Victorian state seat of Prahran will occur in early 2025 after the resignation of Green MP Sam Hibbins. At the November 2022 state election, the Greens defeated the Liberals by 62.0–38.0 in Prahran from primary votes of 36.4% Greens, 31.1% Liberals and 26.6% Labor. Labor won’t contest the byelection. A Redbridge New South Wales state poll, conducted November 6–20 from a sample of 1,088, gave Labor a 50.5–49.5 lead, implying a four-point gain for the Coalition since the March 2023 state election. Primary votes were 41% Coalition, 37% Labor, 9% Greens and 13% for all Others. South Korean and French government crises In South Korea, the conservative president declared martial law on Tuesday, but avoided been impeached. In France, President Emmanuel Macron’s PM was ousted in a parliamentary no-confidence motion. I covered these crises for The Poll Bludger on Sunday.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) alleged in a lawsuit on Thursday that the largest U.S. distributors of wine and liquor engaged in illegal price discrimination by giving an advantage to large chains over mom-and-pop grocery stores. The FTC complaint alleges that Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits, the tenth largest privately held company in the country, deprives small businesses of access to discounts and rebates, making them less competitive to larger national and regional chain stores. The antitrust agency’s lawsuit claims that the distributor violated the Robinson-Patman Act by giving “steep discounts” without market justification to some retailers. FTC Chair Lina Khan wrote in a statement, “When local businesses get squeezed because of unfair pricing practices that favor large chains, Americans see fewer choices and pay higher prices — and communities suffer.” “The law says that businesses of all sizes should be able to compete on a level playing field. Enforcers have ignored this mandate from Congress for decades, but the FTC’s action today will help protect fair competition, lower prices, and restore the rule of law,” the FTC chair continued. CNBC News reported: The suit, filed in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, accuses Southern of price discrimination since at least 2018 up to now. Southern distributes wine and spirits for many big suppliers, including Pernod Ricard, the supplier of Jameson Irish Whiskey and Absolut Vodka; Bacardi U.S.A., the supplier of Patron Silver Tequila, Grey Goose Vodka, and Bacardi Rum; Diageo, the supplier of Smirnoff Vodka; and Beam Suntory, the supplier of Jim Beam Bourbon and Makers Mark Whiskey, according to the FTC. Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits generates roughly $26 billion in revenue from sales to retail customers in 2023. Sean Moran is a policy reporter for Breitbart News. Follow him on X @SeanMoran3 .
CINCINNATI — St. Xavier senior quarterback Chase Herbstreit has signed to play football at the University of Michigan, according to St. X football coach Steve Specht. Herbstreit is the youngest son of ESPN college football analyst and Amazon NFL analyst Kirk Herbstreit, who is a former Ohio State quarterback. The University of Michigan made the announcement on social media Sunday. Specht said it's his understanding that Chase has signed for a full scholarship with the Wolverines. Kirk Herbstreit commented on his son's commitment on X, formerly Twitter. "So proud of you Chase! Congratulations on this incredible opportunity," Kirk Herbstreit wrote. "Look forward to watching you continue to grow and develop at Michigan. Keep grinding!!" Herbstreit threw for 1,609 yards and 18 touchdowns for the Bombers (10-4) this past season. He also rushed for 660 yards and eight touchdowns. St. X was a Division I regional runner-up. Herbstreit, who is listed at 6-feet-2 and 195 pounds, took snaps for three seasons at St. X starting as a sophomore in 2022. He was a Greater Catholic League South division second-team selection this past season. SIGN UP: Subscribe to our high school sports newsletterNEW YORK — The man charged with killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was not a client of the medical insurer and may have targeted it because of its size and influence, a senior police official said Thursday. NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny told NBC New York in an interview Thursday that investigators have uncovered evidence that Luigi Mangione had prior knowledge UnitedHealthcare was holding its annual investor conference in New York City. Mangione also mentioned the company in a note found in his possession when he was detained by police in Pennsylvania. "We have no indication that he was ever a client of United Healthcare, but he does make mention that it is the fifth largest corporation in America, which would make it the largest healthcare organization in America. So that's possibly why he targeted that company," Kenny said. UnitedHealthcare is in the top 20 largest U.S. companies by market capitalization but is not the fifth largest. It is the largest U.S. health insurer. Mangione remains jailed without bail in Pennsylvania, where he was arrested Monday after being spotted at a McDonald's in the city of Altoona, about 230 miles west of New York City. His lawyer there, Thomas Dickey, said Mangione intends to plead not guilty. Dickey also said he had yet to see evidence decisively linking his client to the crime. Mangione's arrest came five days after the caught-on-camera killing of Thompson outside a Manhattan hotel. Luigi Mangione, a 26-year-old Ivy League graduate, was arrested on December 9, 2024, after a six-day manhunt and charged with the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. His arrest has sparked a viral social media movement, with many hailing him as a symbol of resistance against systemic healthcare failures. The #FreeLuigi movement gained significant traction, with his social media profiles amassing over 100,000 new followers before being suspended. Despite this, the movement continues to trend, highlighting public discontent with the U.S. healthcare system. Some social media users argue that Mangione's radicalization stemmed from the struggles faced by millions in obtaining necessary healthcare, and not from his university education. Mangione’s arrest at a McDonald's in Altoona led to the seizure of a "ghost gun," a suppressor, fake IDs, and a manifesto criticizing the healthcare system. While the manifesto seems to admit guilt, some users question Mangione's responsibility, pointing out discrepancies in surveillance photos. The fascination with Mangione has only intensified, with discussions about his attractiveness and comparisons to characters in Ryan Murphy's productions. The phenomenon is reminiscent of society's long-standing obsession with infamous criminals, blurring lines between horror and hero worship. Former FBI agent Rob D’Amico noted that Mangione is seen by some as a "Robin Hood" figure fighting against corporate greed, which complicates the investigation. Police say the shooter waited outside the hotel, where the health insurer was holding its investor conference, early Dec. 4. He approached Thompson from behind and shot him before fleeing on a bicycle through Central Park. Mangione is fighting attempts to extradite him back to New York so that he can face a murder charge in Thompson's killing. A hearing was scheduled for Dec. 30. The 26-year-old, who police say was found with a " ghost gun " matching shell casings found at the site of the shooting, is charged in Pennsylvania with possession of an unlicensed firearm, forgery and providing false identification to police. Luigi Mangione was arrested Monday in Altoona, Pennsylvania, in connection with the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in what law enforcement has called a "targeted attack." Mangione is from a prominent Maryland family with extensive business interests. The Mangione family is known for developing real estate and running businesses. Relatives expressed shock over the arrest and offered condolences to Thompson’s family. Mangione faces multiple charges, including murder, firearm possession, and forgery, in New York and Pennsylvania. Mangione is an Ivy League graduate from a prominent Maryland real estate family. In posts on social media, Mangione wrote about experiencing severe chronic back pain before undergoing a spinal fusion surgery in 2023. Afterward, he posted that the operation was a success and that his pain improved and mobility returned. He urged others to consider the same type of surgery. On Wednesday, police said investigators are looking at his writings about his health problems and his criticism of corporate America and the U.S. health care system. Kenny said in the NBC interview that Mangione's family reported him missing to San Francisco authorities in November. We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email.When the NCAA's playing rules oversight committee this past spring approved the use of coach-to-player helmet communications in games for the 2024 season, Kolpacki, Michigan State's head football equipment manager, knew the Spartans' QBs and linebackers were going to have a problem. "There had to be some sort of solution," he said. As it turns out, there was. And it was right across the street. Kolpacki reached out to Tamara Reid Bush, a mechanical engineering professor who not only heads the school's Biomechanical Design Research Laboratory but also is a football season ticket-holder. Kolpacki "showed me some photos and said that other teams had just put duct tape inside the (earhole), and he asked me, 'Do you think we can do anything better than duct tape,?" Bush said. "And I said, 'Oh, absolutely.'" Bush and Rylie DuBois, a sophomore biosystems engineering major and undergraduate research assistant at the lab, set out to produce earhole inserts made from polylactic acid, a bio-based plastic, using a 3D printer. Part of the challenge was accounting for the earhole sizes and shapes that vary depending on helmet style. Once the season got underway with a Friday night home game against Florida Atlantic on Aug. 30, the helmets of starting quarterback Aidan Chiles and linebacker Jordan Turner were outfitted with the inserts, which helped mitigate crowd noise. DuBois attended the game, sitting in the student section. "I felt such a strong sense of accomplishment and pride," DuBois said. "And I told all my friends around me about how I designed what they were wearing on the field." All told, Bush and DuBois have produced around 180 sets of the inserts, a number that grew in part due to the variety of helmet designs and colors that are available to be worn by Spartan players any given Saturday. Plus, the engineering folks have been fine-tuning their design throughout the season. Dozens of Bowl Subdivision programs are doing something similar. In many cases, they're getting 3D-printed earhole covers from XO Armor Technologies, which provides on-site, on-demand 3D printing of athletic wearables. The Auburn, Alabama-based company has donated its version of the earhole covers to the equipment managers of programs ranging from Georgia and Clemson to Boise State and Arizona State in the hope the schools would consider doing business with XO Armor in the future, said Jeff Klosterman, vice president of business development. XO Armor first was approached by the Houston Texans at the end of last season about creating something to assist quarterback C.J. Stroud in better hearing play calls delivered to his helmet during road games. XO Armor worked on a solution and had completed one when it received another inquiry: Ohio State, which had heard Michigan State was moving forward with helmet inserts, wondered if XO Armor had anything in the works. "We kind of just did this as a one-off favor to the Texans and honestly didn't forecast it becoming our viral moment in college football," Klosterman said. "We've now got about 60 teams across college football and the NFL wearing our sound-deadening earhole covers every weekend." The rules state that only one player for each team is permitted to be in communication with coaches while on the field. For the Spartans, it's typically Chiles on offense and Turner on defense. Turner prefers to have an insert in both earholes, but Chiles has asked that the insert be used in only one on his helmet. Chiles "likes to be able to feel like he has some sort of outward exposure," Kolpacki said. Exposure is something the sophomore signal-caller from Long Beach, California, had in away games against Michigan and Oregon this season. Michigan Stadium welcomed 110,000-plus fans for the Oct. 26 matchup between the in-state rivals. And while just under 60,000 packed Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon, for the Ducks' 31-10 win over Michigan State three weeks earlier, it was plenty loud. "The Big Ten has some pretty impressive venues," Kolpacki said. "It can be just deafening," he said. "That's what those fans are there for is to create havoc and make it difficult for coaches to get a play call off." Something that is a bit easier to handle thanks to Bush and her team. She called the inserts a "win-win-win" for everyone. "It's exciting for me to work with athletics and the football team," she said. "I think it's really exciting for our students as well to take what they've learned and develop and design something and see it being used and executed."
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