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NEW YORK — The masked gunman who stalked and killed the leader of one of the largest U.S. health insurance companies outside a Manhattan hotel used ammunition emblazoned with the words "deny," "defend" and "depose," two law enforcement officials said Thursday. The words were written in permanent marker, according to one of the officials, who spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity. With the gunman still at large, police also released photos of a person they said was wanted for questioning in connection with the shooting. UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, 50, died in a dawn ambush Wednesday as he walked to the company's annual investor conference at a Hilton hotel in Midtown. The reason behind the killing remained unknown, but investigators believe it was a targeted attack. This image shows a man wanted for questioning in connection to the investigation of the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside a Manhattan hotel. The message left on the ammunition echoes the phrase "delay, deny, defend," which is commonly used by attorneys and insurance industry critics to describe tactics used to avoid paying claims. It refers to insurers delaying payment, denying a claim and then defending their actions. Health insurers like UnitedHealthcare have become frequent targets of criticism from doctors and patients for complicating access to care. Investigators recovered several 9 mm shell casings from outside the hotel and a cellphone from the alleyway through which the shooter fled. Inside a nearby trash can, they found a water bottle and protein bar wrapper that they say the gunman purchased from a nearby Starbucks minutes before the shooting. The city's medical examiner was looking for fingerprints. The killing and the shooter's movements in the minutes before and after were captured on some of the multitudes of security cameras present in that part of the city. The shooter fled on a bike and was last seen riding into Central Park. Bullets lie on the sidewalk Wednesday outside the Hilton Hotel in midtown Manhattan where Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, was shot and killed in New York. The hunt for the shooter brought New York City police to at least two hostels on Manhattan's Upper West Side on Thursday morning, based on a tip that the suspected shooter might have stayed at one of the residences, according to one of the law enforcement officials briefed on the investigation. The photos police released Thursday of a man wanted for questioning were taken in the lobby of the HI New York City hostel. "We are fully cooperating with the NYPD and, as this is an active investigation, can not comment at this time," said Danielle Brumfitt, a spokesperson for the hostel. Police received a flood of tips from members of the public, many of them unfounded. On Wednesday evening, police searched a Long Island Rail Road train after a commuter claimed to have spotted the shooter, but found no sign of the gunman. "We're following up on every single tip that comes in," said Carlos Nieves, a police spokesperson. "That little piece of information could be the missing piece of the puzzle that ties everything together." Investigators believe, judging from surveillance video and evidence collected from the scene, that the shooter had at least some prior firearms training and experience with guns and the weapon was equipped with a silencer, said one of the law enforcement officials who spoke with the AP. This still image from surveillance video shows the suspect, left, sought in the the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, center, Wednesday outside a Manhattan hotel. Security camera video showed the killer approach Thompson from behind, level his pistol and fire several shots, barely pausing to clear a gun jam while the health executive tumbled to the pavement. Cameras showed him fleeing the block across a pedestrian plaza before getting on the bicycle. Police issued several surveillance images of the man wearing a hooded jacket and a mask that concealed most of his face, which wouldn't have attracted attention on a frigid day. Authorities also used drones, helicopters and dogs in an intensive search, but the killer's whereabouts remained unknown. Thompson, a father of two sons who lived in suburban Minneapolis, was with UnitedHealthcare since 2004 and served as CEO for more than three years. The insurer's Minnetonka, Minnesota-based parent company, UnitedHealth Group Inc., was holding its annual meeting with investors in New York 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. 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. In the U.S. healthcare system, even the simplest act, like booking an appointment with your primary care physician, may feel intimidating. As you wade through intake forms and insurance statements, and research out-of-network coverage , you might wonder, "When did U.S. health care get so confusing?" Short answer? It's complicated. The history of modern U.S. health care spans nearly a century, with social movements, legislation, and politics driving change. Take a trip back in time as Thatch highlights some of the most impactful legislation and policies that gave us the existing healthcare system, particularly how and when things got complicated. In the beginning, a common perception of American doctors was that they were kindly old men stepping right out of a Saturday Evening Post cover illustration to make house calls. If their patients couldn't afford their fee, they'd accept payment in chicken or goats. Health care was relatively affordable and accessible. Then it all fell apart during the Great Depression of the 1930s. That's when hospital administrators started looking for ways to guarantee payment. According to the American College of Healthcare Executives, this is when the earliest form of health insurance was born. Interestingly, doctors would have none of it at first. The earliest health plans covered hospitalization only. A new set of challenges from the Second World War required a new set of responses. During the Depression, there were far too many people and too few jobs. The war economy had the opposite effect. Suddenly, all able-bodied men were in the military, but somebody still had to build the weapons and provision the troops. Even with women entering the workforce in unprecedented numbers, there was simply too much to get done. The competition for skilled labor was brutal. A wage freeze starting in 1942 forced employers to find other means of recruiting and retaining workers. Building on the recently mandated workers' compensation plans, employers or their union counterparts started offering insurance to cover hospital and doctor visits. Of course, the wage freeze ended soon after the war. However, the tax code and the courts soon clarified that employer-sponsored health insurance was non-taxable. Medicare, a government-sponsored health plan for retirees 65 and older, debuted in 1965. Nowadays, Medicare is offered in Parts A, B, C, and D; each offering a different layer of coverage for older Americans. As of 2023, over a quarter of all U.S. adults are enrolled in Medicare. The structure of Medicare is not dissimilar to universal health care offered in other countries, although the policy covers everyone, not just people over a certain age. Medicaid was also signed into law with Medicare. Medicaid provides health care coverage for Americans with low incomes. Over 74 million Americans are enrolled in Medicaid today. The Obama administration was neither the first nor the last to champion new ways to provide health care coverage to a wider swath of Americans. The first attempts to harmonize U.S. healthcare delivery systems with those of other developed economies came just five years after Medicare and Medicaid. Two separate bills were introduced in 1970 alone. Both bills aimed to widen affordable health benefits for Americans, either by making people Medicare-eligible or providing free health benefits for all Americans. As is the case with many bills, both these died, even though there was bipartisan support. But the chairman of the relevant Senate panel had his own bill in mind, which got through the committee. It effectively said that all Americans were entitled to the kind of health benefits enjoyed by the United Auto Workers Union or AFL-CIO—for free. But shortly after Sen. Edward Kennedy began hearings on his bill in early 1971 , a competing proposal came from an unexpected source: Richard Nixon's White House. President Nixon's approach , in retrospect, had some commonalities with what Obamacare turned out to be. There was the employer mandate, for example, and an expansion of Medicaid. It favored healthcare delivery via health maintenance organizations, or HMOs, which was a novel idea at the time. HMOs, which offer managed care within a tight network of health care providers, descended from the prepaid health plans that flourished briefly in the 1910s and 1920s. They were first conceived in their current form around 1970 by Dr. Paul M. Ellwood, Jr. In 1973, a law was passed to require large companies to give their employees an HMO option as well as a traditional health insurance option. But that was always intended to be ancillary to Nixon's more ambitious proposal, which got even closer to what exists now after it wallowed in the swamp for a while. When Nixon reintroduced the proposal in 1974, it featured state-run health insurance plans as a substitute for Medicaid—not a far cry from the tax credit-fueled state-run exchanges of today. Of course, Nixon had other things to worry about in 1974: inflation, recession, a nation just beginning to heal from its first lost war—and his looming impeachment. His successor, Gerald Ford, tried to keep the proposal moving forward, but to no avail. But this raises a good question: If the Republican president and the Democratic Senate majority both see the same problem and have competing but not irreconcilable proposals to address it, why wasn't there some kind of compromise? What major issue divided the two parties? It was a matter of funding. The Democrats wanted to pay for universal health coverage through the U.S. Treasury's general fund, acknowledging that Congress would have to raise taxes to pay for it. The Republicans wanted it to pay for itself by charging participants insurance premiums, which would be, in effect, a new tax. The next significant legislation came from President Reagan, who signed the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act, or COBRA, in 1985. COBRA enabled laid-off workers to hold onto their health insurance—providing that they pay 100% of the premium, which had been wholly or at least in part subsidized by their erstwhile employer. While COBRA offers continued coverage, its high expense doesn't offer much relief for the unemployed. A 2006 Commonwealth Fund survey found that only 9% of people eligible for COBRA coverage actually signed up for it. The COBRA law had a section, though, that was only tangentially related. The Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act, or EMTALA, which was incorporated into COBRA, required all emergency medical facilities that take Medicare—that is, all of them—to treat patients irrespective of their insurance status or ability to pay. As Forbes staff writer Avik Roy wrote during the Obamacare debate, EMTALA has come to overshadow the rest of the COBRA law in its influence on American health care policy. More on that soon. It wasn't until the 1990s that Washington saw another serious attempt at healthcare reform. Bill Clinton's first order of business as president was to establish a new health care plan. For the first time, the First Lady took on the role of heavy-lifting policy advisor to the president and became the White House point person on universal health care. Hillary Clinton's proposal mandated : The Clintons' plan centralized decision-making in Washington, with a "National Health Board" overseeing quality assurance, training physicians, guaranteeing abortion coverage, and running both long-term care facilities and rural health systems. The insurance lobbyists had a field day with that. The famous "Harry and Louise" ads portrayed a generic American couple having tense conversations in their breakfast nook about how the federal government would come between them and their doctor. By the 1994 midterms, any chance of universal health care in America had died. In this case, it wasn't funding but the debate between big and small governments that killed the Clinton reform. It would be another generation before the U.S. saw universal health care take the stage. Fast-forward to 2010. It was clear that employer-sponsored plans were vestiges of another time. They made sense when people stayed with the same company for their entire careers, but as job-hopping and layoffs became more prevalent, plans tied to the job became obsolete. Thus the Affordable Care Act, or ACA, was proposed by Barack Obama's White House and squeaked by Congress and the Supreme Court with the narrowest of margins. The ACA introduced an individual mandate requiring everyone to have health insurance regardless of job status. It set up an array of government-sponsored online exchanges where individuals could buy coverage . It also provided advance premium tax credits to defray the cost to consumers. But it didn't ignore hat most people were already getting health insurance through work, and a significant proportion didn't want to change . So the ACA also required employers with 50 or more full-time equivalent employees to provide health coverage to at least 95% of them. The law, nicknamed Obamacare by supporters and detractors, set a minimum baseline of coverage and affordability. The penalty for an employer that offers inadequate or unaffordable coverage can never be greater than the penalty for not offering coverage at all. The model for Obamacare was the health care reform package that went into effect in Massachusetts in 2006. The initial proposal was made by then-Governor Mitt Romney, a Republican who now serves as a senator from Utah. Despite an onslaught of court challenges, Obamacare remains the law of the land. For a while, Republican congressional candidates ran on a "repeal-and-replace" platform plank, but even when they were in the majority, there was little legislative action to do either. Still, Obamacare is not the last word in American health care reform. Since then, there have been two important improvements to Health Reimbursement Arrangements, through which companies pay employees back for out-of-pocket medical-related expenses. HRAs had been evolving informally since at least the 1960s but were first addressed by the Internal Revenue Service in 2002. Not much more happened on that front until Obama's lame-duck period. In December 2016, he signed the bipartisan 21st Century Cures Act, which was mainly a funding bill supporting the National Institutes of Health as it addressed the opioid crisis. But, just like the right to free emergency room treatment was nested in the larger COBRA law, the legal framework of Qualified Small Employer Health Reimbursement Arrangements was tucked away in a corner of the Cures Act. QSEHRAs, offered only by companies with fewer than 50 full-time employees, allow firms to let their employees pick their insurance coverage off the Obamacare exchanges. The firms pay the employees back for some or all of the cost of those premiums. The employees then become ineligible for the premium tax credit provided by the ACA, but a well-constructed QSEHRA will meet or exceed the value of that subsidy. That brings this timeline to one last innovation, which expands QSEHRA-like treatment to companies with more than 50 employees or aspiring to have them. Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangements , or ICHRAs, were established by a 2019 IRS rule . ICHRAs allow firms of any size to offer employees tax-free contributions to cover up to 100% of their individual health insurance premiums as well as other eligible medical expenses. Instead of offering insurance policies directly, companies advise employees to shop on a government-sponsored exchange and select the best plan that suits their needs. Employer reimbursement rather than an advance premium tax credit reduces premiums. And because these plans are already ACA-compliant, there's no risk to the employer that they won't meet coverage or affordability standards. The U.S. is never going back to the mid-20th century model of lifetime employment at one company. Now, with remote employees and gig workers characterizing the workforce, the portability of an ICHRA provides some consistency for those who expect to be independent contractors for their entire careers. Simultaneously, allows bootstrap-phase startups to offer the dignity of health coverage to their Day One associates. The U.S. health care system can feel clunky and confusing to navigate. It is also regressive and penalizes startups and small businesses. For a country founded by entrepreneurs, it's sad that corporations like Google pay less for health care per employee than a small coffee shop in Florida. In many ways, ICHRA democratizes procuring health care coverage. In the same way that large employers enjoy the benefits of better rates, ICHRA plan quality and prices improve as the ICHRA risk pool grows. Moving away from the traditional employer model will change the incentive structure of the healthcare industry. Insurers will be able to compete and differentiate on the merits of their product. They will be incentivized to build products for people, not one-size-fits-all solutions for employers. This story was produced by Thatch and reviewed and distributed by Stacker Media. Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email.what is the easiest way to get fortune 3 。

Broadridge Announces First-of-its-Kind AI-Powered Algorithm Insights Service

HAMILTON TOWNSHIP, N.J. , Dec. 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Billtrust , a B2B order-to-cash and digital payments market leader, has been named a Leader in two IDC MarketScape reports – IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Accounts Receivable Automation Applications for the Enterprise 2024 Vendor Assessment (doc #US51740924, December 2024 ) and IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Accounts Receivable Automation Applications for Small and Midmarket 2024 Vendor Assessment (doc #US52692224, December 2024 ). Billtrust was one of 14 providers evaluated for the enterprise report and one of 11 providers in the small and midmarket report. The IDC MarketScapes evaluate a broad set of SaaS and cloud-enabled accounts receivable automation software vendors based on innovation, functionality, range of services, customer satisfaction, cloud capabilities and architecture. "Billtrust is a Leader in the Accounts Receivable Automation Applications for Enterprise and Small and Midmarket," said Kevin Permenter , Research Director, Financial Applications at IDC. "Billtrust attempts to differentiate itself with a scalable, unified solution that simplifies AR processes and improvement to the payment experience their clients provide their customers, all while empowering their AR teams to turn financial data into insights that contribute to their business strategy. They offer an extensive suite of payment management capabilities designed to streamline and automate the accounts receivable process." Billtrust was recognized for the following strengths: The news of Billtrust's recognition as a Leader in the IDC MarketScape comes as B2B businesses are leveraging technology like generative AI to boost efficiency and optimize operations as they grapple with the challenges of cash flow management, according to a recent IDC InfoBrief study (IDC InfoBrief, sponsored by Billtrust, "AI Pushing the Boundaries of What's Possible for OTC," IDC #US52446224, August 2024 ). Billtrust recently announced new generative AI functionality within its accounts receivable software platform to empower finance professionals to better understand their business, make strategic decisions, maximize cash flow and engage customers more effectively. "We are honored to be recognized as a Leader in the IDC MarketScape, which we believe reflects our dedication to innovation, digital transformation, and delivering exceptional customer outcomes," said Sunil Rajasekar , CEO of Billtrust. "In 2024, we achieved remarkable milestones, including the launch of our generative AI tool, Billtrust Finance Co-Pilot, which provides unmatched, in-depth analysis of customer data. We are proud to support finance teams in working more efficiently, accelerating payments, and enhancing the buyer experience." About IDC MarketScape IDC MarketScape vendor assessment model is designed to provide an overview of the competitive fitness of technology and service suppliers in a given market. The research utilizes a rigorous scoring methodology based on both qualitative and quantitative criteria that results in a single graphical illustration of each supplier's position within a given market. IDC MarketScape provides a clear framework in which the product and service offerings, capabilities and strategies, and current and future market success factors of technology suppliers can be meaningfully compared. The framework also provides technology buyers with a 360-degree assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of current and prospective suppliers. About Billtrust Finance leaders turn to Billtrust to get paid faster while controlling costs, accelerating cash flow and maximizing customer satisfaction. As a B2B order-to-cash software and digital payments market leader, we help the world's leading brands move finance forward with AI-powered solutions to transition from expensive paper invoicing and check acceptance to efficient electronic billing and payments. With more than $1 trillion invoice dollars processed, Billtrust delivers business value through deep industry expertise and a culture relentlessly focused on delivering meaningful customer outcomes. Media Contact Paul Accardo PR@billtrust.com View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/billtrust-named-a-leader-in-idc-marketscape-for-worldwide-accounts-receivable-automation-software-for-enterprise-and-small-and-midmarket-2024-302324426.html SOURCE Billtrust

Stock market today: Wall Street hits records despite tariff talkC$ unless otherwise stated TSX/NYSE/PSE: MFC SEHK: 945 TORONTO , Dec. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ - Manulife has been notified of an unsolicited mini-tender offer made by New York Stock and Bond LLC (New York Stock and Bond) to purchase up to 50,000 Manulife common shares, or less than 0.003% of the common shares outstanding, at a price of USD$12.50 per share. Manulife is in no way associated with New York Stock and Bond and does not recommend or endorse acceptance of this unsolicited offer. Manulife cautions shareholders that the mini-tender offer has been made at a price below the current market price for Manulife shares. The offer represents a discount of approximately 60.76% and 60.80%, respectively, below the closing prices of Manulife common shares on the TSX and NYSE on November 27, 2024 , the last trading day before the mini-tender offer was commenced, and a discount of 61.43% and 61.42%, respectively, below the closing prices on the TSX and NYSE on December 6, 2024 . Mini-tender offers are designed to seek less than 5% of a company's outstanding shares, avoiding disclosure and procedural requirements applicable to most bids under Canadian and U.S. securities regulations. The Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA) and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) have expressed serious concerns about mini-tender offers, including the possibility that investors might tender to such offers without understanding the offer price relative to the actual market price of their securities. The SEC states that "bidders make mini-tender offers at below-market prices, hoping that they will catch investors off guard if the investors do not compare the offer price to the current market price." Shareholders should carefully review the New York Stock and Bond offer documents and current market price for Manulife shares, and consult their investment advisors regarding any offer they may receive and review with their advisors all options for their investment in Manulife shares. Manulife has stock transfer agents providing shareholder services in Canada , the United States , Hong Kong and the Philippines . These local agents provide services directly to our registered shareholders and can provide information on share account management, direct deposit of dividends, dividend reinvestment and share purchase plans. Please email manulifeinquiries@tmx.com for more information. Manulife requests that a copy of this news release be included in any distribution of materials relating to New York Stock and Bond's mini-tender offer for Manulife common shares. About Manulife Manulife Financial Corporation is a leading international financial services provider, helping people make their decisions easier and lives better. With our global headquarters in Toronto, Canada , we provide financial advice and insurance, operating as Manulife across Canada , Asia , and Europe , and primarily as John Hancock in the United States . Through Manulife Investment Management, the global brand for our Global Wealth and Asset Management segment, we serve individuals, institutions, and retirement plan members worldwide. At the end of 2023, we had more than 38,000 employees, over 98,000 agents, and thousands of distribution partners, serving over 35 million customers. We trade as 'MFC' on the Toronto , New York , and the Philippine stock exchanges, and under '945' in Hong Kong. Not all offerings are available in all jurisdictions. For additional information, please visit manulife.com . View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/manulife-cautions-investors-regarding-new-york-stock-and-bond-llc-offer-for-shares-302326646.html SOURCE Manulife Financial Corporation

Passengers were complaining that the new MyWay+ ticketing system had caused them delays and simply hadn't worked on its first morning. Black Friday Sale Subscribe Now! Login or signup to continue reading All articles from our website & app The digital version of Today's Paper Breaking news alerts direct to your inbox Interactive Crosswords, Sudoku and Trivia All articles from the other regional websites in your area Continue "No-one had a physical card on my bus but some people had a QR code on their phone which wouldn't scan, and others tried to pay with a credit card on their phone which also didn't scan," said one passenger on the R4 from Macquarie to Civic. "The bus driver didn't know how to help people so he just waved us on." Another passenger told The Canberra Times that he assumed the paper had been "flooded with reports of people unable to use their MyWay+ accounts and being waved on my bus drivers. If not, I'm one in that situation as was everybody else boarding with me". It wasn't clear on other buses whether the new system had worked. Credit cards did click on the reader but no money was taken out of their account. That may be a delay in processing or it may have ben a glitch. Transport Canberra was not commenting on the reports but it is known that they expected what they called "teething trouble". The problems came as transport minister Chris Steel prepared to talk to reporters about the start of the new system. On the eve of the launch - on Tuesday - the official in charge of devising and implementing the system was confident that it would work. Ben McHugh, deputy director-general, Transport Canberra and business services, in charge of the MyWay ticketing changes. Picture by Karleen Minney "We are as our extensive testing has shown that the system will operate as expected," Ben McHugh, deputy director-general, Transport Canberra and Business Services, said. He accepted that the new system would take some learning. "We are really pleased with the way MyWay+ is going but we are very aware that the community will take some time to get familiar with the change." Free transport on buses and trams on Fridays was due to start next week. It wasn't clear if the initial glitches would delay that start. It has also emerged that around $9.5 million is sitting unclaimed in old MyWay ticketing accounts as the ACT's bus and tram system transits to the new method of payment on Wednesday. Only $450,000 has been transferred from the old system as MyWay switches to MyWay+ . That leaves the rest of the $10 million which was unclaimed in the old accounts still there. The ACT government had appealed repeatedly for people to go into their old MyWay accounts and transfer their own money out - but that appeal seemed to have fallen on deaf ears or been heard by people who found it too complicated to reclaim their money. It was not clear what would happen to the unused money if the people who put it there didn't reclaim it. As MyWay+ started, Transport Canberra said that 28,600 new accounts had been created. That compares with an estimated 450,000 accounts under the previous MyWay system. Those figures were true as of 2018, the last year for which figures were discoverable. It seems unlikely to have fallen since. The new MyWay+ app had been downloaded 59,600 times. About a hundred buses will still offer free transport when the new system starts, but they will be gradually reduced in number. Some older buses will not have the new ticketing machines installed because they are to be replaced over 2025 by 90 electric buses which have been bought at a cost of just under a million dollars each. Other buses have not had the ticketing machines installed but that will be done over the next week or so. It will not be possible to tell which buses are free from the outside. Passengers will only be able to see whether the new machine is on board when they themselves are onboard or about to get onboard. Transport Canberra has put in arrangements for people who might find the new system difficult. Registered pensioners, for example, who do not have phones will still be able to show their old concession card to the driver and be waved on. Transport Canberra said it had also made great effort to make sure shops were adequately stocked with the new MyWay+ cards. Earlier in the week, some retailers said they had run out of cards on Saturday after being allocated only 200 each on the Friday. "We are meeting retailers daily to make sure that they have enough stock to meet demands," Mr McHugh said. Share Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Email Copy Steve Evans Reporter Steve Evans is a reporter on The Canberra Times. He's been a BBC correspondent in New York, London, Berlin and Seoul and the sole reporter/photographer/paper deliverer on The Glen Innes Examiner in country New South Wales. "All the jobs have been fascinating - and so it continues." Steve Evans is a reporter on The Canberra Times. He's been a BBC correspondent in New York, London, Berlin and Seoul and the sole reporter/photographer/paper deliverer on The Glen Innes Examiner in country New South Wales. "All the jobs have been fascinating - and so it continues." More from Canberra 'Flooded with reports': Glitches as new ticketing system starts with a bump 20m ago President 'relaxed' about protest speech at Canberra Liberals meeting These rushed electoral law changes are one kick in the pants after another No comment s $9.5m unclaimed by passengers as 'Fare Free Friday' start date locked in No comment s Big fines for major supermarkets a step closer No comment s How a Canberra Times story created the chance to race a world champion up Black Mountain No comment s Newsletters & Alerts View all DAILY Your morning news Today's top stories curated by our news team. Also includes evening update. Loading... WEEKDAYS The lunch break Grab a quick bite of today's latest news from around the region and the nation. Loading... DAILY Sport The latest news, results & expert analysis. Loading... WEEKDAYS The evening wrap Catch up on the news of the day and unwind with great reading for your evening. Loading... 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In fact, according to the annual Consumer Technology Holiday Purchase Patterns report , a record 233 million U.S. adults (89%) will buy tech products during the 2024 holiday season. But with so many devices out there, it can be hard to decide on the perfect option for the loved one on your list. A tablet like the new Fire HD 8 from Amazon offers the versatility of an all-in-one device, with access to streaming, gaming, video chatting, reading or writing all at your fingertips. Fire HD 8 also features a vibrant 8-inch HD display and lightweight, portable design, for high-quality entertainment on the go. Plus, Fire HD 8 comes with three new AI features that can help you get the most out of your tablet experience. Check them out below and learn how they can help you with daily tasks this holiday season and beyond. 1. Meet your personal writing assistant Do you struggle with writing a heartfelt message or finessing a tricky email? Fear not! Writing Assist is here to help. Writing Assist works as part of your Fire tablet's device keyboard and compatible apps, including email, Word documents and social media. In just a few taps, you can transform your writing from good to great. Try Writing Assist's pre-set styles to turn a simple email into a professionally written note. Or, you can ask Writing Assist for grammar suggestions to make your writing more concise, or elaborate on your ideas. You can even "emojify" your writing to add more fun and personality. 2. Learn more in less time Say goodbye to scrolling through pages of information. The new Webpage Summaries feature allows you to learn pertinent information as quickly as possible. Available on the Silk browser on Fire tablets, Webpage Summaries provides quick insights on web articles. In a matter of seconds, this feature will distill the key points in an article or on a webpage into a clear, concise summary of what you need to know. 3. Get creative with your device wallpaper With Wallpaper Creator, you can easily add a touch of creative flair and customization to your tablet's home screen. You can choose from one of the curated prompts to get started on creating a unique background. Or, if you're ready to let your imagination run wild, type a description of what you'd like to see. For example, you can ask for an image of a tiger swimming underwater or a watercolor-style image of a desert landscape in space. Wallpaper Creator will then turn your vision into a reality, delivering a high-resolution image that you can use as your tablet's wallpaper. Celebrate an AI-powered holiday season Writing Assist, Webpage Summaries, and Wallpaper Creator are now available on Amazon's new Fire HD 8 and other compatible Fire tablet devices, including the latest Fire HD 10 and Fire Max 11 tablets. To learn more, or to order a new Fire tablet this gift-giving season, visit Amazon.com . Stay Informed: Subscribe to Our Newsletter TodayBritish Columbia Premier David Eby says his fellow premiers and the federal government have hatched a game plan to fight U.S. tariffs, with Conservative premiers lobbying Republican counterparts, left-leaning provincial leaders courting the Democrats, and Ottawa focusing on president-elect Donald Trump. The premiers and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau talked about using their political diversity and connections to thwart the prospect of Trump's proposed 25 per cent tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico, Eby said Thursday in a year-end interview. He said it was discussed that Conservative premiers Danielle Smith in Alberta, Doug Ford in Ontario and Nova Scotia's Tim Houston are well-placed to lobby Republican governors and business leaders. Trudeau meets with the premiers as Trump ramps up his threats against Canada Eby said, as a New Democrat, he will likely have more in common with Democrat governors and business leaders from the West Coast states. "I can easily have conversations with governors and businesses down the West Coast of the U.S., where we have close relationships and our politics are very similar," he said. "Premier Smith can have conversations with Republican governors. That would be more challenging for me, and [she] would have more connections potentially with the Trump administration than an NDP administration in B.C. would." WATCH | Trudeau calls for united front against tariff threat: Trudeau and opposition leaders meet over Trump's tariffs threat 2 days ago Duration 2:53 Prime Minister Justin Trudeau hosted opposition leaders for a rare meeting during which he urged a united response to the 25 per cent tariffs threatened by U.S. president-elect Donald Trump. He said a meeting last week between the premiers and Trudeau discussed Canada's diversity of representation, and how it could bring leverage and advantages in tariff talks. "It's interesting. There was a lot of talk about what unity means in terms of Canada's response to the tariffs," he said. "There's obviously a diversity of views around the Council of the Federation table of all the premiers. Certainly, mine is not the same as Premier Smith's or Premier Ford's or Premier Houston's, and that diversity of views is actually potentially a significant strength for us as we enter into these discussions." Eby also said he was prepared to appear on America's right-leaning Fox News TV network, as did premiers Ford and Smith. "Anything that I can do to support the national effort to protect the families in Canada from the impact of tariffs and also families in the U.S. from those unjustified tariffs," he said. "Absolutely, if I thought it was helpful." Did Justin Trudeau's meeting with Donald Trump break a 225-year-old U.S law? Video Politicians call for reinstatement of port police following Trump tariff threat

Billtrust Named a Leader in IDC MarketScape for Worldwide Accounts Receivable Automation Software for Enterprise and Small and Midmarket 2024When already this year you’ve bungee-jumped , jetskied and led your party to its best election result for a century, how can you possibly top that as a politician? If you are Ed Davey, the answer is obvious: try for a Christmas No 1. That, at least, is the ambition for the Liberal Democrat leader, who has teamed up with a choir of young carers to record an original song of theirs, complete with a Christmas-heavy video featuring festive jumpers and hats, tinsel, and baubles being hung on a tree. As with Davey’s many stunts for the general election, there is a serious purpose: to generate awareness of the plight of carers, particularly younger ones, and to raise money for good causes. The genesis of this latest move by 2024’s most consistently surprising MP came in the spring, when the widow of Davey’s former choirmaster sent a recording of him aged 13 singing a solo version of In The Deep Midwinter. After the election, when Davey and his team sought ways to push their message over carers, the idea of music came up again. The party hit on the idea of teaming up with the Bath Philharmonia orchestra and their Young Carers’ Choir to record a version of their self-written song, Love is Enough, which is released on Thursday. The result is uplifting and festive, and perhaps just the right side of saccharine to appeal to Christmas listeners. It does not, however, feature much audible input from Davey, whose contributions are slightly buried in the glossy mix. Asked if his adult voice is not quite as angelic as when he was a 13-year-old soloist, Davey told the Guardian: “Definitely. But the young carers is what it’s all about. It is the Young Carers’ Choir with Bath Philharmonia – featuring me. I’m not central to this. I sang all the choruses, by the way.” Davey has made a better deal for carers a key element of his party’s policies, drawing heavily on his own experiences as a young carer to his mother, and his caring responsibilities now to his teenage son, John, who is disabled. One of the Lib Dems’ breakout moments in the election was an election broadcast video that showed Davey with John, which was widely watched and praised. The Christmas single has a similarly policy-based aim beyond the money raised, which will go to the Carers Trust and Bath Philarmonia. Davey said he also hoped to generate publicity for the help available to young carers. Davey said that, while filming the video, he chatted to many of the choir members: “When you talk to young carers, you don’t actually talk much about their caring responsibilities, but one or two told me about them. “And I was in awe of what they are doing, with such heavy responsibilities. I think that getting a break, like doing this single, meant a lot to them.” Is the Christmas No 1 really in their sights? “I think Mariah Carey and all the rest of them are very worried,” Davey responded, deadpan. It might not happen. But when it comes to a party that began the year with 15 MPs and ended it with 72, you can never rule it out.

Utah Jazz vs. Phoenix Suns: How to watch online, live stream info, start time, TV channelThe world must respond to Russia’s use of a new ballistic missile, Volodymyr Zelensky said as Vladimir Putin threatened to strike the UK with his hypersonic weapon. The Ukrainian president said the use of a ballistic missile to hit Dnipro was a “clear and severe escalation in the scale and brutality of this war” and he warned that Russian president Mr Putin would attack or destabilise other countries unless stopped. Mr Putin said the use of the new weapon was in response to the UK and US allowing missiles they have supplied to Ukraine to be used to strike targets in Russia. “In response to the use of American and British long-range weapons on November 21 of this year, the Russian armed forces launched a combined strike on one of the facilities of the Ukrainian defence industry,” Mr Putin said in a televised address. “One of the newest Russian medium-range missile systems was tested in combat conditions, in this case, with a ballistic missile in a non-nuclear hypersonic warhead.” He added: “We consider ourselves entitled to use our weapons against military facilities of those countries that allow their weapons to be used against our facilities.” But Mr Zelensky urged world leaders – his “dear partners” – not to be cowed by Mr Putin’s actions otherwise there will be “endless Russian strikes” and “not just against Ukraine”. “A lack of tough reactions to Russia’s actions sends a message that such behavior is acceptable,” the Ukrainian president said on X, formerly Twitter. “This is what Putin is doing. Putin must feel the cost of his deranged ambitions. “Response is needed. Pressure is needed. Russia must be forced into real peace, which can only be achieved through strength. “Otherwise, there will be endless Russian strikes, threats, and destabilisation-not just against Ukraine.” The UK is believed to have allowed its Storm Shadow missiles to be used by Ukrainian forces within the Kursk region of Russia, while the US has given permission for its ATACMS weapons to be fired at targets in Mr Putin’s country. Mr Putin confirmed Russia has tested the new intermediate-range weapon in an attack on Dnipro in response. The US said the weapon was a new, experimental intermediate-range missile based on Russia’s existing RS-26 Rubezh intercontinental ballistic missile. In Westminster , the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “My understanding is that it is the first time that Russia has used a ballistic missile in Ukraine with a range of several thousand kilometres.” Defence Secretary John Healey said it was “yet another example of Putin’s recklessness”. He said: “Since the illegal invasion of Ukraine began, Russia has consistently and irresponsibly escalated the conflict while Ukraine continues to fight in self-defence for a democratic future.” The missile’s range far outstrips that of newly authorised US and British-supplied weapons, which can hit targets around 250-300km away. The distance from Moscow to London is around 2,500km, suggesting the range of the new missile could threaten the UK. Mr Healey said the UK knew Russia had been “preparing for months” to fire a new ballistic missile. Downing Street and the Ministry of Defence have repeatedly declined to comment publicly on Ukraine’s use of Storm Shadow. “It risks both operational security and in the end the only one that benefits from such a public debate is President Putin,” Mr Healey told MPs. The head of the UK’s armed forces, Chief of the Defence Staff Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, met Mr Zelensky in Kyiv to discuss the war on Thursday. Mr Zelensky said: “We discussed defence co-operation between Ukraine and the United Kingdom, focusing on developing and enhancing the technological capabilities of the armed forces of Ukraine. “Particular attention was given to Ukraine’s current military needs and the continued support from our partners.”The undefeated Vernon Panthers will look to ground some northern birds in the semifinals at the 2024 Tsumura Basketball Invitational Girls High School Basketball tournament in the Fraser Valley. The Panthers will face the Duchess Park Condors of Prince George at 4:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 13. Dave Tetreault's crew advanced to the Select 16 semifinals by freezing the South Delta Sun Devils 63-54 in a Thursday quarterfinal. The Sun Devils led 14-1 before the Panthers got going, tying the game at the half, then taking their own 13-point lead late in the third quarter. But South Delta clawed back to pull ahead 54-52, only to see the Panthers end the game on an 11-0 run. Paige Leahy led VSS with 19 points, Chloe Collins added 15, and Adie Janke had 14. Collins and Janke nailed key three-point shots in the final quarter for the Cats. The Panthers will next face the smothering defence of the Condors, who defeated Langley's Walnut Grove Gators 88-27 in their quarterfinal. Duchess Park held the Gators to just 11 first-half points. In the Super 16 bracket, the Kelowna Owls were bounced from the championship side, falling 62-56 to Langley's Brookswood Bobcats. The Owls held Grade 10 phee-nom Jordyn Nohn to just 17 points. Nohr erupted for 52 points in the Bobcats' opening round game. Mavleen Chahal led the Owls with 25 points while Ava Thiessen scored all 12 of her points from the three-point line. On the consolation side, the Okanagan Mission Huskies of Kelowna evened their tournament record at 1-1 with a 56-50 win over the Sa-Hali Sabres of Kamloops. The Huskies face the Semiahmoo Thunderbirds of Surrey at 11:45 a.m. The Owls will take on the Lord Tweedsmuir Panthers of Surrey at 4:30 p.m. For schedule and scores, visit www.langleyeventscentre.com/tbi .

DELE Momodu, the publisher of Ovation Magazine, recently expressed deep regret over spending ₦50 million to purchase the presidential nomination form of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2022. Speaking in a recent interview on Eden Oasis, Momodu criticised the highly monetised nature of Nigeria’s political primaries, revealing that an aspirant distributed $30,000 to each of the 774 delegates who participated in the election. The journalist-turned-politician stated that he would no longer seek any party’s presidential ticket unless he is adopted as a consensus candidate. He remarked: “Experience is the best teacher. I’ve realised that principalities control Nigeria. Unless a major political party adopts me as a consensus candidate, one where everyone agrees I’m the best fit to lead and change the nation, I won’t contest.” Momodu expressed deep concern over the pervasive monetisation of political party primaries, emphasising that it not only excludes honest and visionary candidates from participating in the democratic process but also erects formidable barriers to the emergence of competent leaders capable of tackling Nigeria’s pressing challenges. He described this systemic issue where financial resources often overshadow merit, vision, and integrity in determining electoral outcomes as a significant hindrance to the country’s democratic development. He highlighted the glaring impact of this problem during recent elections in Edo and Ondo states, where the practice of vote-buying was alarmingly blatant, further eroding public trust in the electoral process. Politicians, driven by desperation to secure party tickets or win elections, spend exorbitant sums to influence delegates and voters. This financial arms race creates a vicious cycle: once elected, these politicians focus on recouping their investments, often through corrupt practices such as embezzlement, awarding inflated contracts, and mismanaging public resources. This entrenched culture of monetised politics, as Momodu warned, perpetuates systemic corruption and deprives Nigerians of the transparent and effective governance they urgently need. By prioritising personal gain over public service, this approach undermines the core values of democracy, leaving citizens disillusioned and eroding faith in the nation’s political system. To address this critical challenge, he called for a collective effort to reform the electoral process and promote leadership based on merit, vision, and accountability rather than financial influence. It is difficult to dispute Momodu’s claim that the monetisation of elections fundamentally undermines democracy by turning contests into bidding wars. The process denies voters the opportunity to make informed decisions and rewards those with the deepest pockets, rather than candidates with the best ideas or the most credible track record. Instead of fostering inclusivity and allowing fresh voices to emerge, the system discourages capable individuals who lack financial resources from participating, leaving the political arena dominated by wealthy power brokers. Despite Nigeria having laws to regulate campaign financing and enforce ethical conduct during elections, these laws are largely ignored. Agencies such as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and other security bodies are either unable or unwilling to enforce these regulations effectively. As a result, vote-buying, financial inducements and other electoral malpractices continue unabated, undermining trust in the democratic process. This failure to enforce rules has created an uneven playing field where honest and financially disadvantaged candidates are sidelined, while those with questionable wealth and influence dominate. Momodu described this situation as a betrayal of the country’s democratic ideals and a hindrance to meaningful progress. Momodu’s reflections underscore the urgent need for systemic reform to restore integrity to Nigeria’s political process. Strengthening enforcement mechanisms, implementing stricter campaign finance laws, and increasing accountability for political actors are critical steps to reversing the trend. Certainly, stakeholders, including the government, civil society, and the judiciary must work together to create a transparent and equitable electoral system. This is essential not only for the emergence of competent leaders but also for rebuilding public confidence in Nigeria’s democracy. We agree with Momodu’s perspective and strongly urge Nigerian politicians to critically re-examine the character of the country’s politics, particularly the entrenched and unsustainable culture of money-driven and predatory practices. The dominance of money politics has not only fuelled systemic corruption but has also emerged as one of the most significant barriers to Nigeria’s democratic advancement. This destructive trend undermines the principles of accountability, transparency and public service, eroding the very foundations of good governance. The current trajectory is unsustainable and demands urgent change. The corrosive influence of financial power in politics has resulted in arrested development, with leaders often prioritising self-interest and financial recovery over public purpose. Governance, which should serve as a platform for addressing societal challenges and advancing collective well-being, has instead been reduced to a tool for personal enrichment. This lack of focus on public purpose perpetuates inequality, stifles innovation, and prevents the formulation of policies that could drive meaningful development. Nigeria cannot achieve genuine growth or sustainable progress without a fundamental shift away from this toxic culture. To build a robust and thriving democracy, the country must embrace a new political ethos rooted in merit, vision, and service to the people. This transformation requires collective action, including stringent electoral reforms, civic education to discourage vote-buying, and the promotion of accountability at all levels of leadership. Only by breaking free from the shackles of money politics can Nigeria realize its full potential and secure a prosperous future for all its citizens. Get real-time news updates from Tribune Online! 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“Last night and this morning, several of President Trump’s cabinet nominees and administration appointees were targeted in violent, un-American threats to their lives and those who live with them,” Trump transition spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said in a statement. She said the attacks “ranged from bomb threats to ‘swatting'”, adding: “In response, law enforcement and other authorities acted quickly to ensure the safety of those who were targeted. President Trump and the entire transition team are grateful for their swift action.” Swatting entails generating an emergency law enforcement response against a target victim under false pretences. The FBI said in a statement that it is “aware of numerous bomb threats and swatting incidents targeting incoming administration nominees and appointees, and we are working with our law enforcement partners”. It added: “We take all potential threats seriously, and as always, encourage members of the public to immediately report anything they consider suspicious to law enforcement.” Among those targeted was Elise Stefanik, Mr Trump’s choice to serve as the next ambassador to the United Nations. Her office said that she, her husband, and their three-year-old son were driving home from Washington for Thanksgiving when they were informed of a bomb threat to their residence in Saratoga County. “New York state, county law enforcement, and US Capitol Police responded immediately with the highest levels of professionalism,” her office said in a statement. “We are incredibly appreciative of the extraordinary dedication of law enforcement officers who keep our communities safe 24/7.” In Florida, meanwhile, the Okaloosa County sheriff’s office said in an advisory posted on Facebook that it “received notification of a bomb threat referencing former congressman Matt Gaetz’s supposed mailbox at a home in the Niceville area around 9am this morning”. While a family member resides at the address, they said “former congressman Gaetz is not a resident”, adding: “The mailbox however was cleared and no devices were located. The immediate area was also searched with negative results.” Mr Gaetz was Mr Trump’s initial pick to serve as attorney general, but he withdrew from consideration amid allegations that he paid women for sex and slept with underage women. Mr Gaetz has vehemently denied any wrongdoing and said last year that a Justice Department investigation into sex trafficking allegations involving underage girls had ended with no federal charges against him. The threats follow a political campaign marked by unusual violence. In July, a gunman opened fire at a Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, grazing the then-candidate in the ear with a bullet and killing one of his supporters. The US Secret Service later thwarted a subsequent assassination attempt at Mr Trump’s golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida, when an agent spotted the barrel of a gun poking through a fence while Mr Trump was playing golf.None

NoneBerlin confirmed plans to reform its legal framework make it a clear criminal offence to “facilitate the smuggling of migrants to the UK” as part of the agreement, the Home Office said. The Home Office said the move would give German prosecutors more tools to tackle the supply and storage of dangerous small boats. Both countries will also commit to exchange information that may help to remove migrant-smuggling content from social media platforms and tackle end-to-end routes of criminal smuggling networks as part of the deal. It comes ahead of the UK and Germany hosting the so-called Calais Group in London, which sees ministers and police from the two countries, alongside France, Belgium and the Netherlands, gather to discuss migration in Europe. Delegates are expected to agree a detailed plan to tackle people-smuggling gangs in 2025 at the meeting on Tuesday. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “For too long organised criminal gangs have been exploiting vulnerable people, undermining border security in the UK and across Europe while putting thousands of lives at risk. “We are clear that this cannot go on. “Germany is already a key partner in our efforts to crack down on migrant smuggling, but there is always more we can do together. “Our new joint action plan with deliver a strengthened partnership with Germany, boosting our respective border security as we work to fix the foundations, and ultimately saving lives.” Nancy Faeser, German federal minister of the interior said: “We are now stepping up our joint action to fight the brutal activities of international smugglers. “This is at the core of our joint action plan that we have agreed in London. “I am very grateful to my British counterpart Yvette Cooper that we were able to reach this important agreement. “It will help us end the inhumane activities of criminal migrant smuggling organisations. “By cramming people into inflatable boats under threats of violence and sending them across the Channel, these organisations put human lives at risk. “Many of these crimes are planned in Germany. “Together, we are now countering this unscrupulous business with even more resolve. “This includes maintaining a high investigative pressure, exchanging information between our security authorities as best as possible, and persistently investigating financial flows to identify the criminals operating behind the scenes.”