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NEW YORK (AP) — The man accused of fatally shooting the CEO of UnitedHealthcare pleaded not guilty on Monday to state murder and terror charges while his attorney complained that comments coming from New York’s mayor would make it tough to receive a fair trial. Luigi Mangione, 26, was shackled and seated in a Manhattan court when he leaned over to a microphone to enter his plea. The Manhattan district attorney charged him last week with multiple counts of murder, including murder as an act of terrorism . Mangione's initial appearance in New York’s state trial court was preempted by federal prosecutors bringing their own charges over the shooting. The federal charges could carry the possibility of the death penalty, while the maximum sentence for the state charges is life in prison without parole. Prosecutors have said the two cases will proceed on parallel tracks , with the state charges expected to go to trial first. One of Mangione’s attorneys told a judge that the “warring jurisdictions" had turned Mangione into a “human ping-pong ball” and that New York City Mayor Eric Adams and other government officials had made him a political pawn, robbing him of his rights as a defendant and tainting the jury pool. “I am very concerned about my client’s right to a fair trial,” lawyer Karen Friedman Agnifilo said. Adams and Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch stood among a throng of heavily armed officers last Thursday when Mangione was flown to a Manhattan heliport and escorted up a pier after being extradited from Pennsylvania. Friedman Agnifilo said police turned Mangione’s return to New York into a choreographed spectacle. She called out Adams' comment to a local TV station that he wanted to be there to look “him in the eye and say, ‘you carried out this terroristic act in my city.’” “He was on display for everyone to see in the biggest stage perp walk I’ve ever seen in my career. It was absolutely unnecessary,” she said. She also accused federal and state prosecutors of advancing conflicting legal theories, calling their approach confusing and highly unusual. In a statement, Adams spokesperson Kayla Mamelak Altus wrote: “Critics can say all they want, but showing up to support our law enforcement and sending the message to New Yorkers that violence and vitriol have no place in our city is who Mayor Eric Adams is to his core.” “The cold-blooded assassination of Brian Thompson — a father of two — and the terror it infused on the streets of New York City for days has since been sickeningly glorified, shining a spotlight on the darkest corners of the internet,” Mamelak Altus said. State trial court Judge Gregory Carro said he has little control over what happens outside the courtroom, but can guarantee Mangione will receive a fair trial. Authorities say Mangione gunned down Thompson as he was walking to an investor conference in midtown Manhattan on the morning of Dec 4. Mangione was arrested in a Pennsylvania McDonald’s after a five-day search, carrying a gun that matched the one used in the shooting and a fake ID, police said. He also was carrying a notebook expressing hostility toward the health insurance industry and especially wealthy executives, according to federal prosecutors. At a news conference last week, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said the application of the terrorism law reflected the severity of a “frightening, well-planned, targeted murder that was intended to cause shock and attention and intimidation.” “In its most basic terms, this was a killing that was intended to evoke terror,” he added. Mangione is being held in a Brooklyn federal jail alongside several other high-profile defendants, including Sean “Diddy” Combs and Sam Bankman-Fried. During his court appearance Monday, he smiled at times when talking with his attorneys and stretched his right hand after an officer removed his cuffs. Outside the courthouse, a few dozen supporters chanted, “Free Luigi,” over the blare of a trumpet. Natalie Monarrez, a 55-year-old Staten Island resident, said she joined the demonstration because she lost both her mother and her life savings as a result of denied insurance claims. “As extreme as it was, it jolted the conversation that we need to deal with this issue,” she said of the shooting. “Enough is enough, people are fed up.” An Ivy-league graduate from a prominent Maryland family, Mangione appeared to have cut himself off from family and friends in recent months. He posted frequently in online forums about his struggles with back pain. He was never a UnitedHealthcare client , according to the insurer. Thompson, a married father of two high-schoolers, had worked at the giant UnitedHealth Group for 20 years and became CEO of its insurance arm in 2021. The killing has prompted some to voice their resentment at U.S. health insurers, with Mangione serving as a stand-in for frustrations over coverage denials and hefty medical bills. It also has sent shockwaves through the corporate world , rattling executives who say they have received a spike in threats.
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Tua Tagovailoa threw for 317 yards and four touchdowns, including two scores to running back De'Von Achane, and the Miami Dolphins routed the New England Patriots 34-15 on Sunday. The Dolphins (5-6) have a thin margin for error the rest of the season but have kept themselves afloat with a three-game winning streak. With their win at New England (3-9) in Week 5, the Dolphins have swept their division rivals in consecutive seasons for the first time since 1999-2000. Tagovailoa, who moved to 7-0 in his career against New England, entered the game with a league-high 73.4% completion rate and went 29 for 40. Backup Skylar Thompson replaced Tagovailoa with about 11 minutes left in what was already a blowout, but a bad handoff on his first play resulted in a fumble that was recovered by cornerback Christian Gonzalez and returned 63 yards for a touchdown. It cut New England's deficit to 31-15, and Tagovailoa returned the next drive. Miami's defense held the rest of the way. Linebacker Tyrel Dodson intercepted rookie quarterback Drake Maye on New England's penultimate drive, then Miami stopped the Patriots on fourth down on the next. Jaylen Waddle caught eight passes for a season-high 144 yards and a 23-yard touchdown that stretched Miami's lead to 31-0 entering the fourth. Achane scored on a 9-yard screen pass and then walked into the end zone for an 11-yard TD in the first half. Jonnu Smith finished with 87 yards on nine catches to continue his strong first season as a Dolphin. One week after catching two touchdowns with a career-high 101 yards receiving, Smith found the end zone for a 7-yard TD catch on the Dolphins' second drive. New England was shut out until tight end Austin Hooper got behind the Dolphins defense for a wide-open 38-yard touchdown catch from Maye to make it 31-7 with 13:43 left. Maye completed 22 of 37 passes for 221 yards with 26 yards rushing. But he couldn't overcome an overall sloppy performance by the Patriots in which they got nothing going offensively until the final quarter. New England's best drive of the first half lasted 12 plays and covered 80 yards but included three accepted offensive penalties and ended in a missed 45-yard field goal by Joey Slye. The Patriots forced a Dolphins punt and moved down the field again on the opening drive of the second half, with Maye completing an improvised 10-yard throw on third down to receiver Kendrick Bourne. New England then tried a double pass with Bourne, whose cross-field throw fell short of Rhamondre Stevenson on 3rd-and-17. DeMario Douglas led the Patriots with 61 yards receiving. Antonio Gibson had six rushes for 30 yards. Dolphins: LB Anthony Walker Jr. sustained a noncontact hamstring injury in the second quarter. He was helped slowly off the field by trainers and did not return. Patriots: Host Indianapolis next Sunday. Dolphins: At Green Bay on Thursday. AP NFL:Jonah Goldberg: What if most Americans aren't bitterly divided?Eclectic F6 Art Lounge become hybrid downtown Arlington attraction, gathering spot
One Whitehorse housing facility set to open, another proceeding on time: Safe at Home
He and perennial rival Luke Humphries provided a taste of what might be to follow in next month’s World Darts Championship, but it was “Cool Hand” who emerged victorious 11-7 to retain his Players Championship title. It brings to an end a 12-match winning run that saw him lift the Grand Slam of Darts last weekend and through to the final in Minehead having seen off Ross Smith and Mike De Decker on finals day. Littler ended World Grand Prix champion De Decker's hopes of a second big-stage triumph in Sunday afternoon's quarter-finals, before edging out former European Champion Smith 11-9 in the semis. Despite posting some huge checkouts in the game's latter stages, he was left to rue a slow start in the final as he fell 5-1 down, although the £60,000 in prize money moves him up to fourth on the PDC Order of Merit. "It was tough - I missed a few doubles and if you don't take chances early it's a lot to come back," said the 17-year-old. "Luke took full advantage, so fair play to him. I know I hit the 170 and the 164 but I didn't have enough in the end." Luke Littler salutes the Minehead crowd having received his runner-up trophy (Image: Kieran Cleeves/PDC) For a match that was so highly anticipated, it is fair to say it struggled to catch fire in the early stages. Both players’ averages were in the low-80s, but it was Humphries who took his chances – a break of Littler’s throw in the very first leg was consolidated by a hold to go 2-0 up. Even the teenager’s favourite double 10 was deserting him and although he did get himself on the board with a hold of throw, the next two legs were symptomatic of his struggles to take his chances. It took Humphries 19 darts to win both the fourth and fifth legs to stride into the first break with a 4-1 lead. Both men came back firing and produced the kind of darts everybody expected, with Humphries retaining control but Littler producing the biggest moments. A “tops-tops” finish to check out 105 was followed by the “big fish” checkout of 170 in consecutive legs on his own throw to halt the Humphries charge and when his rival failed to close out the 10th leg, Littler took his chance to break back by hitting double top. That meant that, having been staring down the barrel of a 7-3 deficit, “The Nuke” went into the second break just two legs behind at 6-4. Littler appeared to have found his stride, and the Minehead crowd had found their voices in support of him even if the line was crossed on occasion, with an instance of whistling drawing the ire of both players and the match referee. Two more superb ton-plus checkouts – 164 in Leg 11 and 136 in the 15th either side of a 12-dart hold – ignited those in attendance, but Humphries was holding off any attempts by Littler to break his throw and retained the advantage heading into the final mini-session. However, that was to be as good as it got for Littler as Humphries swept the final session, claiming a crucial break of throw in Leg 17 before closing out victory by hitting his second match dart. Littler and Luke Humphries have now met in three major finals, with Sunday providing Humphries with his second victory (Image: Kieran Cleeves/PDC)
December 12, 2024 – Coins.ph , the Philippines’ largest digital asset platform, has achieved key milestones in its global expansion, including launching early access for Australian users and an upcoming launch in Brazil. This comes on the back of record numbers and strong performance for Coins.ph this year. Not only has trading volume on the exchange grown 10 times, the company is projecting to close the year out with revenue being 4 times that of the prior year. Coins.ph is not stopping there. Under the leadership of CEO Wei Zhou, Coins.ph has grown from a homegrown pioneer to a global player with its international platform Coins.xyz , and aims to set the standard for regulated cryptocurrency services globally. Launches in Australia and Brazil In Australia, Coins is partnered with Monochrome, which launched Australia’s first direct spot Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs. Together, the two are delivering trusted and compliant services to meet the needs of Australian crypto users. In line with this, Coins.xyz Australia is connected to the country’s banking rails so users can seamlessly cash in and withdraw Australian Dollars (AUD). It also boasts AUD trading pairs for those that want to trade crypto with AUD directly. In Brazil, one of the world’s largest and fastest-growing crypto markets, Coins.xyz will be opening its doors to users soon and launching its fiat on and offramps next month. “We promised global expansion, and now it’s happening,” said Wei Zhou, CEO of Coins.ph and Coins.xyz. “Australia and Brazil are key markets for our vision of connecting the world through regulated and accessible digital asset services. It’s our mission that Coins.ph, through Coins.xyz, distinguishes itself as a standard bearer for trust, compliance, and security in the global crypto space.” A Rare Filipino Success Story on the Global Stage Coins.ph is rewriting the narrative for Philippine tech startups. Very few have managed to establish a significant global presence, and Coins.ph has taken tangible steps towards this. “Our investments in technology and product over the past two years have catapulted our capabilities and paved the way for Coins.ph to become truly global,” Zhou said. Coins.ph’s expansion through Coins.xyz is a testament to the caliber of Filipino talent and as it conquers new market. Not only is the company looking to set the benchmark for regulated crypto services worldwide, it is also proving to builders across the country that a Philippine-born platform can aspire to become a contender worldwide. Being business-savvy should be fun, attainable and A+. BMPlus is BusinessMirror's digital arm with practical tips & success stories for aspiring and thriving millennial entrepreneurs.
Aflac Incorporated to Webcast 2024 Financial Analysts Briefing
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Mike McDaniel has seen a change in quarterback Tua Tagovailoa over the past month. “He's found a way to improve the way he plays the position throughout the game,” the Dolphins coach said Sunday, after Tagovailoa threw for four touchdowns in a dominant 34-15 win over the New England Patriots. “The most monumental thing that you have to overcome as a quarterback is playing the position regardless of the ebbs and flows," McDaniel added, "so not changing how you play based upon positive or negative results and letting every play stand on its own.” Tagovailoa has mastered that ability to remain even-keeled during Miami's three-game winning streak, McDaniel noted, highlighted by his 317-yard passing performance on Sunday. The Dolphins (5-6) have a thin margin for error the rest of the season but have kept themselves afloat with a strong stretch that includes two-straight 30-point games. With their win at New England (3-9) in Week 5, the Dolphins have swept their division rivals in consecutive seasons for the first time since 1999-2000. Tagovailoa, who moved to 7-0 in his career against New England, entered the game with a league-high 73.4% completion rate and went 29 for 40. He has 11 passing touchdowns and just one interception since returning from injured reserve in Week 8. “We’re still below the .500 threshold, and it’s a long way to where we want to get to," Tagovailoa said. “We’ll enjoy this win, but this next one is going to be big for us.” The Dolphins have a short turnaround with a game at Green Bay on Thursday. Backup Skylar Thompson replaced Tagovailoa with about 11 minutes left in what was already a blowout, but a bad handoff on his first play resulted in a fumble that was recovered by cornerback Christian Gonzalez and returned 63 yards for a touchdown. It cut New England's deficit to 31-15, and Tagovailoa returned the next drive. Miami's defense held the rest of the way. Linebacker Tyrel Dodson intercepted rookie quarterback Drake Maye on New England's penultimate drive, then Miami stopped the Patriots on fourth down on the next. Jaylen Waddle caught eight passes for a season-high 144 yards and a 23-yard touchdown that stretched Miami's lead to 31-0 entering the fourth. Running back De'Von Achane scored on a 9-yard screen pass and then walked into the end zone for an 11-yard TD in the first half. Jonnu Smith finished with 87 yards on nine catches to continue his strong first season as a Dolphin. One week after catching two touchdowns with a career-high 101 yards receiving, Smith found the end zone for a 7-yard TD catch on the Dolphins' second drive. New England was shut out until tight end Austin Hooper got behind the Dolphins defense for a wide-open 38-yard touchdown catch from Maye to make it 31-7 with 13:43 left. Maye completed 22 of 37 passes for 221 yards with 26 yards rushing. But he couldn't overcome an overall sloppy performance by the Patriots in which they got nothing going offensively until the final quarter and had 10 penalties accepted against them. “I always say I hate losing more than I like to win," Maye said. "We got our butts whipped today, and it’s only up from here. We’ve got a bright future and the right players in there for the Patriots.” New England's best drive of the first half lasted 12 plays and covered 80 yards but included three accepted offensive penalties and ended in a missed 45-yard field goal by Joey Slye. The Patriots forced a Dolphins punt and moved down the field again on the opening drive of the second half, with Maye completing an improvised 10-yard throw on third down to receiver Kendrick Bourne. New England then tried a double pass with Bourne, whose cross-field throw fell short of Rhamondre Stevenson on 3rd-and-17. DeMario Douglas led the Patriots with 61 yards receiving. Antonio Gibson had six rushes for 30 yards. With the loss, the Patriots will finish their third straight season below .500. Its the first time since 1991-93 New England has had three straight losing seasons. “Once those guys cross the white lines, there’s nothing I can do for them,” coach Jerod Mayo said. "There’s nothing any coach can do for them. It’s my job to continue to prepare not only them, but our coaches as well.” Dolphins: LB Anthony Walker Jr. sustained a noncontact hamstring injury in the second quarter. He was helped slowly off the field by trainers and did not return. Patriots: Host Indianapolis next Sunday. Dolphins: At Green Bay on Thursday. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL
“Relentless demand, inadequate supply, surging rents, and growing concerns around affordability make this the most challenging rental environment in Peterborough’s history.” That is just one finding of a housing report released in early December by the United Way Peterborough & District that explores the challenges with securing a place to call home in Peterborough and area. Year-over-year Peterborough’s rental market continues to be tighter and more expensive, notes author Paul Armstrong in the 19th edition of the “Housing is Fundamental” report. The report provides an analysis of Peterborough’s worsening rental market and “underscores the ongoing challenges posed by housing affordability and accessibility,” stated a press release about the document. “Affordability” is defined as spending no more than 30 per cent of total before-tax income on housing. But with the average market rent in the Peterborough area now $1,325, that means a household has to make $53,000 for a rental unit to be “affordable.” The report states this means there’s little, if any, affordable housing for people who have low incomes. A significant portion of renter households are in “core housing need,” with some spending well in excess of 50 per cent of their household incomes on rent, the report found. “Meagre” additions to the Peterborough CMA rental stock in 2023 mean hundreds of units are still required, with the demand for rental units far exceeding supply. Meanwhile, Trent University and Fleming College place a substantial demand on the city’s rental market, the report notes. New immigrants and foreign students to the area require housing. Housing suitable to transition people out of homelessness is also needed. According to the report, the housing and homelessness crisis has been mainly caused by governments withdrawing from providing public housing, leaving it to the for-profit market to provide housing. “Governments will need to return to direct provision of social housing and render additional support for non-profit housing,” the report states. “We need to build more, much more. We need to make it more affordable. And greater density will likely result. All of this calls upon governments to assert a leading role.” The document also points out that the maximum benefit for people receiving Ontario Works is $733 per month, but the average rent in Peterborough in 2023 for the smallest unit — a bachelor — was $877 per month. A single bedroom unit went for $1,173 while a two-bedroom apartment was $1,411, and a three-bedroom unit cost, on average, $1,640. On a broader scale, the Canada-wide vacancy rate was 1.5 per cent as of October 2023, which was a new low, with Peterborough’s vacancy rate standing at one per cent. Recent renter households (43.2 per cent) were also more likely to live in unaffordable housing than existing renter households (30.5 per cent), with unaffordable housing meaning more than 30 per cent of pre-tax household income is spent on shelter costs. “When inadequate supply of rental units produces a one per cent vacancy rate in Peterborough, something has to change,” Amstrong notes. “When housing costs are now the primary driver of inflation and 20 per cent of Canadian rental stock is owned by large capital enterprises, something’s inequitable. When homelessness grows, but social housing builds don’t materialize, something’s unjust. The housing crisis deepens with little indication of relief.” On the other end of the scale, high ownership prices have prevented renter households from making the move to jp,eownership. And, finally, 2023 saw an unprecedented period of multiple converging crises, which included homelessness, housing precarity, food insecurity, income precarity, mental health challenges, and addictions. “Flawed government policy has resulted in profound crises in an otherwise prosperous country,” Armstrong states. “Clearly, the government’s chosen, market-driven model for housing provision and personal security has failed.” To read the report and learn more about the call to action, visit uwpeterborough.ca/our-research/ .
