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The shooting death of high-ranking UnitedHealth Group Inc. executive Brian Thompson has uncovered a deep anger among Americans who say the health insurance industry has too often failed to cover large medical bills and stood in the way of necessary care. “There’s clearly a sense of real discontent and distrust of the industry revealed in social media,” said Brian Klepper, principal of the Healthcare Performance Inc. consulting firm. “That’s not a healthy environment for an industry to prosper.” The reaction to the shooting is a wake-up call for sprawling companies that have seen their profits and stock prices rise over the past few years. Social media has given millions of Americans the means to amplify their long-simmering dissatisfaction with health insurers, and in the wake of Thompson’s death, X, Reddit, TikTok and other platforms lit up with hatred aimed at the industry. Kevin Farmer, a University of Florida orthopedics and sports medicine professor who posted on X about the shooting, said frustration with insurance is something doctors see every day. “I mean, what that can do to someone’s emotional thought process and reaction,” Farmer said. “They feel helpless.” The motive for Thompson’s killing remains unclear. New York police released images Thursday of a man they said is wanted in connection with the shooting and searched a Manhattan hostel where the person is believed to have stayed. No direct evidence has emerged to connect the shooting with any dispute over UnitedHealth’s business, though a shell casing and live ammunition round inscribed with “delay” and “depose” were recovered from the sidewalk at the midtown hotel where Thompson, 50, was attacked. The words echo complaints many American consumers have aired about long waits for insurers to pay medical bills and legal fights over claims. While the inscriptions suggest the shooting might be tied to an insurance dispute, investigators also have to consider whether they may be a distraction designed to divert from the true motive, said Joseph Giacalone, a former New York Police Department sergeant who’s now a professor at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice. “They are going to take everything seriously but have to have an open mind that this could be a potential ruse,” he said. Though insurers have rarely discussed it publicly, concerns that a frustrated policyholder could turn to violence have long percolated within the industry. Former health-insurance executive Michael Sherman said when he worked at Humana Inc. more than a decade ago the company had built “safe rooms” for executives at its Louisville, Kentucky, headquarters. Later, when he became the chief medical officer at Point32Health, he said the nonprofit insurer based in Massachusetts installed a panic button under his desk and hired private security for the executive suite. Still, Sherman said the idea that an insurance executive could be targeted by a killer was largely unthinkable. “People are shocked,” he said. “This is shaking people up and causing them to think more about the implications of these decisions, and perhaps the need for more security.” Humana declined to comment on its security procedures. Thompson’s killing should compel insurers to reexamine their security measures, from increasing surveillance of executives’ parking spots to adding panic buttons and bullet-resistant safe rooms to their executive suites, said Paul Sarnese, the former president of the International Association for Healthcare Security and Safety, an organization dedicated to protecting the health care industry. UnitedHealth had a security team at the New York Hilton Midtown hotel for its investor day, but it didn’t have anyone stationed outside where the executive was shot, according to a person familiar with the matter. The company didn’t comment on the security situation. Sarnese said threats against health care workers in general have increased since the COVID-19 pandemic, when many Americans grew disillusioned with recommendations about masking, isolating while sick and vaccines. Health insurers, who in the routine course of their business make millions of decisions every year that can have profound effects on people’s physical and financial well-being, are especially likely to elicit emotional responses from the public. A Gallup survey last fall asked respondents what they thought of the services provided by health insurers. Sixty-eight percent gave ratings of “only fair” or “poor.” Only 5% said it was “excellent.” “Imagine having a pre-existing condition and being denied your medical care,” Sarnese said. “You’re not only putting all this stress on someone who has a medical condition, but now you’re putting financial stress on their families. That stress can really push someone to threaten executives or act upon their threats.” The online vitriol generated by the Thompson shooting spilled into policy decisions by other insurers. Former Washington Post writer Taylor Lorenz generated an outcry after she posted on Bluesky Wednesday about a policy change from some units of Elevance Health Inc. that doctors said would limit coverage if operations ran long. “And people wonder why we want these executives dead,” she wrote. On Thursday, Elevance backtracked. “There has been significant widespread misinformation about an update to our anesthesia policy,” Elevance spokesperson Leslie Porras said. “As a result, we have decided to not proceed with this policy change. To be clear, it never was and never will be the policy of Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield to not pay for medically necessary anesthesia services.” Several hours after the shooting on Wednesday, Sarah London, chief executive officer of health insurer Centene Corp. pulled out of a planned appearance at a conference sponsored by Forbes in New York. London canceled out of respect for Thompson, not because of security concerns, according to a person familiar with the matter. Centene’s investor day that was scheduled to be held in person next week was moved online. Centene declined to comment on its security procedures. Industry officials defended the role that insurers play in the health care system and said that the wave of hate that bubbled up on social media in the aftermath of Thompson’s killing was unwarranted. “The people in our industry are mission-driven professionals working to make coverage and care as affordable as possible and to help people navigate the complex medical system,” Mike Tuffin, president and CEO of trade group America’s Health Insurance Plans, said in a statement. “We condemn any suggestion that threats against our colleagues — or anyone else in our country — are ever acceptable.” UnitedHealth is one of the largest health care conglomerates in the U.S., housing the UnitedHealthcare insurance business that Thompson led, as well as vast operations focused on managing drug benefits and doctors’ offices. As a result of that broad reach, it has become a frequent target for criticism. The company was among a group of insurers that was slammed in a Senate report earlier this year for using automated tools to increase claim denials. The rate at which the company denied prior authorization for post-acute care more than doubled from 2020 to 2022, the Senate report found. In February, Bloomberg reported that the Department of Justice had opened an antitrust investigation into the company. Last month, the U.S. sued to block its $3.3 billion purchase of Amedisys Inc. over concerns the deal would harm competition in the market for home-health and hospice services. Also this year, the company’s Change Healthcare technology business was the target of hackers who gained access to the medical and other personal information of millions of Americans.The team that President-elect has selected to lead federal health agencies in his second administration includes a retired congressman, a surgeon and a former talk-show host. All could play pivotal roles in fulfilling a political agenda that could change how the government goes about safeguarding Americans' health — from health care and medicines to food safety and science research. In line to lead the Department of Health and Human Services secretary is environmental lawyer and anti-vaccine organizer Trump's choices don't have experience running large bureaucratic agencies, but they . Centers for Medicare and Medicaid pick Dr. hosted a talk show for 13 years and is a well-known wellness and lifestyle influencer. The pick for the Food and Drug Administration, Dr. and for surgeon general, Dr. Janette Nesheiwat, are frequent Fox News contributors. Many on the list were critical of COVID-19 measures like masking and booster vaccinations for young people. Some of them have ties to Florida like many of Trump's other Cabinet nominees: , the pick for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, represented the state in Congress for 14 years and is affiliated with a medical group on the state's Atlantic coast. Nesheiwat's brother-in-law is , R-Fla., tapped by Trump as national security adviser. Here's a look at the nominees' potential role in carrying out what Kennedy says is the task to “reorganize” agencies, which have an overall $1.7 trillion budget, employ 80,000 scientists, researchers, doctors and other officials, and effect Americans' daily lives: The Atlanta-based CDC, with a $9.2 billion core budget, is charged with protecting Americans from disease outbreaks and other public health threats. Kennedy has long attacked vaccines and criticized the CDC, repeatedly alleging corruption at the agency. He said on a 2023 podcast that there is "no vaccine that is safe and effective,” and urged people to resist . The estimates that vaccines have saved more than 150 million lives over the past 50 years, and that 100 million of them were infants. Decades ago, Kennedy found common ground with , 71, who served in the Army and worked as an internal medicine doctor before he represented a central Florida congressional district from 1995 to 2009. Starting in the early 2000s, Weldon had a prominent part in a debate about whether there was a relationship between a vaccine preservative called thimerosal and autism. He was a founding member of the Congressional Autism Caucus and tried to ban thimerosal from all vaccines. Kennedy, then a senior attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council, believed there was a tie between thimerosal and autism and also charged that the government hid documents showing the danger. Since 2001, all vaccines manufactured for the U.S. market and routinely recommended for children 6 years or younger have contained no thimerosal or only trace amounts, with the exception of inactivated influenza vaccine. Meanwhile, study after study after study found no evidence that thimerosal caused autism. Weldon's congressional voting record suggests he may go along with Republican efforts to downsize the CDC, including to eliminate the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, which works on topics like drownings, drug overdoses and shooting deaths. Weldon also voted to ban federal funding for needle-exchange programs as an approach to reduce overdoses, and the National Rifle Association gave him an “A” rating for his pro-gun rights voting record. Kennedy is extremely critical of the FDA, which has 18,000 employees and is responsible for the safety and effectiveness of prescription drugs, vaccines and other medical products, as well as overseeing cosmetics, electronic cigarettes and most foods. Makary, Trump’s pick to run the FDA, is closely aligned with Kennedy on . The professor at Johns Hopkins University who is a trained surgeon and cancer specialist has decried the overprescribing of drugs, the use of pesticides on foods and the undue influence of pharmaceutical and insurance companies over doctors and government regulators. Kennedy has suggested he'll clear out “entire” FDA departments and also recently threatened to fire FDA employees for “aggressive suppression” of a host of unsubstantiated products and therapies, including stem cells, , and like ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine. Makary's contrarian views during the COVID-19 pandemic included questioning the need for masking and giving young kids COVID-19 vaccine boosters. But anything Makary and Kennedy might want to do when it comes to unwinding FDA regulations or revoking long-standing vaccine and drug approvals would be challenging. The agency has lengthy requirements for removing medicines from the market, which are based on federal laws passed by Congress. The agency provides health care coverage for more than 160 million people through Medicaid, Medicare and the Affordable Care Act, and also sets Medicare payment rates for hospitals, doctors and other providers. With a $1.1 trillion budget and more than 6,000 employees, Oz has a massive agency to run if confirmed — and an agency that Kennedy hasn't talked about much when it comes to his plans. While Trump tried to scrap the Affordable Care Act in his first term, Kennedy has not taken aim at it yet. But he has been critical of Medicaid and Medicare for covering expensive weight-loss drugs — though . Trump said that he would protect Medicare, which provides insurance for older Americans. has endorsed expanding Medicare Advantage — a privately run version of Medicare that is popular — in during his failed 2022 bid for a U.S. Senate seat in Pennsylvania and in a with a former Kaiser Permanente CEO. Oz also said in a Washington Examiner with three co-writers that aging healthier and living longer could help fix the U.S. budget deficit because people would work longer and add more to the gross domestic product. Neither Trump nor Kennedy have said much about Medicaid, the insurance program for low-income Americans. Trump's first administration reshaped the program by allowing states to introduce work requirements for recipients. Kennedy doesn't appear to have said much publicly about what he'd like to see from surgeon general position, which is the nation's top doctor and oversees 6,000 U.S. Public Health Service Corps members. The surgeon general has little administrative power, but can be an influential government spokesperson on what counts as a public health danger and what to do about it — suggesting things like warning labels for products and issuing advisories. The current surgeon general, Vivek Murthy, in June. Trump's pick, Nesheiwat, is employed as a New York City medical director with CityMD, a group of urgent care facilities in the New York and New Jersey area, and has been at City MD for 12 years. She also has appeared on Fox News and other TV shows, authored a book on the “transformative power of prayer” in her medical career and endorses a brand of vitamin supplements. She encouraged COVID-19 vaccines during the pandemic, calling them “a gift from God” in a February 2021 Fox News op-ed, as well as anti-viral pills like Paxlovid. In a 2019 Q&A with the , Nesheiwat said she is a “firm believer in preventive medicine” and “can give a dissertation on hand-washing alone.” As of Saturday, Trump had not yet named his choice to lead the National Institutes of Health, which funds medical research through grants to researchers across the nation and conducts its own research. It has a $48 billion budget. Kennedy has said he'd drug development and infectious disease research to shift the focus to chronic diseases. He'd like to keep NIH funding from researchers with conflicts of interest, and criticized the agency in 2017 for what he said was not doing enough research into the role of vaccines in autism — . Associated Press writers Amanda Seitz and Matt Perrone and AP editor Erica Hunzinger contributed to this report. The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. This story has been corrected to reflect that the health agencies have an overall budget of about $1.7 trillion, not $1.7 billion. Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Sign up here to get the latest health & fitness updates in your inbox every week!online casino game jili super ace png 。

AP News Summary at 9:36 p.m. ESTIsrael strikes Houthi rebels in Yemen's capital while the WHO chief says he was meters away JERUSALEM (AP) — A new round of Israeli airstrikes in Yemen have targeted the Houthi rebel-held capital of Sanaa and multiple ports. The World Health Organization’s director-general said the bombardment on Thursday took place just “meters away” as he was about to board a flight in Sanaa. He says a crew member was hurt. The strikes followed several days of Houthi attacks and launches setting off sirens in Israel. Israel's military says it attacked infrastructure used by the Houthis at the international airport in Sanaa, power stations and ports. The Israeli military later said it wasn’t aware that the WHO chief was at the location in Yemen. An uneasy calm settles over Syrian city of Homs after outbreak of sectarian violence HOMS, Syria (AP) — Syria’s new security forces checked IDs and searched cars in the central city of Homs a day after protests by members of the Alawite minority erupted in gunfire and stirred fears that the country’s fragile peace could break down. A tense calm prevailed Thursday after checkpoints were set up throughout the country’s third-largest city, which has a mixed population of Sunni and Shia Muslims, Alawites and Christians. The security forces are controlled by the former insurgent group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which led the charge that unseated former President Bashar Assad. The US says it pushed retraction of a famine warning for north Gaza. Aid groups express concern. WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. officials say they asked for — and got — the retraction of an independent monitor's warning of imminent famine in north Gaza. The internationally Famine Early Warning System Network issued the warning this week. The new report had warned that starvation deaths in north Gaza could reach famine levels as soon as next month. It cited what it called Israel's “near-total blockade” of food and water. The U.S. ambassador to Israel, Jacob Lew, criticized the finding as inaccurate and irresponsible. The U.S. Agency for International Development, which funds the famine-monitoring group, told the AP it had asked for and gotten the report's retraction. USAID officials tell The Associated Press that it had asked the group for greater review of discrepancies in some of the data. Trump has pressed for voting changes. GOP majorities in Congress will try to make that happen ATLANTA (AP) — Republicans in Congress plan to move quickly in their effort to overhaul the nation’s voting procedures, seeing an opportunity with control of the White House and both chambers of Congress. They want to push through long-sought changes such as voter ID and proof-of-citizenship requirements. They say the measures are needed to restore public confidence in elections. That's after an erosion of trust that Democrats note has been fueled by false claims from Donald Trump and his allies of widespread fraud in the 2020 election. Democrats say they are willing to work with the GOP but want any changes to make it easier, not harder, to vote. Americans are exhausted by political news. TV ratings and a new AP-NORC poll show they're tuning out NEW YORK (AP) — A lot of Americans, after an intense presidential election campaign, are looking for a break in political news. That's evident in cable television news ratings and a poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. The poll found nearly two-thirds of Americans saying they've found the need recently to cut down on their consumption of political and government news. That's particularly true among Democrats following President-elect Donald Trump's victory, although a significant number of Republicans and independents feel the same way. Cable networks MSNBC and CNN are really seeing a slump. That's also happened in years past for networks that particularly appeal to supporters of one candidate. New York to charge fossil fuel companies for damage from climate change ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Large fossil fuel companies would have to pay fees to help New York fight the effects of climate change under a bill signed by Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul. The governor signed the new law Thursday. It requires companies responsible for substantial greenhouse gas emissions to pay into a state infrastructure fund for repairs or projects that help avoid future damage from climate change. Lawmakers approved the bill earlier this year. It's meant to make big oil and gas companies contribute to the cost of repairs after extreme weather events or for resiliency projects. Such projects may include restoring coastal wetlands or upgrading roads, bridges and water drainage systems. Legal challenges to the new law are expected. Aviation experts say Russia's air defense fire likely caused Azerbaijan plane crash as nation mourns Aviation experts say that Russian air defense fire was likely responsible for the Azerbaijani plane crash the day before that killed 38 people and left all 29 survivors injured. Azerbaijan is observing a nationwide day of mourning on Thursday for the victims of the crash. Azerbaijan Airlines’ Embraer 190 was en route from Azerbaijan’s capital of Baku to the Russian city of Grozny in the North Caucasus on Wednesday when it was diverted for reasons yet unclear and crashed while making an attempt to land in Aktau in Kazakhstan. Cellphone footage circulating online appeared to show the aircraft making a steep descent before smashing into the ground in a fireball. Ukraine's military intelligence says North Korean troops are suffering heavy battlefield losses KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine's military intelligence says North Korean troops are suffering heavy losses in Russia's Kursk region and face logistical difficulties as a result of Ukrainian attacks. The intelligence agency said Thursday that Ukrainian strikes near Novoivanovka inflicted heavy casualties on North Korean units. Ukraine's president said earlier this week that 3,000 North Korean troops have been killed and wounded in the fighting in the Kursk region. It marked the first significant estimate by Ukraine of North Korean casualties several weeks after Kyiv announced that North Korea had sent 10,000 to 12,000 troops to Russia to help it in the almost 3-year war. How the stock market defied expectations again this year, by the numbers NEW YORK (AP) — What a wonderful year 2024 has been for investors. U.S. stocks ripped higher and carried the S&P 500 to records as the economy kept growing and the Federal Reserve began cutting interest rates. The benchmark index posted its first back-to-back annual gains of more than 20% since 1998. The year featured many familiar winners, such as Big Tech, which got even bigger as their stock prices kept growing. But it wasn’t just Apple, Nvidia and the like. Bitcoin and gold surged and “Roaring Kitty” reappeared to briefly reignite the meme stock craze. Why this Mexican American woman played a vital role in the US sacramental peyote trade MIRANDO CITY, Texas (AP) — Amada Cardenas, a Mexican American woman who lived in the tiny border town of Mirando City in South Texas, played an important role in the history of the peyote trade. She and her husband were the first federally licensed peyote dealers who harvested and sold the sacramental plant to followers of the Native American Church in the 1930s. After her husband's death in 1967, Cardenas continued to welcome generations of Native American Church members to her home until her death in 2005, just before her 101st birthday.

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'Hostile' journalists barred from covering Zanu-PF meetingsFrom Philly and the Pa. suburbs to South Jersey and Delaware, what would you like WHYY News to cover? Let us know! Firearms are one of the leading causes of death among children aged 1 to 17, according to a Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions report . Sunny Vespico Jackson, a registered nurse and the injury prevention coordinator at Penn Medicine Trauma Center, cares for patients impacted by gun violence and works to underscore preventative measures. In the hospital’s trauma unit, Vespico Jackson and her colleagues see cases that range from gunshot injuries on the skin to fatal wounds to the body. “A lot of the injuries are life altering whether it’s because of the physical injury, but definitely because of the emotional injury and the psychological effects of the injury,” Vespico Jackson said. Sunny Vespico Jackson, an RN and Penn Medicine trauma and injury prevention coordinator (right), worked to obtain gun safes to hand out for free in the community Nov. 18, 2024. (Kimberly Paynter/WHYY) Penn Medicine Trauma Center is working to educate the public on gun safes as a preventative measure to curb gun violence, and to encourage keeping firearms locked and out of reach of children. Vespico Jackson believes it is also important to teach children and teens about firearm safety and responsible storage. Penn Medicine Trauma Center makes gun safety resources available on its website , which emphasizes proper gun storage and handling. “Parents don’t realize the kids know where the guns are,” Vespico Jackson said in an interview with WHYY News. “So if the guns are locked up, it prevents them from accessing the guns and getting injured or injuring someone else.” Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Wonder database shows that approximately 3,500 children died in gun-related incidents in 2022, and firearms remain the top cause of death for children and teens in the U.S. to date. Athena Lee, PSOM clinical research coordinator (second from right), and Neda Khan, director of strategy and operations (right), helped hand out free gun safes to the community at the Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine in Philadelphia on Nov. 18, 2024. (Kimberly Paynter/WHYY) Advocates disappointed after court rejects Philly gun control lawsuit Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court upheld state laws that prevent municipalities from enacting their own firearm regulations. 4 days ago Terrence Betsill, security operations manager at Penn Medicine, noted that many of the accidental shootings among young children happen in homes where firearms are not safely stored. “73% of children know where guns are stored in the home, while 36% have actually touched the gun. The ideal way to store a firearm is to unload it, lock it and separate it from ammunition,” Betsill said. Black Americans are 10 times more likely to experience nonfatal firearm injuries compared to their white counterparts, according to researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Tracy Duckery of Mount Airy does not take the statistics lightly. The single mother of three is a city social worker and a gun owner. She purchased a firearm to protect her family amid concerns about rising crime, but felt the need to store it in a safe. “You want it to be safe in your home if you have kids, elderly people or other family members,” Duckery said. “You want to protect yourself from people on the outside, but you also want to protect the inside.” Duckery, who received firearm training, understands the risks guns pose in homes with children, which is why she recognizes the importance of proper storage. “My fear started to be bigger than protecting my home,” she said. “[It’s] thinking about my smaller kids. I had smaller kids, and I also have adult kids.” Dukery supports the teaching of the Penn gun safety program, and she underscores the need for accountability and open conversations about firearm security. “I’m just glad this program exists. I hope it continues,” Duckery said. With funding from the Preventive Health and Health Services Block Grant , Penn Medicine launched the gun safety initiative on National Injury Prevention Day on Nov. 18. As part of the program, Jackson said they hope to distribute more than 1,200 free gun safes to Philadelphia gun owners who live in the city limits. Gun owners don’t have to come to UPenn to get a gun safe in person. They can visit the university’s website to sign up , and a gun safe will be shipped out to the gun owner. Show your support for local public media You turn to WHYY News for impactful, community-centered journalism. With your help, we can go further. WHYY is your source for fact-based, in-depth journalism and information. As a nonprofit organization, we rely on financial support from readers like you. Please give today.

Providence, Oklahoma hope key players are back in Bahamas"Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum." Section 1.10.32 of "de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum", written by Cicero in 45 BC "Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo. Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem. Ut enim ad minima veniam, quis nostrum exercitationem ullam corporis suscipit laboriosam, nisi ut aliquid ex ea commodi consequatur? Quis autem vel eum iure reprehenderit qui in ea voluptate velit esse quam nihil molestiae consequatur, vel illum qui dolorem eum fugiat quo voluptas nulla pariatur?" 1914 translation by H. Rackham "But I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system, and expound the actual teachings of the great explorer of the truth, the master-builder of human happiness. No one rejects, dislikes, or avoids pleasure itself, because it is pleasure, but because those who do not know how to pursue pleasure rationally encounter consequences that are extremely painful. Nor again is there anyone who loves or pursues or desires to obtain pain of itself, because it is pain, but because occasionally circumstances occur in which toil and pain can procure him some great pleasure. To take a trivial example, which of us ever undertakes laborious physical exercise, except to obtain some advantage from it? But who has any right to find fault with a man who chooses to enjoy a pleasure that has no annoying consequences, or one who avoids a pain that produces no resultant pleasure?" 1914 translation by H. Rackham "But I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system, and expound the actual teachings of the great explorer of the truth, the master-builder of human happiness. No one rejects, dislikes, or avoids pleasure itself, because it is pleasure, but because those who do not know how to pursue pleasure rationally encounter consequences that are extremely painful. Nor again is there anyone who loves or pursues or desires to obtain pain of itself, because it is pain, but because occasionally circumstances occur in which toil and pain can procure him some great pleasure. To take a trivial example, which of us ever undertakes laborious physical exercise, except to obtain some advantage from it? But who has any right to find fault with a man who chooses to enjoy a pleasure that has no annoying consequences, or one who avoids a pain that produces no resultant pleasure?" Thanks for your interest in Kalkine Media's content! To continue reading, please log in to your account or create your free account with us.

ORRVILLE, Ohio , Dec. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The J. M. Smucker Company (the "Company") (NYSE: SJM) today announced that it has commenced cash tender offers (each, an "Offer" and collectively, the "Offers") for the maximum principal amount of validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) notes set forth below (collectively, the "Notes"), such that the aggregate purchase price, not including accrued and unpaid interest, payable in respect of such Notes will not exceed $300 million . The Offers are being made pursuant to an Offer to Purchase, dated December 3, 2024 (the "Offer to Purchase"), which sets forth a description of the terms of the Offers. A summary of the Offers to purchase the Notes is outlined below: Acceptance Priority Level (1) Title of Security CUSIP Number Outstanding Principal Amount Reference U.S. Treasury Security (2) Bloomberg Reference Page Fixed Spread (bps) Early Tender Premium (3) 1 2.750% Senior Notes due 2041 832696AV0 $300,000,000 4.625% UST due 11/15/2044 FIT 1 +85 $30 2 3.550% Senior Notes due 2050 832696AT5 $300,000,000 4.250% UST due 8/15/2054 FIT 1 +95 $30 3 2.125% Senior Notes due 2032 832696AU2 $500,000,000 4.250% UST due 11/15/2034 FIT 1 +50 $30 4 4.375% Senior Notes due 2045 832696AP3 $600,000,000 4.625% UST due 11/15/2044 FIT 1 +85 $30 5 5.900% Senior Notes due 2028 * 832696AW8 $750,000,000 4.125% UST due 11/30/2029 FIT 1 +30 $30 (1) The Company is offering to accept the maximum principal amount of validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) Notes in the Offer for which the aggregate purchase price, not including accrued and unpaid interest, does not exceed $300 million using a "waterfall" methodology under which the Company will accept the Notes in order of their respective Acceptance Priority Levels (as defined below). (2) The Total Consideration (as defined below) for Notes validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) prior to or at the Early Tender Time (as defined below) and accepted for purchase is calculated using the applicable fixed spread as described in the Offer to Purchase. The Early Tender Premium (as defined below) of $30 per $1,000 principal amount is included in the Total Consideration for each series of Notes set forth above and does not constitute an additional or increased payment. Holders of Notes will also receive accrued and unpaid interest on Notes accepted for purchase up to, but excluding, the Early Settlement Date or the Final Settlement Date (each as defined below), as applicable. (3) Per $1,000 principal amount. * Denotes a series of Notes for which the calculation of the applicable Total Consideration may be performed, subject to market practice, using the present value of such Notes as determined at the Price Determination Time (as defined in the Offer to Purchase) as if the principal amount of Notes had been due on the applicable Par Call Date (as defined in the Offer to Purchase) of such series rather than the maturity date. Each Offer is scheduled to expire at 5:00 p.m. , New York City time, on January 2, 2025 , unless extended or earlier terminated by the Company (such date and time, as the same may be extended or earlier terminated with respect to each Offer, the "Expiration Time"). To receive the Total Consideration, holders of the Notes must validly tender and not validly withdraw Notes at or prior to 5:00 p.m. , New York City time, on December 16, 2024 , unless such deadline is extended with respect to the applicable Offer(s) (such date and time, as the same may be extended with respect to each Offer, the "Early Tender Time"), to be eligible to receive the Total Consideration. Tenders of Notes may not be validly withdrawn after 5:00 p.m. , New York City time, on December 16, 2024 (the "Withdrawal Deadline"), unless extended by the Company with respect to the applicable Offer. After such time, Notes validly tendered may not be validly withdrawn unless such deadline is extended with respect to the applicable Offer, except in certain limited circumstances where additional withdrawal rights are required by law. Payments for Notes validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) and accepted for purchase at or prior to the Early Tender Time are expected to settle on December 19, 2024 (the "Early Settlement Date"). The consideration paid in each of the Offers will be determined in the manner described in the Offer to Purchase by reference to a fixed spread over the yield to maturity of the applicable U.S. Treasury Security (the "Reference Treasury Security") specified in the table above and on the cover page of the Offer to Purchase in the column entitled "Reference U.S. Treasury Security." Holders who validly tender and do not validly withdraw Notes at or prior to the Early Tender Time that are accepted for purchase will be eligible to receive the "Total Consideration," which includes an early tender premium of $30 per $1,000 principal amount of Notes accepted for purchase (the "Early Tender Premium"). The Early Tender Premium is included in the Total Consideration for each series of Notes and does not constitute an additional or increased payment. Holders who validly tender Notes after the Early Tender Time but at or prior to the Expiration Time and whose Notes are accepted for purchase will be entitled to receive the Total Consideration minus the Early Tender Premium. In addition, in each case, holders whose Notes are accepted for purchase will receive accrued and unpaid interest on their Notes up to, but excluding, the applicable settlement date, payable on the settlement date. The Company will accept for purchase for cash the maximum principal amount of validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) Notes for which the aggregate purchase price, not including accrued and unpaid interest, payable in respect of such Notes does not exceed $300 million (the "Offer Cap"). Subject to the satisfaction or waiver of the conditions of the Offers, Notes validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) prior to or at the Early Tender Time will be accepted based on the acceptance priority levels noted in the table above (the "Acceptance Priority Levels"). All Notes tendered prior to or at the Early Tender Time will have priority over Notes tendered after the Early Tender Time, regardless of the Acceptance Priority Levels of the Notes tendered after the Early Tender Time. Subject to applicable law, the Company may increase, decrease or waive the Offer Cap, as provided in the Offer to Purchase. Subject to the satisfaction or waiver of the conditions of the Offers, the "Acceptance Priority Procedures" will operate as follows: (1) at the Early Settlement Date, the Company will accept for purchase all Notes of each Series validly tendered at or before the Early Tender Time and not validly withdrawn at or before the Withdrawal Deadline, starting with the 2.750% Senior Notes due 2041 (which have an Acceptance Priority Level of 1), followed by the 3.550% Senior Notes due 2050 (which have an Acceptance Priority Level of 2), followed by the 2.125% Senior Notes due 2032 (which have an Acceptance Priority Level of 3), followed by the 4.375% Senior Notes due 2045 (which have an Acceptance Priority Level of 4), followed by the 5.900% Senior Notes due 2028 (which have an Acceptance Priority Level of 5), subject to the Offer Cap; and (2) on January 6, 2025 (the "Final Settlement Date"), to the extent the Company has not already accepted Notes with an aggregate purchase price payable in respect of such Notes equal to the Offer Cap, it will accept for purchase validly tendered and not validly withdrawn Notes of each Series not previously purchased on the Early Settlement Date starting with the 2.750% Senior Notes due 2041, followed by the 3.550% Senior Notes due 2050, followed by the 2.125% Senior Notes due 2032, followed by the 4.375% Senior Notes due 2045, followed by the 5.900% Senior Notes due 2028 in accordance with their respective Acceptance Priority Levels, subject to the Offer Cap. None of the Offers is conditioned on any of the other Offers or upon any minimum principal amount of Notes of any series being tendered. The Company's obligation to purchase, and to pay for, any Notes validly tendered pursuant to the Offers is subject to and conditioned upon the satisfaction of, or the Company's waiver of, the conditions described in the Offer to Purchase. This press release is neither an offer to purchase nor a solicitation of an offer to sell securities. No offer, solicitation, purchase or sale will be made in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful. The Offers are being made solely pursuant to the terms and conditions set forth in the Offer to Purchase. Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC and J.P Morgan Securities LLC are serving as Dealer Managers for the Offers (each, a "Dealer Manager" and together, the "Dealer Managers"). Questions regarding the Offers may be directed to Goldman Sachs at (800) 828-3182 (toll free) or (212) 357-­1452 (collect) or to J.P Morgan at (866) 834-4666 (toll free) or (212) 834-3554 (collect). Requests for the Offer to Purchase or the documents incorporated by reference therein may be directed to D.F. King & Co., Inc., which is acting as the Tender Agent and Information Agent for the Offers, at SJM@dfking.com or the following telephone numbers: banks and brokers at (212) 269-5550; all others toll free at (866) 620-2535. The J. M. Smucker Company Forward-Looking Statements This press release ("Release") includes certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of federal securities laws. The forward-looking statements may include statements concerning our current expectations, estimates, assumptions and beliefs concerning future events, conditions, plans and strategies that are not historical fact. Any statement that is not historical in nature is a forward-looking statement and may be identified by the use of words and phrases such as "expect," "anticipate," "believe," "intend," "will," "plan," "strive" and similar phrases. Federal securities laws provide a safe harbor for forward-looking statements to encourage companies to provide prospective information. We are providing this cautionary statement in connection with the safe harbor provisions. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made, when evaluating the information presented in this Release, as such statements are by nature subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are outside of our control and could cause actual results to differ materially from such statements and from our historical results and experience. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the following: our ability to successfully integrate Hostess Brands' operations and employees and to implement plans and achieve financial forecasts with respect to the Hostess Brands' business; our ability to realize the anticipated benefits, including synergies and cost savings, related to the Hostess Brands acquisition, including the possibility that the expected benefits will not be realized or will not be realized within the expected time period; disruption from the acquisition of Hostess Brands by diverting the attention of our management and making it more difficult to maintain business and operational relationships; the negative effects of the acquisition of Hostess Brands on the market price of our common shares; the amount of the costs, fees, expenses, and charges and the risk of litigation related to the acquisition of Hostess Brands; the effect of the acquisition of Hostess Brands on our business relationships, operating results, ability to hire and retain key talent, and business generally; disruptions or inefficiencies in our operations or supply chain, including any impact caused by product recalls, political instability, terrorism, geopolitical conflicts (including the ongoing conflicts between Russia and Ukraine and Israel and Hamas), extreme weather conditions, natural disasters, pandemics, work stoppages or labor shortages (including potential strikes along the U.S. East and Gulf coast ports and potential impacts related to the duration of a recent strike at our Buffalo, New York manufacturing facility), or other calamities; risks related to the availability of, and cost inflation in, supply chain inputs, including labor, raw materials, commodities, packaging, and transportation; the impact of food security concerns involving either our products or our competitors' products, including changes in consumer preference, consumer litigation, actions by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or other agencies, and product recalls; risks associated with derivative and purchasing strategies we employ to manage commodity pricing and interest rate risks; the availability of reliable transportation on acceptable terms; our ability to achieve cost savings related to our restructuring and cost management programs in the amounts and within the time frames currently anticipated; our ability to generate sufficient cash flow to continue operating under our capital deployment model, including capital expenditures, debt repayment to meet our deleveraging objectives, dividend payments, and share repurchases; a change in outlook or downgrade in our public credit ratings by a rating agency below investment grade; our ability to implement and realize the full benefit of price changes, and the impact of the timing of the price changes to profits and cash flow in a particular period; the success and cost of marketing and sales programs and strategies intended to promote growth in our business, including product innovation; general competitive activity in the market, including competitors' pricing practices and promotional spending levels; our ability to attract and retain key talent; the concentration of certain of our businesses with key customers and suppliers, including primary or single-source suppliers of certain key raw materials and finished goods, and our ability to manage and maintain key relationships; impairments in the carrying value of goodwill, other intangible assets, or other long-lived assets or changes in the useful lives of other intangible assets or other long-lived assets; the impact of new or changes to existing governmental laws and regulations and their application; the outcome of tax examinations, changes in tax laws, and other tax matters; a disruption, failure, or security breach of our or our suppliers' information technology systems, including, but not limited to, ransomware attacks; foreign currency exchange rate and interest rate fluctuations; and risks related to other factors described under "Risk Factors" in other reports and statements we have filed with the SEC. We do not undertake any obligation to update or revise these forward-looking statements to reflect new events or circumstances. About The J. M. Smucker Company At The J. M. Smucker Company, it is our privilege to make food people and pets love by offering a diverse family of brands available across North America . We are proud to lead in the coffee, peanut butter, fruit spreads, frozen handheld, sweet baked goods, dog snacks and cat food categories by offering brands consumers trust for themselves and their families each day, including Folgers ® , Dunkin' ® , Café Bustelo ® , Jif ® , Uncrustables ® , Smucker's ® , Hostess ® , Milk-Bone ® and Meow Mix ® . Through our unwavering commitment to producing high quality products, operating responsibly and ethically and delivering on our Purpose, we will continue to grow our business while making a positive impact on society. The J. M. Smucker Company is the owner of all trademarks referenced herein, except for Dunkin' ® , which is a trademark of DD IP Holder LLC. The Dunkin'® brand is licensed to The J. M. Smucker Company for packaged coffee products sold in retail channels, such as grocery stores, mass merchandisers, club stores, e-commerce and drug stores, as well as in certain away from home channels. This information does not pertain to products for sale in Dunkin' ® restaurants. View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-j-m-smucker-company-announces-cash-tender-offers-302321621.html SOURCE The J.M. Smucker Co.Middle East latest: WHO chief says he was at Yemen airport as Israeli bombs fell nearbyRomania's top court scraps presidential election