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Towson-based MileOne Autogroup is expanding a car seat giveaway program for underserved families to meet growing demand. MileOne, one of the largest automotive retail groups in the Mid-Atlantic, will begin distributing car seats monthly to expecting parents and parents of babies up to six months old. Through its philanthropic division MileOneCares, the automotive group is on track to distribute 2,000 car seats by the end of the year and plans to double that next year. The next event, planned from noon to 2 p.m. Sunday at Heritage Toyota Owings Mills, already has more than 250 famlies registered for around 300 [...]All smiles, perched in his gaming chair during our interview, Izaac Wang rattles off the fun things he does in his spare time, such as crafting theater performances at his fine arts high school, sharing memes on his secret Instagram account and playing popular online video games like Valorant . He wants to avoid the notion that he’s the same as Chris, his on-screen counterpart in the film Dìdi , written and directed by Sean Wang (no relation). “I’m very cool.” the actor says. “For the characters I play, I think of it as me, but in a multiverse—like Spider-Man. Chris is just me, if I was less awesome than I am right now. He’s a more vulnerable, immature, younger version of me, going through a difficult stage in his life where he’s surrounded by a community of people that aren’t as accepting as the people I have around me right now.” In Dìdi , a mid-2000s era coming-of-age tale loosely based on the filmmaker’s upbringing, Wang’s character Chris is a complicated 13-year-old Taiwanese American boy trying to navigate the adolescent pitfalls of growing up. Chris yearns for a sense of belonging as he listlessly winds down the last days of summer before starting high school. However, despite his best efforts to try and fit in, Chris’s deep-rooted insecurities cause him to constantly blunder in his relationships with not only his crush, but also his friends and family. It’s a nuanced role to capture, but a testament to Wang, who manages to emote the adolescent innocence and crass duality that Chris oscillates between on screen. According to Wang, who is 17 years old, it wasn’t much of a challenge to depict the ennui of a soon-to-be high school freshman, considering those days weren’t far behind him. “Sean is an incredible director.” Wang says. “It didn’t feel like I had to try to come across a specific feeling in a way [that would elicit] notes. One of my favorite notes to make fun of, because he always said it, was, ‘Do a scene as if you just got betrayed by one of your closest friends.’ That’s how we got through most of the dramatic stuff.” The other director’s note that kept him anchored to the spirit of a wayward teen? “Be less cool,” Wang smiles. “I try to be more confident. My dad always taught me that if you bring confidence into something you’re not confident about, you can still be confident about it. But with Chris, I had to tone that down because he’s immature and vulnerable. I had to tell myself, ‘Dammit, I have to be less cool.’ So, I guess you can say, in fact, that I am pretty cool.” Born in Minnesota to a Chinese pharmacist father and a Laotian mother, the actor was headed to Los Angeles by age three. Though Wang’s paternal grandparents added a bit of a thespian streak to the family lineage, having spent time performing Chinese theater prior to moving to the States, it was not his family that initially decided their son should join the industry—it was fate. While running a new pharmaceutical shop in Moorpark, Wang’s father, Peter, the CEO and co-founder of Honeybee Health, randomly struck up a conversation with a frequent customer who just so happened to be a kids’ talent manager. “It was a happy little accident, and from there on out, I’ve just slowly been gaining the passion to be an actor,” Wang says. This happenstance eventually led to roles in Good Boys , Clifford the Big Red Dog and a supporting role in Raya and the Last Dragon, before he landed this first leading feature film role in Dìdi . “I remember thinking because I had so many callbacks and me and Sean bonded really well that, if he doesn’t hire me, I’m going to blow up his house,” Wang says, jokingly. “I was going to quit. But then when I actually booked the job, I was ecstatic.” Taking on the responsibilities of a leading role meant new opportunities for the teen to hone his craft. His first challenge came when he had to perform a heated argument with legendary actress Joan Chen . While Dìdi primarily centers around Chris’s clumsy hijinks, the true emotional anchor is the fraught and tender relationship between mother and son. At the film’s apex, tensions arise when Chris’s mother, Chungsing (Chen), pleads with her son to make better life choices. Chris, unable to grasp her concerns, hurls a flurry of insults at her before running away. Chen’s quiet resilience, alongside Wang’s emotional fervor, perfectly encapsulates the tug of war between parental expectations and adolescent rebellion. “It’s funny because that crazy car yelling scene was my first time meeting Joan Chen.” Wang remembers, “And I can never rehearse to the same level that I can act; it’s a bit difficult sometimes, especially for dramatic scenes like that one.” To nail down the tense emotions needed, Wang’s instinct was to dive right in, no practice required, while Chen took a more seasoned approach. “Joan really wanted to rehearse, rehearse, rehearse,” Wang says, “But then, I was like, ‘We could also just do it.’ But it all ended up working out, and we got a good scene out of it.” Reflecting on the deeper thematic reasons for the constant strife between mother and son, Wang adds: “Chris has all this built-up teenage angst and rage inside of him that he just hasn’t been able to get rid of, and the only person there to rant to is his mom. It’s not that Chris despises his mom, he just doesn’t understand her. And she doesn’t understand him. But the whole thing with that scene is that you finally see the moment Chris and his mom realize that the only way to understand each other is by talking it out, not yelling at each other. The monologue that Joan has later is incredible.” Familial struggle is a resonant topic for Wang in his own life, as is the first-generation Asian American experience. There’s a delicately-balance to that portrayal, including themes packed with complexities that require a skilled hand. Wang knew he had to bring Chris’s frustrations to life in a distinctly real way and he looked to his own family for inspiration. “My mom immigrated here when she was young, and the same goes for my dad,” he says. “They had to learn how to be American [while growing up in Minnesota] in the 1990s. My mom and I used to butt heads over the most random, pointless things, mostly because we have the same personality. We’re both super stubborn and don’t give up. But the whole process of filming this movie bonded us together,” Wang admits. “And it wasn’t something that was an a-ha moment. It was over time. Whenever my mom and I would butt heads, my dad was also like our therapist—until he got tired of us—and then got us an actual therapist, that helped a lot. But being together for one month while she was my manager on set and working with her every day, I grew closer to her, mostly I think because of Chungsing and Chris’s story.” Luckily, all that work and butting of heads paid off. Wang received a Gotham Award nomination for his role, which both surprised him and affirmed his choice to move forward with his acting career. “I think of myself as chill,” he says. “I don’t get too high or too low. My brain lets me take things in without freaking out too much. But when I found out I was nominated for Breakthrough Performer, the news hit me like a truck. This acting journey has been a crazy ride and tough at times. Doubt is a monster I’ve fought with all along the way. But being recognized like this, knowing people appreciate my work, makes me feel like I’m on the right path. This is the most inspiring, encouraging— and every other synonym I can’t think of right now—news for me, and it’s fuel for my fire to keep growing. I’m still learning, and being in this profession is a privilege, so I want to do as many jobs as I can. But a well-written script that is meaningful to me and to others is always a winning combo.” Now that’s pretty cool.George Pickens lit flames to the Steelers-Browns matchup on Sunday when he said that he did not know who Greg Newsome was after being asked a question about him. "I don’t even know who that is,” Pickens said on Friday about Newsome. That came on the heels of Pickens' comments being flamed in the Browns locker room on Thursday when cornerback Martin Emerson said he ‘didn’t respect it' and safety Grant Delpit hopes to make Pickens ‘be bad’ and hurt his team. However, after Pickens' latest comments, Newsome had more than a few words for Pickens. Indirectly, Newsome painted Pickens as a selfish player who hurts his own team “I’m all about the team,” Newsome said. “Obviously he’s a guy that cares more so about himself, and you can see that in the penalties he causes. For me, my job is to try and do whatever I can to help the team win. There’s never going to be no one-on-one battle for me. My battle is to try and help my team get the win. He does that type of stuff all the time. There will never be a man that could fuel me in any type of way.” Newsome went on to say that he did not care about Pickens at all, and that all of his worries were on helping his team win while Pickens can wallow in the one-on-one chances. "There’ll never be a man that ever can fuel me in any type of way. The only way you would take something that somebody says disrespectful is if you actually care about that person. So I don’t care what he has to say or anybody has to say. So I don’t take it as disrespectful because I don’t care about the dude at all," Newsome said. Pickens is questionable to play with a hamstring injury. If he does play, this matchup will be primetime to watch, and Pickens seems to be gearing up for a physical matchup against Newsome and the Browns cornerbacks. BETTING: Check out our guide to the best PA sportsbooks , where our team of sports betting experts has reviewed the experience, payout speed, parlay options and quality of odds for multiple sportsbooks. More Pittsburgh Steelers News Pittsburgh Steelers lose veteran defensive tackle for Browns game Pittsburgh Steelers star wide receiver goes down with hamstring injury Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Cleveland Browns predictions: Who will win Week 14 grudge match? George Pickens gives Browns cornerback bulletin board material: ‘I don’t even know what that is' Pittsburgh Steelers cut ties with former Bengals nose tackle

Market Wrap: All-Share Index rises with 1 billion in trading volume as GOLDBREW jumps 10%

N.J. Benson has 22 points, 17 rebounds and DePaul wins 84-65 over Loyola MarylandNoneGeorgetown is set to play its first road game of the season while West Virginia attempts to build off its successful 2-1 trip to the Bahamas when the former conference rivals meet on Friday in Morgantown, W. Va., as part of the Big 12-Big East Battle. Picked 13th out of 16 in the Big 12 preseason coaches' poll, West Virginia (5-2) has been riding the hot shooting of Javon Small and Tucker DeVries. Small averages a team-high 19 points and shoots 41.3 percent on 3-pointers while DeVries adds 14.9 points per game and hits on 46.9 percent of his threes. Every basket was needed last week as the Mountaineers upset then-No. 3 Gonzaga and then-No. 24 Arizona with a loss to Louisville sandwiched in between. All three contests went into overtime, believed to be a first in program history. First-year coach Darian DeVries, who led Drake to three NCAA Tournaments in the last four seasons, had never seen anything like it. "I've never been a part of three games like that, especially with the quality of opponents that we went up these last three days," he said after the Arizona win. "Just incredible resolve and grit and toughness from our group all three nights." Georgetown has started 7-1 for the first time since the 2018-19 season and has done so with a completely revamped roster that includes 14 freshmen or sophomores. As a result of an inexperienced squad, coach Ed Cooley specifically delayed the Hoyas' first trip out of the nation's capital. "Obviously, the competition is going to change," Cooley said after the Hoyas defeated UMBC 86-62 on Monday. "We systematically scheduled this way to build confidence, continuity and chemistry and let our players feel what it is to win, and that's something hopefully that will have some carryover as we now get ready to head out on the road for the first time." Since losing to Notre Dame on Nov. 16, Georgetown has won five straight games by an average of 25.2 points. Thomas Sorber leads the Hoyas in scoring at 15.8 points per game and leads the conference in rebounding at 8.9 per game. Sorber was named as the Big East Freshman of the Week for the third time in four weeks. Georgetown holds the narrowest of leads in the all-time series at 27-26. The two schools met 27 times between 1995 and 2012 as league foes. The Mountaineers captured their lone Big East Championship in 2010 by defeating the Hoyas 60-58 at Madison Square Garden. --Field Level Media

Ange Postecoglou has 'no issue' with criticism after Tottenham fans incident following Bournemouth lossThere's Growing Speculation That A Favorite Has Emerged For Shedeur Sanders

NoneSAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil’s federal police on Thursday formally accused former President Jair Bolsonaro and 36 other people of attempting a coup to keep him in office after his defeat in the 2022 elections. Police said their sealed findings were being delivered Thursday to Brazil’s Supreme Court, which will refer them to Prosecutor-General Paulo Gonet, who decides either to formally charge Bolsonaro and put him on trial, or toss the investigation. Bolsonaro told the website Metropoles that he was waiting for his lawyer to review the accusation, reportedly about 700 pages long. But he said he would fight the case and dismissed the investigation as being the result of “creativity.” The former right-wing president has denied all claims he tried to stay in office after his narrow electoral defeat in 2022 to his rival, leftist President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Bolsonaro has faced a series of legal threats since then. Police said in a brief statement that the Supreme Court had agreed to reveal the names of all 37 people who were accused “to avoid the dissemination of incorrect news.” Dozens of former and current Bolsonaro aides also were accused, including Gen. Walter Braga Netto, who was his running mate in the 2022 campaign; former Army commander Gen. Paulo Sérgio Nogueira de Oliveira; Valdemar Costa Neto, the chairman of Bolsonaro’s Liberal Party; and his veteran former adviser, Gen. Augusto Heleno. Other investigations produced formal accusations of Bolsonaro’s roles in smuggling diamond jewelry into Brazil without properly declaring them and in directing a subordinate to falsify his and others’ COVID-19 vaccination statuses. Bolsonaro has denied any involvement in either. Another probe found that he had abused his authority to cast doubt on the country’s voting system, and judges barred him from running again until 2030. Still, he has insisted that he will run in 2026, and many in his orbit were heartened by the recent U.S. election win of Donald Trump, despite his own swirling legal threats. But the far-reaching investigations already have weakened Bolsonaro’s status as a leader of Brazil’s right wing, said Carlos Melo, a political science professor at Insper University in Sao Paulo. “Bolsonaro is already barred from running in the 2026 elections,” Melo told the The Associated Press. “And if he is convicted he could also be jailed by then. To avoid being behind bars, he will have to convince Supreme Court justices that he has nothing to do with a plot that involves dozens of his aides. That’s a very tall order,” Melo said. A formal accusation of an attempted coup means the investigation has gathered indications of “a crime and its author,” said Eloísa Machado de Almeida, a law professor at Getulio Vargas Foundation, a university in Sao Paulo. She said she believed there was enough legal grounds for the prosecutor-general to file charges. Bolsonaro’s allies in Congress have been negotiating a bill to pardon individuals who stormed the Brazilian capital and rioted on Jan. 8, 2023 in a failed attempt to keep the former president in power. Analysts have speculated that lawmakers want to extend the legislation to cover the former president himself. However, efforts to push a broad amnesty bill may be “politically challenging” given recent attacks on the judiciary and details emerging in investigations, Machado said. On Tuesday, Federal Police arrested four military and a Federal Police officer, accused of plotting to assassinate Lula and Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes as a means to overthrow the government following the 2022 elections. And last week, a man carried out a bomb attack in the capital Brasilia . He attempted to enter the Supreme Court and threw explosives outside, killing himself.

Dive into the Semiconductor Showdown In the world of artificial intelligence (AI) investments, two giants, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) and Nvidia, are championing their niches with considerable success. But if you’re looking to invest, which provides the better opportunity? Unpacking TSMC’s Triumph TSMC, the semiconductor manufacturing powerhouse, has quietly reaped substantial benefits from the AI surge. While its operations may lack the flashy appeal of some tech firms, TSMC’s numbers speak volumes. In the recent quarter, its sales surged by 36% to $23.5 billion, and earnings jumped 54%, driven largely by tech giants ramping up their AI chip production. The company’s prowess in crafting 3-nanometer chips, with plans for 2nm chips by 2025, solidifies its dominance. This advanced manufacturing capability gives TSMC a remarkable 90% share of the premium processors market, ushering unprecedented growth fueled by global AI investments. Nvidia’s Design Dominance Meanwhile, Nvidia maintains its edge as a leading chip designer, focusing on GPUs crucial for AI computing. The company has witnessed an explosive demand, with sales climbing 94% in its last quarter to $35.1 billion. Nvidia’s data center segment, responsible for a 112% revenue surge, has been pivotal. As companies invest heavily in enhancing their AI infrastructure, Nvidia’s CEO envisions a $2 trillion expenditure wave in the coming years, positioning Nvidia as the preeminent beneficiary with its substantial presence in AI data centers. The Investment Choice Both TSMC and Nvidia stand as titans in the AI landscape, yet for investors seeking value, TSMC emerges as a more attractive option with its lower price-to-earnings ratio. While both companies are primed for future growth, TSMC’s stock might offer a more economical entry into this evolving market. The AI Investment Showdown: TSMC vs. Nvidia In the rapidly evolving world of artificial intelligence, two leaders emerge in the semiconductor industry: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) and Nvidia. This in-depth analysis explores new insights and emerging trends, identifying how each company navigates the AI boom and where investment opportunities might lie. AI technology continues to expand, with expected exponential growth over the next decade, driving vast opportunities in the semiconductor industry. Analysts predict an AI market boom, influenced by innovations in chip manufacturing and design. TSMC’s stronghold on the premium processor market and Nvidia’s dominance in AI-driven GPUs suggest continued expansion aligned with global tech trends. TSMC leads with advanced chip technologies, notably its cutting-edge 3-nanometer chips, and plans to achieve 2-nanometer production by 2025. These innovations position TSMC at the forefront of semiconductor evolution. Nvidia excels with its GPUs, which are crucial for AI, providing unmatched performance that attracts tech giants seeking to bolster data processing capabilities. TSMC’s chips are essential for high-performance computing, including mobile devices, gaming consoles, and sophisticated AI applications. However, geopolitical tensions and supply chain vulnerabilities could challenge its growth trajectory. Nvidia’s GPUs dominate in training AI models and running data-intensive applications across sectors from healthcare to finance. A key limitation is Nvidia’s heavy reliance on AI data centers, which could be affected by market saturation or fluctuating demand. In terms of pricing, TSMC offers more economical entry points with a lower price-to-earnings ratio, appealing to value-focused investors. On the other hand, Nvidia commands a higher valuation, aligned with its rapid revenue growth and market demand. Both TSMC and Nvidia are committed to incorporating sustainable practices and enhancing security measures in their operations. TSMC focuses on reducing environmental impact through energy-efficient manufacturing processes, while Nvidia prioritizes robust security features within its chips, maintaining trust in an increasingly connected world. For more information on TSMC and Nvidia, explore their official websites here and here .Escaped convicted murderer puts California town on edge

Stocks likely to keep up positive momentum on strong valuations Pakistani stockbroker monitors the share prices during a trading session at the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) on November 7, 2023. — Online KARACHI: Stocks recovered during the outgoing week and closed the week upwards. The market is expected to keep up the positive momentum next week on strong valuations. Besides, the pressure of the closing will end, which would likely generate positive activity. googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1700472799616-0'); }); “We expect the stock market to sustain its positive momentum, supported by an influx of fresh liquidity driven by the ‘January effect’. Furthermore, the attractive valuations of scrips are likely to strengthen investor confidence, providing additional support to the market’s upward trend,” stated brokerage Arif Habib Ltd. The week began with a remarkable recovery, as the KSE-100 index surged by 4,411.3 points on Monday, marking the second-highest single-day gain in the index’s history. This rally was primarily driven by fresh inflows following the steep correction in the previous week. As the week progressed, the market sentiments remained mixed. The market concluded the week on a positive note, closing at 111,351 points, reflecting a weekly gain of 1,838 points or 1.68 percent week-on-week. Average volumes arrived at 796 million shares (down 31 per cent WoW), while the average value traded settled at $154 million (down by 25 per cent WoW). Foreigner selling continued during this week and clocked in at $6.8 million compared to a net sell of $11.6 million last week. Major selling was witnessed in banks ($4.7 million) followed by all other sectors ($2.0 million). On the local front, buying was reported by individuals ($14.9 million) and banks/DFIs ($4.8 million). Sector-wise positive contributions came from commercial banks (781 points), fertilizer (456 points), OMCs (337 points), technology & communication (228 points) and oil & gas exploration (54 points). Scrip-wise positive contributors were UBL (439 points), DAWH (314 points), Engro (262 points), TRG (226 points) and PSO (213 points). Negatively contributing sectors included cement (188 points), power (102 points) and textile composite (33 points). Scrip-wise negative contributions came from FFC (252 points), LUCK (105 points), SYS (92 points), CHCC (74 points) and ATRL (62 points). Analyst Nabeel Haroon at Topline Securities said the market returned to its positive course after the negative weekly closing for the week ended December 20, 2024, as the low-interest-rate environment and lack of investment avenues continue to attract investor interest in the market. Abdul Basit, an analyst at JS Research, said the week commenced in green, followed by two corrective sessions and finally closing on a positive note on Friday. Local selling continued throughout the week mainly by mutual funds. During the week, the government raised Rs827 billion through the T-bill auction, where yields remained flat compared to previous cut-offs. Notably, the government is in the process of presenting the tax law amendment bill, aiming for stricter measures for non-filers to improve tax collection. The cabinet also took into consideration the lack of uniformity in gas pricing for fertiliser plants. In other news, according to banking industry data, banks have almost reached the 50 percent advance-to-deposit ratio needed to avoid the imposition of additional taxes. Moreover, auto-financing, after posting two consecutive months of MoM growth, witnessed a marginal decline during November 2024 arriving at a negative growth owing to seasonal fluctuations. State Bank of Pakistan reserves witnessed a decline of $228 million to $11.85 billion due to external debt repayments. The PKR depreciated by 0.22 per cent WoW, ending the week at 278.47 against the greenback. Weekly SPI increased by 0.8 per cent WoW for the week ending Dec 26, 2024, marking the highest level in 25 weeks.

Georgetown ventures out of D.C. for first time to face West Virginia

Clara Strack, Georgia Amoore help No. 16 Kentucky rout Western KentuckyTrain collides with fire truck in Florida. Police say 3 firefighters and at least 12 passengers hurtThe 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.

Kellanova stock rises Thursday, outperforms market