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Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co has started mass production at its first factory in Japan, as the government steps up efforts to strengthen supply chains for critical and essential goods. The factory in Kumamoto Prefecture produces logic chips with 12 to 28 nanometer process technologies for use in cars and image sensors for customers such as Sony Group Corp and auto parts maker Denso Corp. The world's largest contract chipmaker plans to build its second factory in Japan next to the first plant to produce more advanced 6-nanometer chips. The construction is expected to begin by March next year and the company seeks to start operations by the end of 2027. The Japanese government has agreed to offer more than 1 trillion yen in subsidies to TSMC. It sees domestic chip production as critical for its economic security as heavy dependence on major supplier Taiwan poses geopolitical risks stemming from rising tensions between the United States and China over the self-ruled island. Kumamoto Gov Takashi Kimura called on TSMC to consider setting up its third plant in the prefecture, when he visited its headquarters in Taiwan in August.President-elect Donald Trump asked the Supreme Court on Friday to pause the potential TikTok ban from going into effect until his administration can pursue a “political resolution” to the issue. The request came as TikTok and the Biden administration filed opposing briefs to the court, in which the company argued the court should strike down a law that could ban the platform by Jan. 19 while the government emphasized its position that the statute is needed to eliminate a national security risk. “President Trump takes no position on the underlying merits of this dispute. Instead, he respectfully requests that the Court consider staying the Act’s deadline for divestment of January 19, 2025, while it considers the merits of this case,” said Trump’s amicus brief, which supported neither party in the case and was written by D. John Sauer, Trump’s choice for solicitor general. The argument submitted to the court is the latest example of Trump inserting himself in national issues before he takes office. The Republican president-elect has already begun negotiating with other countries over his plans to impose tariffs, and he intervened earlier this month in a plan to fund the federal government, calling for a bipartisan plan to be rejected and sending Republicans back to the negotiating table. Trump has also reversed his position on the popular app, having tried to ban it during his first term in office over national security concerns. He joined the app during his 2024 presidential campaign and his team used it to connect with younger voters, especially male voters, by pushing content that was often macho and aimed at going viral. He said earlier this year that he still believed there were national security risks with TikTok, but that he opposed banning it. This month, Trump met with TikTok CEO Shou Chew at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida. The filings Friday come ahead of oral arguments scheduled for Jan. 10 on whether the law, which requires TikTok to divest from its China-based parent company or face a ban, unlawfully restricts speech in violation of the First Amendment. Earlier this month, a panel of three federal judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit unanimously upheld the statute , leading TikTok to appeal the case to the Supreme Court. The brief from Trump said he opposes banning TikTok at this junction and “seeks the ability to resolve the issues at hand through political means once he takes office.” In their brief to the Supreme Court on Friday, attorneys for TikTok and its parent company ByteDance argued the federal appeals court erred in its ruling and based its decision on “alleged ‘risks’ that China could exercise control” over TikTok’s U.S. platform by pressuring its foreign affiliates. The Biden administration has argued in court that TikTok poses a national security risk due to its connections to China. Officials say Chinese authorities can compel ByteDance to hand over information on TikTok’s U.S. patrons or use the platform to spread or suppress information. But the government “concedes that it has no evidence China has ever attempted to do so,” TikTok’s legal filing said, adding that the U.S. fears are predicated on future risks. In its filing Friday, the Biden administration said because TikTok “is integrated with ByteDance and relies on its propriety engine developed and maintained in China,” its corporate structure carries with it risk. Haleluya Hadero And Michelle Price, The Associated PressROCHESTER, N.Y., Dec. 05, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE: STZ), a leading beverage alcohol company, announced today it will report financial results for its third quarter ended November 30, 2024, on Thursday, January 9, 2025, before the open of the U.S. markets. A conference call to discuss the financial results and outlook will be hosted by President and Chief Executive Officer, Bill Newlands, and Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Garth Hankinson, at 10:30 a.m. ET, January 9, 2025. The conference call can be accessed by dialing +1-877-407-9121 and entering conference identification number 13750414, beginning at 10:20 a.m. ET. A live, listen-only webcast of the conference call will be available on the company's investor relations website at ir.cbrands.com under the News & Events section. When the call begins, financial information discussed on the conference call, and reconciliations of reported GAAP financial measures with comparable and other non-GAAP financial measures, will also be available on the company's investor relations website under the Financial History section. For anyone unable to participate in the conference call, a replay will be available on the company's investor relations website. ABOUT CONSTELLATION BRANDS Constellation Brands (NYSE: STZ) is a leading international producer and marketer of beer, wine, and spirits with operations in the U.S., Mexico, New Zealand, and Italy. Our mission is to build brands that people love because we believe elevating human connections is Worth Reaching For. It's worth our dedication, hard work, and calculated risks to anticipate market trends and deliver more for our consumers, shareholders, employees, and industry. This dedication is what has driven us to become one of the fastest-growing, large CPG companies in the U.S. at retail, and it drives our pursuit to deliver what's next. Every day, people reach for our high-end, iconic imported beer brands such as those in the Corona brand family like the flagship Corona Extra, Modelo Especial and the flavorful lineup of Modelo Cheladas, Pacifico, and Victoria; our fine wine and craft spirits brands including The Prisoner Wine Company, Robert Mondavi Winery, Casa Noble Tequila, and High West Whiskey; and our premium wine brands such as Kim Crawford and Meiomi. As an agriculture-based company, we have a long history of operating sustainably and responsibly. Our ESG strategy is embedded into our business and our work focuses on serving as good stewards of the environment, enhancing social equity within our industry and communities, and promoting responsible beverage alcohol consumption. These commitments ground our aspirations beyond driving the bottom line as we work to create a future that is truly Worth Reaching For. To learn more, visit www.cbrands.com and follow us on X , Instagram , and LinkedIn .

Google’s blowout earnings report in April, which sparked the biggest rally in Alphabet shares since 2015 and pushed its market cap past $2 trillion for the first time, tempered fear that the company was falling behind in artificial intelligence. As executives enthusiastically talked about the results with Google’s employees at an all-hands meeting the following week, it was clear that Wall Street viewed things differently than the company’s workforce. “We’ve noticed a significant decline in morale , increased distrust and a disconnect between leadership and the workforce,” one employee wrote in a comment that was read by executives at the meeting. “How does leadership plan to address these concerns and regain the trust, morale and cohesion that have been foundational to our company’s success?” The comment was highly rated on an internal forum. “Despite the company’s stellar performance and record earnings, many Googlers have not received meaningful compensation increases” another top-rated employee question read. That meeting set the stage for what would be a year of contrasting takes from the company’s vocal workforce. As Google faced some of the most intense pressure its experienced since going public two decades ago, so too did CEO Sundar Pichai , who took the helm in 2015. Pichai oversaw a steady stream of revenue growth this year in key areas like search ads and cloud. The company rolled out groundbreaking technologies, rounded out its AI strategy despite a slew of embarrassing product incidents and saw its stock price rise more than 40% as of Thursday’s close, ahead of the S&P 500 but trailing rivals Meta and Amazon. Over the course of 2024, many staffers questioned Pichai’s vision following product mishaps in the first half of the year as well as internal shake-ups and layoffs, according to conversations with more than a dozen employees, audio recordings and internal correspondence. As the second half of the year progressed and Google rolled out a number of eye-catching AI products, Pichai’s standing improved, though some skepticism remains, sources told CNBC. The AI race pressure cooker After the introduction of ChatGPT in late 2022, the tech industry saw an influx of AI products from Microsoft, with its Copilot AI assistant, and Meta, which placed its Meta AI chatbot in the search functions of its apps, as well as from hot startups like OpenAI and Perplexity. The popularity of those tools has eaten into Google’s grip on U.S. search. The company’s share of the search advertising market is expected to dip below 50% in 2025, which would be the first time falling below that mark in more than a decade, according to research firm eMarketer. Google responded to the pressures from new AI tools with offerings of its own. The company in 2024 rebranded its family of AI models as Gemini and released a number of products that were well received. But in its scramble to play catch-up, the company also released a pair of AI products that initially proved embarrassing. In February, Google launched Imagen 2, which turned user prompts into AI-generated images. Immediately after it was introduced, the product came under scrutiny for historical inaccuracies discovered by users. Notably, when one user asked it to show a German soldier in 1943, the tool depicted a racially diverse set of soldiers wearing German military uniforms of the era. The company pulled the feature , and Pichai told employees the company had “offended our users and shown bias,” according to a memo. Google said it would take a few weeks to relaunch Imagen 2, but it ended up being six months before it was revived as Imagen 3 in August. “We definitely messed up on the image generation,” Google co-founder Sergey Brin told a small crowd at a hacker house in March, in a video posted to YouTube . “It was mostly due to just not thorough testing.” The launch of AI Overview in May caused a similar reaction. That product showed users AI summaries atop Google’s traditional search results. Pichai hyped the product, calling it the biggest change to search in 25 years. Once again, users were quick to find problems . When asked “How many rocks should I eat each day,” the tool said , “According to UC Berkeley geologists, people should eat at least one small rock a day.” AI Overview also listed the vitamins and digestive benefits of rocks. Google responded by saying it would add more guardrails to AI Overview for health-related queries but said the mistakes weren’t hallucinations, and were rather just rare edge cases. Search Vice President Liz Reid told employees at an all-hands meeting in June that AI Overview’s launch shouldn’t discourage them from taking risks. “We should act with urgency,” Reid said. “When we find new problems, we should do the extensive testing but we won’t always find everything and that just means that we respond.” Beyond its AI blunders, Google also saw its greatest regulatory challenges to date in 2024. In August, a federal judge ruled that the company illegally holds a monopoly in the search market. The Justice Department in November asked that Google be forced to divest its Chrome internet browser unit as a remedy for the ruling The DOJ’s request represents the agency’s most aggressive attempt to break up a tech company since its antitrust case against Microsoft , which reached a settlement in 2001. The remedies are expected to be decided next summer, and Google has said it will appeal, likely dragging out the situation a couple more years, but the company faces more antitrust hurdles. In a separate case, the DOJ accused the company of illegally dominating online ad technology. That trial closed in September and awaits a judge ruling. In October, a U.S. judge issued a permanent injunction that will force Google to offer alternatives to its Google Play app store for Android phones. After the ruling in October, Google won a temporary pause on the ruling, meaning it won’t have to open up Android to more app stores yet. A search for vision Amid the external pressure, Google notched some notable victories particularly toward the end of 2024, leading to a more positive sentiment from people within and outside the company. Google successfully launched its most powerful suite of new Gemini models that underpin all of the company’s AI products, including its lightweight model Gemini Flash, which has been popular among developers. YouTube’s combined ad and subscription revenue over the past four quarters surpassed $50 billion. In the third quarter, Google saw the fastest-growing cloud business across the big tech players, up 35% over last year, with operating margins of 17%. The company has also seen double-digit revenue growth for each of the past four quarters and launched Trillium , its powerful sixth generation Tensor Processing Units, or TPUs, which were also found to have powered Apple’s AI models. Despite the blunders, AI Overview reached nearly 1 billion monthly users by the end of October. Demand for AI software has also driven consistent growth for the company’s cloud infrastructure. And Google launched an impressive video generation product, Veo 2, this month as well as an updated AI note-taking product, NotebookLM. Beyond AI, Google in December announced Willow , a chip the company calls its biggest step in the march toward commercially viable quantum computing. The Waymo self-driving car unit was also a bright spot , expanding its robotaxi service to three cities and laying the groundwork for even more expansion in 2025. The company has delivered 4 million fully autonomous rides this year, with plans to commercially launch in Austin, Texas, and Atlanta next year. But as Pichai approaches a decade running Google and starts his sixth year as CEO of parent Alphabet, questions remain about his ability to guide the company into the future. Internally, employees routinely criticize leadership on the company’s Memegen messaging board, and some have aired their grievances publicly. “Google does not have one single visionary leader,” a Google software engineer wrote in a LinkedIn post earlier this year that received more than 8,500 reactions. “Not a one. From the C-suite to the SVPs to the VPs, they are all profoundly boring and glassy-eyed.” In October, Google announced it would shake up the leadership of its ads and search division. The company replaced longtime search boss Prabhakar Raghavan with Nick Fox, a deputy of Raghavan’s and a career Google employee. Raghavan was given the title of “chief scientist,” but internally, he is now listed as an “IC,” or individual contributor. Google also shifted the team working on its Gemini AI app to the Google DeepMind division, under AI head Demis Hassabis. Employees praised Pichai’s leadership shuffle, but some complained that the moves should’ve happened sooner. Notably, some employees were perturbed when Raghavan addressed employees at an all-hands meeting in April, when he urged them to move faster , according to several people who spoke with CNBC. Raghavan noted that the staffers working to fix the failed Imagen 2 tool had increased their workloads from 100 hours a week to 120 hours to correct it in a timely manner. Pichai has made efforts to get Google back to its nimble startup-like culture. When addressing employees, Pichai often name-checked co-founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page to remind them of Google’s scrappy roots. He’s flattened the company, removing 10% of middle management, according to audio of a December all-hands meeting. And in the spring, Pichai greenlit a hackathon, allowing employees to build using Google products that have yet to be announced. Pichai has also personally joined meetings with Google’s Labs team and enabled them to move quickly on products like NotebookLM, one of the company’s hit AI products in 2024. After Brin’s hacker house appearance in March, some employees internally joked he should retake the helm, nostalgic for what they perceived as a visionary leader devoid of corporate speak. Brin co-founded Google with Page in 1998, but he stepped down as president of Alphabet in 2019. Brin, who remains a board member and a principal shareholder with a stake worth more than $140 billion, began appearing more frequently on campus starting in 2023, as part of an effort to help ramp up Google’s position in the hypercompetitive AI market. Employees, particularly working in AI and DeepMind said they’ve seen Brin walking around the company’s Mountain View, California, headquarters throughout the year and have been able to ask him questions for projects they’re pursuing. Despite Brin’s reemergence, several employees told CNBC they’re doubtful he could adequately run what has become an increasingly larger and complex corporation. Employees said that although Pichai didn’t strike them as particularly visionary or as a wartime leader, it’s hard to find someone better suited for the job, given all the complexities of Alphabet. The key quandary remains: move too early and risk widespread criticism; move too late and risk missing the boat. Culture clashes Through the year, morale inside Google wavered. Efforts to cut costs across the company in order to invest more in AI resulted in some teams feeling bifurcated and created yet another challenge for Pichai. Within the company’s AI and DeepMind divisions, morale is mostly high, according to employees, boosted by hefty investments. Elsewhere, the vibes have been marred by cost cuts, bureaucracy and declining trust in leadership, employees said. DeepMind and AI teams have held off-sites, team-building activities, and have much bigger travel and recruiting budgets, people familiar with the matter said. In the spring, the company moved employees out of an eight-story office on San Francisco’s waterfront Embarcadero street and replaced them with AI and AI adjacent teams. A meme posted internally in November summed it up. The meme featured a photo of the cast of “Wicked” actors, where one, labeled “execs” looked longingly at one fellow actor labeled “Gemini” while ignoring the other beside her, which was labeled as “users.” A Google spokesperson contested the idea that AI workers are receiving favorable treatment and said higher travel and recruiting budgets are not exclusive to AI teams or DeepMind. “Most Googlers, regardless of team, continue to feel positively about our mission and the company’s future, and are proud to work here,” the spokesperson said. A few employees say they’re no longer incentivized by the prospects of landing a promotion, which have become harder to achieve, and rather by the hope of avoiding layoffs. Despite slashing 12,000 jobs, or roughly 6% of its workforce, in 2023, Google has continued eliminating roles this year. In her first public statements as Google’s CFO, Anat Ashkenazi, told Wall Street in October that one of her top priorities would be to drive more “cost efficiencies” across the company in order to invest more in AI. “I think any organization can always push a little further and I’ll be looking at additional opportunities,” Ashkenazi said. That month, Google posted a job listing for a “Central Reorg Support Team Partner.” The responsibilities of that fixed-term contract position would include consulting with local HR teams and noted the need for the support staff’s “ability to operate with empathy and diffuse/de-escalate challenging conversations/situations.” “Hire the smartest people so they can tell us what to do,” one employee wrote on the internal forum in meme-style font atop the images of Brin and Page. “Hire a reorg consultant so they can tell us how to layoff the smartest people,” another said. Google ultimately took the job listing down. Touting its AI technology to clients, Pichai’s leadership team has been aggressively pursuing federal government contracts, which has caused a heightened strain in some areas within the outspoken workforce since the beginning of the year. Google terminated more than 50 employees after a series of protests against Project Nimbus, a $1.2 billion joint contract with Amazon that provides the Israeli government and military with cloud computing and AI services. Executives repeatedly said the contract didn’t violate any of the company’s “AI principles.” However, documents and reports show the company’s agreement allowed for giving Israel AI tools that included image categorization, object tracking, as well as provisions for state-owned weapons manufacturers. Earlier this month, a New York Times report found that four months prior to signing on to Nimbus, officials at the company worried that signing the deal would harm its reputation and that “Google Cloud services could be used for, or linked to, the facilitation of human rights violations.” In an all-hands meeting in April, a highly rated question asked why employees who did not participate in the protests were also fired, which was reported and cited in a National Labor Relations Board complaint from affected employees. Chris Rackow, Google’s security chief, took the stage at the all-hands and rebutted those claims. “This was a very clear case of employees disrupting and occupying work spaces, and making other employees feel unsafe,” a Google spokesperson told CNBC, adding that the company “carefully confirmed” that every person terminated was involved in the protests. “By any standard, their behavior was completely unacceptable.” That round of job eliminations underscored Google’s clampdown on internal discussions related to hot-button topics, including politics and geopolitical conflict s, which was encouraged by executives several years prior. One internal meme that got more than 2,000 likes , compared Google to Star Wars’ Anakin Skywalker. The meme shows an image of a smiling childhood Skywalker, framed by one of the company’s original, colorful employee badges. The meme progresses Skywalker’s age in two later versions of the badge. The final badge shows Darth Vader working for “Google,” spelled out in the font of IBM’s logo.

House rejects Democratic efforts to force release of Matt Gaetz ethics reportSANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Once-promising seasons hit new lows for the Chicago Bears and San Francisco 49ers last week. Another sent the Bears to their sixth straight loss and led to the firing of coach Matt Eberflus. The 49ers suffered their and to go from Super Bowl contenders to outside the playoff picture in a matter of weeks. The two reeling teams will try to get back on track on Sunday when the Bears (4-8) visit the 49ers (5-7) in Chicago’s first game under . “I told them a minute ago after practice there is no confidence loss at all as far as what I think about them,” Brown said Wednesday. “I don’t care what anybody else thinks about them. I think we have a very talented football team. It’s about just putting the work in every single day to give us an opportunity to win.” The Bears are hoping to get an emotional boost from the first in-season firing of a head coach in franchise history. Over the last 10 seasons, teams with interim coaches are 13-11 in their first game with the new coach. Those teams had a .284 winning percentage at the time they fired their coaches. “I wouldn’t say a new voice was needed. I would say there was change that was needed,” rookie quarterback Caleb Williams said, pointing to a need for more accountability and better communication. The Niners came into the season as the favorites to get back to the Super Bowl from the NFC after losing the title game to Kansas City last season. But a series of key injuries, bad losses and spotty play have left them in last place in the NFC West with only slim hopes of even reaching the postseason. San Francisco lost and 35-10 to Buffalo in back-to-back weeks and lost star running back Christian McCaffrey to a knee injury last week that will sideline him for at least the rest of the regular season. The Niners already lost key players Brandon Aiyuk and Javon Hargrave to season-ending injuries and are preparing to be without stars Nick Bosa and Trent Williams for a third straight week. “It’s just been a rocky mountain for real with the injuries and other stuff we’ve had to go through this season,” receiver Deebo Samuel said. “Our record don’t show how really good we are as a team. We’re still believing in this locker room.” Chaotic education Williams described Eberflus’ firing as “interesting” and “tough” and vowed to “roll with the punches” while insisting the chaos and turnover of the past few weeks could help him handle similar situations in the future. Just 12 games into his NFL career, the prized quarterback is on his second head coach and third offensive coordinator, though Brown will continue to call plays. How does he keep the faith that his career is in good hands with this organization? “The first part is understanding I can’t control,” Williams said. “Even if I understand or don’t understand, that doesn’t matter. I have to roll with the punches like I said before. I don’t control everything.” Guerendo’s chance With McCaffrey and Jordan Mason injured, the Niners running game will turn to . The fourth-round pick has 42 carries for 246 yards and two TDs this season and will be making his second start in either college or the pros. Coach Kyle Shanahan said the progress Guerendo has made since training camp makes him ready for his new role as he sees him running with more “urgency.” “I think it takes guys some time,” Shanahan said. “You start to get a feel for it the more, if you’ve got the right stuff, the more you get reps, the more you can adjust to it. How hard you’ve got to hit stuff, how quick those holes close, how when there is a hole how you have to hit it full-speed and can’t hesitate at all or it closes like that. We’ve seen that stuff get better in practice and we’ve seen it carry over into games.” Stop the run San Francisco’s usually stout run defense has been anything but that this season. The Niners have struggled to slow down the opposition on the ground all year with the problem getting worse recently. The 49ers allowed 389 yards rushing the past two weeks. “It’s been so frustrating because I know what is supposed to look like,” linebacker Fred Warner said. “That’s not it.” Stopping the run also continues to be a sore spot for Chicago. The Bears rank 25th overall against the run and 29th in yards allowed per rush after another difficult outing last week. They gave up 194 yards, including 144 in the first half as the Lions grabbed a 16-0 lead. Losing veteran defensive tackle Andrew Billings to a torn pectoral muscle last month did not help. He was injured in a Week 9 loss at Arizona and is expected to miss the remainder of the season after having surgery. ___ AP Sports Writer Andrew Seligman contributed to this report. ___ AP NFL:

A 26-year-old man was arrested Monday over the targeted killing of a health insurance executive on the streets of New York, with police crediting a McDonald's employee in Pennsylvania who spotted a suspicious-looking customer. Investigators were interrogating Luigi Mangione in connection with last week's brazen murder, which triggered a nationwide manhunt and global headlines. Mangione was being held by officers in Altoona, Pennsylvania, after being found with what police called a "ghost gun" capable of firing 9MM rounds and equipped with a suppressor that could have been made on a 3D printer. The man was identified in the fast-food restaurant in Altoona town some 300 miles (500 kilometers) west of New York, New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said. He had fake IDs, like those used by the killer, including one used to check in to a Manhattan hostel ahead of the attack, and a document that spoke to Mangione's "motivation and mindset," she said. Mangione was born and raised in Maryland, studied at the Ivy League University of Pennsylvania, and had been living in Hawaii ahead of the killing. "He matches the description of the identification we've been looking for. He's also in possession of several items that we believe will connect him to this incident," said New York mayor Eric Adams. Police told reporters that Mangione possessed material that suggested he had "ill-will towards corporate America." Mangione's LinkedIn profile showed he worked as a data engineer at TrueCar, a California-based online auto marketplace that said he left their employment in 2023. He was due to be arraigned on gun charges in Pennsylvania at 6:00 pm (2300 GMT) Monday, US media reported. In last Wednesday's shooting, the gunman walked up behind Brian Thompson, a senior executive at UnitedHealthcare -- one of the country's largest medical insurers -- and shot him dead in front of bystanders. The attack was captured by a surveillance camera and the footage seen by millions around the world as interest in the manhunt and mystery over the killer's motives built to a frenzy. Thompson, 50, was attending an investor conference in the Midtown business district. Detectives said the suspect fled the crime scene on foot before riding a bike to Central Park and later boarding a bus from a terminal in the north of the city connecting New York to surrounding states and beyond. Police have not confirmed media reports that the words "delay" and "deny" -- language often used by insurance companies to reject claims -- were written on shell casings found at the scene. Video footage shows Thompson on the sidewalk outside the New York Hilton Midtown when a man in a hooded top, his lower face covered, approaches from behind and fires several shots at the father-of-two, who crumples to the ground. An image released of the suspect was obtained from a youth hostel where the gunman apparently stayed before the hit, with media reporting he had lowered his mask to flirt with a receptionist. A photo on what appeared to be one of Mangione's social media accounts includes an X-ray of an apparently injured spine, though no explicit political affiliation has emerged. The highly profitable US medical insurance system is the source of deep frustration and anger among many Americans due to its steep costs and limited coverage, and Thompson's death was greeted with an absence of sympathy by some. A Facebook post mourning his loss, shared by UnitedHealth Group, racked up more than 71,000 laugh emojis within two days before the counter was disabled. Mangione must now be extradited from Pennsylvania to New York to face murder charges, police said. gw/bjtNEW CHAPEL HILL — No matter the path, the road leads to the same place — a battle of the Bulldogs in the playoffs. For the fourth straight year, Chapel Hill and Kilgore will meet in the postseason — third consecutive year in the Class 4A Division I Region III football final. The eighth meeting in four seasons between the teams will be at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Forney’s City Bank Stadium. In the 2021 regular season meeting, Kilgore won 41-20. Chapel Hill responded with a 41-35 win in two overtimes in the third round of the playoffs on the way to reaching the state semifinals for the first time since 2011. In 2022, Chapel Hill won the regular season meeting 32-20 and then was also victorious in the regional final with a 24-21 decision on the way to another state semifinal appearance. Kilgore took a 39-13 win over Chapel Hill in the 2023 regular season. Chapel Hill bounced back with a 21-19 win over Kilgore in the regional final and eventually advancing to the Class 4A Division I championship game. Kilgore (11-2) came away with a 42-7 victory on Oct. 11 in this year’s meeting between the two programs. “We’ve been waiting the whole year to get this rematch,” senior Jonah Riordan said. “We’ve been waiting for another opportunity because we know we’re going to make the most of it. We know we’re going to have most of our dudes back now, so it should be a good game. We’re going to come out there with all of our bullets flying as hard as we can.” “I’ve been looking for this rematch ever since we lost to them in district,” senior Rickey Stewart said. “We’ve just got to go out there and play hard all four quarters.” Like a lot of this season, Chapel Hill was shorthanded in the game. The Bulldogs (10-3) were without quarterback Demetrius Brisbon, who signed with Baylor on Wednesday, for the second of six straight games. Brisbon has been back the past two weeks but hasn’t started at quarterback, though he did throw a touchdown pass in his only attempt in last week’s 28-7 win over Stafford, and he has played receiver the past two games. Stewart, who has run for 1,617 yards this season and signed with Texas on Wednesday, had just 10 carries against Kilgore in the regular season. Stewart missed the last game of the regular season after suffering an injury against Pine Tree, but he came back with 331 yards on 23 carries in the playoff opener against Huffman-Hargrave. Chapel Hill was without other players in the first meeting against Kilgore, as well, and has had moving parts for most of the season. “There have been a lot of games this year where we haven’t had all of our guys,” senior Keldrick Davis said. “We’ve went through a lot of adversity this year.” “The adversity has been an asset really,” Chapel Hill head football coach Jeff Riordan said. “Malik Gee has become a different player and a great quarterback with all of these extra reps, starting some playoff games and winning some big-time games, including three playoff games in a row. Defensive line wise, we had a lot of guys step up because of all of those injuries. The O-line is now fully intact and healthy except Derek Tovar; he broke his ankle against Huffman, so we’re missing him, but they’re getting better every week and guys are stepping up. We’ve had to play a lot of kids this year. “It’s been an asset. It’s made some guys step up and get some very valuable experience that’s helped us in this playoff run. We are just thankful to still be playing in the fourth round. A lot of people didn’t think we would be here with the adversity we went through and the struggles we had throughout the season, but these kids just came to practice and came to work every day and got better. They’re resilient, fighters and winners. It’s a good group. I love the guys we’ve got in that locker room, and I love the coaches we’ve got on this staff. And I think that’s why we always still play because it’s kind of a family deal. We love coming to practice and being around each other, so we don’t want it to end. It gives us a little bit more of an edge in trying to keep the family together.” On the other side will be a Kilgore team that has won seven straight games and that lost two games by a total of five points to Gilmer and Henderson. “To get past them, we’re going to have to give them our best shot,” Coach Riordan said. “It’s going to have to be our best game all year. We’re going to have to be solid in all three phases of the game, protect the football, make plays and execute. The district game, we were down seven guys, but we shot ourselves in the foot all night with penalties, turnovers and big plays. We’ve got to eliminate that type of stuff, because they’re a very good football team. “It’s Kilgore, they’re good every year. They’re a tradition-rich program. Coach (Clint) Fuller and his staff do an unbelievable job. They’ve got a kid (Jayden Sanders) going to Michigan. It seems like every year they have a dude, and this year is no different. They’ve got dudes everywhere. And defensively, them and Carthage are probably the best two defenses I’ve coached against in my coaching career. They are fast, and they are physical. They make the field look really small to a play caller. It’s tough to execute.” The winner of Friday’s Class 4A Division I Region III final will advance to the Class 4A Division I semifinals to face either La Vernia (10-3) or Bay City (12-1).

Luna Announces Resignation of Pamela Coe

Stocks closed higher on Wall Street as the market posted its fifth straight gain and the Dow Jones Industrial Average notched another record high. The S&P 500 rose 0.3%. The benchmark index’s 1.7% gain for the week erased most of its loss from last week. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. Get any of our free email newsletters — news headlines, obituaries, sports, and more.None

Scottie Scheffler has new putting grip and trails Cameron Young by 3 in BahamasOften the home of great gaming laptop deals , Lenovo has a particularly great one for anyone keen to game in style this holiday season. Today, you can buy the Lenovo Legion 5i with a 16-inch screen for just $1,121, meaning you’re saving 37% or $669 off the regular price. It’s a hefty price cut, but it’s worth remembering that Lenovo’s estimated value system means that sometimes the original price is optimistically high. But the discounted price is still great either way. One of the better laptop deals around, the Lenovo Legion 5i looks great and packs plenty of punch for the price. Here’s why you’ll want it. Why you should buy the Lenovo Legion 5i Lenovo is one of the best gaming laptop brands around and my personal favorite of the bunch. Having owned an older Lenovo Legion laptop for a number of years, I’d happily recommend the range for anyone seeking a reliable gaming laptop. With the Lenovo Legion 5i, you get a great upgrade to my four-year-old Lenovo Legion. It has a 14th-generation Intel Core i7-14650HX CPU and it’s teamed up with 16GB of RAM and 1TB of SSD storage. The highlight here is its Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 graphics card with 8GB of dedicated VRAM. It’s the best graphics card in this price range dodging the downfall of the weaker 4050 GPU. Paired with that GPU is a 16-inch WQXGA screen. It has a 2560 x 1600 resolution, 100% sRGB, 350 nits of brightness, and 165Hz refresh rate, so it looks great. It’s the perfect combo for gaming on the move while enjoying good looking games at a reasonable quality level. Continuing the trend that makes Lenovo one of the big names in the best gaming laptops world, the Lenovo Legion 5i also has a 1080p full HD webcam with dual microphones and a privacy shutter. It also has a 4-zone RGB backlit keyboard so it looks super stylish. The laptop also utilizes Legion ColdFront Hyper technology — its two fans spin in opposite directions, offering a dedicated hyper chamber that guides cool air to the right places. It all comes together to form a great laptop for the price. Usually $1,790, the Lenovo Legion 5i is down to $1,121 for a limited time only at Lenovo. This is a pretty great price if you’re looking for a new gaming laptop or you’re keen to treat someone to something great this holiday season. Tap the button below to get straight to it. The deal is likely to end soon.

Trump asks Supreme Court to delay TikTok ban so he can weigh in after he takes office. Currently, the ban on the popular social media app is scheduled to take effect on January 19, 2025 — one day before Trump is set to take office. In a 25-page brief filed with the court , Trump asked the nine justices for a stay on the deadline so his administration could “pursue a negotiated resolution” that would “obviate the need” for the justices to issue a ruling on the case. "President Trump takes no position on the underlying merits of this dispute. Instead, he respectfully requests that the Court consider staying the Act’s deadline for divestment of January 19, 2025, while it considers the merits of this case,” the brief stated. “President Trump alone possesses the consummate dealmaking expertise, the electoral mandate, and the political will to negotiate a resolution to save the platform while addressing the national security concerns expressed by the Government — concerns which President Trump himself has acknowledged." The filing of the brief comes two weeks before oral arguments scheduled for Jan. 10 on whether the law, which requires TikTok to divest from its China-based parent company or face a ban, unlawfully restricts speech in violation of the First Amendment. It was previously reported earlier this month that a panel of three federal judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit unanimously upheld the statute, leading TikTok to appeal the case to the Supreme Court. At the center of the case is a law called the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act. This comes as both Democrats and Republicans have expressed concern that the Chinese government could access data about American users. Tiktok, which operates under the parent company of ByteDance, claimed the law violated their First Amendment right. "The First Amendment exists to protect free speech in the United States,” Senior Judge Douglas Ginsburg wrote in the court’s opinion. “Here the Government acted solely to protect that freedom from a foreign adversary nation and to limit that adversary’s ability to gather data on people in the United States.” "Consequently, TikTok's millions of users will need to find alternative media of communication," Ginsburg said. "That burden is attributable to the [People's Republic of China's] hybrid commercial threat to U.S. national security, not to the U.S. Government, which engaged with TikTok through a multi-year process in an effort to find an alternative solution." Trump's vow to "save the app" is a stark reversal from the man's previous stance when he tried to ban the app during his first term only to promise during the 2024 election cycle that he would defend the app. In April, President Joe Biden signed a law that required Bytedance to sell the app to a U.S. owner within a year or face being shut down. One month later, the app sued the government claiming that it could not be used by Beijing to spy on or manipulate Americans. Its attorneys have accurately pointed out that the U.S. hasn’t provided evidence to show that the company handed over user data to the Chinese government, or manipulated content for Beijing’s benefit.For three quarters it was looking like Green Canyon was going to record one of its best wins of the 2024-25 girls basketball season. But the final eight minutes got the Wolves Friday afternoon in Plain City. Green Canyon could not finish, and 6A Fremont proved why it is one of the best teams in its classification. The Silverwolves rallied from being down nine to start the final quarter and edged the Wolves, 42-40. “That was a good game against Fremont,” GC head coach Kara Foster said. “We were right in it the whole time.” The Wolves (6-7) found themselves down two after the first quarter, 13-11. However, the visitors had a big second quarter. Mya Hinds scored eight points in the second, while Claire Brown added five. Green Canyon was able to outscore Fremont, 16-9, and took a 27-22 lead into halftime. Hinds had six of the Wolves 10 points in the third quarter. Green Canyon held the Silverwolves (9-1) to just six in the third and took a 37-28 lead into the final eight minutes. That’s when it got dicey for the visitors. “Fremont is a well coached, very disciplined team,” Foster said. “I thought our girls matched their discipline and physicality very well. Unfortunately, they made a run at the end of the game, and we had a hard time scoring.” Indeed, the Wolves did. A 3-pointer by Talyssa Nelson would be the lone points in the fourth by Green Canyon. Meanwhile, Fremont had its best scoring quarter with 14 points. “Overall, I loved our effort today,” Foster said. “We just ran out of time at the end of the game.” Hinds finished with a game-high 18 points, knocking down a pair of 3-pointers. Nelson and Brown added seven points each for the Wolves. Fremont’s lone setback came against Ridgeline back on Dec. 3. Since then, the Silverwolves have won seven straight, including the win Friday over Green Canyon, and most by double digits. Green Canyon will return to action next Friday on the road against Preston. A full slate of Region 11 action won’t take place until the following week.The Latest: Police search for man who killed UnitedHealthcare CEO, new photos of suspect released

In the ever-evolving landscape of technology and finance, Tesla’s impact extends beyond electric vehicles and rockets. Recently, the focus has shifted to the fascinating world of after-hours trading , where the company’s stock price continues to generate buzz. But why should the gaming community care about this financial phenomenon? After-hours trading refers to the buying and selling of stocks outside regular market hours. For Tesla, this period can lead to significant fluctuations in stock prices due to earnings reports, corporate announcements, or global market trends. These shifts aren’t just numbers on a screen; they influence the perception of technology trends and economic stability, both of which are crucial to the thriving gaming industry. In the gaming world, where technology drives innovation, financial stability is paramount. The gaming industry relies on robust technological infrastructure, often spearheaded by tech giants like Tesla. A solid financial backbone ensures ongoing development and investment in revolutionary gaming technologies, such as virtual reality, AI-driven gaming engines, and sustainable gaming consoles. Gamers and developers, who often keep a keen eye on technological advancements, can leverage insights from Tesla’s after-hours stock performance to anticipate market trends, identify investment opportunities, and understand the larger tech ecosystem. Tesla’s after-hours trading is not just business news; it’s a potential glimpse into the future of technology-driven entertainment . As the world becomes increasingly interconnected, staying informed about these trends could offer a competitive edge to gamers and developers alike. The Gaming World’s Secret Weapon: Decoding Tesla’s After-Hours Trading for Future Tech Trends In recent years, the intersection of finance and technology has become a focal point for predicting future trends. One area gaining increasing attention is Tesla’s after-hours trading, a phenomenon that might seem removed from the creative realm of gaming but is, in fact, highly relevant. Here’s why the gaming community should tune in. Understanding After-Hours Trading After-hours trading happens when major stock exchanges like the NYSE and NASDAQ close their doors for the day. While the regular trading hours typically run from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET, after-hours trading continues from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET. During this window, significant price shifts can occur in response to earnings reports, economic announcements, or global events. Tesla’s Role in Shaping Future Tech Trends Tesla’s stock is particularly volatile during after-hours trading. For a company that’s a frontrunner in tech innovation—be it in electric vehicles or AI—these fluctuations can provide meaningful insights into broader tech trends. # Key Features and Insights – Market Reactions and Innovations : Significant stock movements often follow major announcements from Tesla, whether it be new technological advancements or shifts in strategy. These reactions can signal future trends in tech that could spill over into the gaming industry. – Gaming Technology Dependencies : Emerging gaming technologies like virtual reality (VR) and AI-driven engines are highly dependent on broader tech innovations. Tesla’s focus on AI and computing power can forecast similar trends in gaming. – Sustainability and Gaming : Tesla’s emphasis on sustainability mirrors a growing trend in gaming. Environmentally friendly gaming consoles and ecosystems are becoming a priority, and Tesla’s corporate maneuvers could signal shifts in sustainable technologies that impact gaming. Practical Use Cases for the Gaming Community – Strategic Planning for Developers : Developers can use Tesla’s stock performance as a benchmark for planning new gaming technologies. Keeping pace with Tesla’s tech innovations might offer a blueprint for new gaming capabilities that attract users. – Investment Opportunities for Gamers and Companies : By closely observing Tesla’s after-hours trading patterns, gamers and gaming companies can spot investment opportunities. They might identify companies within Tesla’s supply chain or those adopting similar technological advancements. Pros and Cons of Leveraging After-Hours Trading Insights Pros : – Gain a competitive edge by anticipating technological shifts. – Identify new investment avenues in sync with tech trends. – Align technological advances in gaming with cutting-edge industry standards. Cons : – After-hours trading is less liquid with wider spreads, making it riskier. – Requires expertise in interpreting financial data and stock trends. – Overreliance on one sector’s performance could lead to a skewed perspective. Future Predictions Looking ahead, the influence of Tesla’s after-hours trading on the gaming industry is likely to grow. As the tech world becomes increasingly integrated, insights derived from financial markets could prove essential for predicting the next big thing in gaming. Staying attuned to these trends offers a tactical advantage in anticipating what comes next in the realm of entertainment technology. As Tesla continues to innovate, its financial dynamics may well map the future landscape of gaming and beyond. For more information about Tesla and its latest technological innovations, visit the official Tesla website .NEW YORK , Dec. 4, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Report with the AI impact on market trends - The global smart home market size is estimated to grow by USD 188.3 billion from 2024-2028, according to Technavio. The market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of almost 21.21% during the forecast period. Growing consumer interest in home automation is driving market growth, with a trend towards rising number of strategic partnerships and alliances. However, increase in issues related to interoperability poses a challenge. Key market players include ABB Ltd., Allegion Public Ltd. Co., Alphabet Inc., Amazon.com Inc., Apple Inc., ASSA ABLOY AB, Comcast Corp., Honeywell International Inc., Hubbell Inc., Johnson Controls, Legrand SA, LG Corp., Lutron Electronics Co. Inc., Panasonic Holdings Corp., RTX Corp., Robert Bosch GmbH, Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., Schneider Electric SE, Snap One LLC, and Vivint Inc.. AI-Powered Market Evolution Insights. Our comprehensive market report ready with the latest trends, growth opportunities, and strategic analysis- View Free Sample Report PDF Key Market Trends Fueling Growth The smart home market is experiencing significant growth, driven by trends in home monitoring, energy-saving, and convenience. The smart home industry offers various solutions, including safety and security systems, lighting and temperature control, audio/video systems, and access control. Smart home devices, such as lighting controllers, cameras, and intrusion detection systems, are becoming increasingly popular. Compatibility issues with different IoT platforms and devices are being addressed through proactive software and behavioral versions. Modular kitchens, house batteries, high-power solar inverters, smart electrical panels, EV chargers, and connected electrical outlets are also gaining traction. The market is witnessing the integration of AI and machine learning into various appliances, including smartphones, digital assistants, and virtual assistants. However, cyberattacks and security threats are concerns for standalone smart devices. IoT connections and 5G technology are enabling the integration of various smart devices, from smart speakers and Bluetooth speakers to smart TVs and entertainment centers. Semiconductors are a critical component in the development of these devices. The smart home market caters to the needs of over 4.5 billion Internet users, offering solutions for energy management, home automation, and security. Smart features are now common in appliances, from smart thermostats and smart sprinkler systems to smart bulbs and smart meters. Carbon emission reduction is a key focus area, with smart composters and smart power strips helping homeowners save energy. Security cameras, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth are essential technologies for smart home systems, ensuring peace of mind for homeowners. The smart home market is experiencing significant growth, attracting numerous vendors to form strategic partnerships. Smart home product and system manufacturers collaborate with technology providers and home automation platform providers to ensure interoperability with other solutions. In April 2022 , Samsung Electronics announced a partnership with ABB Group to expand the reach of Samsung SmartThings integration. Such collaborations increase, contributing to the expansion of the smart home market. Insights on how AI is driving innovation, efficiency, and market growth- Request Sample! Market Challenges The smart home market is experiencing rapid growth as more consumers seek home monitoring, energy-saving solutions, and enhanced convenience. The smart home industry offers safety and security through intrusion detection systems, access control, and smart surveillance systems. Lighting and temperature control, as well as audio/video systems, provide added comfort and entertainment. Compatibility issues with various IoT devices, such as modular kitchen appliances, house batteries, high-power solar inverters, smart electrical panels, and EV chargers, can be challenging. Proactive software, behavioral versions, and machine learning technologies help address these issues. Cyberattacks and security threats are concerns for standalone smart devices like cameras, smart lights, streaming devices, dishwashers, and smart TVs. IoT platforms, 5G technology, and semiconductors play a crucial role in connecting and powering these devices. Home automation and control systems require smartphones, digital assistance, and virtual assistants for seamless integration. Bluetooth speakers and blockchain technology add to the market's diversity. Carbon emission reduction is a growing focus, with smart thermostats, smart sprinkler systems, smart bulbs, smart meters, smart composters, and smart power strips leading the way. The global smart home market is experiencing significant growth, with vendors focusing on creating dependable home automation solutions for various applications, including energy management, lighting control systems, home entertainment, HVAC, smart appliances, and safety and security systems. To meet the increasing demand for smart home systems and products, vendors are consistently upgrading their offerings to maintain a competitive edge. However, compatibility issues between smart home devices can negatively impact both customers and manufacturers. Some devices have encountered challenges with Wi-Fi connectivity, video feed, and video streaming. The absence of connectivity can adversely affect product performance, leading to video streaming problems. Vendors are working diligently to address these concerns and ensure seamless integration of their devices for optimal user experience. Insights into how AI is reshaping industries and driving growth- Download a Sample Report Segment Overview This smart home market report extensively covers market segmentation by 1.1 Home entertainment 1.2 Smart appliances 1.3 Energy management 1.4 Lighting control system and HVAC 1.5 Safety and security system 2.1 Wireless 2.2 Wired 3.1 North America 3.2 Europe 3.3 APAC 3.4 Middle East and Africa 3.5 South America 1.1 Home entertainment- The home entertainment segment leads the global smart home market, driven by the widespread adoption of digital voice assistants or smart speakers. Smart speakers, such as Amazon Echo and Google Home, have revolutionized voice user interfaces, offering an easily accessible, user-friendly interface for entertainment and information retrieval. Applications include music playback, games, answering queries, weather updates, and setting alarms. Notable vendors like Alphabet, Amazon, IKEA Systems, Harman International, and SONOS are capitalizing on this trend, launching innovative products like Amazon's Echo Pop and Google's Nest Hub. In the realm of smart TVs, advancements in technology have led to features like on-demand content, internet browsing, voice or gesture control, and socializing in real-time. Key players like Xiaomi, Samsung, BBK Electronics, Sony, and LG are responding with innovative product launches, such as OnePlus' new Android smart TV and Xiaomi's Smart TV X series. These developments and the increasing demand for home entertainment systems will fuel the growth of the smart home market through the home entertainment segment. Download complimentary Sample Report to gain insights into AI's impact on market dynamics, emerging trends, and future opportunities- including forecast (2024-2028) and historic data (2018 - 2022) Research Analysis The smart home market is experiencing rapid growth as more and more Internet users embrace the convenience, safety, and energy-saving benefits of IoT-connected devices. From home monitoring systems that keep an eye on temperature, lighting, and energy usage to advanced security systems that detect intrusions and provide real-time alerts, the smart home industry is revolutionizing the way we manage our homes. Smart lighting and temperature control systems offer energy savings and added convenience, while audio/video systems and streaming devices bring entertainment right into the living room. Smart home devices, including cameras, dishwashers, and even refrigerators, are being integrated with AI and machine learning capabilities to provide personalized experiences and automate daily tasks. However, with the increasing number of IoT connections, cybersecurity threats and potential cyberattacks are a growing concern. 5G technology is expected to further boost the growth of the smart home market by enabling faster and more reliable connectivity for IoT devices. Virtual assistants and digital assistance on smartphones and smart speakers add an extra layer of convenience, allowing users to control their homes with voice commands. The future of the smart home industry looks bright, with endless possibilities for innovation and integration of new technologies. Market Research Overview The smart home market is a rapidly growing industry that focuses on enhancing home living through technology. It offers various solutions for home monitoring, energy-saving, and convenience. Smart home systems include safety and security features such as intrusion detection, access control, and home automation control systems. Lighting and temperature control are essential components, along with audio/video systems and compatibility with various IoT devices. Smart homes utilize proactive software, machine learning, and artificial intelligence for behavioral versions. Modular kitchens, house batteries, high-power solar inverters, smart electrical panels, EV chargers, and connected electrical outlets are part of the energy-saving solutions. The market includes smart speakers, modular switches, and Internet users connected through IoT platforms. IoT devices, such as cameras, smart lights, streaming devices, dishwashers, and smartphones, offer digital assistance and virtual assistants. 5G technology and semiconductors enable faster connectivity and advanced functionality. However, cyberattacks and security threats are concerns, requiring security measures. Standalone smart devices like smart bulbs, smart meters, smart composters, smart power strips, and security cameras offer various smart features. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity are common for most devices. The smart home market encompasses various smart devices, including smart TVs, entertainment centers, and even smart surveillance systems. Carbon emission reduction is a priority, with smart thermostats, smart sprinkler systems, and smart bulbs contributing to energy efficiency. Smart home systems aim to provide a more convenient, secure, and energy-efficient living experience. Table of Contents: 1 Executive Summary 2 Market Landscape 3 Market Sizing 4 Historic Market Size 5 Five Forces Analysis 6 Market Segmentation Application Home Entertainment Smart Appliances Energy Management Lighting Control System And HVAC Safety And Security System Technology Wireless Wired Geography North America Europe APAC Middle East And Africa South America 7 Customer Landscape 8 Geographic Landscape 9 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends 10 Company Landscape 11 Company Analysis 12 Appendix About Technavio Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focuses on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. Contacts Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media & Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: [email protected] Website: www.technavio.com/ SOURCE Technavio

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The suspect in the high-profile killing of a health insurance CEO that has gripped the United States graduated from an Ivy League university, reportedly hails from a wealthy family, and wrote social media posts brimming with cerebral musings. Luigi Mangione, 26, was thrust into the spotlight Monday after police revealed he is their person of interest in the brutal murder of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson, a father of two, last week in broad daylight in Manhattan in a case that laid bare deep frustration and anger with America's privatized medical system. News of his capture in Pennsylvania -- following a tip from a McDonald's worker --triggered an explosion of online activity, with Mangione quickly amassing new followers on social media as citizen sleuths and US media tried to understand who he is. While some lauded him as a hero and lamented his arrest, others analyzed his intellectual takes in search of ideological clues. A photo on one of his social media accounts includes an X-ray of an apparently injured spine. No explicit political affiliation has emerged. Meanwhile, memes and jokes proliferated, many riffing on his first name and comparing him to the "Mario Bros." character Luigi, sometimes depicted in AI-altered images wielding a gun or holding a Big Mac. "Godspeed. Please know that we all hear you," wrote one user on Facebook. "I want to donate to your defense fund," added another. According to Mangione's LinkedIn profile, he is employed as a data engineer at TrueCar, a California-based online auto marketplace. A company spokesperson told AFP Mangione "has not been an employee of our company since 2023." Although he had been living in Hawaii ahead of the killing, he originally hails from Towson, Maryland, near Baltimore. He comes from a prominent and wealthy Italian-American family, according to the Baltimore Banner. The family owns local businesses, including the Hayfields Country Club, its website says. A standout student, Mangione graduated at the top of his high school class in 2016. In an interview with his local paper at the time, he praised his teachers for fostering a passion for learning beyond grades and encouraging intellectual curiosity. A former student who knew Mangione at the Gilman School told AFP the suspect struck him as "a normal guy, nice kid." "There was nothing about him that was off, at least from my perception," this person said, asking that their name not be used. "Seemed to just be smiling, and kind of seemed like he was a smart kid. Ended up being valedictorian, which confirmed that," the former student said. Mangione went on to attend the prestigious University of Pennsylvania, where he completed both a bachelor's and master's degree in computer science by 2020, according to a university spokesperson. While at Penn, Mangione co-led a group of 60 undergraduates who collaborated on video game projects, as noted in a now-deleted university webpage, archived on the Wayback Machine. On Instagram, where his following has skyrocketed from hundreds to tens of thousands, Mangione shared snapshots of his travels in Mexico, Puerto Rico and Hawaii. He also posted shirtless photos flaunting a six-pack and appeared in celebratory posts with fellow members of the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity. However, it is on X (formerly Twitter) that users have scoured Mangione's posts for potential motives. His header photo -- an X-ray of a spine with bolts -- remains cryptic, with no public explanation. Finding a coherent political ideology has also proved elusive, though he had written a review of Ted Kaczynski's manifesto on the online site goodreads, calling it "prescient." Kaczynski, known as the Unabomber, carried out a string of bombings in the United States from 1978 to 1995, a campaign he said was aimed at halting the advance of modern society and technology. Mangione called Kaczynski "rightfully imprisoned," while also saying "'violence never solved anything' is a statement uttered by cowards and predators." According to CNN, handwritten documents recovered when Mangione was arrested included the phrase "these parasites had it coming." Mangione has also linked approvingly to posts criticizing secularism as a harmful consequence of Christianity's decline. In April, he wrote, "Horror vacui (nature abhors a vacuum)." The following month, he posted an essay he wrote in high school titled "How Christianity Prospered by Appealing to the Lower Classes of Ancient Rome." In another post from April, he speculated that Japan's low birthrate stems from societal disconnection, adding that "fleshlights" and other vaginal-replica sex toys should be banned. ia/nro/dw

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