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Misogyny, Harassment Haunt Kashmiri Women On Social Media Platforms

TORONTO , Dec. 20, 2024 /CNW/ - Franklin Templeton Canada today announced the estimated December 2024 cash distributions and the annual reinvested distributions for its ETFs and ETF series of mutual funds available to Canadian investors. Estimated December 2024 Cash Distributions As detailed in the table below, unitholders of record as of December 31, 2024 , will receive a per-unit cash distribution payable in Canadian dollars on January 9, 2025 . Fund Name Ticker Type Estimated Cash Distribution Per Unit ($) Payment Frequency Franklin Core ETF Portfolio – ETF Series CBL Active 0.435559 Annually Franklin Conservative Income ETF Portfolio – ETF Series CNV Active 0.520239 Annually Franklin All-Equity ETF Portfolio – ETF Series EQY Active 0.237462 Annually Franklin Brandywine Global Sustainable Income Optimiser Fund – ETF Series FBGO Active 0.030534 Monthly Franklin ClearBridge Sustainable Global Infrastructure Income Fund – ETF Series FCII Active 0.023401 Monthly Franklin ClearBridge Sustainable International Growth Fund – ETF Series FCSI Active 0.153550 Annually Franklin Global Growth Fund – ETF Series FGGE Active 0.000000 Annually Franklin Canadian Government Bond Fund – ETF Series FGOV Active 0.074000 Monthly Franklin Canadian Ultra Short Term Bond Fund – ETF Series FHIS Active 0.063945 Monthly Franklin Innovation Fund – ETF Series FINO Active 0.000000 Annually Franklin FTSE U.S. Index ETF FLAM Passive 0.111888 Quarterly Franklin FTSE Canada All Cap Index ETF FLCD Passive 0.246693 Quarterly Franklin Canadian Corporate Bond Fund – ETF Series FLCI Active 0.064393 Monthly Franklin Canadian Core Plus Bond Fund – ETF Series FLCP Active 0.058611 Monthly Franklin Emerging Markets Equity Index ETF FLEM Passive 0.177597 Semi-Annually Franklin Global Core Bond Fund – ETF Series FLGA Active 0.037923 Monthly Franklin FTSE Japan Index ETF FLJA Passive 0.220823 Semi-Annually Franklin Canadian Short Term Bond Fund – ETF Series FLSD Active 0.054850 Monthly Franklin International Equity Index ETF FLUR Passive 0.235392 Semi-Annually Franklin U.S. Large Cap Multifactor Index ETF FLUS Smart Beta 0.187729 Quarterly Franklin Canadian Low Volatility High Dividend Index ETF FLVC Passive 0.017539 Monthly Franklin International Low Volatility High Dividend Index ETF FLVI Passive 0.000000 Monthly Franklin U.S. Low Volatility High Dividend Index ETF FLVU Passive 0.009336 Monthly Franklin Growth ETF Portfolio – ETF Series GRO Active 0.340805 Annually Estimated Annual Reinvested Distributions The estimated annual reinvested distributions, as applicable, will not be paid in cash but reinvested in additional units and reported as taxable distributions, with a corresponding increase in each unitholder's adjusted cost base of their units of the respective ETF. The additional ETF units will be immediately consolidated so that the number of units held by the unitholder, the outstanding units and the net asset value of the ETFs will not change as a result of the annual reinvested distribution. The annual reinvested distributions, as applicable, are expected to be capital gains in nature for each of the ETFs. As detailed in the table below, unitholders of record on December 31, 2024 , will receive a per-unit reinvested distribution payable in Canadian dollars on January 9, 2025 . Fund Name Ticker Type Estimated Annual Reinvested Distribution Per Unit ($) Franklin Core ETF Portfolio – ETF Series CBL Active 0.253823 Franklin Conservative Income ETF Portfolio – ETF Series CNV Active 0.000000 Franklin All-Equity ETF Portfolio – ETF Series EQY Active 0.050761 Franklin Brandywine Global Sustainable Income Optimiser Fund – ETF Series FBGO Active 0.000000 Franklin ClearBridge Sustainable Global Infrastructure Income Fund – ETF Series FCII Active 0.000000 Franklin ClearBridge Sustainable International Growth Fund – ETF Series FCSI Active 0.000000 Franklin Global Growth Fund – ETF Series FGGE Active 0.000000 Franklin Canadian Government Bond Fund – ETF Series FGOV Active 0.000000 Franklin Canadian Ultra Short Term Bond Fund – ETF Series FHIS Active 0.001143 Franklin Innovation Fund – ETF Series FINO Active 0.000000 Franklin FTSE U.S. Index ETF FLAM Passive 0.000000 Franklin FTSE Canada All Cap Index ETF FLCD Passive 0.000000 Franklin Canadian Corporate Bond Fund – ETF Series FLCI Active 0.000000 Franklin Canadian Core Plus Bond Fund – ETF Series FLCP Active 0.000000 Franklin Emerging Markets Equity Index ETF FLEM Passive 0.000000 Franklin Global Core Bond Fund – ETF Series FLGA Active 0.000000 Franklin FTSE Japan Index ETF FLJA Passive 0.000000 Franklin Canadian Short Term Bond Fund – ETF Series FLSD Active 0.000000 Franklin International Equity Index ETF FLUR Passive 0.105939 Franklin U.S. Large Cap Multifactor Index ETF FLUS Smart Beta 0.583352 Franklin Canadian Low Volatility High Dividend Index ETF FLVC Passive 0.025433 Franklin International Low Volatility High Dividend Index ETF FLVI Passive 0.216455 Franklin U.S. Low Volatility High Dividend Index ETF FLVU Passive 0.319060 Franklin Growth ETF Portfolio – ETF Series GRO Active 0.462281 If there are any changes to these year-end distribution amounts, the final amounts will be announced on December 31, 2024 . The actual taxable amounts of cash and reinvested distributions for 2024, including the tax characteristics of the distributions, will be reported to brokers through CDS Clearing and Depository Services Inc. in early 2025. Franklin Templeton's diverse and innovative ETF platform was built to provide better client outcomes for a range of market conditions and investment opportunities. The product suite offers active, smart beta and passive ETFs that span multiple asset classes and geographies. For more information, please visit franklintempleton.ca/etf . About Franklin Templeton Franklin Resources, Inc. BEN is a global investment management organization with subsidiaries operating as Franklin Templeton and serving clients in over 150 countries. In Canada, the company's subsidiary is Franklin Templeton Investments Corp., which operates as Franklin Templeton Canada . Franklin Templeton's mission is to help clients achieve better outcomes through investment management expertise, wealth management and technology solutions. Through its specialist investment managers, the company offers specialization on a global scale, bringing extensive capabilities in fixed income, equity, alternatives and multi-asset solutions. With more than 1,500 investment professionals, and offices in major financial markets around the world, the California -based company has over 75 years of investment experience and over US$1.6 trillion (over CAN$2.2 trillion) in assets under management as of November 30, 2024. For more information, please visit franklintempleton.ca . Commissions, management fees and expenses all may be associated with investments in ETFs and ETF series. Investors should carefully consider an ETF's and ETF series' investment objectives and strategies, risks, fees and expenses before investing. The prospectus and ETF facts contain this and other information. Please read the prospectus and ETF facts carefully before investing. ETFs and ETF series trade like stocks, fluctuate in market value and may trade at prices above or below their net asset value. Brokerage commissions and ETF and ETF series expenses will reduce returns. ETFs and ETF series are not guaranteed, their values change frequently, and past performance may not be repeated. Copyright © 2024. Franklin Templeton. All rights reserved. SOURCE Franklin Templeton Investments Corp. View original content: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/December2024/20/c3078.html © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

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NYT Connections: Hints and answers for Game #559 (December 21, 2024)

Can Saudi Arabia keep pace with its ambitious mega-project spending spree?Ahead of National Assembly sessions on the pending Tax Reforms Bills before both chambers of Parliament, a prominent federal lawmaker from Kano state, Honourable Abdulmumin Jibrin, has said neither the Northern Elders Forum nor the Arewa Consultative Forum would dictate the position of the lawmakers from the region. Honourable Jibrin who incidentally is the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Housing and Habitat made the declaration on Sunday night while speaking on a Channels TV live monitored Politics Today. Checks revealed that aside from the opposition from the NEF, the Forum of 19 governors from the North has equally vowed to reject the Tax Reforms Bills. Honourable Jibrin maintained that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration meant well for the region and the proposed Bills not inimical to the north economic interest. He said:” I ‘have never had any doubt about the consideration and passage of the tax reform bills. We will pass the tax reform bills.” “For those of us who have read through the bills very thoroughly, the aggregate of their advantages far surpassed whatever perceived disadvantages perceived by anybody or part of the country. “President Tinubu is not out for a battle on the bill, just like the Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), but for understanding their objectives and goals, which are all geared towards better revenue generation and distribution for the economic survival of the country. “Yes, there may be contentious clauses in the bills, but that should not mean that they should be thrown away or not considered by the National Assembly. “Since the bills are already with us, the onus lies with both chambers to allow them pass through the required legislative processes which would pave way for amendment of any contentious clauses since they are not cast in stone in the first place. “As I said a couple of days ago in a similar programme like this, many of those kicking against the bills, have not read them but are just listening to wrong narratives being churned out by some other people.” Amidst the sustained criticisms trailing the removal of fuel Subsidy and the floating of the Naira, the lawmaker insisted that the economic policies of the present administration along with the controversial tax reforms will transform the Nigeria economy despite the hardships and pains being experienced by Nigerians now. “President Tinubu to me, is giving his today for Nigerians’ tomorrow through the courageous and long-term result-oriented reforms being carried out now “, he stressed. ALSO READ FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE Get real-time news updates from Tribune Online! Follow us on WhatsApp for breaking news, exclusive stories and interviews, and much more. Join our WhatsApp Channel now

NEW YORK — Luigi Mangione, the man accused of fatally gunning down health insurance executive Brian Thompson on a Manhattan street, pleaded not guilty on Monday to New York state murder charges that brand him a terrorist. Mangione, 26, was escorted into Judge Gregory Carro's 13th-floor courtroom in the New York state criminal courthouse in lower Manhattan with a court officer on each arm, and a procession of a half dozen officers following him. He was in handcuffs and shackles, and wore a burgundy sweater over a white-collared shirt. Mangione leaned into a microphone and said "not guilty" when Carro asked how he pleaded to the 11-count indictment charging him with murder as an act of terrorism and weapons offenses. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealth Group's UNH.N insurance unit UnitedHealthcare, was shot dead on Dec. 4 outside a hotel in midtown Manhattan where the company was gathering for an investor conference. The brazen killing and ensuing five-day manhunt captivated Americans. While public officials have condemned the killing, some Americans who decry the steep costs of healthcare and insurance companies' power to deny paying for some medical treatments have feted Mangione as a folk hero. Mangione was arrested at a McDonald's restaurant in Altoona, Pennsylvania, on Dec. 9. After deciding last week not to fight extradition, he was transferred to New York, where he was led off a helicopter in lower Manhattan by a large phalanx of police officers and New York City Mayor Eric Adams. That spectacle and other statements by public officials suggest Mangione may not be able to get a fair trial, his lawyer Karen Friedman Agnifilo said at Monday's hearing. "They are treating him like he is some sort of political fodder, some sort of spectacle," Agnifilo said. "He is not a symbol, he is someone who is afforded a right to a fair trial." Several dozen people gathered outside the courthouse in freezing temperatures to express support for Mangione and anger at healthcare companies. One person held a sign with the words "DENY, DEFEND, DEPOSE," a phrase that echoes tactics some accuse insurers of using to avoid paying out claims. Authorities say the words "deny," "delay," and "depose" were found written on shell casings at the crime scene. Kara Hay, a 42-year-old schoolteacher, said she believed it was wrong for Mangione to be charged with terrorism. "Shooting one CEO does not make him a terrorist, and I do not feel terrorized," said Hay, who held a sign reading "innocent until proven guilty." After the 30-minute hearing, officers once again shackled Mangione and led him out of the courtroom. He is being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center, a federal lockup in Brooklyn. Carro set Mangione's next court appearance for Feb. 21. Dual state, federal cases Monday's arraignment was the second court appearance in New York for Mangione, who also faces a four-count federal criminal complaint charging him with stalking and killing Thompson. He has not yet been asked to enter a plea in that case. U.S. Magistrate Judge Katharine Parker ordered Mangione detained at a Dec. 19 hearing in Manhattan federal court. The federal charges would make him eligible for the death penalty, should the U.S. Attorney's Office in Manhattan decide to pursue it. The separate federal and state cases will proceed in parallel. The state case is currently expected to go to trial first, federal prosecutors said. At the hearing, Friedman Agnifilo said it was difficult to defend her client in dual state and federal cases. "He is being treated like a human ping-pong ball between these two jurisdictions," Friedman Agnifilo said. She also said the Manhattan District Attorney's office, which brought the charges, has not handed over any evidence to the defense to help prepare for trial, a process known as discovery. A prosecutor responded that the office would begin handing over evidence soon. According to the federal criminal complaint, the police who arrested Mangione found a notebook that contained several handwritten pages that "express hostility towards the health insurance industry and wealthy executives in particular." A notebook entry dated Oct. 22 allegedly described an intent to "wack" the chief executive of an insurance company at its investor conference.NEW YORK — Luigi Mangione, the man accused of fatally gunning down health insurance executive Brian Thompson on a Manhattan street, pleaded not guilty on Monday to New York state murder charges that brand him a terrorist. Mangione, 26, was escorted into Judge Gregory Carro's 13th-floor courtroom in the New York state criminal courthouse in lower Manhattan with a court officer on each arm, and a procession of a half dozen officers following him. He was in handcuffs and shackles, and wore a burgundy sweater over a white-collared shirt. ADVERTISEMENT Mangione leaned into a microphone and said "not guilty" when Carro asked how he pleaded to the 11-count indictment charging him with murder as an act of terrorism and weapons offenses. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealth Group's UNH.N insurance unit UnitedHealthcare, was shot dead on Dec. 4 outside a hotel in midtown Manhattan where the company was gathering for an investor conference. The brazen killing and ensuing five-day manhunt captivated Americans. While public officials have condemned the killing, some Americans who decry the steep costs of healthcare and insurance companies' power to deny paying for some medical treatments have feted Mangione as a folk hero. Mangione was arrested at a McDonald's restaurant in Altoona, Pennsylvania, on Dec. 9. After deciding last week not to fight extradition, he was transferred to New York, where he was led off a helicopter in lower Manhattan by a large phalanx of police officers and New York City Mayor Eric Adams. That spectacle and other statements by public officials suggest Mangione may not be able to get a fair trial, his lawyer Karen Friedman Agnifilo said at Monday's hearing. "They are treating him like he is some sort of political fodder, some sort of spectacle," Agnifilo said. "He is not a symbol, he is someone who is afforded a right to a fair trial." ADVERTISEMENT Several dozen people gathered outside the courthouse in freezing temperatures to express support for Mangione and anger at healthcare companies. One person held a sign with the words "DENY, DEFEND, DEPOSE," a phrase that echoes tactics some accuse insurers of using to avoid paying out claims. Authorities say the words "deny," "delay," and "depose" were found written on shell casings at the crime scene. Kara Hay, a 42-year-old schoolteacher, said she believed it was wrong for Mangione to be charged with terrorism. "Shooting one CEO does not make him a terrorist, and I do not feel terrorized," said Hay, who held a sign reading "innocent until proven guilty." After the 30-minute hearing, officers once again shackled Mangione and led him out of the courtroom. He is being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center, a federal lockup in Brooklyn. Carro set Mangione's next court appearance for Feb. 21. Dual state, federal cases Monday's arraignment was the second court appearance in New York for Mangione, who also faces a four-count federal criminal complaint charging him with stalking and killing Thompson. ADVERTISEMENT He has not yet been asked to enter a plea in that case. U.S. Magistrate Judge Katharine Parker ordered Mangione detained at a Dec. 19 hearing in Manhattan federal court. The federal charges would make him eligible for the death penalty, should the U.S. Attorney's Office in Manhattan decide to pursue it. The separate federal and state cases will proceed in parallel. The state case is currently expected to go to trial first, federal prosecutors said. At the hearing, Friedman Agnifilo said it was difficult to defend her client in dual state and federal cases. "He is being treated like a human ping-pong ball between these two jurisdictions," Friedman Agnifilo said. She also said the Manhattan District Attorney's office, which brought the charges, has not handed over any evidence to the defense to help prepare for trial, a process known as discovery. A prosecutor responded that the office would begin handing over evidence soon. According to the federal criminal complaint, the police who arrested Mangione found a notebook that contained several handwritten pages that "express hostility towards the health insurance industry and wealthy executives in particular." ADVERTISEMENT A notebook entry dated Oct. 22 allegedly described an intent to "wack" the chief executive of an insurance company at its investor conference. ______________________________________________________ This story was written by one of our partner news agencies. Forum Communications Company uses content from agencies such as Reuters, Kaiser Health News, Tribune News Service and others to provide a wider range of news to our readers. Learn more about the news services FCC uses here .

VANCOUVER — Online predators are becoming increasingly resourceful in trolling media platforms where children gravitate, prompting an explosion in police case loads, said an officer who works for the RCMP Integrated Child Exploitation Unit in British Columbia. Data show the problem spiked during COVID-19 when children began spending more time online — but rates did not wane as police anticipated after lockdowns ended. In B.C., they soared, almost quadrupling from 2021 to 2023. Const. Solana Pare is now warning exploitation of children is likely here to stay, as a technological race between police and predators gains momentum. “Technology is becoming more and more available, and online platforms and social media sites are being used by children younger and younger, which provides an opportunity for predators to connect with them,” Pare said in an interview. Police say child exploitation cases in B.C. went from about 4,600 in 2021 to 9,600 in 2022 to 15,920 reports last year. The upwards trend is seen nationally, too. Statistics Canada says the rate of online child sexual exploitation reported to police rose by 58 per cent from 2019 to 2022, and police data show cases have continued to rise. The RCMP’s National Child Exploitation Crime Centre reported that from April 1, 2023, to March 31, 2024, it received 118,162 reports of suspected online child sexual exploitation offences — a 15 per cent increase compared with the previous year. Online child sexual exploitation, Pare explained, includes offences such as sextortion, child luring and the creation or distribution of sexually explicit images of a minor. “We don’t see these types of reports going away,” Pare said. “We only see them increasing because the use of electronic devices and social media, and kids being online earlier and earlier is becoming more common. There’s going to be more opportunity for predators to target children online.” Monique St. Germain, general counsel for the Canadian Centre for Child Protection, said the most common type of child luring is communicating with a youth online in order get them to produce sexual abuse material. She said “the pandemic accelerated those types of cases, and it hasn’t slowed down.” “The tools (Canadian authorities) have to deal with this type of behaviour are inadequate for the scope and the scale of what’s going on,” she said. Online exploitation gained international attention in 2015 in the case of Port Coquitlam, B.C., teenager, Amanda Todd, who died by suicide after being blackmailed and harassed online by a man for years, starting when she was 12. The month before the 15-year-old died, she uploaded a nine-minute video using a series of flash cards detailing the abuse she experienced by the stranger and how it had affected her life. It’s been viewed millions of times. Dutch national Aydin Coban was extradited to Canada for trial and, in October 2022, he was convicted of charges including the extortion and harassment of Todd. Since then, the term “sextortion” has made its way into the vernacular as more cases come to light. Among them was Carson Cleland, a 12-year-old Prince George, B.C., boy who died by suicide in October 2023 after falling victim to the crime. In New Brunswick that same month, 16-year-old William Doiron took his own life after falling victim to a global sextortion scheme. Mounties across Canada have issued news releases warning of increased cases in their communities, noting that the consequences for the victims can include self-harm and suicide. St. Germain said technology, such as artificial intelligence, is also becoming more user-friendly. “The existence of that technology and its ease of use and ready accessibility is a problem, and it is going to be an increasingly large problem as we move forward,” she said. Pare said police are also adapting to technological advancements in order to keep up with the ever-changing online landscape. “Police are constantly obtaining training on digital technologies to increase our knowledge and understanding of all the intricacies involving their use and how to capture any digital evidence,” she said. Pare said the true rates of the crime are impossible to determine, but pointed to increased social awareness and legislation across North America around mandatory reporting of child abuse material from social media companies as a potential reason for the increase. It’s not going undetected any longer, she said. “Additionally, there’s been a lot of use in artificial intelligence to detect child exploitation materials within those platforms.” Pare said “it’s up to each individual platform” to ensure there is no child sexual abuse material on their sites or apps. “With mandatory reporting, it’s putting the onus back on the electronic service providers to ensure they have measures in place to prevent this from happening, and if it is happening that it is being reported,” she said. “That being said, there are times when things don’t get located.” That is why the Canadian Centre for Child Protection has been advocating for the adoption of the Online Harms Bill that the federal government introduced in February, St. Germain said. “It’s shocking that up until now, we’ve relied on companies to self regulate, meaning we’ve just relied on them to do the right thing,” she said. “What we are seeing in terms of the number of offences and in terms of all the harm that is happening in society as a result of online platforms is completely tied to the decision not to regulate. We need to have rules in any sector, and this sector is no different.” The Online Harms Bill covers seven types of harms, from non-consensual sharing of intimate images to content that can be used to bully a child. Earlier this month, Justice Minister Arif Virani announced the Liberal government will split the bill into two parts: dealing with keeping children safe online, and combating predators and issues related to revenge pornography. “We are putting our emphasis and prioritization and our time and efforts on the first portion of the bill,” Virani told reporters on Dec. 5. Such measures would include a new Digital Safety Commission of Canada, which would compel social media companies to outline how they plan to reduce the risks their platforms pose to users, particularly minors. It would have the power to levy fines and evaluate companies’ digital safety plans. St. Germain said such a split “makes sense,” noting that most objections to the bill are related to changes to the Criminal Code and not measures around curbing harms to children. “There obviously are differences of opinion in terms of what is the best way forward, and what kind of regulatory approach makes sense, and who should the regulator be, but there does seem to be consensus on the idea that we need to do more in terms of protecting children online,” she said, adding that the organization is still in support of the second half of the bill. She said the United Kingdom previously passed its own Online Safety Act that will come into effect in 2025, which includes requiring social media firms to protect children from content such as self-harm material, pornography and violent content. Failure to do so will result in fines. “Canada is really behind,” she said. “The amount of information that has come out of the U.K., the amount of time and care and attention that their legislatures have paid to this issue is really quite remarkable, and we really hope that Canada steps up and does something for Canadian children soon.” In the absence of national legislation, province’s have filled the void. In January, B.C. enacted the Intimate Images Protection Act, providing a path for victims to have online photos, videos or deep fakes expeditiously removed. Individuals are fined up to $500 per day and websites up to $5,000 a day if they don’t comply with orders to stop distributing images that are posted without consent. B.C.’s Ministry of the Attorney General said that as of Dec. 11, the Civil Resolution Tribunal had received a total of 199 disputes under the Intimate Images Protection Act. It said the Intimate Images Protection Service had served more than 240 clients impacted by the non-consensual distribution of intimate images, adding that four awards of $5,000 each and one for $3,000 had been supplied as of mid-December. Nova Scotia, Manitoba, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Alberta and Saskatchewan have also enacted legislation targeting unauthorized distribution of intimate images. St. Germain said the use of provincial powers is also necessary, but it’s not enough. “A piece of provincial legislation is going to be very difficult to be effective against multiple actors in multiple countries,” she said, noting that the online crime is borderless. “We need something bigger — more comprehensive. We need to use all tools in the tool box.” This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 29, 2024. Brieanna Charlebois, The Canadian PressWait, did Trump endorse San Diego’s safe sleeping sites for homeless people?NEW YORK — Luigi Mangione, the man accused of fatally gunning down health insurance executive Brian Thompson on a Manhattan street, pleaded not guilty on Monday to New York state murder charges that brand him a terrorist. Mangione, 26, was escorted into Judge Gregory Carro's 13th-floor courtroom in the New York state criminal courthouse in lower Manhattan with a court officer on each arm, and a procession of a half dozen officers following him. He was in handcuffs and shackles, and wore a burgundy sweater over a white-collared shirt. ADVERTISEMENT Mangione leaned into a microphone and said "not guilty" when Carro asked how he pleaded to the 11-count indictment charging him with murder as an act of terrorism and weapons offenses. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealth Group's UNH.N insurance unit UnitedHealthcare, was shot dead on Dec. 4 outside a hotel in midtown Manhattan where the company was gathering for an investor conference. The brazen killing and ensuing five-day manhunt captivated Americans. While public officials have condemned the killing, some Americans who decry the steep costs of healthcare and insurance companies' power to deny paying for some medical treatments have feted Mangione as a folk hero. Mangione was arrested at a McDonald's restaurant in Altoona, Pennsylvania, on Dec. 9. After deciding last week not to fight extradition, he was transferred to New York, where he was led off a helicopter in lower Manhattan by a large phalanx of police officers and New York City Mayor Eric Adams. That spectacle and other statements by public officials suggest Mangione may not be able to get a fair trial, his lawyer Karen Friedman Agnifilo said at Monday's hearing. "They are treating him like he is some sort of political fodder, some sort of spectacle," Agnifilo said. "He is not a symbol, he is someone who is afforded a right to a fair trial." ADVERTISEMENT Several dozen people gathered outside the courthouse in freezing temperatures to express support for Mangione and anger at healthcare companies. One person held a sign with the words "DENY, DEFEND, DEPOSE," a phrase that echoes tactics some accuse insurers of using to avoid paying out claims. Authorities say the words "deny," "delay," and "depose" were found written on shell casings at the crime scene. Kara Hay, a 42-year-old schoolteacher, said she believed it was wrong for Mangione to be charged with terrorism. "Shooting one CEO does not make him a terrorist, and I do not feel terrorized," said Hay, who held a sign reading "innocent until proven guilty." After the 30-minute hearing, officers once again shackled Mangione and led him out of the courtroom. He is being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center, a federal lockup in Brooklyn. Carro set Mangione's next court appearance for Feb. 21. Dual state, federal cases Monday's arraignment was the second court appearance in New York for Mangione, who also faces a four-count federal criminal complaint charging him with stalking and killing Thompson. ADVERTISEMENT He has not yet been asked to enter a plea in that case. U.S. Magistrate Judge Katharine Parker ordered Mangione detained at a Dec. 19 hearing in Manhattan federal court. The federal charges would make him eligible for the death penalty, should the U.S. Attorney's Office in Manhattan decide to pursue it. The separate federal and state cases will proceed in parallel. The state case is currently expected to go to trial first, federal prosecutors said. At the hearing, Friedman Agnifilo said it was difficult to defend her client in dual state and federal cases. "He is being treated like a human ping-pong ball between these two jurisdictions," Friedman Agnifilo said. She also said the Manhattan District Attorney's office, which brought the charges, has not handed over any evidence to the defense to help prepare for trial, a process known as discovery. A prosecutor responded that the office would begin handing over evidence soon. According to the federal criminal complaint, the police who arrested Mangione found a notebook that contained several handwritten pages that "express hostility towards the health insurance industry and wealthy executives in particular." ADVERTISEMENT A notebook entry dated Oct. 22 allegedly described an intent to "wack" the chief executive of an insurance company at its investor conference. ______________________________________________________ This story was written by one of our partner news agencies. Forum Communications Company uses content from agencies such as Reuters, Kaiser Health News, Tribune News Service and others to provide a wider range of news to our readers. Learn more about the news services FCC uses here .

Thrivent Financial for Lutherans increased its holdings in Popular, Inc. ( NASDAQ:BPOP – Free Report ) by 284.9% in the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 72,403 shares of the bank’s stock after buying an additional 53,590 shares during the quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans’ holdings in Popular were worth $7,260,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Financial Management Professionals Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Popular in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Capital Performance Advisors LLP bought a new position in shares of Popular during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $35,000. Mather Group LLC. bought a new stake in Popular in the second quarter valued at $44,000. Meeder Asset Management Inc. bought a new stake in Popular in the second quarter valued at $48,000. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC raised its stake in Popular by 16.8% during the second quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,259 shares of the bank’s stock worth $111,000 after acquiring an additional 181 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 87.27% of the company’s stock. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several research firms have recently weighed in on BPOP. Piper Sandler lowered their target price on shares of Popular from $112.00 to $100.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, October 24th. Barclays reduced their price target on shares of Popular from $117.00 to $104.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, October 24th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on shares of Popular from $105.00 to $98.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, October 24th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada reduced their target price on Popular from $108.00 to $96.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, October 24th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Popular has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $104.88. Popular Price Performance Shares of Popular stock opened at $98.96 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $96.49 and a 200 day simple moving average of $94.24. Popular, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $71.08 and a fifty-two week high of $105.01. The firm has a market cap of $7.06 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.45, a P/E/G ratio of 0.74 and a beta of 0.79. Popular ( NASDAQ:BPOP – Get Free Report ) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, October 23rd. The bank reported $2.16 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.33 by ($0.17). Popular had a net margin of 12.36% and a return on equity of 11.35%. The firm had revenue of $736.56 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $766.62 million. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.90 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 6.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Popular, Inc. will post 8.46 EPS for the current year. Popular Increases Dividend The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, January 2nd. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 6th will be issued a dividend of $0.70 per share. This is a boost from Popular’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.62. This represents a $2.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.83%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, December 6th. Popular’s payout ratio is currently 38.04%. Insider Buying and Selling at Popular In related news, VP Adorno Denissa Rodriguez sold 1,825 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $97.71, for a total value of $178,320.75. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now owns 3,332 shares in the company, valued at approximately $325,569.72. This represents a 35.39 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link . Also, EVP Beatriz Castellvi sold 3,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $99.16, for a total value of $347,060.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 25,115 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,490,403.40. This trade represents a 12.23 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . Corporate insiders own 2.09% of the company’s stock. About Popular ( Free Report ) Popular, Inc, through its subsidiaries, provides various retail, mortgage, and commercial banking products and services in Puerto Rico, the United States, and the British Virgin Islands. The company provides savings, NOW, money market, and other interest-bearing demand accounts; non-interest bearing demand deposits; and certificates of deposit. Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding BPOP? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Popular, Inc. ( NASDAQ:BPOP – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for Popular Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Popular and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Republican senators pushed back on Sunday against criticism from Democrats that Tulsi Gabbard , Donald Trump's pick to lead U.S. intelligence services , is “compromised” by her comments supportive of Russia and secret meetings , as a congresswoman, with Syria’s president, a close ally of the Kremlin and Iran. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, an Illinois Democrat and veteran of combat missions in Iraq, said she had concerns about Tulsi Gabbard, Trump's choice to be director of national intelligence . “I think she’s compromised," Duckworth said on CNN’s “State of the Union," citing Gabbard's 2017 trip to Syria, where she held talks with Syrian President Bashar Assad. Gabbard was a Democratic House member from Hawaii at the time. “The U.S. intelligence community has identified her as having troubling relationships with America’s foes. And so my worry is that she couldn’t pass a background check,” Duckworth said. Gabbard, who said last month she is joining the Republican Party, has served in the Army National Guard for more than two decades. She was deployed to Iraq and Kuwait and, according to the Hawaii National Guard, received a Combat Medical Badge in 2005 for “participation in combat operations under enemy hostile fire in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom III." Duckworth's comments drew immediate backlash from Republicans. “For her to say ridiculous and outright dangerous words like that is wrong," Sen. Markwayne Mullin, a Republican from Oklahoma, said on CNN, challenging Duckworth to retract her words. “That’s the most dangerous thing she could say — is that a United States lieutenant colonel in the United States Army is compromised and is an asset of Russia.” In recent days, other Democrats have accused Gabbard without evidence of being a “Russian asset.” Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a Massachusetts Democrat, has claimed, without offering details, that Gabbard is in Russian President Vladimir “Putin’s pocket.” Mullin and others say the criticism from Democrats is rooted in the fact that Gabbard left their party and has become a Trump ally. Democrats say they worry that Gabbard's selection as national intelligence chief endangers ties with allies and gives Russia a win. Rep. Adam Schiff, a California Democrat just elected to the Senate, said he would not describe Gabbard as a Russian asset, but said she had “very questionable judgment.” “The problem is if our foreign allies don’t trust the head of our intelligence agencies, they’ll stop sharing information with us,” Schiff said on NBC's “Meet the Press.” Gabbard in 2022 endorsed one of Russia’s justifications for invading Ukraine : the existence of dozens of U.S.-funded biolabs working on some of the world’s nastiest pathogens. The labs are part of an international effort to control outbreaks and stop bioweapons, but Moscow claimed Ukraine was using them to create deadly bioweapons. Gabbard said she just voiced concerns about protecting the labs. Gabbard also has suggested that Russia had legitimate security concerns in deciding to invade Ukraine, given its desire to join NATO. Republican Sen. Eric Schmitt of Missouri said he thought it was “totally ridiculous” that Gabbard was being cast as a Russian asset for having different political views. “It’s insulting. It’s a slur, quite frankly. There’s no evidence that she’s a asset of another country,” he said on NBC. Sen. James Lankford, another Oklahoma Republican, acknowledged having “lots of questions” for Gabbard as the Senate considers her nomination to lead the intelligence services. Lankford said on NBC that he wants to ask Gabbard about her meeting with Assad and some of her past comments about Russia. “We want to know what the purpose was and what the direction for that was. As a member of Congress, we want to get a chance to talk about past comments that she’s made and get them into full context,” Lankford said.Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner Make Guest List for Bezos’ Holiday PartyTomislav Ivisic scored a career-high 23 points to lead six players in double figures as No. 24 Illinois raced past visiting Chicago State 117-64 on Sunday in Champaign, Ill. Kylan Boswell also starred for the Fighting Illini (9-3) with an 18-point, 10-rebound, 10-assist triple-double. Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn added 16 points, while Kasparas Jakucionis contributed 14. Will Riley hit for 13 points and Morez Johnson Jr. came off the bench to net 11. Gabe Spinelli scored 20 points for the winless Cougars (0-15) and Noble Crawford added 15, but they just didn't have the scoring punch to stay with their Big Ten Conference opponent. Illinois outshot Chicago State 62.1 percent (41 of 66) to 37.3 percent (25 of 67) from the field and 45.5 percent (15 of 33) to 32.3 percent (10 of 31) from the 3-point line. The Cougars were also outrebounded 47-23. Illinois led for all but 24 seconds of the game, scoring basically at will. The Illini reaped a 28-4 advantage in free-throw attempts, drew 26 assists and earned a 48-16 advantage in points in the paint. In its last game before jumping into the bulk of its Big Ten schedule Thursday night at Oregon, Illinois wasted no time putting its stamp on the game. It carved out a double-figure edge at the 14:59 mark of the first half on Gibbs-Lawhorn's 3-pointer that made it 17-7 and simply kept expanding that lead. The margin reached 20 for the first time with 10:06 left when Ivisic drained a 3-pointer from the right wing for a 32-10 cushion. Johnson's foul shot with 3:43 remaining increased the advantage to 30 at 48-18, and Jake Davis' 3-pointer from the corner with a second on the clock gave the Illini a 60-24 cushion at halftime. Boswell's short jumper with 18:22 left in the game built Illinois' first 40-point advantage at 65-24. Riley splashed a 3-pointer with 9:57 remaining to up the lead to 50 at 93-43. Davis made another 3-pointer at the 7:59 mark to get the Illini to the 100-point threshold. They led by as many as 58 points in the final two minutes. --Field Level Media