NEW YORK (AP) — The man accused of fatally shooting the CEO of UnitedHealthcare pleaded not guilty on Monday to state murder and terror charges while his attorney complained that comments coming from New York’s mayor would make it tough to receive a fair trial. Luigi Mangione, 26, was shackled and seated in a Manhattan court when he leaned over to a microphone to enter his plea. The Manhattan district attorney charged him last week with multiple counts of murder, including murder as an act of terrorism . Mangione's initial appearance in New York’s state trial court was preempted by federal prosecutors bringing their own charges over the shooting. The federal charges could carry the possibility of the death penalty, while the maximum sentence for the state charges is life in prison without parole. Prosecutors have said the two cases will proceed on parallel tracks , with the state charges expected to go to trial first. One of Mangione’s attorneys told a judge that the “warring jurisdictions" had turned Mangione into a “human ping-pong ball” and that New York City Mayor Eric Adams and other government officials had made him a political pawn, robbing him of his rights as a defendant and tainting the jury pool. “I am very concerned about my client’s right to a fair trial,” lawyer Karen Friedman Agnifilo said. Adams and Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch stood among a throng of heavily armed officers last Thursday when Mangione was flown to a Manhattan heliport and escorted up a pier after being extradited from Pennsylvania. Friedman Agnifilo said police turned Mangione’s return to New York into a choreographed spectacle. She called out Adams' comment to a local TV station that he wanted to be there to look “him in the eye and say, ‘you carried out this terroristic act in my city.’” “He was on display for everyone to see in the biggest stage perp walk I’ve ever seen in my career. It was absolutely unnecessary,” she said. She also accused federal and state prosecutors of advancing conflicting legal theories, calling their approach confusing and highly unusual. In a statement, Adams spokesperson Kayla Mamelak Altus wrote: “Critics can say all they want, but showing up to support our law enforcement and sending the message to New Yorkers that violence and vitriol have no place in our city is who Mayor Eric Adams is to his core.” “The cold-blooded assassination of Brian Thompson — a father of two — and the terror it infused on the streets of New York City for days has since been sickeningly glorified, shining a spotlight on the darkest corners of the internet,” Mamelak Altus said. State trial court Judge Gregory Carro said he has little control over what happens outside the courtroom, but can guarantee Mangione will receive a fair trial. Authorities say Mangione gunned down Thompson as he was walking to an investor conference in midtown Manhattan on the morning of Dec 4. Mangione was arrested in a Pennsylvania McDonald’s after a five-day search, carrying a gun that matched the one used in the shooting and a fake ID, police said. He also was carrying a notebook expressing hostility toward the health insurance industry and especially wealthy executives, according to federal prosecutors. At a news conference last week, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said the application of the terrorism law reflected the severity of a “frightening, well-planned, targeted murder that was intended to cause shock and attention and intimidation.” “In its most basic terms, this was a killing that was intended to evoke terror,” he added. Mangione is being held in a Brooklyn federal jail alongside several other high-profile defendants, including Sean “Diddy” Combs and Sam Bankman-Fried. During his court appearance Monday, he smiled at times when talking with his attorneys and stretched his right hand after an officer removed his cuffs. Outside the courthouse, a few dozen supporters chanted, “Free Luigi,” over the blare of a trumpet. Natalie Monarrez, a 55-year-old Staten Island resident, said she joined the demonstration because she lost both her mother and her life savings as a result of denied insurance claims. “As extreme as it was, it jolted the conversation that we need to deal with this issue,” she said of the shooting. “Enough is enough, people are fed up.” An Ivy-league graduate from a prominent Maryland family, Mangione appeared to have cut himself off from family and friends in recent months. He posted frequently in online forums about his struggles with back pain. He was never a UnitedHealthcare client , according to the insurer. Thompson, a married father of two high-schoolers, had worked at the giant UnitedHealth Group for 20 years and became CEO of its insurance arm in 2021. The killing has prompted some to voice their resentment at U.S. health insurers, with Mangione serving as a stand-in for frustrations over coverage denials and hefty medical bills. It also has sent shockwaves through the corporate world , rattling executives who say they have received a spike in threats.Miami (Ohio), Colorado State take adjustments into Arizona BowlLuigi Mangione pleads not guilty to murder and weapons charges in UnitedHealthcare CEO's death
axiebet88 free 200 no deposit
。
FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida: President-elect Donald Trump promised on Tuesday to “vigorously pursue” capital punishment after President Joe Biden commuted the sentences of most people on federal death row partly to stop Trump from pushing forward their executions. Trump criticized Biden’s decision on Monday to change the sentences of 37 of the 40 condemned people to life in prison without parole, arguing that it was senseless and insulted the families of their victims. Biden said converting their punishments to life imprisonment was consistent with the moratorium imposed on federal executions in cases other than terrorism and hate-motivated mass murder. “Joe Biden just commuted the Death Sentence on 37 of the worst killers in our Country,” he wrote on his social media site. “When you hear the acts of each, you won’t believe that he did this. Makes no sense. Relatives and friends are further devastated. They can’t believe this is happening!” Presidents historically have no involvement in dictating or recommending the punishments that federal prosecutors seek for defendants in criminal cases, though Trump has long sought more direct control over the Justice Department’s operations. The president-elect wrote that he would direct the department to pursue the death penalty “as soon as I am inaugurated,” but was vague on what specific actions he may take and said they would be in cases of “violent rapists, murderers, and monsters.” He highlighted the cases of two men who were on federal death row for slaying a woman and a girl, had admitted to killing more and had their sentences commuted by Biden. On the campaign trail, Trump often called for expanding the federal death penalty — including for those who kill police officers, those convicted of drug and human trafficking, and migrants who kill US citizens. “Trump has been fairly consistent in wanting to sort of say that he thinks the death penalty is an important tool and he wants to use it,” said Douglas Berman, an expert on sentencing at Ohio State University’s law school. “But whether practically any of that can happen, either under existing law or other laws, is a heavy lift.” Berman said Trump’s statement at this point seems to be just a response to Biden’s commutation. “I’m inclined to think it’s still in sort of more the rhetoric phase. Just, ‘don’t worry. The new sheriff is coming. I like the death penalty,’” he said. Most Americans have historically supported the death penalty for people convicted of murder, according to decades of annual polling by Gallup, but support has declined over the past few decades. About half of Americans were in favor in an October poll, while roughly 7 in 10 Americans backed capital punishment for murderers in 2007. Before Biden’s commutation, there were 40 federal death row inmates compared with more than 2,000 who have been sentenced to death by states. “The reality is all of these crimes are typically handled by the states,” Berman said. A question is whether the Trump administration would try to take over some state murder cases, such as those related to drug trafficking or smuggling. He could also attempt to take cases from states that have abolished the death penalty. Could rape now be punishable by death? Berman said Trump’s statement, along with some recent actions by states, may present an effort to get the Supreme Court to reconsider a precedent that considers the death penalty disproportionate punishment for rape. “That would literally take decades to unfold. It’s not something that is going to happen overnight,” Berman said. Before one of Trump’s rallies on Aug. 20, his prepared remarks released to the media said he would announce he would ask for the death penalty for child rapists and child traffickers. But Trump never delivered the line. One of the men Trump highlighted on Tuesday was ex-Marine Jorge Avila Torrez, who was sentenced to death for killing a sailor in Virginia and later pleaded guilty to the fatal stabbing of an 8-year-old and a 9-year-old girl in a suburban Chicago park several years before. The other man, Thomas Steven Sanders, was sentenced to death for the kidnapping and slaying of a 12-year-old girl in Louisiana, days after shooting the girl’s mother in a wildlife park in Arizona. Court records show he admitted to both killings. Some families of victims expressed anger with Biden’s decision, but the president had faced pressure from advocacy groups urging him to make it more difficult for Trump to increase the use of capital punishment for federal inmates. The ACLU and the US Conference of Catholic Bishops were some of the groups that applauded the decision. Biden left three federal inmates to face execution. They are Dylann Roof, who carried out the 2015 racist slayings of nine Black members of Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina; 2013 Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev; and Robert Bowers, who fatally shot 11 congregants at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life Synagogue in 2018, the deadliest antisemitic attack in UShistory.
During a sit-down interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday, President-elect Donald Trump told moderator Kristen Welker, in a startling moment, that she has “such potential” as a journalist. The former president had repeated an unfounded allegation that the House select committee responsible for investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol had “deleted and destroyed” a year and a half’s worth of testimony and evidence. “I think those people committed a major crime,” Trump said at one point during his wide-ranging conversation with Welker. He added that members of the committee, such as former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), who served as vice chair, should “go to jail.” When Welker pointed out to Trump that members of the committee have denied that claim , the former president halted the conversation to take a direct shot at the host. “You know, you have such potential,” he said to Welker. “If you could be just nonbiased — you hurt yourself so badly.” (Watch the full interview here .) Trump has a history of insulting prominent Black female journalists . In July, he accused ABC News senior congressional correspondent Rachel Scott, who is Black, of asking a question in a “horrible manner” during a contentious Q&A session at the National Association of Black Journalists convention. Trump has also previously leveled disparaging remarks at Welker, who is also Black. He repeatedly criticized her, calling her “terrible and unfair,” days before she moderated his final presidential debate with Joe Biden in 2020. Welker ― an Emmy-winning veteran journalist who previously served as NBC News’ chief White House correspondent ― is the first Black journalist and the second woman ever to host “Meet the Press.” There were plenty of takeaways from Welker’s sit-down with Trump, his first network TV interview since his reelection last month. But etiquette experts think there’s a lot to be said in particular about his choice to discuss Welker’s “potential.” Jackie Vernon-Thompson , founder and CEO of the From the Inside-Out School of Etiquette, said that she believes Trump’s comment was a “blatant tactic” meant to “devalue” Welker in order to gain control and power in the interview. “Over the years, many have witnessed Mr. Trump’s strategies of power play,” she told HuffPost. “This was indeed a tactic.” Vernon-Thompsonalsonoted that Trump has a history of speaking to women in a way that “may seem misogynistic,” and that this exchange with Welker was no different. Welker, 48, is “a seasoned journalist, well-established, and very talented in the industry,” Vernon-Thompson said, adding that people may sometimes try to instill doubt in others in order to “control the conversation and environment.” “That was Mr. Trump’s attempt,” she said. “Clearly, it did not work because he was indeed speaking with someone who holds her own.” Jodi Smith , an etiquette consultant who specializes in social and professional conduct, said that Trump’s comment to Welker was strategic in two ways: It was an attempt to regain power, and an attempt to cause a distraction. “It was a backhanded ‘compliment’ designed to distract from the real topic and divert the conversational focus away to an irrelevant dialogue undermining the journalist’s credentials,” Smith, the president and owner of Mannersmith, told HuffPost. She also said it’s important to analyze power dynamics in any exchange, and that Trump’s remark to Welker ― given that he is a white, cisgendered Christian male in America, where all of those identifiers carry systemic privilege ― could be seen as a “dog-whistle telling the target, and anyone listening, that they are not conforming to their designated role.” Smith explained that one’s tone of voice, and the context in which the comment is said, is key. A mentor speaking to a mentee in a feedback situation can be very “positive,” she said ― while pointing out that Trump’s comment to Welker, a “seasoned, award-winning professional,” decidedly did not occur in such a context. Vernon-Thompson thinks people should be “very cautious” when using the word “potential” in that manner in professional environments. To tell a woman she has “potential” in the workplace could be “patronizing” or potentially show a “lack of respect,” she said. “There is a time and place for that,” Vernon-Thompson said. “Publicly is definitely not the place. In the midst of a debate or an aggressive discussion is most certainly not appropriate.” She pointed out that speaking of a person’s “potential” may be appropriate in conversations between a superior and their subordinate, when it’s made “in kindness with the intent to motivate and show them that their superior sees and believes in their potential and ability.” For starters, Smith said, you should realize that the person who made the comment has “shown you their cards.” “They feel threatened by you in some way. It is a ‘tell,’” she said, recommending that you document your exchanges with that person. “Include others when meeting with this person,” she said. “If it is not your manager, loop your manager into the situation. If it is your manager, speak with human resources.” Vernon-Thompson recommends that you maintain your “composure, confidence and self-respect.” (Not unlike Welker herself, who continued talking with Trump about the Jan. 6 committee without missing a beat after his remark about her “potential.”) “Maintain your posture. Keep [your] head up. Maintain eye contact,” Vernon-Thompson said. “Immediately identify the attempt mentally and move forward with strength and certainty.” “Start strong, end strong,” she added. “Because you are good enough.” Abby Phillip Shuts Down Pro-Trump Guest After He Refers To Female Guest As ‘Dear’ 'Still Just Concepts?': NBC's Kristen Welker Presses Trump For Details On Health Care Plan How To Tell Your Family You’re Not Coming Home For The HolidaysNew Delhi: The issue of lateral entry to fill key posts in government departments, which triggered a political row earlier this year over lack of reservation for these positions, will be examined by a parliamentary panel. According to details put out by the Lok Sabha secretariat, lateral entry in civil services is among the subjects selected by the Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice for examination in 2024-25. In August this year, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) had advertised 45 posts — 10 of joint secretaries and 35 of directors and deputy secretaries — to be filled through the lateral entry mode on contract basis. The advertisement triggered protests from the Opposition as well as NDA allies like the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) and Janata Dal (United). Many leaders, including Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati, and Samajwadi Party’s Akhilesh Yadav slammed the government’s policy for not having reservations for Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST), and Other Backward Classes (OBC) candidates. The government then asked the UPSC to cancel its advertisement. Bureaucrats are usually recruited through the civil services exam process but lateral entrants, typically experts in a particular field, are inducted directly for a limited term. No quota is currently applicable to these appointments. So far, 63 appointments have been made through lateral entry out of which 35 appointments were from the private sector. At present, 57 officers are in positions in ministries/departments, according to the latest data. The lateral recruitment in the central government, has been undertaken since 2018 to appoint persons for specific assignments, keeping in view their specialised knowledge and expertise in the domain area.Fans will have one more chance to watch Cam Ward orchestrate the nation's No. 1 offense when No. 13 Miami plays No. 18 Iowa State in Saturday's Pop-Tarts Bowl at Orlando, Fla. Ward, the fourth-place finisher for this year's Heisman Trophy and a likely top-10 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, confirmed earlier this month that he will play. He told Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders in a viral video that "you're going to see the best thing that ever happened in the Pop-Tart(s) Bowl. ... Them 'Canes baby." Of the teams that didn't make the College Football Playoff, Miami and Iowa State are the highest-ranked programs playing each other. It is their first meeting. "The intensity will be high. Both teams really want this," Miami coach Mario Cristobal said. "And the competition and the caliber of athlete and player on the field is going to be awesome. "So, it means a lot to (us). And I'm sure it means a lot to Iowa State as well." Said Cyclones coach Matt Campbell: "It's certainly a great opportunity for Iowa State football. And we have great respect for everything they stand for." The Hurricanes boast a high-powered offense that ranked No. 1 in the nation in points (44.2) and total yards (538.3) per game in the regular season. Ward, a transfer from Washington State, set multiple single-season school records, throwing for 4,123 yards and 36 touchdowns while completing 67.4 percent of his attempts and tossing seven interceptions. Ward's top receiver, All-American Xavier Restrepo, hasn't said whether he will play in the bowl game, while running back Damien Martinez, a fellow senior also expected to be drafted, has announced that he will. The 'Canes enter with a 10-2 record -- only the second time in 20 years they recorded double-digit wins in the regular season -- but lost two of their final three games, at Georgia Tech and at Syracuse, and consequently a spot in the Atlantic Coast Championship Game. That largely was due to their defense, which surrendered 42 points in the final three quarters against the Orange and 271 rushing yards to the Yellow Jackets. Iowa State (10-3), which doesn't have any reported opt-outs, won 10 games for the first time in school history, reaching the Big 12 Championship, where it lost to Arizona State 45-19. Its other losses were a one-point home defeat to Texas Tech and a 45-36 setback at Kansas. "Obviously, I think you're in unchartered territory for Iowa State football," Campbell said of winning 10 games. "Anytime you've got a chance to put an exclamation point on some of those things, it's powerful." Campbell said the senior class is "maybe one of the most special groups we've coached here," adding, "to send them out the right way would be great for Iowa State football." Rocco Becht has completed 59.3 percent of his passes for 3,235 yards and 22 touchdowns with nine interceptions. Wide receivers Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel are the first duo in school history, and the only pair nationally this season, with 1,000 yards each. Carson Hansen and Abu Sama III each rushed for more than 500 yards. Iowa State's defense allowed only 21.5 points per game -- the Cyclones are 6-0 when giving up fewer than 20 -- and is highlighted by defensive tackles J.R. Singleton and Domonique Orange, as well as defensive backs Beau Freyler and Malik Verden, the team's top two tacklers. The Cyclones intercepted 14 passes and recovered eight fumbles. "They're really explosive on offense," Cristobal said. "And they've always played great defense. ... Very disciplined, very hard-nosed, very tough and very physical." --Field Level Media
Italy, Brazil, Mexico, United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, Spain, United Arab Emirates and Japan Offer Unforgettable Travel Experiences for Christmas 2024: What You Need to KnowGreene Jr. runs for 3 TDs, Matthews adds 134 yards and a score to lead Towson over Campbell 45-23Manitoba’s official gift shop is the size of a walk-in closet, but it’s stocked with hundreds of items targeted at tourists and others, be they politicians or members of the public, in search of a last-minute and locally made present. Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * Manitoba’s official gift shop is the size of a walk-in closet, but it’s stocked with hundreds of items targeted at tourists and others, be they politicians or members of the public, in search of a last-minute and locally made present. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? Manitoba’s official gift shop is the size of a walk-in closet, but it’s stocked with hundreds of items targeted at tourists and others, be they politicians or members of the public, in search of a last-minute and locally made present. The Golden Boy Gift Shop is located underneath its iconic statue-namesake, tucked in the corner of the lobby of the legislative building at 450 Broadway. “It’s the people’s building — the people of Manitoba. This is their building and this is their government, so we should be showcasing Manitoba artisans’ work or Manitoba companies, over and above anybody else,” said acting manager Cheryl Gilfix-Bird. Among the products that line the shelves and racks: condiments from Grand Marais-based Canadian Birch Company; wooden coasters and trinkets from Oakbank’s Zealousdecor; sashes from Métis-owned Étchiboy; pottery by Lorette artist Susan Gurman; and hand-painted keychains and earrings via Bloom Moon Designs of Selkirk. Gilfix-Bird said her preference is to sell goods created by Manitoba creators and companies, which account for the majority of stock, but that is not always possible so the shop sources everything from Canadian-owned businesses. Purchases are often accompanied by a card detailing their origins and, if applicable, such as in the case of the Manitoba tartan, their historical significance. Ties, scrunchies and scarves made of red, green, gold and blue-patterned plaid — a design by Hugh Kirkwood Rankine that was added to the Scottish Register of Tartans in the ’60s and received royal assent to become an official emblem in Manitoba that decade — are for sale. “The red squares of the pattern represent the Red River Settlements, near what is now Winnipeg,” per an information card about the provincial tartan. It states that green is symbolic of local natural resources, gold is a reference to the agriculture industry, and blue represents the Earl of Selkirk, Thomas Douglas, whose Scottish family clan tartan has blue lines. Every new shop employee participates in a tour of the legislature to orient themselves and learn about the history of Manitoba, Gilfix-Bird said, adding customers often have questions about items and the grounds on which they are sold. “The best-(seller)? I think that it’s not a product. It’s everything that has a polar bear on it,” said Daniela Sanchez Ramirez, a retail employee at the gift shop. Sanchez Ramirez, who is originally from Colombia, said foreigners are often keen to take home a souvenir displaying Manitoba’s ceremonial mammal, whether it’s in the form of a stuffed animal, pin, pair of earrings or on a mug. The sales associate has been asked if polar bears can be spotted roaming city streets, she noted, followed by a chuckle. The summer is typically the shop’s busiest season, given the sheer number of tourists who stop by for free tours that often start and end near the gift shop. Busier periods correspond with the legislative session, the acting manager said. At the same time, Gilfix-Bird noted it’s a fairly unknown shop that, in line with historic landlord protocols, does not have any flashy advertising; she and her colleagues often hear from first-time shoppers who are surprised to learn they exist and the range of products in stock. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. The employee team began bolstering the shop’s social media presence this fall. The shop, which operates five days a week, year-round and offers free gift-wrapping, will be open on Christmas Eve from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Its upcoming holiday closures are Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day. Prices range from $1 to $400, although the majority of products are under $50. maggie.macintosh@freepress.mb.ca Maggie Macintosh reports on education for the . Originally from Hamilton, Ont., she joined the newsroom as a reporter in 2019. . Funding for the education reporter comes from the Government of Canada through the . Every piece of reporting Maggie produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the ‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about , and . Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider . Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support. Maggie Macintosh reports on education for the . Originally from Hamilton, Ont., she joined the newsroom as a reporter in 2019. . Funding for the education reporter comes from the Government of Canada through the . Every piece of reporting Maggie produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the ‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about , and . Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider . Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support. Advertisement Advertisement
Donald Trump Jr. buys Maine hunting land from Austin Theriault’s family
Canadian consumer confidence plunges after Trump election win Polling firm Nanos found Canadians are almost four times more likely to think economy will weaken rather than strengthen in next six months Glen Korstrom Dec 9, 2024 3:30 PM Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message Holiday shoppers last week at Metropolis at Metrotown were buying gift wrap and accessories Rob Kruyt, BIV Listen to this article 00:03:22 Canadians' confidence in a strengthening economy has taken a hit since president-elect Donald Trump won the U.S. presidential election Nov. 5 , according to new polling data from Nanos. There are now almost four times as many Canadians who think the economy is likely to get weaker in the next six months, rather than stronger, the Weekly Bloomberg Nanos Canadian Confidence Index found. One month ago, about twice as many Canadians thought the economy would get weaker within six months, rather than stronger, according to Nanos' research. Trump on Nov. 25 threatened to slap a 25-per-cent tariff on all imports from Canada and from Mexico until those countries stemmed what he said is a tide of drugs and illegal immigrants coming into the U.S. – something that no doubt added to chilled consumer confidence, according to Nanos' chief data scientist Nik Nanos. Nanos surveyed 1,000 Canadians in months leading up to Dec. 6, with its survey dropping 250 responses each month and adding 250 new ones to create a rolling total. Its index for expectations dropped below 50 per cent for the first time in about a year, and was at 48.69, as of Dec. 6. That is nearing the year low of 46.03, one year ago . Concerns about jobs are on the rise, and are becoming more significant than are fears of inflation or housing, Nanos said. Nanos separately tracks what the company calls a pocketbook index, which is based on perceptions of personal finances and job security. When that index is mixed with the expectations index, it creates what the company calls an economic mood index. The newest measure for that index is 51.54 out of 100 Canada-wide. British Columbians have a slightly more sour economic mood than do counterparts in the rest of Canada, given their score of 50.3 out of 100, according to Nanos. The finding that British Columbians are feeling less confident than other Canadians about their economic futures conforms with what other surveys have found. B.C. small-business owners are the least confident in Canada that their ventures will perform better in the next three months, according to a Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) survey conducted in October for a November report . Their responses determined that they were also the second least confident in Canada that their businesses will perform better in 12 months than they are today, according to the survey. Only Newfoundland-based small-business owners in October said that they were less confident than counterparts B.C. for that year-ahead outlook. What makes the low confidence about economic improvement within 12 months most striking is that B.C.’s small-business confidence rate for one year in the future has historically, on average, been No. 1 among provinces, B.C.-based CFIB policy analyst Emily Boston told BIV. “It's not just the comparison over time, it's comparison to where we are relative to other provinces in Canada,” she said. [email protected] @GlenKorstrom glenkorstrom.bsky.social See a typo/mistake? Have a story/tip? This has been shared 0 times 0 Shares Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message Get your daily Victoria news briefing Email Sign Up More Economy, Law & Politics State memorial for former B.C. premier Horgan open to the public, requires tickets Dec 9, 2024 3:03 PM Canada Post warns no end in sight for strike after receiving latest union proposals Dec 9, 2024 2:53 PM Feds send $148 million to B.C. in disaster recovery funds for floods, wildfires Dec 9, 2024 2:28 PMLOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Rams keep doing just enough to win, and a team that appeared to be rebuilding this season has climbed all the way to the brink of another playoff berth. The Rams improved to 9-6 and took control of the NFC West on Sunday with their fourth straight victory since Thanksgiving. Their 19-9 win over the New York Jets in sub-freezing temperatures was not dominant — they trailed 9-6 entering the fourth quarter, and they were outgained by nearly 100 yards — but Los Angeles still matched its largest margin of victory this season and continued to look like a looming nightmare for any postseason opponent. The Rams have now won eight of 10 since their bye week, when they were 1-4 and the NFL world wondered whether they would trade Super Bowl MVP receiver Cooper Kupp or even quarterback Matthew Stafford to spur their roster reboot. Los Angeles decided not to punt its season, and Sean McVay's team has driven from last to first. “You don’t want to ride the emotional roller coaster that these games can take you on,” McVay said Monday. “You do have the ability to stay steady, to stay the course and try to right the ship. Certainly that’s not complete by any stretch, but our guys have done an excellent job of not allowing the way that we started, especially in those first five games, to affect what we did coming off that bye.” The Rams also have clinched their seventh winning record in eight regular seasons under McVay — an achievement that shouldn’t get lost in the recent successes of a franchise that had 13 consecutive non-winning seasons before it rolled the dice and hired a 30-year-old head coach back in 2017. After winning it all in February 2022 and then having the worst season by a defending Super Bowl champion in NFL history, the Rams have made the most of their time in between true powerhouse status and a major rebuild. They also started slowly last year, entering their bye at 3-6 before a 7-1 finish. The Rams can become the first team in NFL history to make back-to-back postseason appearances after being three games under .500 each year. These Rams don't stand out on either side of the ball, although their talent level appears to be higher on offense than defense. Instead, they've mastered a delicate balance of complementary football — the offense and defense covering each other's weaknesses and setting up their teammates for success. The Rams have scored more than 30 points just once all season, and they managed only 31 points in their last two games combined. Their defense has allowed only one touchdown in the past two games — but right before that, Josh Allen and the Bills racked up 42 points and 445 yards in the most recent of a few defensive stinkers from LA this season. The Rams keep winning anyway, and now they can clinch McVay's fourth NFC West title by beating Seattle in two weeks. “Fortunately, we’re in a position where you don’t necessarily have to rely on other things to happen if you just handle your business,” McVay said. What's working Kyren Williams and the offensive line are driving the Rams' offense. After a slow start caused partly by McVay being forced to abandon the running game when the Rams repeatedly fell behind early, the 2023 Pro Bowler has surged to career highs of 1,243 yards and 13 rushing touchdowns with his 122-yard performance in New York. What needs help Stafford's 110 yards passing were his fewest with the Rams and the second-fewest in his 16-year career from a full game. Sunday's weather was a major factor, but the Rams must throw the ball effectively to somebody other than Puka Nacua. Kupp has just 193 yards receiving in his past five games combined. Stock up Defensive back Jaylen McCollough made a career-high nine tackles in only 31 snaps. The undrafted rookie continues to be a remarkable find, earning playing time alongside veteran safeties Quentin Lake and Kam Curl and fellow rookie Kam Kinchens. Stock down CB Cobie Durant didn't play for the second straight week despite being cleared to return from his bruised lung. Veteran Ahkello Witherspoon got every snap in place of Durant, who started LA's first 13 games. McVay praised Witherspoon's recent play when asked why Durant didn't get on the field in New Jersey. Injuries The Rams' improved health, particularly on both lines, is the key to their surge. McVay reported no new injuries out of the road trip following Tyler Higbee's successful season debut. Key number 12-1 — The Rams’ record in December with Stafford as their starter over his four years in LA. Next steps The Rams need to win at least one of their final two games to wrap up their first NFC West crown since 2021. They host eliminated Arizona on Saturday night, but can't clinch the division unless the Seahawks lose to moribund Chicago. The Rams are currently the NFC's third seed, but that doesn't matter a whole lot because both the third and fourth seeds will have to play one of the NFC North's two powerful wild-card teams in the opening round. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL Greg Beacham, The Associated PressNEW YORK (AP) — The man accused of fatally shooting the CEO of UnitedHealthcare pleaded not guilty on Monday to state murder and terror charges while his attorney complained that comments coming from New York’s mayor would make it tough to receive a fair trial. Luigi Mangione, 26, was shackled and seated in a Manhattan court when he leaned over to a microphone to enter his plea. The Manhattan district attorney charged him last week with multiple counts of murder, including murder as an act of terrorism . Mangione's initial appearance in New York’s state trial court was preempted by federal prosecutors bringing their own charges over the shooting. The federal charges could carry the possibility of the death penalty, while the maximum sentence for the state charges is life in prison without parole. Prosecutors have said the two cases will proceed on parallel tracks , with the state charges expected to go to trial first. One of Mangione’s attorneys told a judge that the “warring jurisdictions" had turned Mangione into a “human ping-pong ball” and that New York City Mayor Eric Adams and other government officials had made him a political pawn, robbing him of his rights as a defendant and tainting the jury pool. “I am very concerned about my client’s right to a fair trial,” lawyer Karen Friedman Agnifilo said. Adams and Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch stood among a throng of heavily armed officers last Thursday when Mangione was flown to a Manhattan heliport and escorted up a pier after being extradited from Pennsylvania. Friedman Agnifilo said police turned Mangione’s return to New York into a choreographed spectacle. She called out Adams' comment to a local TV station that he wanted to be there to look “him in the eye and say, ‘you carried out this terroristic act in my city.’” “He was on display for everyone to see in the biggest stage perp walk I’ve ever seen in my career. It was absolutely unnecessary,” she said. She also accused federal and state prosecutors of advancing conflicting legal theories, calling their approach confusing and highly unusual. In a statement, Adams spokesperson Kayla Mamelak Altus wrote: “Critics can say all they want, but showing up to support our law enforcement and sending the message to New Yorkers that violence and vitriol have no place in our city is who Mayor Eric Adams is to his core.” “The cold-blooded assassination of Brian Thompson — a father of two — and the terror it infused on the streets of New York City for days has since been sickeningly glorified, shining a spotlight on the darkest corners of the internet,” Mamelak Altus said. State trial court Judge Gregory Carro said he has little control over what happens outside the courtroom, but can guarantee Mangione will receive a fair trial. Authorities say Mangione gunned down Thompson as he was walking to an investor conference in midtown Manhattan on the morning of Dec 4. Mangione was arrested in a Pennsylvania McDonald’s after a five-day search, carrying a gun that matched the one used in the shooting and a fake ID, police said. He also was carrying a notebook expressing hostility toward the health insurance industry and especially wealthy executives, according to federal prosecutors. At a news conference last week, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said the application of the terrorism law reflected the severity of a “frightening, well-planned, targeted murder that was intended to cause shock and attention and intimidation.” “In its most basic terms, this was a killing that was intended to evoke terror,” he added. Mangione is being held in a Brooklyn federal jail alongside several other high-profile defendants, including Sean “Diddy” Combs and Sam Bankman-Fried. During his court appearance Monday, he smiled at times when talking with his attorneys and stretched his right hand after an officer removed his cuffs. Outside the courthouse, a few dozen supporters chanted, “Free Luigi,” over the blare of a trumpet. Natalie Monarrez, a 55-year-old Staten Island resident, said she joined the demonstration because she lost both her mother and her life savings as a result of denied insurance claims. “As extreme as it was, it jolted the conversation that we need to deal with this issue,” she said of the shooting. “Enough is enough, people are fed up.” An Ivy-league graduate from a prominent Maryland family, Mangione appeared to have cut himself off from family and friends in recent months. He posted frequently in online forums about his struggles with back pain. He was never a UnitedHealthcare client , according to the insurer. Thompson, a married father of two high-schoolers, had worked at the giant UnitedHealth Group for 20 years and became CEO of its insurance arm in 2021. The killing has prompted some to voice their resentment at U.S. health insurers, with Mangione serving as a stand-in for frustrations over coverage denials and hefty medical bills. It also has sent shockwaves through the corporate world , rattling executives who say they have received a spike in threats. Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Get local news delivered to your inbox!
NoneTrump vows to pursue executions after Biden commutes most of federal death rowShivakumar attributes Channapatna bypoll victory to ‘direct and indirect’ support from JD(S) and BJP leaders
Neymar slams Man City star Rodri for comments on Vinicius Jr following controversy
Twelve questions for would-be philanthropistsNoneThe 39-year-old takes charge for the first time in Sunday’s Premier League trip to promoted Ipswich having been confirmed as Erik ten Hag’s successor at the beginning of November. Amorim has made a positive impression since starting work at the United in an international fortnight that ended with an impressive first appearance in front of the media. 🆚 Ipswich Town.🏟️ Portman Road.⏰ 16:30 GMT. 🫡 We will be there. #MUFC pic.twitter.com/0eHCSDYmhE — Manchester United (@ManUtd) November 21, 2024 The Portuguese was gregarious, engaging and smiley throughout Friday’s press conference but that warmth comes with a ruthlessness edge if players do not adhere to his approach. “You can be the same person,” head coach Amorim said. “Be a positive person that can understand this is one place to be, then there is the dressing room, there are some places to have fun, there are some places to work hard. “So, I can be ruthless when I have to be. If you think as a team, I will be the nicest guy you have ever seen. If there is someone just thinking about himself, I will be a different person. “I’m not that type of guy that wants to show that he is the boss. “They will feel it in the small details, that I can be the smiling one but then when we have a job to do I will be a different person, and they understand that.” ‘The Smiling One’ follows ‘the Special One’ as United’s second Portuguese manager, with Jose Mourinho one of five managers to try and fail to reach the heights scaled by Sir Alex Ferguson. The Scot retired as a Premier League champion in 2013 and the Red Devils have failed to launch a sustained title bid since adding that 20th top-flight crown. Asked about whether he will lean on Ferguson to understand the history of United and whether he has met him, Amorim said: “No, not yet. I didn’t have that opportunity. “It’s hard to copy someone, so I have to be me. Of course I’m not the best person in here to show the history of Manchester United. “It should be the club first and also me because I’m always paying attention on those details and try to focus our players in the history of the club, not the recent history. “You have to be very demanding. This is a club that needs to win, has to win, so we have to show that to our players but it’s a different time. “I cannot be the same guy that Sir Alex Ferguson was. It’s a different time. “I have to have a different approach, but I can also be demanding with a different approach, so that is my focus.” Like Ferguson in 1986, Amorim starts life at United in the November of a season that started with a paltry points tally. The 39-year-old acknowledges the timing makes “it’s so much harder” for him to imprint his style at a club whose youth foundations look in safe hands. “It’s the project of Manchester United,” Amorim said. “Nowadays, you need young guys, guys from the academy for everything. “To bring that history of the club because they feel the club in a different way. “And also because you have all these rules with financial fair play, when a player from our academy is so much different to the players that we bought and then we sell. “So, everything is connected. I will try to help all the players, especially the young ones.” Amorim’s first match will be a fascinating watch for onlookers, who have kept a particularly close eye on his work during his farewell to Sporting Lisbon. The Portuguese managed three final matches after being confirmed as United head coach, including a 4-1 Champions League win against Manchester City. Pep Guardiola’s side have dominated English football in recent years and the City boss this week signed a new deal until 2027. “I think it’s a problem for everybody here, but we have so much to do, we cannot focus on anyone,” Amorim said. “We just have to focus on our club, improve our club and not focus on the other clubs, so let’s focus on Manchester United. “It’s amazing (the test) – if you can beat that team it’s a good sign but, like I said, we are focused on Manchester United.”
Heavy travel day starts with brief grounding of all American Airlines flightsThe 39-year-old takes charge for the first time in Sunday’s Premier League trip to promoted Ipswich having been confirmed as Erik ten Hag’s successor at the beginning of November. Amorim has made a positive impression since starting work at the United in an international fortnight that ended with an impressive first appearance in front of the media. 🆚 Ipswich Town.🏟️ Portman Road.⏰ 16:30 GMT. 🫡 We will be there. #MUFC pic.twitter.com/0eHCSDYmhE — Manchester United (@ManUtd) November 21, 2024 The Portuguese was gregarious, engaging and smiley throughout Friday’s press conference but that warmth comes with a ruthlessness edge if players do not adhere to his approach. “You can be the same person,” head coach Amorim said. “Be a positive person that can understand this is one place to be, then there is the dressing room, there are some places to have fun, there are some places to work hard. “So, I can be ruthless when I have to be. If you think as a team, I will be the nicest guy you have ever seen. If there is someone just thinking about himself, I will be a different person. “I’m not that type of guy that wants to show that he is the boss. “They will feel it in the small details, that I can be the smiling one but then when we have a job to do I will be a different person, and they understand that.” ‘The Smiling One’ follows ‘the Special One’ as United’s second Portuguese manager, with Jose Mourinho one of five managers to try and fail to reach the heights scaled by Sir Alex Ferguson. The Scot retired as a Premier League champion in 2013 and the Red Devils have failed to launch a sustained title bid since adding that 20th top-flight crown. Asked about whether he will lean on Ferguson to understand the history of United and whether he has met him, Amorim said: “No, not yet. I didn’t have that opportunity. “It’s hard to copy someone, so I have to be me. Of course I’m not the best person in here to show the history of Manchester United. “It should be the club first and also me because I’m always paying attention on those details and try to focus our players in the history of the club, not the recent history. “You have to be very demanding. This is a club that needs to win, has to win, so we have to show that to our players but it’s a different time. “I cannot be the same guy that Sir Alex Ferguson was. It’s a different time. “I have to have a different approach, but I can also be demanding with a different approach, so that is my focus.” Like Ferguson in 1986, Amorim starts life at United in the November of a season that started with a paltry points tally. The 39-year-old acknowledges the timing makes “it’s so much harder” for him to imprint his style at a club whose youth foundations look in safe hands. “It’s the project of Manchester United,” Amorim said. “Nowadays, you need young guys, guys from the academy for everything. “To bring that history of the club because they feel the club in a different way. “And also because you have all these rules with financial fair play, when a player from our academy is so much different to the players that we bought and then we sell. “So, everything is connected. I will try to help all the players, especially the young ones.” Amorim’s first match will be a fascinating watch for onlookers, who have kept a particularly close eye on his work during his farewell to Sporting Lisbon. The Portuguese managed three final matches after being confirmed as United head coach, including a 4-1 Champions League win against Manchester City. Pep Guardiola’s side have dominated English football in recent years and the City boss this week signed a new deal until 2027. “I think it’s a problem for everybody here, but we have so much to do, we cannot focus on anyone,” Amorim said. “We just have to focus on our club, improve our club and not focus on the other clubs, so let’s focus on Manchester United. “It’s amazing (the test) – if you can beat that team it’s a good sign but, like I said, we are focused on Manchester United.”
Manchester City's misery continued with a shock 4-0 Premier League rout by Tottenham Hotspur at Etihad Stadium, marking the first time in Pep Guardiola's dazzling managerial career that he has lost five games in a row across all competitions. James Maddison scored twice in the span of seven first-half minutes, while Pedro Porro netted shortly after the break and Brennan Johnson added a fourth goal deep in added time to end City's club record run of 52 consecutive home matches unbeaten in all competitions. City remain second in the table on 23 points but are five points adrift of leaders Liverpool, with the Reds having a game in hand, while Spurs climbed to sixth on 19 points after 12 games. "In this moment we are fragile defensively," said Guardiola, who signed a two-year contract extension on Thursday . "We started really well as normal but we could not score and then after that we conceded. After that we conceded some more which is difficult for our emotions right now. "In eight years we have never lived this kind of situation. Now we have to live it and break it, winning the next games, especially the next one. Now we see things in one way, maybe in a few weeks we see it differently." It was City's most lopsided loss in their history at Etihad, and their three consecutive league losses are also a first during Guardiola's eight-plus seasons as boss. "These are rare days, to come to the champions and especially City considering how they have dominated over the last few years in Europe as well," Maddison, who celebrated his 28th birthday on Saturday, told Sky Sports. "To come home with four-nil is special, these are the days you remember and I think it's important we enjoy it." Guardiola's four-time defending champions had 23 shots to Tottenham's nine and will rue the missed chances, including three in the first half from striker Erling Haaland alone. But they were all over the place defensively and paid the price in the 13th minute when Maddison sprinted in to side-foot home a beautiful long cross from Dejan Kulusevksi. Maddison doubled the lead seven minutes later when he chipped the ball over grounded goalkeeper Ederson. Porro put the match out of reach in the 52nd minute when Dominic Solanke cut back the ball for the Spaniard who unleashed a first-time effort past Ederson, and then substitute Johnson added one more in the 93rd minute. Timo Werner sprinted down the left past Kyle Walker before sending a low cross across the face of the goal that Johnson slid to knock in, watched by City's shell-shocked fans. It was the joint-biggest defeat for Guardiola, who had lost 4-0 three previous times, with Real Madrid, Barcelona and with City, in a 4-0 defeat to Everton in 2017. City last lost a competitive home game by four-plus goals when Arsenal beat them 5-1 in 2003 at Maine Road. Arsenal back on form Arsenal returned to winning ways in the Premier League with a confident 3-0 victory over Nottingham Forest but Aston Villa's winless streak continued when they were held to a 2-2 draw at home to lowly Crystal Palace. Goals by Bukayo Saka, Thomas Partey and teenager Ethan Nwaneri got the Gunners back on track after four league games without a win in manager Mikel Arteta's 250th game in charge. Arsenal stayed in fourth spot, level on 22 points with third-placed Chelsea who began the day's action with a 2-1 victory away at Leicester City. Leaders Liverpool have 28 points ahead of their Sunday clash with bottom club Southampton. Arsenal began the day level on points with surprise package Forest but outclassed the Midlands club in the London rain. The returning Saka and captain Martin Ødegaard were hugely influential for Arsenal as both looked back to their best. They combined after 15 minutes for Saka to clip a superb left-footed drive high past Forest keeper Matz Sels. Partey curled in Arsenal's second after 52 minutes and 17-year-old Nwaneri, on as a substitute, put the icing on the cake with his first Premier League goal late on. "It's not a coincidence. The team flows in a different way when (Ødegaard) is playing," Arteta said of his skipper who returned from a long injury lay-off earlier this month. "When he is on the team you sense something different even if it's hard to put your finger on it." Goals by Nicolas Jackson and Enzo Fernandez secured the points for Chelsea as their manager Enzo Maresca returned to haunt his former club. Jordan Ayew's stoppage-time penalty came too late for the hosts. Aston Villa have now gone six games without a win in all competitions as their early-season surge has stalled. They needed a late headed equaliser by Ross Barkley to take a point against a Palace side who twice led. Ismaila Sarr gave Palace the early lead before Ollie Watkins levelled and the hosts then squandered a chance to go ahead as Youri Tielemans had his penalty saved by Dean Henderson. Justin Devenny restored Palace's lead almost immediately but the Londoners were unable to secure only their second league win. Palace remained third from bottom with eight points but Wolverhampton Wanderers climbed out of the relegation zone with a thumping 4-1 victory away at Fulham. Matheus Cunha scored two superb goals to take his league tally for the season to seven and also set up a third for his side after Fulham went ahead after 20 minutes with an Alex Iwobi curler from the edge of the box. Wolves' second league win of the season put them on nine points from 12 games and into 17th place. Brighton & Hove Albion joined Arsenal and Chelsea on 22 points with a 2-1 victory at Bournemouth thanks to goals by Joao Pedro and Kaoru Mitoma as they maintained their best-ever start to a top-flight season. The visitors did end with 10 men though after Carlos Baleba was shown a second yellow card on the hour. Everton had 27 goal attempts at home to 10-man Brentford but could make none of them count as they drew 0-0 - a result that left them in 15th place in the table. Brentford played half the game with 10 men after Christian Norgaard was dismissed for a bad challenge on Everton keeper Jordan Pickford. - ReutersBehind a defense that spent the afternoon slowly squeezing hope out of its adversaries on the other side of the ball, Becker completed a wire-to-wire run as the top team in Class 4A with a 24-8 victory over Totino-Grace in the Prep Bowl on Friday at U.S. Bank Stadium. The win gave the Bulldogs their fourth state championship in program history. Becker, which completed an undefeated season at 13-0, held Totino-Grace to 55 yards of total offense in the first half while building a 14-0 halftime lead, made possible by a 32-yard score from Landon Kujawa and a a 54-yard touchdown run by Carter Reckelberg. Totino-Grace (12-1) couldn’t muster much to cheer about in the second half, either. Becker increased its led to 21-0 just 18 seconds into the third quarter when Sawyer Brown intercepted a pass near the sideline and returned it 30 yards to the end zone. Kicker Evan Norberg added a 26-yard field goal in the fourth quarter. Totino-Grace cracked the scoreboard on a 1-yard pass from Jake Person to Luther Bunge with 1:10 left in the game, followed by a two-point conversion. Becker held Totino-Grace to 152 yards of total yards.
Cowboys set to host Bengals under open roof after falling debris thwarted that plan against Texans
ubet89
When will Donald Trump dump Elon Musk? “Morning Joe” panelists predict the exact time
axiebet88 free 200 philippines
axiebet88 legit