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Words on ammo in CEO shooting echo common phrase on insurer tactics: Delay, deny, defend A message left at the scene of an insurance executive’s fatal shooting echoes a phrase commonly used to describe insurer tactics to avoid paying claims. The words “deny,” “defend” and “depose” were written on the ammunition used to kill UnitedHealthcare's CEO. That's according to two officials who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Thursday. The words are similar to the phrase “delay, deny, defend.” That's how attorneys describe insurers denying services and payment, and the title of a 2010 book critical of the industry. Police haven’t officially commented on the words. But Thompson’s shooting and the messages on the ammunition have sparked outrage on social media and elsewhere, reflecting frustration Americans have over the cost and complexity of getting care. Bitcoin has surpassed the $100,000 mark as the post-election rally continues. What's next? NEW YORK (AP) — Bitcoin has topped the $100,000 mark, extending a rally in the world’s most popular cryptocurrency sparked by the election of Donald Trump. The milestone comes just hours after the president-elect signaled a lighter regulatory approach to the crypto industry with his choice of crypto advocate Paul Atkins to be the next chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Bitcoin has soared to unprecedented heights since Trump won the election Nov. 5. The cryptocurrency has climbed dramatically from $69,374 on Election Day and rose to more than $103,000 before falling back below $100,000 by Thursday afternoon. US judge rejects Boeing's plea deal in a conspiracy case stemming from fatal plane crashes DALLAS (AP) — A federal judge has rejected a deal that would have let Boeing to plead guilty to a felony conspiracy charge and pay a fine for misleading U.S. regulators about the 737 Max jetliner before two of the planes crashed and 346 people died. U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor in Texas said that diversity, inclusion and equity or DEI policies in the government and at Boeing could result in race being a factor in picking an official to oversee Boeing’s compliance with the agreement. His ruling on Thursday creates uncertainty around the criminal prosecution of the aerospace giant. The judge gave Boeing and the Justice Department 30 days to tell him how they plan to proceed. McKinsey subsidiary will pay $122M for scheme to bribe South African officials, US says WASHINGTON (AP) — An African subsidiary of the consulting firm McKinsey & Company Inc. will pay a criminal penalty of more than $122 million to resolve a U.S. Justice Department investigation into a yearslong scheme to bribe South African government officials. The Justice Department says the scheme involved bribes to officials with South Africa’s state-owned and state-controlled custodian of ports, rails, and pipelines, as well as its state-controlled energy company. It netted McKinsey Africa and its parent company $85 million in profits between 2012 and 2016, officials said. McKinsey said in a statement that it “welcomes the resolution of these matters and the closure of this regretful situation.” EPA hails 'revitalized' enforcement efforts as Biden administration heads to exit WASHINGTON (AP) — The Environmental Protection Agency says it concluded more than 1,850 civil cases this year, a 3.4% increase over 2023, and charged 121 criminal defendants, a 17.6% increase over the previous year. The agency also issued $1.7 billion in financial penalties, more than double last year's total. Thursday's report was the final one account of Biden-era enforcement actions before President-elect Donald Trump takes office in January. Enforcement efforts included first-ever criminal charges for a California man accused of smuggling climate-damaging air coolants into the United States. Engine maker Cummins Inc. paid more than $2 billion in fines and penalties after it was found to use illegal software to skirt diesel emissions tests. Work-life balance isn't working for women. Why? NEW YORK (AP) — About half of working women reported feeling stressed “a lot of the day,” compared to about 4 in 10 men, according to a Gallup report published Wednesday. The report suggests that competing demands of work and home comprise part of the problem: working women who are parents or guardians are more likely than men who are parents to say they have declined or delayed a promotion at work because of personal or family obligations, and mothers are more likely than fathers to “strongly agree” that they are the default responders for unexpected child care issues. But changing workplace culture and prioritizing well-being can improve the problem, according to Karen Guggenheim, creator of the World Happiness Summit. From outsider to the Oval Office, bitcoin surges as a new administration embraces crypto NEW YORK (AP) — Bitcoin burst on the scene after trust had withered in the financial system and Washington’s ability to protect people from it. Now, it’s Washington’s embrace of bitcoin that’s sending it to records. Bitcoin briefly surged above $103,000 after President-elect Donald Trump said he will nominate Paul Atkins, who's seen as friendly to crypto, to be the Securities and Exchange Commission's next chair. The crypto industry, meanwhile, did its part to bring politicians friendly to digital currencies into Washington. It's a twist from bitcoin's early days, when it was lauded as a kind of electronic cash that wouldn’t be beholden to any government or financial institution. Stock market today: Wall Street edges back from its records as bitcoin briefly pops above $100,000 NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks edged back from their records as Wall Street counted down to a big jobs report that’s coming on Friday. The S&P 500 fell 0.2% Thursday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 0.6%, and the Nasdaq composite sank 0.2% from its own all-time high. The crypto market had more action, and bitcoin briefly burst to a record above $103,000 before falling back toward $99,000. It's climbed dramatically since Election Day on hopes President-elect Donald Trump will be more friendly to crypto. Airline stocks were strong, while Treasury yields held relatively steady in the bond market. Key members of OPEC+ alliance are putting off production increases amid slack crude prices FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Eight members of the OPEC+ alliance of oil exporting countries have decided to put off increasing oil production as they face weaker than expected demand and competing production from non-allied countries — factors that could keep oil prices stagnant into next year. The OPEC+ members decided at an online meeting to postpone by three months production increases that had been scheduled to take effect Jan. 1. The plan had been to start gradually restoring 2.2 million barrels per day over the course of 2025. That process will now be pushed back to April 1, 2025 and production increases will gradually take place over 18 months until October 2026. Eli Lilly invests $3B to expand Wisconsin factory to help meet demand for Mounjaro, Zepbound Eli Lilly is spending another $3 billion to bulk up manufacturing as the drugmaker seeks to stoke production of some blockbuster drugs and future products. Lilly said Thursday it will expand a Kenosha County, Wisconsin, factory it bought early this year. The investment will help meet growing demand for injectable products like its diabetes and obesity drugs, Mounjaro and Zepbound. Those drugs brought in a combined $4.4 billion in sales for Lilly in this year’s third quarter. The drugmaker plans to start construction of the expansion next year.Tokio Marine North America Services Named One of Computerworld's 2025 Best Places to Work in IT

Elizabeth Neville has been appointed the Director of the Australian Institute of Family Studies for a five-year term. Neville brings experience across multiple government and non-government agencies and the legal sector to the role at , the Australian Government’s key research advisory agency in the area of family wellbeing. It’s an independent statutory authority established in 1980 under the . Neville’s background is in disability, aged care and community services, and she has qualifications in social work, education and evaluation. She has previously worked in management roles in service delivery and peak body organisations in the not for profit sector. Neville has also worked as a senior manager in provision of government advisory services. Before joining AIFS, she was a senior executive with the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA). Neville has been acting in the position of Director at AIFS since June 2023. Announcing Neville’s appointment, the Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth said Neville’s experience will ensure the AIFS continues to conduct high-quality, impartial research to inform Australia’s policies and programs. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of Ms Neville into the role of Director of AIFS,” Rishworth said. “Ms Neville will continue to bring valuable policy and operational experience to the role, particularly as the former Head of the Children’s Taskforce in the National Disability and Insurance Agency.” “Our Government recognises the value of the work AIFS does to support the family services sector, and will continue to work closely with Ms Neville to ensure AIFS’ research, evaluation and knowledge translation supports the government to address the major forces, trends and transitions that will impact Australian families over coming decades.” “Under Ms Neville’s leadership, AIFS will continue to deliver critical research and insights into the wellbeing of Australian families, informing government policy and promoting evidence-based practices in the family services sector,” Rishworth said.Paylocity Holding Co. (NASDAQ:PCTY) Director Steven I. Sarowitz Sells 1,400 Shares of Stock

Trump Threatens 100 Percent Tariffs On Any ‘BRICS’ Nation That Abandons US DollarTrump and Elon Musk bring American swagger, joyous awe back to space travel

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Mums and babies dying during childbirth has increased for the first time in a decade, a shock report shows. Lord Darzi, who recently completed a landmark review of the NHS as a whole, looked at rates of women dying during or shortly after pregnancy , and babies dying within 28 days of being born. His latest report found rates of neonatal deaths - babies born at 20 weeks or after, but who die before they are 28-days-old - and maternal deaths - women who die while pregnant or up to six weeks after due to issues linked to pregnancy - increased for the first time in 10 years and are continuing to rise. It comes after a string of major maternity scandals at struggling NHS trusts at which poor care was linked to hundreds of baby deaths and many more being left brain damaged. Lord Darzi is co-director of the Institute of Global Health Innovation at Imperial College London which conducted the review. He said: "Our latest report on patient safety in England reveals alarming declines. The deterioration in maternity care, in particular, requires immediate action. Our analysis highlights a troubling increase in neonatal and maternal deaths, with black women disproportionately affected." Between 2013 and 2020, the neonatal death rate fell by 17%, from 1.7 to 1.3 per 1,000 live births. But it rose to 1.5 per 1,000 live births in 2022, an increase of 15.4%. Maternal deaths were described as "steady" between 2011 and 2013 and 2017 and 2019, although between 2017 and 2019 and 2020 to 2022, the rate increased from 8.8 to 13.4 deaths per 100,000. The report described the figure as "a statistically significant increase of 52.3%". It also pointed to an uneven spread of the impacts of unsafe care, which are "greater in the North than the South". Lord Darzi added: "The NHS is now falling behind leading nations in patient safety. We urgently need to address these issues to repair the health service, and provide high-quality care for all patients and their families." James Titcombe, chief executive of the charity Patient Safety Watch, said: "These findings and recommendations must contribute to urgent and meaningful discussion about the changes needed, so that when we revisit the data in two years, we see these troubling trends reversed and tangible progress in reducing the devastating impact of healthcare harm on patients, families, and healthcare professionals." A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: "Patient safety is paramount, and all women and their babies deserve safe, high-quality care. We are working to introduce a culture of transparency in our health service and will never turn a blind eye to failure. We are committed to driving up standards in healthcare through our Plan for Change, and we will tackle the shocking inequalities that exist across the country. We will also work closely with NHS England to train thousands more midwives to better support women throughout their pregnancy and beyond."In the final hours before University of Mississippi student Jimmy “Jay” Lee disappeared , sexually explicit Snapchat messages were exchanged between his account and the account of the man now on trial in his killing, an investigator testified Thursday. Sheldon “Timothy” Herrington Jr., 24, of Grenada, Mississippi, is charged with capital murder in the death of Lee, who vanished July 8, 2022. Lee, 20, of Jackson, Mississippi, was a gay man well known in the LGBTQ+ community at Ole Miss and in Oxford, where the university is located and Herrington’s trial is being held. Lee’s body has never been found, but a judge has declared him dead. Herrington maintains his own innocence. Herrington “was not openly in the LGBTQ community,” but evidence will show he had a relationship with Lee and is responsible for the death, assistant district attorney Gwen Agho said during opening arguments Tuesday in Oxford. Herrington’s attorney, Kevin Horan, told jurors that prosecutors have “zero” proof Lee was killed. University Police Department Sgt. Benjamin Douglas testified Thursday that investigators used search warrants to obtain cellphone records, information from social media accounts belonging to Lee and Herrington and information about Herrington’s internet searches on the day Lee disappeared until Herrington was arrested two weeks later. RELATED COVERAGE Murphy and Nwoko lead Mississippi State to 90-57 rout of No. 18 Pitt Campus cameras showed a student leaving his Ole Miss apartment the day he disappeared Davis scores 20, Pedulla adds 16 as No. 23 Ole Miss beats Louisville 86-63 in SEC/ACC Challenge One of Lee’s friends, Khalid Fears, testified Tuesday that he had a video call with Lee just before 6 a.m. on July 8, 2022. Fears said Lee mentioned a sexual encounter with a man hours earlier, which ended badly. Lee was leaving his own on-campus apartment to go see the same man again, Fears said. Douglas testified Herrington’s Snapchat account sent a message to Lee’s account at about 5:25 a.m. saying: “Come back.” People using the two accounts then argued, and Lee’s account sent a message at 5:54 a.m. saying he was on the way over. Douglas said that at 6:03 a.m., Lee’s account sent its final message: “Open.” Google records obtained through a warrant showed that Herrington searched “how long does it take to strangle someone” at 5:56 a.m., Douglas said. An officer from another police agency, the Oxford Police Department, testified that starting on 7:18 a.m. the morning of Lee’s disappearance, a car matching the description of Lee’s black sedan was captured on multiple security cameras driving through Oxford. A camera showed the car entering a parking lot at the Molly Barr Trails apartment complex at 7:25 a.m., Lt. Mark Hodges testified. The same camera showed a man jogging out of the parking lot moments later, turning onto Molly Barr Road. A witness, Kizziah Carter, testified Wednesday that he was driving home from work about 7:30 that morning and saw Herrington jogging along Molly Barr Road. Carter said he knew Herrington and honked to greet him, and Herrington flagged him down to ask for a ride. Carter said he drove Herrington to Herrington’s apartment in another complex. Lee’s car was towed from Molly Barr Trails later that day. Both Herrington and Lee had graduated from the University of Mississippi. Lee was pursuing a master’s degree. He was known for his creative expression through fashion and makeup and often performed in drag shows in Oxford, according to a support group called Justice for Jay Lee. Prosecutors have announced they do not intend to pursue the death penalty, meaning Herrington could get a life sentence if convicted. Mississippi law defines capital murder as a killing committed along with another felony — in this case, kidnapping.

The internet is rife with fake reviews. Will AI make it worse?NoneUBHOME Collaborates with Qualcomm to Release the Smart Lawn Mower, Co-Creating a New Era of Smart Life

Chargers QB Justin Herbert does not practice because of left ankle injuryIf you’re the sort of player who can’t resist a cheap pedal deal, you need to head over to Amazin this Black Friday. , it’s the perfect place to pick up a bargain addition to your that won’t break the bank. It’s one of the cheapest we’ve seen this year, and there’s plenty of choice that should cover most guitarists' tastes. These pedals might be cheap but don’t mistake them for being not good. Many are clones of famous circuits, giving you access to a much more famous pedal for a lot less. Others are just actually great pedals that are capable of delivering some seriously good tones without costing you an arm and a leg. Here are five great pedals that are completely worth picking up in the sale: Everyone needs a Rat on their pedalboard, and the Joyo Splinter Distortion can do a lot of different Rat tones in one stompbox. It’s uber cheap and gives you lots of options for tone shaping that make it super versatile. It can do stock rat sounds but also has an option to imitate a Fat Rat and has a MOSFET mode too. Based on one of Boss’ most famous chorus pedal circuits, the Behringer UC200 Ultra Chorus is essentially an exact clone of the famous blue Boss pedal. You’d be hard-pressed to tell the difference between the two if you were blindfolded and with this reduction in the sale it’s insanely good value for money. You might not have heard of Monoprice before but don’t let that put you off. They actually make a brilliant budget in the Stage Right by Monoprice, so it’s not surprising to find that their is great value for money too. We really like the fuzzy side of this pedal when you start cranking the settings. A genuinely great amp modeler for less than $40? Yes, you’ve read that right. The Joyo American Sound is destined to become a cult classic, delivering the sound of a Deluxe Reverb on a shoestring budget. It takes pedals really well too, making it great for building a pedalboard-based rig without spending loads. are notoriously expensive but the Donner Verb Square absolutely delivers for relatively little money. With 7 different algorithms it can cover a lot of ground whether you want a nice short room tone or something a little more cavernous. It’s the most expensive pedal here but at just below $40, still one of the cheapest reverb pedals you can buy right now. All the latest guitar news, interviews, lessons, reviews, deals and more, direct to your inbox! Matt is a Junior Deals Writer here at Guitar Player. He regularly tests and reviews music gear with a focus on guitars, amps, pedals, modelers, and pretty much anything else guitar-related. Matt worked in music retail for 5 years at and and has written for many music sites including MusicRadar, Guitar World, Guitar.com, Ultimate Guitar, and Thomann’s t.blog. A regularly gigging guitarist with over 20 years of experience playing live, writing, and recording in bands, he's performed everything from jazz to djent, gigging all over the UK in more dingy venues than you can shake a drop-tuned guitar at.Donald Trump picks Missouri’s Billy Long to lead the IRS