Wednesday, December 4, 2024
It is Wednesday, December 4, 2024. Here are today’s top stories.
———
CEO of UnitedHealth fatally shot
This morning, the CEO of UnitedHealth, who is the largest health insurer in the U.S., was shot and killed outside a hotel in Manhattan. His name was Brian Thompson.
Police in New York said it appears to be a targeted attack by a gunman lying in wait. Videos showed him standing in front of the hotel, ignoring other people, and then shooting at Thompson in the back.
The suspected gunman is still at large. He fled on foot and then rode an electric bike into Central Park. He has not yet been identified.
Thompson’s wife told NBC News that he told her that there were some people who threatened him in the past over issues with health insurance coverage.
Today there was supposed to be an annual investor conference for UnitedHealth, but it was canceled after the shooting.
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/unitedhealthcare-ceo-fatally-shot-ny-post-reports-2024-12-04/
———
Supreme Court likely to support state ban on transgender care
AP News said the majority of Supreme Court justices appear poised to support Tennessee in its state ban on gender-affirming care for minors.
At least 26 states have various laws restricting or banning gender-affirming care for minors, which may include puberty blockers, hormone treatments, and in very rare cases, surgery. The Supreme Court’s decision will have an impact on whether these states can carry out their bans.
AP explained that both sides in the case said they are trying to protect minors from harm.
People are concerned about the mental health of minors who feel conflicted with how they identify themselves and their bodies, which is called gender dysphoria. People are also concerned about minors who receive gender-affirming care but later change their minds.
The Supreme Court usually issues its decisions in June.
https://apnews.com/live/supreme-court-transgender-care-updates
———
Search for woman who fell into sinkhole in Pennsylvania
A 64-year-old woman in Pennsylvania may have fallen into a sinkhole overnight Monday-Tuesday while she was out looking for her cat.
The sinkhole has an opening about the size of a manhole. The hole is likely due to an old coal mine beneath the surface.
On Tuesday, crews lowered cameras into the hole and saw what looks like a shoe about 30 feet below the surface, but did not see a person or hear anything. There is a big void underneath the hole with different depths.
Crews said they have to be very careful to not put any of their members in danger. They hope the woman is somewhere in one of the voids.
—---
Sponsored Video by Sorenson: www.sorenson.com
—---
LPGA issues “female at birth” policy
The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) said it’s implementing a policy that says its players must be assigned female at birth or have transitioned to female before going through male puberty to compete in LGPA tournaments or the eight USGA championships for women.
The policies will begin in 2025. ESPN said there was over a year of studies involving medicine, science, sport physiology, and gender policy law.
The new policy would prevent a transgender female golfer named Hailey Davidson, who began hormone treatments when she was in her early 20s and underwent gender reassignment surgery in 2021.
The LPGA said they wanted their policies to strive for equity in competition while at the same time being inclusive of gender identities.
———
Harris campaign $20M in debt after raising $1.4B
News reports said Kamala Harris’ campaign is about $20 million in debt despite raising about $1.4 billion after she became the Democratic nominee for the presidency.
The Harris campaign has continued to send out emails asking for donations in the weeks after her loss to Donald Trump.
The Harris campaign spent over $550 million on digital and TV advertisements, millions on private jets, and significant amounts on celebrity appearances at rallies.
The Harris campaign said they were trying to fundraise for costs associated with ending her campaign such as maintaining staff, closing offices, and doing financial reports.
———
Trudeau says Trump joked about Canada becoming 51st state
Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau said Donald Trump was joking when he suggested that Canada become the 51st U.S. state when they met last week at Mar-a-Lago.
Trudeau was sharing concerns that Trump’s tariff threats against Canada would damage their economy. That’s when Trump made the joke.
On a serious note, Trudeau said if Trump imposed tariffs of 25%, he would be raising prices for American citizens and hurt businesses in the U.S., as well as hurting Canadians. He said he hopes to work with Trump to address his concerns on illegal border crossings and fentanyl.
AP said Canada is the top export destination for 36 U.S. states and that almost $3 million worth of goods and services cross the U.S.-Canadian border daily.
———
That is all the top stories for today. See you tomorrow and stay with the light.