super. ace

Investors Eye Taiwan Semiconductor! Huge Shift in Stock Positions.

A US federal appeals court has rejected a challenge to the law that prevents popular apps that collect data on Americans from being controlled by a foreign adversary. The decision puts the ongoing operation of social media network TikTok, a subsidiary of China-based ByteDance, at risk. Unless the ruling is reversed on appeal, ByteDance divests, or the White House intervenes, TikTok will be forced to stop operating in the US as soon as January 19, 2025. The President – Biden until January 20, 2025 – has the option to grant a one-time 90-day extension to this deadline. The law at issue, initially known as the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act (PFACAA), became part of the foreign assistance package passed in April, after which it was approved by President Biden. It limits foreign adversaries from collecting data through adversary-controlled software applications. It also identifies ByteDance and TikTok by name, while potentially applying to code controlled by other foreign entities. For years, US officials have warned that TikTok has the potential to be used to spy on Americans. In March, then head of NSA Cybersecurity Rob Joyce called TikTok China's "Trojan horse." More recently, US authorities have alleged active data gathering. The US Justice Department in a July court filing accused ByteDance and TikTok of using an internal tool called Lark to allow TikTok employees in the US to communicate with ByteDance engineers in China and provide them with US users' sensitive personal information. ByteDance, incorporated in the Cayman Islands but headquartered in China, challenged the constitutionality of the law in May. "Banning TikTok is so obviously unconstitutional, in fact, that even the act’s sponsors recognized that reality, and therefore have tried mightily to depict the law not as a ban at all, but merely a regulation of TikTok’s ownership," the companies said in their lawsuit [PDF]. On Friday, a three-judge panel for the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit unanimously disagreed, finding the Justice Department's national security argument valid. "The government provides persuasive support for its concerns regarding the threat posed by the PRC [People's Republic of China] in general and through the TikTok platform in particular," the appellate ruling [PDF] says, noting that the objections raised by ByteDance and TikTok are insufficient. "[T]he bottom line is that they fail to overcome the government’s considered judgment and the deference we owe that judgment," the ruling says. ByteDance and TikTok intend to appeal to the US Supreme Court. "The Supreme Court has an established historical record of protecting Americans' right to free speech, and we expect they will do just that on this important constitutional issue," said TikTok spokesperson Michael Hughes in a statement provided to The Register . "Unfortunately, the TikTok ban was conceived and pushed through based upon inaccurate, flawed and hypothetical information, resulting in outright censorship of the American people. The TikTok ban, unless stopped, will silence the voices of over 170 million Americans here in the US and around the world on January 19, 2025." TikTok could get a reprieve from the incoming administration, however. President-elect Trump, during his first term, tried to ban TikTok. But during his recent presidential campaign, he promised to save it, perhaps largely so that Mark Zuckerberg's Meta doesn't get more of a monopoly over US social media. In March this year, Trump, on his own ironically named Truth Social, declared without evidence: "I don't want Facebook, who cheated in the last election, doing better," adding: "They are a true enemy of the people." If ByteDance is forced to divest but no acceptable buyer can be found, Oracle, which provides IT services to TikTok in the US, has warned its revenue could suffer. In a June SEC filing , the database titan said, "If we are unable to provide those services to TikTok, and if we cannot redeploy that capacity in a timely manner, our revenues and profits would be adversely impacted." ®

The world’s largest wind-powered cargo ship makes her maiden transatlantic voyageThe patient is submerged in an ice bath as an anesthetic for its impending surgery. When sufficient numbness is achieved, University of Queensland student Lachlan Fitzgerald begins the procedure, carefully attaching a tiny circuit board to its back to create a part-living, part-machine biohybrid robot. Related video above: How Cyborg Cockroaches Could Help Save Human Lives The patient is, in fact, a beetle, and the backpack-like device sends electrical pulses to its antennae, allowing Fitzgerald to control its movements while tapping into its natural agility. "Only when it leaves the desired path that we want it to be on do we intervene and tell it to actually go this way instead of the way it was actually heading," says Fitzgerald, who is studying mathematics and engineering. He hopes to create an army of insect-machine search and rescue workers. "We see a future where after an urban disaster like an earthquake or a bombing, where humans can't safely access the disaster site, being able to send in a bunch of cyborg beetles to navigate the disaster zone quickly and efficiently," he says. The biorobotics lab where Fitzgerald works is putting control backpacks onto giant burrowing cockroaches, a species native to Australia that can grow up to three inches (eight centimeters) long, and darkling beetles. Species from the darkling family can be found scurrying through environments ranging from tropical savannas to arid deserts across the world . Having to handle the bugs doesn't bother Fitzgerald: "No, they definitely don't gross me out!" he says. Cyborg insects have an edge over traditional robots, according to Fitzgerald. "Insects are so adaptable compared to an artificial robotic system, which has to perform so much computation to be able to deal with all these different scenarios that might get thrown at it in the real world," he explains. Fitzgerald says cyborg search and rescue beetles or cockroaches might be able to help in disaster situations by finding and reporting the location of survivors and delivering lifesaving drugs to them before human rescuers can get there. But first, the Australian researchers must master the ability to direct the movements of the insects, which could take a while. Fitzgerald says that although the work might seem futuristic now, in a few decades, cyborg insects could be saving lives. He's not the only roboticist creating robots from living organisms. Academics at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), for example, are implanting electronic pacemakers into jellyfish to control their swimming speed. They hope the bionic jellies could help collect data about the ocean far below the surface. In September, Cornell University researchers released robots controlled by a king oyster mushroom. The robots, which sense and respond to the environment by harnessing electrical signals made by the fungus and its sensitivity to light, could have uses like sensing the soil chemistry near crops to decide when to add more fertilizer. The rise of biohybrid robots has stirred debate about the ethics of the work , and some researchers have advocated for better regulation and oversight. Caltech academics told CNN that they worked with bioethicists to ensure its interventions don't cause any type of stress response in the jellyfish they work with. Fitzgerald says that beetles that have had backpacks attached to them have normal life expectancies. "So I don't think they mind, per se," he says. "The science is out on whether or not they're actually conscious beings," he adds. He agrees that concerns about the welfare of the creatures are valid but urges people to consider the benefits: "I think the potential for this technology to save lives in an urban disaster, it really outweighs any kind of hesitancy you might have towards the field."

Bamboo Technology's HereHear Virtual AI Therapist Joins Berkeley Skydeck IPP Program

Matsuno shoots a 69 in Hawaii golf qualifier

NoneBuckeyes head football coach Ryan Day likely cannot lose another game after Ohio State lost 13-10 to Michigan on November 30 as three-score favorites. If Day’s program loses in the College Football Playoff, which the Buckeyes are still expected to make, the consensus is that he will be fired in the offseason. “If Ryan Day doesn't win the national title this year, he should be fired. Not make the title game, not make the semis, win it,” CBS Sports’ Shehan Jeyarajah wrote in the aftermath of the unfathomable Week 14 upset. The Athletic’s Stewart Mandel doesn’t think Day will be spared by anything and compared the loss to Kentucky’s Round of 64 loss to Oakland during this past March Madness tournament. “This feels like Ryan Day's equivalent of John Calipari losing to Oakland. Whether it's by his choice or someone else's, the guy is going to need an exit plan after this. There's no coming back from it,” Mandel wrote. Not only did Day’s team lose, but they prompted a brawl against Wolverines players after planting the Michigan flag at midfield. Day responded by condoning the brawl. "I don’t know all the details, but I know these guys were looking to put a flag on our field and we’re not going to let that happen,” Day said postgame. Day came into the season having recruited a $20 million NIL-valuated roster, complete with multiple NFL-bound receivers and one of the best running backs on the transfer market, Quinshon Judkins. Ultimately, though, relying on Kansas State transfer Will Howard may cost him this season. Day isn’t going out without a fight. But his Buckeyes need more than just fight as they enter the College Football Playoff; they need wins unless they want a change at head coach next season.'Trust and reserve judgement' on rebrand, says Jaguar

Silicon, a component in a range of common consumer products, was identified earlier this year by Canada and last week by the US as a material critical to supply chain security for clean energy transition technologies. The US’ newly amended Critical Mineral Consistency Act modifies the Energy Act of 2020 to expand the definition of critical minerals to include critical materials designated by the Department of Energy, and now includes copper, electrical steel, silicon and silicon carbide. This summer, silicon was named by the Biden administration in an initiative to provide up to $400 million to usher in a new era of semiconductor manufacturing, and on Wednesday, the administration finalized Chips Act incentives , awarding chipmaker GlobalFoundries $1.5 billion in grants to support US factories as part of a broader semiconductor push. Silicon metal is critical in semiconductors and photovoltaic cells, and there is electric battery technology emerging with silicon as an anode component. Silicon can hold 10 times as many lithium ions by weight as graphite , but developing the battery technology to scale sustainably has met its share of challenges. As with many other metals critical to clean energy technologies, there is a projected near short term boost in demand for silicon– from 3.27 million tons in 2024 to 4.25 million tons in 2029 – a 5.4% CAGR increase. Ferroglobe (NASDAQ: GSM) produces silicon products for new technologies with operations in eight states and plans to expand its production capacity. The company’s US operations. Source: Ferroglobe Ferroglobe’s vice president of US corporate affairs, Bill Hightower, is concerned about the US’ ability to meet impending production demand increases, while having to rely on China, which controls over 70% of the world’s production. Hightower, a former Alabama senator and congressional candidate, points out the advantage to the US implementing industrial policy on silicon metal. China notoriously overproduces metals, subsequently flooding emerging markets with cheaper products. In an investigation on Silicon Metal from China , last year, the US International Trade Commission determined the “revocation of the antidumping duty order on silicon metal from China would be likely to lead to continuation or recurrence of material injury to an industry in the United States within a reasonably foreseeable time.” “If these countries are naming critical materials like silicon metal, then we can develop policy around it,” Hightower told MINING.com in an interview. “If [China] makes 70% of the world’s [supply], all they’ve got to do is dump it in another region, and it has an ultimate effect upon America and other markets. If China sneezes, the whole world feels it when it comes to silicon metal and other products. Graphite was the big scare last year.” The former politician turned resource company executive recently authored an Op-ed on the critical role of silicon metal production in the US energy sector. “All throughout my career, I’ve been very aware of what’s going on in Washington D.C...I’ve been through the cycle...where there was tremendous offshoring,” Hightower said. “We were looking for the lowest cost producer. It was a global economy. But things are changing.” Now, there’s an emphasis on reshoring or nearshoring. And we have to get on with it because the current suppliers of the product, if they decided to cut us off, we’d be in a lot of trouble.” Ferroglobe has forged a partnership with Coreshell, a company Hightower said has “broken the code” on displacing graphite in batteries, which could substantially reduce the cost. The company acknowledges that metallurgical silicon anodes tend to swell and degrade quickly, but says its technology solves this problem. On its website, Coreshell states its technology acts both as an artificial SEI (solid electrolyte interphase) and as an encapsulant – reinforcing metallurgical silicon anodes during charge and discharge – while preventing surface degradation. “Coreshell has a number of tests underway. They’ve determined how they can now displace 100% of the graphite, [and] introduce silicon. And as a result, the battery charges 30% faster. It goes 20% longer,” Hightower said. Hightower said the process lessens the incident of fire in the battery and new technologies will reduce the cost of electric vehicle ownership. “Our theory is that the market for electric vehicles is kind of a high-priced market, and it’s been fully penetrated. The only way to expand and sell more is to drop the price. A battery is a third of the car’s cost. We have a development agreement and we’re working with auto manufacturers to define the next technology in batteries.” “With the battery technology, with photovoltaic, with chips all being reshored, demand for silicon metal is going to really ratchet up at the end of the decade. And if we don’t build that capacity now, we’re going to find ourselves even more reliant upon imports.” Hightower said Ferroglobe has permitting underway for additional capacity in the US and West Virginia Representative Carol Miller has introduced a task force to look at tax policy along the supply chains. “Certainly, the federal government has a role to play in incentivizing the building of capacity. If we’re not going to have enough capacity in silicon metal, the US can incentivize companies to start that. They can do it by managing the tariffs. They can also do it by offering tax credits and incentives, as they’ve done with the IRA or the bipartisan infrastructure law.” President- elect Trump has indicated his support for US domestic manufacturing, and Hightower believes silicon production in the US will benefit from this policy. “Silicon metals are used in such a broad range of products, any policy which encourages US-based production products in the automotive, medical, electronics, and energy sectors will be a positive for silicon production in the USA,” he said. Hightower notes President Elect Trump will take actions to reduce the cost of energy in the US by investing in lower cost traditional energy sources like oil and natural gas, reopening federal lands for oil and gas, expediting new pipeline and infrastructure projects, incentives for development of clean coal and nuclear power, and EPA action to support fossil/liquid-based fuel producers. “As silicon production requires an enormous amount of energy, any actions to reduce the cost of US domestic energy costs will benefit the industry and the consumer,” Hightower said. “President Elect Trump has indicated that he will use tariffs and trade policy to strategically achieve US domestic goals, and protect the US from countries who compete unfairly. To the degree these actions deal with un-competitive behavior such as dumping in the US, it will help the industry.”Singer-songwriter Khalid came out as gay on social media after he was outed, according to his posts on X. The Grammy nominee , 26, posted a rainbow flag emoji and short statement on X on Friday afternoon. "there yall go. next topic please lol," Khalid, whose full name is Khalid Donnel Robinson, wrote. 🏳️‍🌈!!! there yall go. next topic please lol In a later post, Khalid said that he had been "outted," but did not provide any other information or context. "The world still continues to turn," he wrote . He added that he was "not ashamed" of his sexuality, but had not publicly spoken about it because "it ain't nobodies business." He responded to multiple fans' comments to say he was never "hiding" his sexual orientation. In a final post , he said he was done discussing the topic. He also shared some of the posts on his Instagram story, thanking fans for "all of the support." CBS News reached out to Khalid's representatives for any additional comment. Khalid released his third studio album "Sincere" in August. Throughout his career, he has earned critical acclaim and has been nominated for six Grammy Awards. He has won multiple MTV Video Music Awards and Billboard Music Awards. In 2019, he was named one of Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People. Music LGBTQ+ Kerry Breen is a news editor at CBSNews.com. A graduate of New York University's Arthur L. Carter School of Journalism, she previously worked at NBC News' TODAY Digital. She covers current events, breaking news and issues including substance use.Get a Babbel lifetime language subscription at a big discount right now. Learning a new language can be daunting. But right now, you can buy a lifetime subscription to Babbel Language Learning from Stack Social that lets you choose from 14 languages and access more than 10,000 hours of online language education for $130 -- that's 78% off. Not everyone has the time or resources to study a brand-new language. Babbel keeps you organized with lesson plans that are digestible and short -- 10 to 15 minutes -- so that you can fit learning into your busy schedule. No matter where you are, you can work on previous material that you can continue to hone, and cover a wide range of real-life topics like business, eating, traveling, and more. The application is designed with travel in mind -- allowing you to plan that vacation abroad. As a conversation-focused platform, Babbel can help you speak and understand whatever language you choose, as opposed to a more comprehension-driven curriculum. Its speech-recognition technology can help you get a feel for proper pronunciation and accents. Get this Babbel language learning lifetime subscription on sale now. When will this deal expire? Deals are subject to sell-out or expire at any time, though ZDNET remains committed to finding, sharing, and updating the best product deals for you to score the best savings. Our team of experts regularly checks in on the deals we share to ensure they are still live and obtainable. We're sorry if you've missed out on this deal, but don't fret -- we're constantly finding new chances to score savings and sharing them with you at ZDNET.com . Best VPN services Best robot vacuums and mops The best phones you can buy (and how the iPhone 16 Pro Max compares) The best laptops you can buy: Expert tested

Black Friday is officially over, and we've rounded up the best deals you can still find! Many deals at retailers like Target , Best Buy , Amazon , and Walmart are already sold out, but you can still find some great deals on tech, video games, and more. Here are our picks for the best Black Friday deals still available for Saturday, November 30: Meta Quest 3S VR Headset with Batman: Arkham Shadow Bonus $75 Amazon Credit Amazon has the Meta Quest 3S VR Headset with Batman: Arkham Shadow for $299 today. You'll even get a bonus $75 Amazon credit with your purchase! This headset is perfect if you're just entering the VR space, and it's equipped with everything you need to experience all the latest games out there. In our 9/10 review , we stated, "Raw processing power, full-color passthrough, and snappy Touch Plus controllers make the Quest 3S a fantastic standalone VR headset that also brings entry-level mixed-reality gaming to the masses for – arguably – the very first time." The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom for $30 The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is only $30 today at Walmart. This Switch deal still hasn't sold out, and it's easily one of the best still available. The secrets of the Zonai tribe are revealed, and you'll discover new areas to explore in the skies above and depths below. If there's one game you should pick up this weekend, Tears of the Kingdom is it. Astro Bot for $49.99 Astro Bot is on sale for the first time since launch, and there has never been a better time to pick up one of the PlayStation 5's best games . Building off Astro's Playroom, Astro Bot features many new abilities and bosses to fight, with over 300 bots to rescue across the galaxy. You'll find planets modeled after beloved PlayStation games like Ape Escape and Uncharted, and even surprise third-party bots like Leon S. Kennedy from Resident Evil 2 . Apple AirPods Pro 2 for $154 The best Black Friday AirPods deal is still available. This second generation of Apple AirPods packs in a few new features, with a major one being the switch from Lightning to USB-C. Additionally, you'll find a speaker on the case to help you locate it if needed. While the AirPods 4 have ANC features, the AirPods 2 are the best wireless earbuds you can buy from Apple. If you just recently picked up a new iPhone, this is the perfect accessory for you. Alan Wake II Deluxe Edition for $49.99 Alan Wake II didn't get a physical release at launch last year, but Remedy has fixed that as of last month with the Alan Wake II Deluxe Edition. Today, you can save $30 off the Deluxe Edition physical copy, which bundles in Alan Wake II and its two expansions, Night Springs and The Lake House. If you're a fan of survival horror, this is one of the best games available on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. PlayStation Console Deals Are Now Live There are plenty of PS5 console bundles on sale today, making this the best time of the year to pick up a new console. You can purchase a PlayStation 5 Digital Edition for $374.99, saving $25 and scoring a free game at no extra cost. Or, you can opt for the PlayStation 5 Disc Console, which is priced at $424.99. Sony also has the PlayStation VR 2 on sale today, with the Horizon Call of the Mountain Bundle priced at $349.99 at Best Buy. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth for $39.99 Final Fantasy VII Rebirth was one of 2024's biggest games, continuing the story from 2020's Final Fantasy VII Remake. Cloud, Tifa, Aerith, Barret, and Red XIII begin their journey outside Midgar, meeting characters like Yuffie, Vincent, and Cid alongside the way. This experience offers well over 100 hours of content, with 36 sidequests and a main story over 40 hours long. Plus, there are dozens of minigames to discover. This is by far one of the best games you can get for under $40. Stellar Blade for $49.99 This Black Friday, Stellar Blade is on sale for the first time since launch. This action game from Shift Up has been one of the most popular games of the year. Just a few weeks ago, new Nier: Automata DLC was released, which included new outfits inspired by A2, 2B, and Emil. In our 7/10 review , we stated "Stellar Blade stands out as a gorgeous and well-crafted action game with very impressive strengths and very clear weaknesses." Metaphor: ReFantazio for $49.99 Metaphor: ReFantazio is the latest game from Persona 3, 4, and 5 Director Katsura Hashino and the team at Atlus' Studio Zero. For the first time since launch, you can score the game at a discount , saving $20 post Black Friday. In our 9/10 review , we stated, "Refining the Atlus RPG formula of weaving tough turn-based combat into compelling social sim mechanics, Metaphor: ReFantazio doesn’t just send a powerful message across its political drama, it becomes a beautiful expression of the real impact storytelling can have on all of us." Star Wars Outlaws for $39.99 Star Wars Outlaws released in late August, and it's already $30 off for Black Friday. Protagonist Kay Vass stars in a journey across the galaxy where she must take down a crime boss and unite thieves and criminals alike. While there were some issues at launch, Ubisoft has remedied those for the most part with the recent 1.40 update. This is the lowest price we've seen yet for the game, and it's one of our favorite deals still live after Black Friday. iPad (10th Generation) for $249.99 The iPad can be an incredibly useful device if you're needing something bigger than a phone, and this is our pick from this year's iPad discounts . Powered by the A14 Bionic, you can sketch, create presentations, and watch content all day long, with up to 10 hours of battery life supported. The 10th Generation iPad includes support for Touch ID, Apple Pencil, Magic Keyboard Folio, and more. Final Fantasy XVI for $24.99 One of the biggest 2023 games has hit a new all-time low price! Final Fantasy XVI follows Clive Rosfield on his journey to avenge his brother. For the first time in the Final Fantasy series, you can become a summon, known as Eikons in this world. With spectacular boss battles and an engaging story, Final Fantasy XVI is an excellent time, especially for $24.99. Noah Hunter is a freelance writer and reviewer with a passion for games and technology. He co-founded Final Weapon, an outlet focused on nonsense-free Japanese gaming (in 2019) and has contributed to various publishers writing about the medium.Jeju Air crash prompts South Korea to start emergency inspection of country's airline operation system

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Corey McKeithan scored 28 points as La Salle beat Temple 83-75 on Saturday night. McKeithan shot 10 of 19 from the field, including 3 for 6 from 3-point range, and went 5 for 5 from the line for the Explorers (6-2). Demetrius Lilley added 13 points while shooting 5 for 12, including 2 for 4 from beyond the arc while he also had six rebounds. Jahlil White shot 3 of 13 from the field and 5 of 5 from the free-throw line to finish with 11 points, while adding 12 rebounds. Quante Berry led the Owls (4-3) in scoring, finishing with 18 points, 15 rebounds and two blocks. Temple also got 15 points from Jamal Mashburn Jr.. William Settle had 13 points and seven rebounds. La Salle took the lead with 14:45 to go in the first half and did not relinquish it. The score was 42-33 at halftime, with McKeithan racking up 16 points. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .The mysterious New Year’s angel | Ross Eric Gibson, Local History

American ski racer Lindsey Vonn is picking up speed in her comeback bid at 40 years oldAsha Bhosle singing Karan Aujla’s Tauba Tauba is the coolest thing you’ll watch today

Red Sox new-look bullpen taking shape, but questions remainThe gunman who stalked and killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson fled New York City by bus, police officials told CNN on Friday. Video of the suspected shooter leaving the scene of the shooting Wednesday showed him riding a bicycle to Central Park and later taking a taxi cab to a bus depot, Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny told CNN. Here's the latest: Police believe gunman who killed UnitedHealthcare CEO has left New York City The gunman who killed the CEO of the largest U.S. health insurer may have fled the city on a bus, New York City police officials told CNN on Friday. Video of the suspected shooter leaving the scene of the shooting Wednesday showed him riding a bicycle to Central Park and later taking a taxi cab to a bus depot, Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny told CNN. “We have reason to believe that the person in question has left New York City,” Commissioner Jessica Tisch said. Gunman’s steps after killing UnitedHealthcare’s CEO give police new clues The gunman who killed the CEO of the largest U.S. health insurer made sure to wear a mask during the shooting yet left a trail of evidence in view of the nation’s biggest city and its network of security cameras that have aided authorities piecing together his movements and his identity. A law enforcement official said Friday that new surveillance footage shows the suspect riding the subway and visiting establishments in Manhattan and provided more clues about his actions in the days before he ambushed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson . The gunman’s whereabouts and identity remain unknown Friday, as did the reason for Wednesday’s killing. New York City police say evidence firmly points to it being a targeted attack . ▶ Read more about the search for the gunman For many companies, investor meetings are seen as a risk In many companies, investor meetings like the one UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was walking to when he was fatally shot are viewed as very risky because details on the location and who will be speaking are highly publicized. “It gives people an opportunity to arrive well in advance and take a look at the room, take a look at how people would probably come and go out of a location,” said Dave Komendat, president of DSKomendat Risk Management Services, which is based in the greater Seattle area. Some firms respond by beefing up security. For example, tech companies routinely require everyone attending a major event, such as Apple’s annual unveiling of the next iPhone or a shareholder meeting, to go through airport-style security checkpoints before entering. Others forgo in-person meetings with shareholders. ▶ Read more about how companies protect their leaders Police have obtained other surveillance images of the person wanted for questioning Those images include New York’s subway system, a law enforcement official said. In establishments where the person was captured on camera, he always appeared to pay with cash, the official said. The official wasn’t authorized to discuss details of the ongoing investigation and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. — Mike Balsamo Another health insurer taking precautions after the shooting Medica, a Minnesota-based nonprofit health care firm that serves 1.5 million customers in 12 states, said it’s temporarily closing all six locations. The firm has offices in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Nebraska and North Dakota, and employs about 3,000 people. Employees will work from home, Medica spokesman Greg Bury said in an email Friday. “The safety of Medica employees is our top priority and we have increased security both for all of our employees,” a statement from Medica said. “Although we have received no specific threats related to our campuses, our office buildings will be temporarily closed out of an abundance of caution.” Bury also said biographical information on the company’s executives was taken down from its website as a precaution. Government health insurance provider Centene Corp. says its Investor Day will now be virtual The insurer cited the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in its announcement about the Dec. 12 event. “All of us at Centene are deeply saddened by Brian Thompson’s death and want to express our support for all of those affected. Health insurance is a big industry and a small community; many members of the CenTeam crossed paths with Brian during their careers,” Centene CEO Sarah M. London said in a news release. “He was a person with a deep sense of empathy and clear passion for improving access to care. Our hearts are with his family and his colleagues during this difficult time.” Centene Corp. has grown in recent years to become the largest insurer in Medicaid, the state- and federally funded program that covers care for people with low incomes. Insurers manage Medicaid coverage for states, and Centene has more than 13 million people enrolled in that coverage. UnitedHealth Group says it’s focused on supporting Brian Thompson’s family The insurance company also said it’s focused on ensuring the safety of employees and assisting investigators. “While our hearts are broken, we have been touched by the huge outpouring of kindness and support in the hours since this horrific crime took place,” the company said. NY Mayor Eric Adams provided no new information on investigation’s progress during interviews But he said Friday that he’s confident police will arrest the shooter. “We are on the right road to apprehend him and bring him to justice,” Adams said on TV station WPIX. Hours after the shooting, UnitedHealthcare removed photographs of its executives from its website Later, it removed their names and biographies entirely. Investigators believe the suspect may have traveled to NY last month on a bus that originated in Atlanta Police and federal agents have been collecting information from Greyhound in an attempt to identify the suspect and are working to determine whether he purchased the ticket to New York in late November, a law enforcement official said. Investigators were also trying to obtain additional information from a cellphone recovered from a pedestrian plaza through which the shooter fled. Killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO spotlights complex challenge companies face in protecting top brass The fatal shooting of Brian Thompson while walking alone on a New York City sidewalk has put a spotlight on the widely varied approaches companies take to protect their leaders against threats. Experts say today’s political, economic and technological climate is only going to make the job of evaluating threats against executives and taking action to protect them even more difficult, experts say. Some organizations have a protective intelligence group that uses digital tools such as machine learning or artificial intelligence to comb through online comments to detect threats not only on social media platforms such as X but also on the dark web, says Komendat. They look for what’s being said about the company, its employees and its leadership to uncover risks. ▶ Read more about the steps companies take to protect their leadership Police test DNA and fingerprints on discarded bottle as they hunt for UnitedHealthcare CEO’s killer Police said Thursday they found a water bottle and protein bar wrapper from a trash can near the scene of the ambush and think the suspect bought them from a Starbucks minutes before the shooting. The items were being tested by the city’s medical examiner. The Associated Press