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An irrigation system waters alfalfa at the Saudi-owned Fondomonte farm in Butler Valley. Caitlin O'Hara/Washington Post/Getty Arizona’s attorney general has sued a Saudi-owned farm operating a massive hay operation in the middle of the Arizona desert, alleging that the business is hastening the loss of the rural community’s rapidly depleting groundwater supply. The farm owned by Fondomonte uses billions of gallons of groundwater in La Paz County each year to irrigate the desert to grow hay, which it then ships back to the Middle East to feed dairy cows. The Saudi-owned operation first came to light in a 2015 investigation by the Center for Investigative Reporting and quickly sparked outrage in the state , spurring national and even international media coverage. Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes told CIR last year that she was considering suing to stop the damage. On Wednesday, she announced the public nuisance lawsuit. It asks a judge to stop Fondomonte from excessive pumping and require the company to establish an abatement fund, which would cover damages incurred by neighbors such as their wells going dry or their water quality worsening as the groundwater is depleted. “Arizona law is clear: no company has the right to endanger an entire community’s health and safety for its own gain,” Mayes said in a statement. Arizona Department of Water Resources director Tom Buschatzke initially said that CIR’s 2015 investigation was making “hay” and overblowing the issue, writing in the Arizona Republic that “there is a sufficient water supply available in this area of La Paz County for at least the next 100 years.” But domestic wells of neighbors around Fondomonte soon began to go dry. The farm and its neighbors were profiled in the film The Grab , a feature-length documentary about global food and water conflicts, reported and produced by The Center for Investigative Reporting. In 2017, the well at the Friendship Baptist Church located next to the farm went dry, requiring the pastor to truck in bottled water for baptismals and other events. John Weisser, a rancher near the Saudi farm, told the filmmaking team his well went dry, too, “because the water’s dropping. There’s not enough rain that could replenish it.” Wayne Wade, who lived in a trailer park near the farm, reported the same problem. “The water level went below my pump and the pump burned up and melted the casing,” Wade said. “I think everybody knows the problem, but I don’t know how to correct it. I can’t pay for a high-powered lawyer. Neither can any of my friends.” La Paz County Supervisor Holly Irwin has been asking for help since news of the Saudi-owned farm first broke nearly ten years ago. Now that the state’s attorney general has stepped in, “I feel that La Paz County finally has someone fighting for us,” Irwin said. “My constituents are experiencing real damages from massive groundwater pumping.” Mayes, who was elected in 2022, said that allowing Fondomonte and other mega farms in rural Arizona to pump unlimited amounts of water at no cost beyond the electricity bills they pay to operate the wells has been a failure of the state government. “Why are we allowing a Saudi owned corporation to stick a straw in the ground and suck so much of our water out and send alfalfa back to Saudi Arabia and not charge them a dime for the water? It is bonkers,” Mayes told Reveal last year. “Water in Arizona is life. Our very survival as a state depends on our doing better when it comes to water.” In the mid-1990s, Saudi Arabia was the world’s sixth-largest exporter of wheat . But as their groundwater was drained down, the government told companies to go overseas in search of new water supplies. “Fondomonte came to Arizona to extract water at an unreasonable and excessive rate because doing so was banned in its home country – another arid desert with limited water,” the lawsuit alleges. “Fondomonte is taking advantage of Arizona’s failure to protect its precious groundwater resource.” Fondomonte said in a statement that the allegations are “totally unfounded.” “We will defend any potential action against Fontomonte and our rights vigorously before the competent authorities,” the statement said.

NEW YORK — Donald Trump used his image as a successful New York businessman to become a celebrity, a reality television star and eventually the president. Now he will get to revel in one of the most visible symbols of success in the city when he rings the opening bell of the New York Stock Exchange on Thursday as he's also named Time Magazine's Person of the Year. Trump is expected to be on Wall Street to mark the ceremonial start of the day's trading, according to four people with knowledge of his plans. He will also be announced Thursday as Time's 2024 Person of the Year , according to a person familiar with the selection. The people who confirmed the stock exchange appearance and Time award were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. It will be a notable moment of twin recognitions for Trump, a born-and-bred New Yorker who at times has treated the stock market as a measure of public approval and has long-prized signifiers of his success in New York's business world and his appearances on the covers of magazines — especially Time. Trump was named the magazine's Person of the Year in 2016, when he was first elected to the White House. He had already been listed as a finalist for this year's award alongside Vice President Kamala Harris, X owner Elon Musk, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Kate, the Princess of Wales. Time declined to confirm the selection ahead of Thursday morning's announcement. “Time does not comment on its annual choice for Person of the Year prior to publication,” a spokesperson for the magazine said Wednesday. The ringing of the bell is a powerful symbol of U.S. capitalism — and a good New York photo opportunity at that. Despite his decades as a New York businessman, Trump has never done it before. It was unclear whether Trump, a Republican, would meet with New York's embattled mayor, Democrat Eric Adams , who has warmed to Trump and has not ruled out changing his political party. Adams has been charged with federal corruption crimes and accused of selling influence to foreign nationals; he has denied wrongdoing. Trump himself was once a symbol of New York, but he gave up living full-time in his namesake Trump Tower in Manhattan and moved to Florida after leaving the White House. CNN first reported Wednesday Trump’s visit to the stock exchange and Politico reported that Trump was expected to be unveiled as Time's Person of the Year. The stock exchange regularly invites celebrities and business leaders to participate in the ceremonial opening and closing of trading. During Trump’s first term, his wife, Melania Trump, rang the bell to promote her “Be Best” initiative on children’s well-being. Last year, Time CEO Jess Sibley rang the opening bell to unveil the magazine's 2023 Person of the Year: Taylor Swift . After the Nov. 5 election, the S&P 500 rallied 2.5% for its best day in nearly two years. The Dow Jones Industrial Average surged 1,508 points, or 3.6%, while the Nasdaq composite jumped 3%. All three indexes topped records they had set in recent weeks. The U.S. stock market has historically tended to rise regardless of which party wins the White House, with Democrats scoring bigger average gains since 1945. But Republican control could mean big shifts in the winning and losing industries underneath the surface, and investors are adding to bets built earlier on what the higher tariffs, lower tax rates and lighter regulation that Trump favors will mean. Trump has long courted the business community based on his own status as a wealthy real estate developer who gained additional fame as the star of the TV show “The Apprentice” in which competitors tried to impress him with their business skills. He won the election in part by tapping into Americans' deep anxieties about an economy that seemed unable to meet the needs of the middle class. The larger business community has applauded his promises to reduce corporate taxes and cut regulations. But there are also concerns about his stated plans to impose broad tariffs and possibly target companies that he sees as not aligning with his own political interests. Trump spends the bulk of his time at his Florida home but was in New York for weeks this spring during his hush money trial there. He was convicted, but his lawyers are pushing for the case to be thrown out in light of his election. While he spent hours in a Manhattan courthouse every day during his criminal trial, Trump took his presidential campaign to the streets of the heavily Democratic city, holding a rally in the Bronx and popping up at settings for working-class New Yorkers: a bodega, a construction site and a firehouse. Trump returned to the city in September to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at his Manhattan tower. At the stock exchange, the ringing of the bell has been a tradition since the 1800s. The first guest to do it was a 10-year-old boy named Leonard Ross, in 1956, who won a quiz show answering questions about the stock market. Many times, companies listing on the exchange would ring the bell at 9:30 a.m. to commemorate their initial offerings as trading began. But the appearances have become an important marker of culture and politics -- something that Trump hopes to seize as he’s promised historic levels of economic growth. The anti-apartheid advocate and South African President Nelson Mandela rang the bell, as has Hollywood star Sylvester Stallone with his castmates from the film “The Expendables.” So, too, have the actors Robert Downey Jr. and Jeremy Renner for an “Avengers” movie and the Olympians Michael Phelps and Natalie Coughlin. In 1985, Ronald Reagan became the first sitting U.S. president to ring the bell. “With tax reform and budget control, our economy will be free to expand to its full potential, driving the bears back into permanent hibernation,” Reagan said at the time. “We’re going to turn the bull loose.” The crowd of traders on the floor chanted, “Ronnie! Ronnie! Ronnie!” The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed in 1985 and 1986, but it suffered a decline in October 1987 in an event known as “Black Monday.” ___ Long reported from Washington. Associated Press writer Josh Boak in Washington contributed to this report.CHARLESTON – The testimony of teachers and school principals about growing instances of physically violent behavior by children toward fellow students and school staff Monday was still on the minds of lawmakers Tuesday morning after hearing an annual report on bullying and harassment. The Legislative Oversight Commission on Education Accountability met Tuesday on the final day of December legislative interim meetings at the State Capitol Building. The commission received an annual report from the state Department of Education regarding harassment, intimidation and/or bullying student behaviors. The report covers data from the 2023-24 school year. According to the report, of the 170,721 discipline referrals for students, 3,453, or 2%, were for incidents of harassment, intimidation or bullying. Of these referrals, 14% were for race of physical appearance; 6% were for mental, physical, developmental and/or sensory disabilities; 4% were for sexual orientation; 3% were for gender; and 45% of incidents were categorized as “other characteristic.” “When we get this information, we're trying to find a way to fix the problem. Is there a way we could get a more specific reasoning than ‘other characteristic’ for 45%?” asked Delegate Jimmy Willis, R-Brooke. “When we're trying to find ways to fix some of these problems when roughly half is just a bland ‘other characteristic,’ it makes it tough to identify some of the key factors that are leading to this.” “When a report is sent to a principal or a student comes in or a parent comes in or teacher comes in and says a student has been harassed or bullied, the principal has to do an investigation trying to determine what the reason or rationale is,” explained Drew McClanahan, director of district and leadership support with the Department of Education. “As you can imagine, sometimes there's some subjectivity in that we have situations where a student may say, ‘I'm being bullied,’ it may meet the definition of bullying, harassment or intimidation pursuant to what is written in code or it may not,” McClanahan continued. “It may be a disagreement, so really what has to happen there is the principal has to collect the information and make sure that they are trying to fit what is in there.” Most of the reports statewide for harassment, intimidation and bullying – or 55% - occurred at the middle school level, followed by 28% at the high school level and 17% at the elementary school level. According to the report, 38% of incidents happened at the hands of seventh- and eighth-graders. Students referred for disciplinary action were also often referred for other inappropriate behaviors, with 47% also referred for disrespectful and inappropriate conduct, 24% for failure to obey rules and authority, 13% for truancy or tardiness and 8% for aggressive conduct. The disciplinary interventions most used in response to harassment, intimidation and bullying included out-of-school suspensions (46%) and in-school suspensions (27%). Talk among commission members turned to a presentation made Monday afternoon in the Joint Standing Committee on Education by two principals and two classroom teachers raising issues about violent student behavior directed at fellow students or teachers and administrators. Stephanie Haynes, a principal at Bridgeview Elementary School in South Charleston, told lawmakers about once incident in which a student physically attacked her. “I spent 38 minutes – because I hit my watch – being actively and violently attacked by him ... I actually called the police, and if you don't know this, the police cannot help me,” Haynes said. “So, myself, my assistant principal and another staff member are currently covered in bruises because of this child.” “Behaviors in the classroom are unfortunately getting more and more disruptive, aggressive and out of control,” said Morgan Elmore, a preschool teacher in Randolph County. “As a parent myself, I understand that children who have trauma often act out. But it does not give them an excuse to come to our classrooms and beat other children, beat teachers and beat their friends.” “I'm really disturbed at the actions of children so young,” said Delegate Patrick Lucas, R-Cabell, during Tuesday’s commission meeting. “I know there's issues at home and whatnot, and I want these children to get the help they need. But to hear that teachers can't teach and students can't learn and principals can't do their jobs because these children act the way they do, I don't know why they're not expelled. “If I had that job, I'd quit,” Lucas continued. “I wouldn't take that. I wouldn't be a teacher or principal.” “There needs to be some sort of a solution,” said state Sen. Rollan Roberts, R-Raleigh. “Apparently, this is across the state, so I would say that it's a department issue of taking more initiative to stop the bleeding so to speak of people having to leave – good families, good students, good teachers – because they cannot tolerate the environment. I think that's a Department of Education issue.” During the 2023 legislative session, lawmakers passed House Bill 2890, modifying student discipline. The bill allows teachers in Grades 6-12 to exclude students from the classroom who are disorderly, interfering in the educational process or obstructing a teacher for the remainder of the school day. The principal must be informed by the teacher within 24 hours of the disciplinary action, with the teacher required to submit an electronic record of the incident within 24 hours. A similar bill dealing with student discipline in kindergarten through fifth grade was considered during the 2024 legislative session, but it never passed due to disagreements between the House of Delegates and Senate. Over the summer, State Superintendent of Schools Michele Blatt launched S.T.R.I.V.E., which stands for Strengthened behavior response through targeted assistance to promote regular attendance, increased achievement, validated practices and empowered support teams. S.T.R.I.V.E. is meant to address multiple issues facing county school systems, including chronic absenteeism, school discipline and low academic achievement. Deputy State Superintendent Sonya White told commission members Tuesday that the Department of Education is piloting an alternative elementary discipline program in eight counties. “We have several counties in the state who do a great job at dealing with difficult children and making sure they get the supports they need,” she said. “We were able to pull together some funds, and we have eight districts that are piloting an alternative elementary discipline program either at the district level if they're a small district or in their schools. ...We're hoping to have some data from them and very soon.” The teachers and administrators said lawmakers need to consider expanding options for educators, such as funding for alternative education centers or additional behavior interventionists. “I think if we deal with this early, and we have a consequence for their action as a 4-year-old or a 5-year-old, then when they become 15, they're going to know, ‘There's consequences for my actions. I am going to have a consequence,''' Elmore said. “If they keep doing the same things over and over without consequence, they're going to keep doing it.” Another issue is the funding needed to provide schools with enough social workers, psychologists, counselors, special education teachers and nurses to take the burden off teachers when it comes to interventions for troubled students. According to the West Virginia Center for Budget and Policy, the estimated cost for hiring these positions at the recommended ratios would be approximately $120.4 million. “It's going to take very special teachers to work in those classrooms, but that's going to require extra funding to have that extra staff because you're not going to want to pull the administrators or other teachers out of classrooms to put them in there,” said Delegate Mike Pushkin, D-Kanawha. “In the long term, we have to look at what's feeding into this problem.” Pushkin also said the department or school systems could consider approaching the West Virginia First Foundation, the private foundation tasked with distributing a portion of the nearly $1 billion settlement with opioid manufacturers and distributors, given that many of the student discipline problems are symptoms of the substance abuse crises that has plagued the state. “Maybe (the West Virginia First Foundation) would be willing to look at that with some of the money they have, to provide these alternative learning centers or something,” Pushkin said. “What is fueling this problem is the drug problems in this state. It's not just a Department of Education problem, but it's a problem we all were sent here to help alleviate. It's a way bigger problem than just this committee or an education problem.”None

The Inner Circle acknowledges, Donald B. Olson as a Pinnacle Life AchieverRadiation monitoring unit launched

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Irene Fulton has worked as a counselor at Fort Worth ISD’s West Handley Elementary School for 29 years. Soon, she’ll retire, she told the Report. Not long after that, the school in which she spent nearly half of her career will be gone, too. During Fort Worth ISD’s Dec. 10 meeting, trustees voted to close West Handley Elementary School as part of the district’s effort to address declining enrollment and modernize facilities. Instead of formally announcing a closure, trustees voted to redraw attendance boundaries to gradually phase out West Handley’s use as an elementary school. The 70-year-old campus’s fate is tied to the replacement of Eastern Hills Elementary School , which will soon be completely rebuilt at its current site at 5917 Shelton St. During the meeting, trustees voted 8-0 to enter into a new contract with BRW Architects to design the $47.8 million campus. That new campus, funded by the district’s $1.2 billion 2021 bond program, will feature a modern design with space for up to 750 students. As of the 2022-23 school year, 472 students attended the current Eastern Hills Elementary campus while 392 students attended West Handley. Once the replacement campus is completed in 2028, students from both Eastern Hills and West Handley will consolidate into the new building, closing West Handley as an elementary school. During construction, Eastern Hills students will temporarily relocate to West Handley. The two campuses are located less than a mile from each other. Get essential daily news for the Fort Worth area. Sign up for insightful, in-depth stories — completely free. To alleviate overcrowding at West Handley and the eventual Eastern Hills campus, trustees also approved boundary adjustments to rezone some West Handley students into Sagamore Hill Elementary, effective next school year. Now, all residents living south of Lancaster Avenue and west of Tierney Road will send their children to Sagamore Hill starting next school year. Incoming fifth grade students will be allowed to stay at West Handley, though transportation will not be provided. “We look to stabilize enrollment across our campuses and better utilize our facilities,” said Kellie Spencer, deputy superintendent of operations. The boundary redraw affecting West Handley wasn’t the only one approved at the meeting. Trustees also voted to rezone students between Carter Park Elementary and Clifford Davis Elementary schools in the O.D. Wyatt High School pyramid. Clifford Davis, which the district says is over capacity, will transfer 105 students to Carter Park, which has space to accommodate students. The adjustment moves the dividing line between the schools from Sycamore Creek to the Fort Worth & Western Railroad tracks, beginning in the 2025-26 school year. “The resulting shift will balance utilization rates and improve operational efficiency for both schools,” meeting documents said. Aging infrastructure, underutilized campuses and an uneven distribution of students have prompted the district to rethink how its schools are used across the district, officials said, especially in regard to projects listed in the 2021 bond like Eastern Hills Elementary. “To improve utilization rates in the Eastern Hills pyramid, it is necessary to reduce the number of schools in the area inside Loop 820 from four schools to three,” meeting documents said. In the case of Eastern Hills, the current building’s design and aging infrastructure made it a clear candidate for replacement, said Mike Naughton, executive director of facility planning. The new campus will address accessibility challenges and modernize learning environments, he said. “There has not been new construction in the Eastern Hills pyramid inside Loop 820 in almost 70 years,” Naughton said. “The size of this property between the high school and the elementary school together really provides us a lot of opportunities and options that we don’t have elsewhere.” During construction, the 48-acre site will undergo significant changes, officials said, including plans to improve traffic flow during pickup and drop-off. At a Dec. 9 community meeting at Eastern Hills High School, BRW Architects emphasized that community input will continue to shape its final design. West Handley is slated for closure due to the campus’s lack of educational adequacy compared to other nearby campuses, which examines whether school facilities meet the district’s educational standards. Prior to the building becoming an elementary school, West Handley was utilized as a district service center, Spencer said. The building’s future use remains uncertain. Spencer assured the community during a Dec. 5 meeting at the campus that the building will not remain vacant, but its exact purpose will be determined after the transition. Ideas floated during the meeting included converting it back into a district operations center or a community resource hub. To Fulton, West Handley’s longtime counselor, the upcoming changes are bittersweet. She understands the need to consolidate campuses but hopes it’s done efficiently. Fulton wonders how many students will attend West Handley during the transition period, as the campus has a capacity of 671 students. As of 2022-23, a total of 864 students attended both Eastern Hills and West Handley. School officials told her that she and her colleagues will know more in January, she said. For now, officials estimate that approximately 120 students will shift from West Handley to Sagamore Hill for the 2025-26 school year to balance enrollment, according to meeting documents. “In this business, the one thing that’s constant is change,” Fulton said. “I have a wait-and-see attitude right now. Just wait and see.” Eventually, Fulton will be sad to see the building where she spent nearly 30 years no longer filled with the shuffling of small feet down hallways and laughter echoing from classrooms. But as the noise and activity at West Handley diminishes, the action will shift less than a mile north to the new Eastern Hills Elementary campus. West Handley neighbors living on Putnam Street will almost certainly appreciate the lack of noise and traffic, she said. Matthew Sgroi is an education reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at matthew.sgroi@fortworthreport.org or @matthewsgroi1 . At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here . Related Fort Worth Report is certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative for adhering to standards for ethical journalism . Republish This Story Republishing is free for noncommercial entities. Commercial entities are prohibited without a licensing agreement. Contact us for details. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License . Look for the "Republish This Story" button underneath each story. To republish online, simply click the button, copy the html code and paste into your Content Management System (CMS). Do not copy stories straight from the front-end of our web-site. You are required to follow the guidelines and use the republication tool when you share our content. The republication tool generates the appropriate html code. You can’t edit our stories, except to reflect relative changes in time, location and editorial style. You can’t sell or syndicate our stories. Any web site our stories appear on must include a contact for your organization. If you use our stories in any other medium — for example, newsletters or other email campaigns — you must make it clear that the stories are from the Fort Worth Report. In all emails, link directly to the story at fortworthreport.org and not to your website. If you share our stories on social media, please tag us in your posts using @FortWorthReport on Facebook and @FortWorthReport on Twitter. You have to credit Fort Worth Report. Please use “Author Name, Fort Worth Report” in the byline. If you’re not able to add the byline, please include a line at the top of the story that reads: “This story was originally published by Fort Worth Report” and include our website, fortworthreport.org . You can’t edit our stories, except to reflect relative changes in time, location and editorial style. Our stories may appear on pages with ads, but not ads specifically sold against our stories. You can’t sell or syndicate our stories. You can only publish select stories individually — not as a collection. Any web site our stories appear on must include a contact for your organization. If you share our stories on social media, please tag us in your posts using @FortWorthReport on Facebook and @FortWorthReport on Twitter. by Matthew Sgroi, Fort Worth Report December 11, 2024NEW YORK , Dec. 10, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of PACS Group Inc. (NYSE: PACS) of (i) common stock pursuant and/or traceable to the registration statement and prospectus (collectively, the "Registration Statement") in connection with the Company's April 11, 2024 initial public offering ("IPO"); (ii) securities between April 11, 2024 and November 5, 2024 , both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"); and/or (iii) common stock pursuant and/or traceable to the registration statement and prospectus issued in connection with the Company's September 2024 secondary public offering ("SPO"), of the important January 13, 2025 lead plaintiff deadline. So what: If you purchased PACS common stock pursuant and/or traceable to the IPO and/or securities during the Class Period you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement. What to do next: To join the PACS class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=30617 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email case@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than January 13, 2025 . A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation. Why Rosen Law: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources, or any meaningful peer recognition. Many of these firms do not actually litigate securities class actions, but are merely middlemen that refer clients or partner with law firms that actually litigate the cases. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm has achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company at the time. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs' Bar. Many of the firm's attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers. Details of the case: According to the lawsuit, the Registration Statement and defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) PACS engaged in a "scheme" to submit false Medicare claims which "drove more than 100% of PACS' operating and net income from 2020 – 2023"; (2) PACS engaged in a "scheme" to "bill thousands of unnecessary respiratory and sensory integration therapies to Medicare"; (3) PACS engaged in a scheme to falsify documentation related to licensure and staffing; and (4) as a result of the foregoing, defendants' positive statements about PACS' business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages. To join the PACS class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=30617 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email case@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action. No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investor's ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff. Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm , on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/ . Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Contact Information: Laurence Rosen, Esq. Phillip Kim, Esq. The Rosen Law Firm, P.A. 275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor New York, NY 10016 Tel: (212) 686-1060 Toll Free: (866) 767-3653 Fax: (212) 202-3827 case@rosenlegal.com www.rosenlegal.com View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/pacs-investors-have-opportunity-to-lead-pacs-group-inc-securities-fraud-lawsuit-302328029.html SOURCE THE ROSEN LAW FIRM, P. A.

The 26-year-old man charged in last week’s killing of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO appeared in a Pennsylvania courtroom Tuesday, where he was denied bail and his lawyer said he'd fight extradition to New York City, where the attack happened. Luigi Nicholas Mangione was arrested Monday in the Dec. 4 attack on Brian Thompson after police say a worker at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, alerted them to a customer who resembled the suspected gunman. When arrested, Mangione had on him a gun that investigators believe was used in the attack and writings expressing anger at corporate America, police said. As Mangione was led into the Hollidaysburg courthouse Tuesday, he struggled with officers and shouted something that was partly unintelligible but referred to an “insult to the intelligence of the American people.” He left hours later without saying anything and was driven away. Mangione is being held on Pennsylvania charges of possession of an unlicensed firearm, forgery and providing false identification to police. Manhattan prosecutors have charged him with five counts, including murder, criminal possession of a weapon and criminal possession of a forged instrument. Wearing an orange jumpsuit, Mangione mostly stared straight ahead during the hearing, occasionally consulting papers, rocking in his chair, or looking back at the gallery. At one point, he began to speak to respond to the court discussion but was quieted by his lawyer. Judge David Consiglio denied bail to Mangione, whose attorney, Thomas Dickey, told the court that his client did not agree to extradition and wants a hearing on the matter. Blair County (Pennsylvania) District Attorney Peter Weeks said that although Mangione will create “extra hoops” for law enforcement to jump through by fighting extradition, it won’t be a substantial barrier to sending him to New York. In addition to a three-page, handwritten document that suggests he harbored “ill will toward corporate America,” NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said Monday that Mangione also had a ghost gun, a type of weapon that can be assembled at home and is difficult to trace. Officers questioned Mangione, who was acting suspiciously and carrying multiple fraudulent IDs, as well as a U.S. passport, New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said. Officers also found a sound suppressor, or silencer, “consistent with the weapon used in the murder,” she said. He had clothing and a mask similar to those worn by the shooter and a fraudulent New Jersey ID matching one the suspect used to check into a New York City hostel before the shooting, the commissioner said. Mangione, who comes from a prominent Maryland family, was valedictorian of his elite Baltimore prep school and had degrees from one of the nation’s top private universities. He earned undergraduate and graduate degrees in computer science in 2020 from the University of Pennsylvania. Mangione's grandfather Nick Mangione, who died in 2008, was a successful real estate developer. One of his best-known projects was Turf Valley Resort, a sprawling luxury retreat and conference center outside Baltimore that he purchased in 1978. One of Luigi Mangione’s cousins is Republican Maryland state legislator Nino Mangione, a spokesman for the lawmaker’s office confirmed. From January to June 2022, Mangione lived at Surfbreak, a “co-living” space at the edge of touristy Waikiki in Honolulu. Josiah Ryan, a spokesperson for owner and founder R.J. Martin, said that Martin had learned that Mangione had severe back pain from childhood that interfered with many aspects of his life. Friends in Hawaii widely considered Mangione a “great guy,” and pictures on his social media accounts show a fit and smiling young man on beaches and at parties. Mangione likely was motivated by his anger at what he called “parasitic” health insurance companies and a disdain for corporate greed, according to a law enforcement bulletin obtained by The Associated Press. He wrote that the U.S. has the most expensive healthcare system in the world and that the profits of major corporations continue to rise while “our life expectancy” does not, according to the bulletin, based on a review of the suspect’s handwritten notes and social media posts. Police said the person who killed Thompson left a hostel on Manhattan's Upper West Side at 5:41 a.m. last Wednesday. Eleven minutes later, he was seen on surveillance video walking back and forth in front of the New York Hilton Midtown, wearing a distinctive backpack. At 6:44 a.m., he shot Thompson at a side entrance to the hotel, fled on foot, then climbed aboard a bicycle and within four minutes had entered Central Park, according to police. Another security camera recorded the gunman leaving the park near the American Museum of Natural History at 6:56 a.m. still on the bicycle but without the backpack, police said. After getting in a taxi, he headed north to a bus terminal near the George Washington Bridge, arriving at around 7:30 a.m. From there, the trail of video evidence runs cold. Police have not located video of the suspect exiting the building, leading them to believe he likely took a bus out of town. Police said they are still investigating the path the suspect took to Pennsylvania. “This just happened this morning," Kenny said. "We’ll be working, backtracking his steps from New York to Altoona, Pennsylvania,” Kenny said. Associated Press reporters Jamie Stengle, Lea Skene, Matt O'Brien, Sean Murphy and Cedar Attanasio contributed to this report.Opinion editor’s note: Strib Voices publishes a mix of guest commentaries online and in print each day. To contribute, click here . ••• Minnesota finds itself with a remarkable budget surplus exceeding $600 million — yet facing a looming $5 billion shortfall in just two years (” Minnesota projects $5.1B budget deficit ,” Dec. 5). While fiscal responsibility demands careful decisionmaking, our approach to education funding must be one of desperate reinvestment. The current landscape of Minnesota’s public schools reveals critical funding gaps that demand immediate attention. School districts across the state are working through large projected budget shortfalls. Unfunded mandates for special education services have left school districts struggling to balance budgets in order to be in compliance with the law. English learning programs remain chronically underfunded. The Read Act, a promising literacy innovation legislation, requires a greater investment to implement with fidelity. Districts across the state are being impacted by changes to compensatory funding that provide vital resources for our students and families. Yes, the projected $5 billion shortfall signals the need for careful fiscal consideration and planning. Cuts and adjustments will be necessary across various state sectors. Education, however, cannot be the casualty of this financial challenge. In fact, it must be our priority — our most critical investment against future economic uncertainty. These aren’t mere bureaucratic challenges — they represent real impediments to student success and equity. When special education services and English learning programs are underfunded and lack resources, districts make up the difference, often shortchanging other areas to ensure they meet state and federal requirements. When literacy initiatives are constrained due to budget, we risk perpetuating cycles of educational and economic gaps. With a family of five, I know the importance of saving for a rainy day. I don’t expect us to give the whole surplus to public schools. However, by directing $500 million of the current surplus directly into public education, Minnesota can make a profound statement about its priorities. This isn’t just a financial allocation; it’s a declaration of our shared values of nurturing the next generation of engaged community members — our most valuable resource in navigating future economic challenges. Moreover, this investment goes beyond immediate educational outcomes. Strong public schools are the foundation of vibrant, sustainable communities. They attract families, support workforce development, drive economic innovation and reduce long-term social inequities. In the face of a potential $5 billion shortfall, investing in education is not an expense — it’s an economic strategy. Critics might argue for a more conservative approach in light of future financial challenges; but no investment offers a more direct path to Minnesota’s future prosperity than education. Our students are not a line item to be cut — they are our most significant asset and our most promising economic development strategy. This surplus arrives at a critical moment. Post-pandemic educational recovery requires bold investments. By dedicating a portion of these funds to public education, Minnesota can position itself to weather future economic uncertainties with a well-prepared, well-educated, adaptable workforce. Our state has long prided itself on progressive policies. Now is the moment to reaffirm our commitment to our communities, our economy and our shared future. This is an opportunity to demonstrate our values, to show that in Minnesota, we don’t just talk about supporting our children — we act. Let us turn this fiscal blessing into educational empowerment, signaling to every student, every family and every educator that they are our priority. Christian Ledesma is the principal of Roosevelt High School in Minneapolis and was recently named the Minnesota Association of Secondary School Principals — Hennepin Division’s High School Principal of the Year.

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