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Military leaders are rattled by a list of 'woke' officers that a group urges Hegseth to fire

NYC's mayor warms to Trump and doesn't rule out becoming a RepublicanDonald Trump has picked former football player Scott Turner to lead the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. While not much is known about Turner’s positions as he awaits confirmation by the Senate, Trump’s selection draws attention to the incoming administration’s housing policies. Those policies, evident in both the first Trump presidency and in comments made during the campaign, suggest an abiding faith in the private sector and local government. And they are likely to include deregulation and tax breaks for investment in distressed areas. They also show a disdain for federal fair housing programs. These programs, Trump said on the campaign trail in 2020 , are “bringing who knows into your suburbs, so your communities will be unsafe and your housing values will go down.” ‘Inharmonious neighbors’ In his September 2024 debate with Kamala Harris, Trump responded to a question on immigration by amplifying the discredited rumor that Haitian immigrants in Ohio were “eating the pets of the people that live there.” “This is what’s happening in our country,” he added, “and it’s a shame.” As a historian of public policy focused on urban inequality, I am struck by the similarity between Trump’s diatribe and the beliefs that instituted racial segregation in housing a century ago. Trump’s false claim echoes the long-standing anxieties of white homeowners regarding immigration in general and African American migration specifically. Both cases pit the interests of one set of residents against those of another. First, there are the established, overwhelmingly white , residents – in Trump’s lingo, “the people that live there.” Then come the unwanted new arrivals whose sudden presence in American neighborhoods is seen as a menace to public health, welfare and property values. Historically, the threats posed by “inharmonious” neighbors – as real estate agents and later federal housing agencies put it – have focused on immigrants and African Americans. The surge in immigration to the U.S. at the end of the 19th century animated a notoriously nativist response from local governments and realty groups. It included early efforts at land-use zoning aimed at establishing economically and racially exclusive residential districts in cities. And it involved the first stirrings of white flight to the suburbs, especially in the rapidly urbanizing Northeast and Midwest. Patchwork apartheid But it was the Great Migration of African Americans in the first decades of the 20th century, coupled with the urban residential boom of the 1920s , that galvanized the peculiarly American alchemy of race and property. During this period, many cities, beginning with Baltimore in 1910 , experimented with explicitly racial zoning that designated neighborhoods for solely white or Black occupancy. The Supreme Court struck these laws down in 1917 on the grounds that it invaded “the civil right to acquire, enjoy and use property.” With the option of legally codified racial zoning closed, as I detail in my book, “ Patchwork Apartheid ,” the white reaction to the Great Migration turned to the private and piecemeal action of developers, real estate agents and homeowners. The centerpiece was the widespread use of private contracts designed to prevent those “not wholly of the Caucasian race” from owning or occupying homes in “protected” neighborhoods. This private resistance to integrated neighborhoods was occurring as new housing starts ballooned after the war, from 240,000 a year in 1920 to almost 1 million in 1925. These restrictions took a variety of forms. Suburban developers commonly imposed prohibitions on African American occupancy or ownership of new construction, especially in the rapidly growing cities of the Midwest . Existing residents of older neighborhoods facing racial transition in places such as Chicago and St. Louis would also impose racial covenants by petition. In all these settings, as I detail in my book, racial restrictions were routinely attached to individual home sales by buyers, sellers or real estate agents. They hoped to ward off what white realty interests routinely referred to as “invasion” or “encroachment.” The result was a sort of patchwork apartheid. It was crafted nationwide but stitched together parcel by parcel, block by block, subdivision by subdivision. Stark racial segregation My work on St. Louis has uncovered almost 2,000 racially restrictive agreements imposed between 1900 and 1950. By 1950, this patchwork of private restriction encompassed nearly two-thirds of the St. Louis region’s residential properties. Their core logic was that occupancy by inharmonious neighbors constituted a “nuisance” use of property. Before 1920, private property restrictions commonly included a general nuisance provision barring commercial uses, often listing trades offensive to the senses, such as a slaughterhouse or a junkyard, or to one’s morals, such as a tavern. In response to the Great Migration, white realty firms in St. Louis and elsewhere simply appended “colored” occupancy to their list of nuisances. For example, the uniform agreement used by the St. Louis Real Estate Exchange banned two classes of buyers or renters: “any slaughterhouse, junkshop, or rag-picking establishment” and “a Negro or Negroes.” In the St. Louis subdivision of Cleveland Heights, a long list of proscribed nuisances was capped with the provision that no lot could “in any way or manner” be “occupied by any persons other than those of the Caucasian Race.” Some restrictions elided racial categories and nuisances by restricting sales to residents considered simply “objectionable” or “undesirable.” A common clause found in most Midwestern settings barred any “race or nationality other than those for whom the premises are intended.” Such private restrictions were ruled an unenforceable violation of equal protection by the Supreme Court in 1948. And they were prohibited outright by the Fair Housing Act two decades later. But the damage – stark racial segregation and a yawning racial wealth gap – was done. And the core assumptions about race and property lived on in the policies of private realty, lending and appraisal. ‘Your communities will be unsafe’ Trump’s debate outburst, in this respect, reflected a racial politics shaped as much by his real estate background as his political aspirations. Trump inherited a property portfolio from his father that was already deeply committed to racial segregation and discrimination against African American tenants. Beginning in the 1970s, his family’s New York realty practice was notorious, and routinely sued , for violations of the 1968 Fair Housing Act, meant to check private discrimination in private realty. As president, Trump continued to erode the notion of fair housing for all. In 2020, he jettisoned an Obama-era rule requiring that cities receiving federal housing funds affirmatively address local discrimination and segregation. “ The suburb destruction ,” he promised at the time, “will end with us.” Trump housing 2.0 Turner, as the next HUD secretary, is poised to pick up where the first Trump administration left off. Consider the housing agenda of Project 2025 , the Heritage Foundation’s sweeping blueprint for the second Trump administration. Penned by Ben Carson , Trump’s first HUD secretary, it proposes a radical retreat from federal “overreach” that would include gutting anti-discrimination provisions in federal programs and deferring to localities on zoning. It would also bar noncitizens from public housing and reverse “all actions taken by the Biden Administration to advance progressive ideology.” At the time of Trump’s Springfield, Ohio, comments, the apocryphal specter of pet-eating immigrants seemed but one more oddity in a campaign punctuated with them. But it was more than that. It was the preamble to a new chapter in the U.S.’s long history of discriminatory neighborhood “restriction” or “protection.”

Hry races to finalise civic poll schedule before Jan 4A Mexican actress has died after participating in a native “cleansing” ceremony that included taking the venom of a poisonous tree frog. Marcela Alcázar Rodríguez, 33, quickly became stricken after being administered the venom of an Amazonian tree frog named the Phyllomedusa bicolor during a native “Kambo” ritual meant to cleanse her of trauma and illnesses. It is not clear if Rodríguez took the venom on Friday, November 30 or Saturday, December 1. But by Saturday afternoon she had already fallen very ill from the ceremony. According to Mexican authorities, Rodríguez soon began vomiting and having severe diarrhea after taking the venom. The ritual reportedly includes blistering the skin with a hot stick, then applying the venom over the burn wound to allow it to enter the bloodstream. The venom is reportedly 40 times stronger than morphine, according to the Daily Star . It was not clear how long she had the severe symptoms before being taken to a hospital, but she died of her condition shortly after coming under a physician’s care, the Daily Mail reported. Police in Mayocoyani, Durango, say they have launched an investigation into the retreat where the Kambo ceremony took place. The Attorney General’s Office of the State of Durango announced its own investigation, as well. Witnesses say that the shaman of the retreat warned the actress that she could not leave but he fled after telling her to stay. Some local reports noted that Rodríguez was attending the ceremony as part of a “Training of Healers” course she was reportedly taking. The Kambo ritual is banned in many countries because of the dangers is presents to participants, but it is a popular purging ceremony in the Amazonian jungle and among the Matis Indians tribe in Brazil. Rodríguez has been acting since 2010 and has appeared in ten movies and short films, including the acclaimed 2010 indie film, New Low . Mapache Films, who worked with Marcela in previous projects, sent condolences to her family in a public statement, and wrote, “With deep regret, today we say goodbye to our partner and friend Marcela Alcazar, also wishing for healing for her closest family and friends.” The Durango Film Guild said in a post on X that, “she leaves a void in the hearts of the people who knew her working in what she loved: cinema.” Follow Warner Todd Huston on Facebook at: facebook.com/Warner.Todd.Huston , or Truth Social @WarnerToddHuston

Stock indexes closed mixed on Wall Street at the end of a rare bumpy week. The S&P 500 ended little changed Friday. The benchmark index reached its latest in a string of records a week ago. It lost ground for the week following three weeks of gains. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.2%. The Nasdaq composite edged up 0.1%. Broadcom surged after the semiconductor company beat Wall Street’s profit targets and gave a glowing forecast, highlighting its artificial intelligence products. RH, formerly known as Restoration Hardware, surged after raising its revenue forecast. Treasury yields rose in the bond market. On Friday: The S&P 500 fell 0.16 points, or less than 0.1%, to 6,051.09. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 86.06 points, or 0.2%, to 43,828.06. The Nasdaq composite rose 23.88 points, or 0.1%, to 19,926.72. The Russell 2000 index of smaller companies fell 14.19 points, or 0.6%, to 2,346.90. For the week: The S&P 500 is down 39.18 points, or 0.6%. The Dow is down 814.46 points, or 1.8%. The Nasdaq is up 66.95 points, or 0.3%. The Russell 2000 is down 62.10 points, or 2.6%. For the year: The S&P 500 is up 1,281.26 points, or 26.9%. The Dow is up 6,138.52 points, or 16.3%. The Nasdaq is up 4,951.37 points, or 32.7%. The Russell 2000 is up 319.82 points, or 15.8%.Carolina Panthers tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders was taken to a hospital for a neck injury after landing on his head while making a catch late in the first half of Sunday's 30-27 home loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. As Sanders was brought down near the sideline after a 10-yard reception, he was flipped upside down and landed directly on the top of his helmet as he went out of bounds on the tackle by cornerback Trent McDuffie. After receiving attention from the team's medical staff, Sanders was strapped to a backboard and taken off the field on a cart with 40 seconds remaining in the half. He was taken to Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte for observation and later released Sunday afternoon, according to the team. On the CBS broadcast following halftime, Panthers head coach Dave Canales said Sanders had movement in all his extremities, while extreme precaution was taken because of back tightness. CBS reported he was being examined for a concussion before later amending that to a neck injury. The 21-year-old rookie out of Texas had a team-leading three receptions for the Panthers at the half for 49 yards. In 11 games this season, Sanders has 29 receptions for 302 yards and a touchdown. Sanders was a fourth-round selection in the NFL draft in April. --Field Level Media

The No. 9 Ole Miss Rebels and Lane Kiffin lost their third game on Saturday. The Florida Gators upset Ole Miss in Gainesville 24-17 as a 13.5-point underdog on ESPN BET . Ole Miss was not the only ranked team to lose on Saturday. The No. 7 Alabama Crimson Tide, No. 19 Army, No. 15 Texas A&M Aggies, No. 5 Indiana Hoosiers, No. 14 BYU Cougars, and No. 16 Colorado Buffaloes also lost. The Rebels must wait until Tuesday night's updated College Football Playoff Rankings to learn their fate. Ole Miss is coming off a 10-2 record in 2023 and a Peach Bowl win over the Penn State Nittany Lions. Kiffin faces the Mississippi State Bulldogs next in the "Egg Bowl" on Friday, and the Ole Miss coach was asked about his message to his team regarding the playoff at a Monday press conference . The head coach admitted he was unsure about Ole Miss' playoff hopes after the Florida loss but was more hopeful after seeing the games in the late window. Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images “It’s a new age now,” Kiffin said. “You know, as you guys have asked before, I usually don’t ever speak about those things to the team, because it’s one week at a time, but I did a few weeks ago say, ‘Hey, if that’s what motivates you and gets you to prepare better and stuff,’ you know, I’ve talked about that before with them. I would’ve thought after the game, that was out, but so many different things happened, with us being the early game, and percentages are now saying that’s alive, so I did tell them that." After Saturday's loss, ESPN's FPI gives Ole Miss a 6.1% chance to make the playoff. The Ole Miss-Mississippi State game starts at 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC and ESPN+. Related: Lane Kiffin Accuses Rival Head Coach Of Trying To Steal Assistant Coaches

NORTON -- Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin on Friday announced the relocation of Wrap Technologies to Southwest Virginia, marking a significant expansion of the company’s commitment to defense and public safety technology. The new manufacturing and distribution facility at Project Intersection in Norton will result in 126 new jobs, contributing to the acceleration of the region’s growing tech corridors, according to a news release. Project Intersection is a revenue-sharing venture between Lee, Wise, Scott and Dickenson counties and the city of Norton – so tax, lease and sales revenues from the project are split between the localities. “As Wrap Technologies brings its operations to Virginia and creates more than 120 jobs, we are reaffirming the Commonwealth’s leadership in technology and innovation,” said Youngkin. “This expansion further accelerates our efforts to develop key technology hubs in the region.” The new 20,000-square-foot facility in Norton’s Project Intersection will serve as the central hub for Wrap’s manufacturing and distribution operations. This expansion will support the development of next-generation tech products, including Wrap's innovative AI and VR training platforms, integrated body camera systems, and planned advanced drone technologies designed for safer and more efficient law enforcement practices. “Virginia continues to be a prime location for leading technology companies,” said Secretary of Commerce and Trade Caren Merrick. “Wrap Technologies' investment will not only advance our public safety infrastructure but also contribute to economic development and high-tech job creation in Southwest Virginia.” “Our move to Virginia allows us to work closely with our already established base, focus on our Made in America tech strategy, and begin implementing our plans to deliver an integrated solution to our customers across the state,” said Wrap Technologies Founder and CEO Scot Cohen. “This is a tremendous victory in the region’s quest to expand our manufacturing base and create good-paying jobs,” said Sen. Todd Pillion. “We are excited to welcome Wrap Technologies to Norton and appreciate their shared commitment to making Southwest Virginia the best place to live, work, and raise a family.” “Wrap Technologies opening its doors in Southwest Virginia is just the latest example of how our region is accelerating,” said Del. Terry G. Kilgore. “Wrap's investment in Southwest Virginia shows that our region is capable of leading in the modern technological workforce. Funding from the Virginia Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission helped make this project a reality. The Commission is always looking to bring businesses like Wrap Technologies to our region that will provide jobs and new capital, while also helping revitalize and diversify the local economy. This further proves that our region is just as competitive as anywhere in the United States to open your doors for business.” “We are thrilled to have Wrap Technologies moving to Southwest Virginia,” said Lonesome Pine RIFA Chairman Joseph Fawbush. “This is not just an investment in business but an investment in the people, community, and future of this region. This is another example of how the Lonesome Pine Regional Industrial Facilities Authority’s model of working together as a region helps make a rural area competitive in the recruitment of world-class companies like Wrap Technologies.” “On behalf of the Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority, I would like to congratulate Wrap Technologies on selecting Norton, Virginia, for its next manufacturing location,” said VCEDA Executive Director Jonathan Belcher. “This project is a testament to the hard work of the LENOWISCO Planning District Commission, the Lonesome Pine Regional Industrial Facilities Authority, the region’s legislators, the Commonwealth, and the company. VCEDA was glad to assist by approving a $3,160,000 loan to the Norton Industrial Development Authority to assist with the construction of the new facility for this project at the Intersection development in Norton. This project is an excellent example of regional cooperation at its best, and of what is possible in the business-friendly environment of Southwest Virginia.” The Virginia Economic Development Partnership worked with the Lonesome Pine Regional Industrial Facilities Authority, the LENOWISCO Planning District Commission, InvestSWVA, the Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority, and the Virginia Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission to secure the $4.1 million project for Virginia. Youngkin approved a $425,000 grant from the Commonwealth's Opportunity Fund to assist with the project. Funding and services to support the company’s employee training activities will be provided through the Virginia Jobs Investment Program. The Virginia Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission awarded an $800,000 grant through its Southwest Economic Development program to assist with this project.

SADO, Japan (AP) — Japan held a memorial ceremony on Sunday near the Sado Island Gold Mines , listed this summer as a UNESCO World Heritage site after the country moved past years of historical disputes with South Korea and reluctantly acknowledged the mines' dark history. However, it has not offered an apology. At these mines, hundreds of Koreans were forced to labor under abusive and brutal conditions during World War II, historians say. Japanese officials at Sunday’s ceremony time paid tribute for the first to “all workers” including Korean laborers who died at the mines, without acknowledging they were forced laborers — part of what critics call a persistent policy of whitewashing Japan's history of sexual and labor exploitation before and during the war. The ceremony, supposed to further mend wounds, renewed tensions between the two sides. South Korea boycotted Sunday's memorial service citing unspecified disagreements with Tokyo over the event. “As a resident, I must say (their absence) is very disappointing after all the preparations we made,” said Sado Mayor Ryugo Watanabe. “I wish we could have held the memorial with South Korean attendees.” The Associated Press explains the Sado mines, their history and the controversy. What are the Sado gold mines? The 16th-century mines on the island of Sado, about the size of the Pacific island of Guam, off the western coast of Niigata prefecture, operated for nearly 400 years, beginning in 1601, and were once the world’s largest gold producer. They closed in 1989. During the Edo period, from 1603 to 1868, the mines supplied gold currency to the ruling Tokugawa Shogunate. Today, the site has been developed into a tourist facility and hiking site where visitors can learn about the changes in mining technology and production methods while looking at the remains of mine shafts and ore dressing facilities. Critics say the Japanese government only highlights the glory of the mines and covers up its use of Korean victims of forced labor and their ordeals. The mines were registered as a cultural heritage site in July after Japan agreed to include an exhibit on the conditions of Korean forced laborers and to hold a memorial service annually after repeated protests from the South Korean government. A few signs have since been erected, indicating former sites of South Korean laborers’ dormitories. A city-operated museum in the area also added a section about Korean laborers, but a private museum attached to the main UNESCO site doesn't mention them at all. What's the controversy? At the UNESCO World Heritage Committee July meeting, the Japanese delegate said Tokyo had installed new exhibition material to explain the “severe conditions of (the Korean laborers’) work and to remember their hardship.” Japan also acknowledged that Koreans were made to do more dangerous tasks in the mine shaft, which caused some to die. Those who survived also developed lung diseases and other health problems. Many of them were given meager food rations and nearly no days off and were caught by police if they escaped, historians say. But the Japanese government has refused to admit they were “forced labor.” South Korea had earlier opposed the listing of the site for UNESCO World Heritage on the grounds that the Korean forced laborers used at the mines were missing from the exhibition. South Korea eventually supported the listing after consultations with Japan and Tokyo’s pledge to improve the historical background of the exhibit and to hold a memorial that also includes Koreans. Historians say Japan used hundreds of thousands of Korean laborers, including those forcibly brought from the Korean Peninsula, at Japanese mines and factories to make up for labor shortages because most working-age Japanese men had been sent to battlefronts across Asia and the Pacific. About 1,500 Koreans were forced to work at the Sado mines, according to Yasuto Takeuchi, an expert on Japan’s wartime history, citing wartime Japanese documents. The South Korean government has said it expects Japan to keep its pledge to be truthful to history and to show both sides of the Sado mines. “The controversy surrounding the Sado mines exhibit underscores a deeper problem” of Japan’s failure to face up to its wartime responsibility and its growing “denialism” of its wartime atrocities, Takeuchi said. Who did the ceremony commemorate? All workers who died at the Sado mines were honored. That includes hundreds of Korean laborers who worked there during Japan’s 1910-1945 colonization of the Korean Peninsula. At Sunday’s ceremony, four Japanese representatives, including central and local government officials and the head of the organizing group, thanked all mine workers for their sacrifice and mourned for those who died. None offered any apology to Korean forced laborers for the harsh treatment at the mines. Attendants observed a moment of silence for the victims who died at the mines due to accidents and other causes. The ceremony dredged up long-standing frustrations in South Korea. About 100 people, including officials from Japan’s local and central government, as well as South Korean Foreign Ministry officials and the relatives of Korean wartime laborers, were supposed to attend. Because of South Korea's last-minute boycott, more than 20 seats remained vacant. The Foreign Ministry said in a statement Saturday it was impossible to settle the disagreements between both governments before the planned event on Sunday, without specifying what those disagreements were. There has been speculation that the South Korean boycott might have been due to the presence of parliamentary vice minister Akiko Ikuina at Sunday's ceremony. In August 2022, Ikuina reportedly visited Tokyo’s controversial Yasukuni Shrine , weeks after she was elected as a lawmaker. Japan’s neighbors view Yasukuni, which commemorates 2.5 million war dead including war criminals, as a symbol of Japan’s past militarism. Her visit could have been seen as a sign of a lack of remorse. Some South Koreans criticized the Seoul government for throwing its support behind an event without securing a clear Japanese commitment to highlight the plight of Korean laborers. There were also complaints over South Korea agreeing to pay for the travel expenses of Korean victims’ family members who were invited to attend the ceremony. How has Japan faced up to its wartime atrocities? Critics say Japan’s government has long been reluctant to discuss wartime atrocities. That includes what historians describe as the sexual abuse and enslavement of women across Asia, many of them Koreans who were deceived into providing sex to Japanese soldiers at frontline brothels and euphemistically called “comfort women,” and the Koreans who were mobilized and forced to work in Japan, especially in the final years of World War II. Korean compensation demands for Japanese atrocities during its brutal colonial rule have strained relations between the two Asian neighbors, most recently after a 2018 South Korean Supreme Court ruling ordered Japanese companies to pay damages over their wartime forced labor. Japan’s government has maintained that all wartime compensation issues between the two countries were resolved under the 1965 normalization treaty. Ties between Tokyo and Seoul have improved recently after Washington said their disputes over historical issues hampered crucial security cooperation as China’s threat grows in the region. South Korea’s conservative President Yoon Suk Yeol announced in March 2023 that his country would use a local corporate fund to compensate forced labor victims without demanding Japanese contributions. Japan’s then-Prime Minister Fumio Kishida later expressed sympathy for their suffering during a Seoul visit. Security, business and other ties between the sides have since rapidly resumed. Japan’s whitewashing of wartime atrocities has risen since the 2010s, particularly under the past government of revisionist leader Shinzo Abe . For instance, Japan says the terms “sex slavery” and “forced labor” are inaccurate and insists on the use of highly euphemistic terms such as “comfort women” and “civilian workers” instead. Takeuchi, the historian, said listing Japan’s modern industrial historical sites as a UNESCO World Heritage is a government push to increase tourism. The government, he said, wants “to commercialize sites like the Sado mines by beautifying and justifying their history for Japan’s convenience.” Associated Press writer Kim Tong-hyung in Seoul, South Korea contributed to this report.Aybar 2-5 8-11 12, Salatchoum 0-4 2-2 2, Brewer 8-11 1-4 18, Gittens 3-7 0-0 7, Jones 1-4 5-6 7, Williamson 2-7 0-0 5, Gray 1-6 0-0 2, Wilcox 0-2 0-0 0, K.Williams 2-3 0-0 6, Okeke 0-0 0-2 0, Grant 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 19-49 16-25 59. Guillouette 1-3 0-0 2, Barno 4-8 2-4 11, Johnson 3-9 0-0 9, McLean 7-12 2-2 18, Muniz 2-7 5-5 9, Duax 3-6 2-4 8, Stewart 1-6 0-0 3, Reddick 0-0 0-0 0, D.Williams 0-2 0-0 0, Washington 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 21-55 11-15 60. Halftime_FIU 30-29. 3-Point Goals_FIU 5-18 (K.Williams 2-3, Brewer 1-3, Williamson 1-3, Gittens 1-4, Aybar 0-2, Gray 0-3), Florida Gulf Coast 7-27 (Johnson 3-9, McLean 2-5, Barno 1-1, Stewart 1-6, Muniz 0-2, Washington 0-2, D.Williams 0-2). Fouled Out_McLean. Rebounds_FIU 33 (Brewer, Gittens 8), Florida Gulf Coast 29 (Muniz, Duax 8). Assists_FIU 8 (Aybar, Gittens 2), Florida Gulf Coast 13 (Barno, Muniz 5). Total Fouls_FIU 15, Florida Gulf Coast 21. A_1,601 (4,633).With some P.E.I. patients expecting to wait two years for an appointment to get a magnetic resonance imaging scan, the Atlantic Veterinary College has stepped forward to say it's open to sharing its MRI machine. The Island's only machine currently being used for human scans is based at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Charlottetown, and it's in high demand. The Charlottetown-based vet college has had its own MRI machine since May 2023, using it to help diagnose medical issues in everything from turtles and cats to horses and cows. "We would be very open to making this unit accessible to the human patients," said Dr. Dominique Griffon, the dean of the Atlantic Veterinary College. Islanders waiting longer than ever for an MRI scan, with no new solutions offered Islanders paying out of pocket for private MRIs as waitlist climbs past 2 years "At the moment, it's not utilized to its full potential. We see about 110 cases in one year, so there is room for adding more MRIs." Dr. Dominique Griffon, the dean of the Atlantic Veterinary College, said the college is willing to work with Health P.E.I. to share its MRI technology. (Tony Davis/CBC) New data from the province's health authority shows MRI wait times are at an all-time high. The unit at the AVC could theoretically help with the backlog — but there are hurdles. Griffon said the AVC needs to build a reception area for human patients, so that they don't have to use the same entrance as dogs or horses. And from a legal standpoint, veterinarians aren't qualified to perform MRIs on humans, so the province would have to provide personnel. On the human side, it requires a specific training that our current technicians do not have. — Dominique Griffon "Currently on the veterinary side, a regular registered veterinary technologist can perform an MRI with additional training," said Griffon. "However, on the human side, it requires a specific training that our current technicians do not have." The Atlantic Veterinary College's MRI machine was made in Germany, flown to Chicago, then carefully transported to P.E.I. in early 2023. (Jessica Doria-Brown/CBC ) As well as finding staff to perform the MRIs, the AVC and Health P.E.I. would have to agree on who covers the costs to operate and maintain the machine, which can be high. The college is in the process of fundraising for a training hospital expansion that would include a new patient reception area, but it hasn't reached the $6 million goal yet. Would be cleaned 'when we change species' The Atlantic Veterinary College's machine has never done an MRI on a human, but Griffon said that won't be an issue. It's certainly big enough, and has the same definition of images needed in human medicine. "There would be a deep clean of the room and the unit when we change species," she noted. "We have to allow for a time in between patients to clean the room and table." Griffon said that with an agreement in place, human patients could get an MRI at the vet college within the next year.

Seeking to pick up back-to-back Primeira Liga victories for the first time since March, Estoril Praia play host to Casa Pia at the Estadio Antonio Coimbra da Mota on Sunday. Born sides, who are level on points in the bottom half of the league standings , will head into the weekend looking to get the better of each other and return to winning ways. © Imago Estoril Praia had to do it the hard way last Friday as they fought back from two goals down to salvage a 2-2 draw against Braga when the two sides squared off at the Estadio Braga Municipal. Bruma continued his fine form in front of goal as he netted twice to put Braga two goals up heading into the final 30 minutes but goals from Alejandro Marques and Goncalo Costa helped the visitors snatch a point. While head coach Ian Cathro will be impressed with his fires resilient performance at Braga, they have now failed to win any of their last 16 competitive games on the road, losing nine and picking up seven draws since a penalty-shootout victory over Benfica on January 24. Estoril Praia now return home, where they have won two of their most recent three matches — with a goalless draw against AVS on November 9 sandwiched between the two victories — and are unbeaten in five of their last six games since late August. The Canarinhos have picked up 14 points from their 13 Primeira Liga games so far to sit 11th in the league standings, level on points with Sunday's visitors and five above the relegation places. © Imago Casa Pia, on the other hand, were left spitting feathers last weekend when they were held to a goalless draw by newcomers AVS at the Estadio Pina Manique. Joao Goulart drilled home the opener from the centre of the box in the 12th minute to hand the hosts a dream start to the game but Gustavo Assuncao converted his 72nd-minute penalty to force a share of the spoils. Prior to that, Casa Pia were on a five-game unbeaten run across all competitions — including back-to-back Taca de Portugal victories over Amora FC and Chaves — before suffering a 2-0 defeat against Porto in the league clash on December 2. With last weekend's results against AVS, Joao Pereira 's men have failed to win all but one of their most recent eight Primeira Liga outings, losing twice and picking up five draws since mid November. Next up for Casa Pia is the stern challenge of taking on an opposing side whom they have failed to get the better of in any of their previous eight clashes, losing five and picking up three draws since August 2019. © Imago With his strike against Braga, Marques now has three goals in his last five league matches, having managed just two from the first eight games to start the campaign, and we expect the 24-year-old to lead the hosts' attack once again. He should team up with Yanis Begraoui and Joao Carvalho in the front three while we expect an unchanged midfield of Wagner Pina , Jandro Orellana , Jordan Holsgrove and 23-year-old Fabricio Garcia . At the defensive end of the pitch, Cathro should stick with the back three of Kevin Boma , Pedro Alvaro and Felix Bacher , with former Atletico Madrid man Joel Robles starting between the sticks once again. Like this weekend's hosts, Casa Pia head into the weekend with a clean bill of health and no suspension concerns, giving Pereira the luxury of a full strength squad at his disposal. Goulart opened his account for Casa Pia with his strike against AVS last time out and the 24-year-old should retain his role in the back three, teaming up with Duplexe Tchamba and Ruben Kluivert . Estoril Praia possible starting lineup: Robles; Boma, Alvaro, Bacher; Pina, Orellana, Holsgrove, Garcia; Begraoui, Carvalho, Marques Casa Pia possible starting lineup: Sequeira; Goulart, Kluivert, Tchamba; Larrazabal, Segovia, Brito, Lelo; Livolant, Cassiano, Pereira While Casa Pia will be looking to return to winning ways, results against Estoril offer little optimism as they have failed to win any of their previous eight encounters. The Canarinhos have been rock-solid at home in recent weeks and we fancy them to secure all three points here. For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here .

The masked gunman who stalked and killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside a Manhattan hotel used ammunition emblazoned with the words “deny,” “defend” and “depose,” a law enforcement official said Thursday. The gunman is still at large and a manhunt is underway. Here's the latest: Water bottle and protein bar wrapper may hold clues to the shooter’s identity Just minutes before the shooting, the suspect was seen on surveillance footage purchasing the two items from a nearby Starbucks. Both the water bottle and protein bar wrapper were later recovered from a trash can in the vicinity of the killing, according to a police spokesperson. They’ve been sent to the city’s medical examiner for expedited fingerprint testing. Tips about the shooting, many unfounded, are pouring in through a police hotline As the suspect remained at large Thursday afternoon, New York police were sorting through a growing number of leads coming in through a public hotline. Many have been unfounded, including a tip from a commuter who claimed to have spotted the shooter on a Long Island Rail Road train Wednesday evening. Police searched the train, but found no sign of the gunman. Members of the public have also provided police with several different names of people who bear a resemblance to the gunman — though they have yet to confirm the shooter’s identity. NYPD spokesperson Carlos Nieves urged anyone with information to contact the department “even if it seems trivial.” “We ask you to call the tip line because that little piece of information could be the missing piece of the puzzle that ties everything together,” he said. Anger and vitriol against health insurers filled social media in the wake of Thompson’s killing Users’ reactions — and in many cases jokes — populated comment sections teeming with frustration toward health insurers broadly and UnitedHealthcare in particular. “I would be happy to help look for the shooter but vision isn’t covered under my healthcare plan,” one comment read on Instagram. “Thoughts and prior authorizations!” wrote another user. Police searched Upper West Side hostel seen in new images Images released by police of a person they say is wanted for questioning in connection with the shooting match the lobby of the HI New York City hostel on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. Both feature a black-and-white checkered floor and a distinctive bench in the shape of a semicircle. Matheus Taranto, a guest at the hostel who’s visiting from Brazil, says he saw police at the lodging Wednesday evening. He said an officer wouldn’t let him access a bathroom where he wanted to brush his teeth. “I asked why, he was like, no, nothing happened,” said Taranto, 24. He didn’t connect the dots with the shooting until later. Police in Minnesota say they believe bomb threat against Thompson’s home was a hoax In Minnesota, police in the Minneapolis suburb of Maple Grove, where Thompson lived, said Thursday they believe a bomb threat on Wednesday night was a hoax. Maple Grove police put out a statement Thursday saying a “suspected swatting investigation” was underway. The department said it received a report of a bomb threat directed at two addresses around 7 p.m. CT Wednesday. The Minneapolis Bomb Squad and the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office assisted, but investigators found no suspicions devices or other items. “The case is considered an active investigation, while the incident appears to be a hoax. No further comments will be made at this time,” the police statement said. Police reports provided to The Associated Press by the department show that officers made contact with family members at one of the homes and were told they had seen nothing suspicious and had received no direct threats. In Minnesota, authorities investigate reported bomb threat against Brian Thompson’s home Back in Thompson’s home state of Minnesota, authorities were investigating a bomb threat that reportedly was made against his home Wednesday night, after his death. It was first reported by TMZ. City Prosecutor Andrew Draper confirmed to The Associated Press via email Thursday that he received an email Wednesday night “regarding a bomb threat. I reported it to the Maple Grove Police Department and do not have any additional information.” Maple Grove police officials did not immediately respond to requests for details Thursday. Local ATF spokesperson Ashlee Sherrill said: “ATF was made aware of the incident in Maple Grove last night, but no ATF resources were deployed. We are unable to confirm any further details.” A local FBI spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for information on the FBI’s involvement in the investigation. Words on ammunition were written in marker, AP source says The words emblazoned on the ammunition used in the shooting – “deny,” “defend” and “depose” – were written in permanent marker, according to a law enforcement official. The official wasn’t authorized to publicly discuss details of the ongoing investigation and spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity. — Jake Offenhartz What’s known about the search As of Thursday morning, police were still searching for the shooter. They released new photos of a person they said is wanted for questioning in connection with the shooting. The images match the lobby of the HI New York City hostel on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, including its black-and-white checkered floor and a distinctive bench in the shape of a semi-circle. An employee at the hostel said police had visited but declined to provide further information. Danielle Brumfitt, a spokesperson for the lodging, said in an emailed statement that they are cooperating with the NYPD but can’t comment due to the active investigation. According to the official who spoke to AP about the ammunition messaging, investigators are running DNA and fingerprint analysis on items found near the shooting, including a water bottle, that they believe the suspect may have discarded. Additionally, they’re looking into whether the suspect had pre-positioned a bike as part of an escape plan. What is the criticism of insurers? Doctors and patients have become particularly frustrated with prior authorizations, which are requirements that an insurer approve surgery or care before it happens. UnitedHealthcare was named in an October report detailing how the insurer’s prior authorization denial rate for some Medicare Advantage patients has surged in recent years. The report from the U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations also named rivals Humana and CVS. Insurers say tactics like prior authorization are needed to limit unnecessary care and help control spiraling medical costs. Frustrations extend beyond the coverage of care. Expensive breakthrough medications to slow Alzheimer’s disease or help with obesity are frequently not covered or have coverage limits. How do Americans feel about insurers? In the U.S. health care system, patients get coverage through a mix of private insurers such as UnitedHealthcare and government-funded programs such as Medicaid and Medicare. That can prove particularly frustrating for doctors and patients because coverage often varies by insurer. Polls reflect those frustrations with the U.S. health care system in general and insurance companies in particular. About two-thirds of Americans said health insurance companies deserve “a lot of blame” for high health care costs, according to a KFF poll conducted in February . Thompson’s wife said her husband had received previous threats Thompson’s wife, Paulette Thompson, told NBC News that he told her “there were some people that had been threatening him.” She didn’t have details but suggested the threats may have involved issues with insurance coverage. Eric Werner, the police chief in the Minneapolis suburb where Thompson lived, said his department had not received any reports of threats against the executive. 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 — “deny,” “defend” and “depose” — echoes a phrase commonly used to describe insurer tactics to avoid paying claims. The three words were emblazoned on the ammunition a masked gunman used to kill UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson , a law enforcement official told The Associated Press on Thursday. They’re similar to the phrase “delay, deny, defend” — the way some attorneys describe how insurers deny services and payment, and the title of a 2010 book that was highly critical of the industry. Police haven’t officially commented on the wording or any connection between them and the common phrase. But Thompson’s shooting and the messages on the ammunition have sparked outrage on social media and elsewhere, reflecting a deepening frustration Americans have over the cost and complexity of getting care. ▶ Read more about the messaging left behind by the shooter New photos released by the NYPD The New York Police Department released photos Thursday morning, asking for the public’s assistance in identifying the individual pictured. Police say the person is wanted for questioning in connection with the shooting of the UnitedHealthcare CEO. UnitedHealthcare’s history of claim denials A Senate panel has been investigating how frequently three major insurers, including UnitedHealthcare, deny care to patients who are enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans. It has also investigated the use of artificial intelligence in deny those claims. Medicare Advantage is the private version of Medicare, which provides health insurance to millions of older Americans. The Senate’s Permanent Subcommittee’s report released earlier this year found that as UnitedHealthcare relied more on its automated system to review claims denials increased for post-acute treatment, which includes nursing home or rehabilitation care. The insurer denied nearly a quarter of claims, a rate that doubled over just a two-year period from 2020 to 2022. What’s known about the suspected shooter? Joseph Kenny, the NYPD chief of detectives, says the shooter wore a black face mask, black-and-white sneakers and a distinctive gray backpack. He arrived outside the hotel about five minutes before UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson did, then waited and ignored other pedestrians before he approached Thompson from behind. After the assailant began to fire, his 9 mm pistol jammed but he quickly fixed it and kept firing, Kenny said, another sign of the shooter’s professionalism. “From watching the video, it does seem that he’s proficient in the use of firearms as he was able to clear the malfunctions pretty quickly,” Kenny said. Hunt for the shooting suspect brought New York police to at least two hostels Thursday morning The hostels were on Manhattan’s Upper West Side and police were following a tip that the suspect may have stayed at one of the residences, according to a law enforcement official briefed on the investigation. The official requested anonymity because they weren’t authorized to discuss the ongoing search. According to an employee of Kama Central Park, two detectives arrived at the hostel at 7 a.m. Thursday with a photo of the shooter and asked staff if they recognized the man. They did not, the employee said, and the detectives left soon after. An employee at the nearby HI New York City hostel also confirmed that police had visited the location Thursday, but declined to provide further information. — Jake Offenhartz New York Mayor Adams says he’s ‘never seen a silencer before’ New York Mayor Eric Adams said Thursday the shooter used a silencer — something he’d never encountered in his 22 years as a police officer. “In all of my years in law enforcement I have never seen a silencer before,” Adams, a retired NYPD captain, said in an appearance on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.” “And so that was really something that was shocking to us all.” Deny,’ ‘defend’ and ‘depose’: Ammunition used in CEO’s killing had writing on it, AP source says The masked gunman used ammunition emblazoned with the words “deny,” “defend” and “depose,” a law enforcement official said Thursday. The official was not authorized to publicly discuss details of the ongoing investigation and spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity. The words on the ammunition may have been a reference to strategies insurance companies use to try to avoid paying claims. Investigators recovered several 9 mm shell casings from outside the hotel, NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny had said earlier. — Mike Balsamo, Jake Offenhartz and Michael R. Sisak Just getting up to speed? Start here The chief executive of UnitedHealthcare, one of the nation’s largest insurers, was killed Wednesday in midtown Manhattan in what police described as a targeted attack by a shooter outside a hotel where the company was holding a conference. ▶ Read more about the key things to know about the fatal attack The Associated Press

CONWAY, Ark. (AP) — Elias Cato scored 23 points as Central Arkansas beat UNC Asheville 92-83 in double overtime on Sunday. Jordan Morris made two free throws with one second left for UNC Asheville (2-3) to force overtime tied at 71. Fletcher Abee's 3-pointer with 33 seconds left in the first overtime tied the game at 79 and led to the second extra period. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.Sean Dyche insists he doesn't need a set-piece coach and his old-school methods are the way forward - claiming he's 'got the wrong staff' at Everton if they can't work things out for themselves

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