Star Tribune
UHC CEO Brian Thompson is shot and killed in New York City
After clearing the jam, the shooter began to fire again, Kenny said, and then fled on foot.
Responding to reporter questions, Kenny said police don’t know if the shooter could have been a professional, nor could investigators say if there was a silencer on the weapon. From watching the video, he said, “it does seem that he’s proficient in the use of firearms as he was able to clear the malfunctions pretty quickly.”
After his initial flight from the scene, the suspect was later seen riding an e-bike, including when he was spotted in Central Park.
“The motive for this murder currently is unknown,” Kenny said. “Based on the evidence we have so far, it does appear that the victim was specifically targeted. But at this point, we do not know why.”
United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
Thompson was CEO of UnitedHealthcare, the nation’s largest health insurer. It is a division of Minnetonka-based UnitedHealth Group, which is the fourth-largest public company in America behind Walmart, Amazon and Apple.
His wife, Paulette Thompson, told NBC News that he had been receiving threats. “There had been some threats,” she said in a phone call with NBC News. “Basically, I don’t know, a lack of coverage? I don’t know details. I just know that he said there were some people that had been threatening him.”
Star Tribune
Stillwater Area High School student dies days after falling through ice in Woodbury
A 16-year-old Stillwater Area High School student has died, days after falling through the ice on Woodbury’s Markgrafs Lake.
The victim, identified as Yahye Ali Abdi of Woodbury by the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office, fell through the ice along with a 12-year-old girl on Monday afternoon. The girl’s condition was not immediately available Friday.
First responders were called to the lake at 4:29 p.m. Monday after getting a report that someone had gone through the ice, Woodbury police said. After Abdi fell into the water, the 12-year-old went to help him and also fell in.
By the time rescuers arrived, the girl was in the water but hanging onto the ice. A dive team had to rescue Abdi, who died Thursday at M Health Fairview University of Minnesota Medical Center in Minneapolis.
Abdi was described as a “bright, kind, and thoughtful young man” in a GoFundMe page raising donations to cover funeral expenses and to build a well for a community in need. Almost $10,500 had been raised as of 3 p.m. Friday.
“It’s been a very difficult week in our community and our thoughts and prayers are with the Abdi family,” said Carissa Keister, a spokesperson for Stillwater Area Public Schools.
Star Tribune
USDA orders nationwide testing of milk for bird flu to halt the virus
The U.S. government on Friday ordered testing of the nation’s milk supply for bird flu to better monitor the spread of the virus in dairy cows.
Raw or unpasteurized milk from dairy farms and processors nationwide must be tested on request starting Dec. 16, the Agriculture Department said. Testing will begin in six states — California, Colorado, Michigan, Mississippi, Oregon and Pennsylvania.
Officials said the move is aimed at ”containing and ultimately eliminating the virus,” known as Type A H5N1, which was detected for the first time in March in U.S. dairy cows. Since then, more than 700 herds have been confirmed to be infected in 15 states.
”This will give farms and farmworkers better confidence in the safety of their animals and ability to protect themselves, and it will put us on a path to quickly controlling and stopping the virus’ spread nationwide,” Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in a statement.
The risk to people from bird flu remains low, health officials said. Pasteurization, or heat treatment, kills the virus in milk, leaving it safe to drink.
Veterinarians, farmers, scientists and academics have been calling for nationwide milk testing for months, said Keith Poulsen, director of the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, who led the efforts.
”It’s another step in the right direction,” Poulsen said. ”They’re coming around that we need a better handle on it.”
Dairy farmers and processors across the U.S. have been reluctant to test animals or milk for the virus, fearing economic or other repercussions. Jamie Jonker, chief science officer of the National Milk Producers Federation, said the industry supports USDA efforts to eliminate the virus.
Star Tribune
‘Wicked’ singalong screenings held Mondays at Minneapolis’ Main Cinema
Hoping to sing along to the music of “Wicked” at the movie theater? The Main Cinema along Saint Anthony Main in Minneapolis is reserving Monday showtimes of the blockbuster movie for fans who want to break out in song.
Some theaters have cracked down on audiences singing since the musical movie was released in late November. When asked for her take on fans belting out the songs in cinemas, Cynthia Erivo who stars in the movie as the misunderstood protagonist Elphaba, gave it a green light.
“I’m OK with it. We spent this long singing it ourselves, it’s time for everyone to sing,” Erivo said during an appearance on “Good Morning America” last week.
Shortly after the star’s comments, The Main Cinema announced its Monday “Sing Your Heart Out” screenings in an Instagram post.
“Go ahead and let your lungs defy gravity (on Mondays only, please),” the theater wrote.
Anjali Moore, a box officer supervisor at The Main Cinema, said it was a way for the community to have fun while being respectful to those who would find the singing distracting.
“We didn’t get any complaints,” Moore said Friday. “I haven’t heard anyone come up before they did that promotion and say that they’re annoyed that people are singing,”
It’s also a way to potentially boost sales on Monday nights, typically the quietest day for the theater, she said.