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
Minnesota State Fair announces ’90s pair for its first grandstand concert for 2025
After ‘90s music dominated the Twin Cities concert calendar this past summer, the Minnesota State Fair has offered up two of the decade’s biggest folk-rock acts for its first announced grandstand concert of 2025.
Melissa Etheridge and the Indigo Girls are pairing up for a 48-city trek next summer that will land at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds on Aug. 24, the first Sunday of the fair’s 12-day run. Tickets priced $56-$124will go on sale Thursday at 10 a.m. via eTix.com or by calling 800-514-3849, with pre-sale options beginning Tuesday.
Dubbed the Yes We Are Tour, the outing is a continuation of dates Etheridge and the IGs began playing together this past summer. The shows saw the two Grammy-winning co-headliners join each other in their respective sets while offering up their own full-length set lists laced with radio and MTV hits — including “I’m the Only One” and “Come to My Window” from Kansas native Etheridge and “Galileo” and “Closer to Fine” from Georgia duo Amy Ray and Emily Saliers, the latter song popularized again by last year’s “Barbie” movie.
The Indigo Girls easily sold out Plymouth’s Hilde Amphitheater the summer before last and then packed Orchestra Hall in March. Etheridge was last seen in the area performing with Jewel at the Ledge Amphitheater near St. Cloud this past August.
Star Tribune
Biden proposes end to subminimum wage for workers with disabilities
Even without a mandated change, some employers here have been shifting away from the practice in recent years.
Meanwhile, parents of some adults with more severe disabilities staunchly oppose the move and have asked lawmakers to keep the subminimum wage. Larry and Liz Alexander, who live near Hampton, are among those who are wary of the new Biden administration proposal.
Their 34-year-old daughter, Anne, has autism and is largely nonverbal. After high school, Anne started doing subminimum wage work. She occasionally made $300 or $400 every two weeks doing “piecework,” such as assembling items for Menards, which her mom said she was good at and was an outlet for nervous energy. A year and a half ago, the subminimum wage work she participated in stopped.
“She was actually filling a very real need in society. But now she can’t work for any less than minimum wage and there’s no way she can function at a level to make minimum wage,” Liz Alexander said.
Her daughter feels the loss of no longer doing a “real job” and instead spends hours at classes through her day program. They do music, yoga, coloring and crafts, Alexander said, but “you can only do so much of that a day.”
Star Tribune
What we know about UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson’s killing
While Minneapolis-based UCare remains open, its front doors were locked Friday morning.
“Of course Brian Thompson’s murder — and the ensuing vitriol on social media — sent shockwaves throughout our industry,” UCare said in a statement. “We have no reason to believe there is any danger specifically to our team. At the same time, there is a general feeling of vulnerability and concern.”
“It’s a wakeup call for a lot of companies,” said Glen Kucera, the New York-based president of Enhanced Protection Services, an arm of security company Allied Universal. “Unfortunately, it sometimes takes an event like this to impact change in the threat landscape.”