Politics

[Red Leg]

I believe healthcare in the USA is a political topic, so I would offer as a topic of discussion the following.......

So the CEO of United Healthcare Brian Thompson - who was already under investigation for taking part in selling off $100mil+ of stock 2 weeks before the announcement of a DOJ probe into United Healthcare. Was shot dead by a masked man with a suppressed 9mm @6:40am as he left his hotel.

What is known

The shooter waited outside the victims hotel and upon him exiting produced a 9mm handgun with silencer and shot the victim in the back; the weapon jammed and the suspect had to clear the 3 gun times in order to get 3 shots off.

The suspect then ran to a near by alley and used an electric bicycle to escape into central park, left behind at the scene were 3 empty casings and 3 live rounds(cleared from jammed gun); 3 of the casings had writing on them....."Deny" "Defend" "Depose"

Some say it was a disgruntled insurance claimant, others are saying it was a professional hit; which the details of the case so far look like a 50/50 of pro/rookie and leaves me weighing such things as.....

The killer waits outside the hotel.... How did he know which hotel?

Killer has a 9mm with suppressor .... Pretty good equipment if just a rookie

Killers weapon jams 3 times.... Wouldn't a professional test his weapon before such a high profile attack? If it's some disgruntled claimant with a home made suppressor, likewise wouldn't you test the weapon beforehand?

Killer clears 3 malfunctions and fires 3 rounds.... All 3 rounds strike the victim and he's dead, that seems like pretty salty behavior if he was a just a disgruntled insurance claimant. I mean he's killing someone on a city street in front of witnesses @ 6:40am and has steady enough hands and mind to follow through and the escape plan was obviously pre planned.

I think it looks just the opposite.

The police now have two photos of him without a mask.

He reportedly drank a bottle of water and ate a power bar, and the police have recovered those items from the trash. The first may provide finger prints, but certainly DNA.

With respect to the firearm, it looks like someone who obtained a suppressor for his 9mm but never fired it to see if the ammo he intended to use developed enough of a recoil impulse to operate the action while employing it.

I do not think that any of that speaks to the actions of a "pro," whatever that might be in the real world outside of movies.

The killing was indeed certainly premeditated.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1864706407985221974

The CEO of the corporation sold $15mil of personal stock (not $100 mil), and along with three other executives, was being sued in a class action suit by investors. The sale took place without disclosing that the company was under a federal antitrust investigation. No DOJ charges have been filed.

That or an insurance issue could have provided a motive - or something else entirely. I expect we'll know soon after the guy is identified.

Slain UnitedHealthcare CEO Was Accused Of Insider Trading Amid DOJ Probe

Brian Thompson dumped more than $15 million in stock before a federal antitrust investigation into the insurance giant was publicly revealed, a lawsuit claims.

www.yahoo.com

Would be interesting to know how much access NYPD has to facial recognition technology.

 

[Altitude sickness]

More likely the shooter used a Hush Puppy. There wasn’t enough hesitation between manually, racking the slide. It looked practiced and expected

Hush Puppy® Kit - B&T USA

The B&T Hush Puppy Glock 19 is the latest iteration of a purpose-built combination pistol/suppressor system destined to fulfill highly specialized mission sets.

bt-usa.com

The Welrod Assassin's Pistol - SilencerCo

The Welrod was made in WWII to kill enemy sentries or high-value personnel silently at close range. Let's take a closer look.

silencerco.com

 

[LivingTheDream]

I think it looks just the opposite.

The police now have two photos of him without a mask.

He reportedly drank a bottle of water and ate a power bar, and the police have recovered those items from the trash. The first may provide finger prints, but certainly DNA.

With respect to the firearm, it looks like someone who obtained a suppressor for his 9mm but never fired it to see if the ammo he intended to use developed enough of a recoil impulse to operate the action while employing it.

I do not think that any of that speaks to the actions of a "pro," whatever that might be in the real world outside of movies.

The killing was indeed certainly premeditated.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1864706407985221974

The CEO of the corporation sold $15mil of personal stock (not $100 mil), and along with three other executives, was being sued in a class action suit by investors. The sale took place without disclosing that the company was under a federal antitrust investigation. No DOJ charges have been filed.

That or an insurance issue could have provided a motive - or something else entirely. I expect we'll know soon after the guy is identified.

Slain UnitedHealthcare CEO Was Accused Of Insider Trading Amid DOJ Probe

Brian Thompson dumped more than $15 million in stock before a federal antitrust investigation into the insurance giant was publicly revealed, a lawsuit claims.

www.yahoo.com

Would be interesting to know how much access NYPD has to facial recognition technology.

I agree with this, nothing that guy did was like a professional.

This is a disgruntled insurance holder or loved one of an insurance holder.

 

[deewayne2003]

I think it looks just the opposite.

The police now have two photos of him without a mask.

He reportedly drank a bottle of water and ate a power bar, and the police have recovered those items from the trash. The first may provide finger prints, but certainly DNA.

With respect to the firearm, it looks like someone who obtained a suppressor for his 9mm but never fired it to see if the ammo he intended to use developed enough of a recoil impulse to operate the action while employing it.

I do not think that any of that speaks to the actions of a "pro," whatever that might be in the real world outside of movies.

The killing was indeed certainly premeditated.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1864706407985221974

The CEO of the corporation sold $15mil of personal stock (not $100 mil), and along with three other executives, was being sued in a class action suit by investors. The sale took place without disclosing that the company was under a federal antitrust investigation. No DOJ charges have been filed.

That or an insurance issue could have provided a motive - or something else entirely. I expect we'll know soon after the guy is identified.

Slain UnitedHealthcare CEO Was Accused Of Insider Trading Amid DOJ Probe

Brian Thompson dumped more than $15 million in stock before a federal antitrust investigation into the insurance giant was publicly revealed, a lawsuit claims.

www.yahoo.com

Would be interesting to know how much access NYPD has to facial recognition technology.

They have plenty of facial recognition; Manhattan is said to be one of the most highly surveilled areas in the country. One former NYPD detective said that the suspect wasn’t wearing sun glasses which is a sign of inexperience as professionals in NYC have learned that sunglasses obscure facial recognition.

Remember all the footage we’ve seen is from private security cameras; I bet NYPD has that entire area under HD camera coverage.

That $15mil was his personal stock… the first he’s sold since joining the company and without disclosure.

As for the pro vs rookie… my point being that if he’s a first time killer it seems like he did lots of things right and a few things wrong. As for the DNA, if it’s on file then he’s caught; but how they know it’s his coffee cup or granola bar out of a NYC trash can is beyond me.

On another note the public comments are grotesquely and overwhelmingly showing the disdain for health insurance.

 

[Altitude sickness]

He definitely is not a pro.

 

[Red Leg]

They have plenty of facial recognition; Manhattan is said to be one of the most highly surveilled areas in the country. One former NYPD detective said that the suspect wasn’t wearing sun glasses which is a sign of inexperience as professionals in NYC have learned that sunglasses obscure facial recognition.

Remember all the footage we’ve seen is from private security cameras; I bet NYPD has that entire area under HD camera coverage.

That $15mil was his personal stock… the first he’s sold since joining the company and without disclosure.

As for the pro vs rookie… my point being that if he’s a first time killer it seems like he did lots of things right and a few things wrong. As for the DNA, if it’s on file then he’s caught; but how they know it’s his coffee cup or granola bar out of a NYC trash can is beyond me.

On another note the public comments are grotesquely and overwhelmingly showing the disdain for health insurance.

What I am talking about is the sort of facial recognition technology that can sort through tens of millions of images from whatever source along a very reasonable timeline. It then picks up the likely target image wherever it appears - whether a surveillance camera in NYC or a driver's license issued in Des Moines. We have used that technology very effectively internationally in the counter terrorism role for over a decade (we incorporated it into some of our security products). I know the FBI can use it domestically with limitations. What I do not know is what capability NYPD has to exploit it nationwide - I suspect almost none. My supposition is this guy, whatever his motive, is not local.

 

[1dirthawker]

Perhaps. Though DeSantis has gone through the very public crucible of having run for both governor (against a very hostile democrat party) and president in the face of a hostile press. I personally think he would be a shoo-in.

The problem with Hegseth as SECDEF is that he has an actual paper trail and an admitted problem with alcohol abuse - see the Monterey police report and interview with Megyn Kelly above. He has never been vetted for anything. That makes his nomination more problematic than Kavanaugh. Frankly, no "normal" incoming administration would have ever nominated him.

hmm,

well, re: his alcohol problem, i listened to the megyn kelly show, she did a good job interviewing him and was friendly but asked tough questions. he answered them to my satisfaction. is he perfect, nope. but co workers and friends, family etc. said that he does not have a problem with drinking, people that put their names out there on the record, not un-named sources.

he has never been vetted before....everyone has a first time at anything, even you.

"no normal incoming admin would ever nominate him", you are most likely right on that. however, the job that "normal" administrations have done is underwhelming to say the least. "normal" administrations would not invite elon musk and ramaswamy to the party to help make the government more efficient either.

personally, i am ok with the nomination, can't do much worse than the job the previous SOD did. maybe he will get rid of DEI and woke out of the military and get back to "breaking shit and killing people."

 

[Red Leg]

he has never been vetted before....everyone has a first time at anything, even you.

That is really clever of you. And rather beside the point isn't it? I am not nominated for anything, but Hegseth has been. Apparently with no real due diligence with respect to his past. This is not a mistake one would anticipate from a Trump second term.

Apparently he also was not vetted by the FBI prior to his nomination. He also has never received any sort of public vetting that happens when anyone runs for office. Interestingly, the day before yesterday Trump decided to allow FBI reviews of nominees. One can only wonder if the Hegseth nomination had something to do with that somewhat belated decision.

The SECDEF's job is to run the largest civilian military enterprise on the planet employing 2.9 million employees uniformed and civilian - the second largest employer in the world with a budget of nearly 900 billion dollars and a truly world wide presence. Ending the last administration's woke nonsense is the least thing the new SECDEF will have to accomplish on his watch. Tell me what the former major with a documented drinking and zipper problem who talks a lot on Fox has done that qualifies him for those larger responsibilities.

https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2024/12/05/congress/hegseth-nomination-defense-secretary-00192826

Unfortunately, he doesn't have to convince you - he has to convince at least 50 republican senators (he will get no democrat support). I think it is a really steep climb.

 

[deewayne2003]

What I am talking about is the sort of facial recognition technology that can sort through tens of millions of images from whatever source along a very reasonable timeline. It then picks up the likely target image wherever it appears - whether a surveillance camera in NYC or a driver's license issued in Des Moines. We have used that technology very effectively internationally in the counter terrorism role for over a decade (we incorporated it into some of our security products). I know the FBI can use it domestically with limitations. What I do not know is what capability NYPD has to exploit it nationwide - I suspect almost none. My supposition is this guy, whatever his motive, is not local.

I’m tracking you now… you mean facial scanners like China uses to surveil people on the street as it auto scans everyone on a side walk and cross reference by faces of known risks or wanted suspects.

Agree with you on not local; he apparently stayed at a hostel nearby, but seems have done his homework on locating the victim, timing his attack and escape route.

It will be interesting to see how his means and methods were developed and if this is a one and done situation or if he’s gone full vigilante and has other targets.

 

[Red Leg]

I’m tracking you now… you mean facial scanners like China uses to surveil people on the street as it auto scans everyone on a side walk and cross reference by faces of known risks or wanted suspects.

Agree with you on not local; he apparently stayed at a hostel nearby, but seems have done his homework on locating the victim, timing his attack and escape route.

It will be interesting to see how his means and methods were developed and if this is a one and done situation or if he’s gone full vigilante and has other targets.

Looks like they have determined when he arrived in New York, how he travelled, and apparent point of origin of the last leg of the trip. There at least will be more surveillance camera footage in Atlanta. They also know where he stayed in NYC for part of the time which will provide more witnesses and DNA. If he also stayed at an actual hotel, he may have used a CC. Few take cash these days.

UnitedHealthcare CEO shooting: Suspect arrived in New York on bus from Atlanta: ABC News sources

Law enforcement sources told ABC News that the suspect went through Port Authority Bus Terminal and detectives have been looking to see if they can spot him on video.

abc7ny.com

Facial recognition is the same tech as in your iPhone. It does not require dedicated cameras. As an investigative tool, it is really a software capability that uses existing cameras and facial photography postings on the internet or other networks. Give it a target and it will find matches wherever the photo may exist on the web.

 

[YancyW]

I believe healthcare in the USA is a political topic, so I would offer as a topic of discussion the following.......

So the CEO of United Healthcare Brian Thompson - who was already under investigation for taking part in selling off $100mil+ of stock 2 weeks before the announcement of a DOJ probe into United Healthcare. Was shot dead by a masked man with a suppressed 9mm @6:40am as he left his hotel.

What is known

The shooter waited outside the victims hotel and upon him exiting produced a 9mm handgun with silencer and shot the victim in the back; the weapon jammed and the suspect had to clear the 3 gun times in order to get 3 shots off.

The suspect then ran to a near by alley and used an electric bicycle to escape into central park, left behind at the scene were 3 empty casings and 3 live rounds(cleared from jammed gun); 3 of the casings had writing on them....."Deny" "Defend" "Depose"

Some say it was a disgruntled insurance claimant, others are saying it was a professional hit; which the details of the case so far look like a 50/50 of pro/rookie and leaves me weighing such things as.....

The killer waits outside the hotel.... How did he know which hotel?

Killer has a 9mm with suppressor .... Pretty good equipment if just a rookie

Killers weapon jams 3 times.... Wouldn't a professional test his weapon before such a high profile attack? If it's some disgruntled claimant with a home made suppressor, likewise wouldn't you test the weapon beforehand?

Killer clears 3 malfunctions and fires 3 rounds.... All 3 rounds strike the victim and he's dead, that seems like pretty salty behavior if he was a just a disgruntled insurance claimant. I mean he's killing someone on a city street in front of witnesses @ 6:40am and has steady enough hands and mind to follow through and the escape plan was obviously pre planned.

I knew Brian, worked with him for several years. The open joy being displayed for his murder is shocking, yet not surprising. Just heartbroken for his children.

 

[YancyW]

That is really clever of you. And rather beside the point isn't it? I am not nominated for anything, but Hegseth has been. Apparently with no real due diligence with respect to his past. This is not a mistake one would anticipate from a Trump second term.

Apparently he also was not vetted by the FBI prior to his nomination. He also has never received any sort of public vetting that happens when anyone runs for office. Interestingly, the day before yesterday Trump decided to allow FBI reviews of nominees. One can only wonder if the Hegseth nomination had something to do with that somewhat belated decision.

The SECDEF's job is to run the largest civilian military enterprise on the planet employing 2.9 million employees uniformed and civilian - the second largest employer in the world with a budget of nearly 900 billion dollars and a truly world wide presence. Ending the last administration's woke nonsense is the least thing the new SECDEF will have to accomplish on his watch. Tell me what the former major with a documented drinking and zipper problem who talks a lot on Fox has done that qualifies him for those larger responsibilities.

https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2024/12/05/congress/hegseth-nomination-defense-secretary-00192826

Unfortunately, he doesn't have to convince you - he has to convince at least 50 republican senators (he will get no democrat support). I think it is a really steep climb.

I've been in DC all week, I didn't talk to a single person I actually trust who thinks there is any real path for him.

 

[1dirthawker]

I think it is a really steep climb

again, i think you are probably right

 

[Certus]

This is a disgruntled insurance holder or loved one of an insurance holder.

Wife and I thought the same thing when we read the article saying “motivation not known”. There’s tens of thousands (hundreds of thousands?) of Americans who feel like, and are, being screwed constantly by the medical system. It’s just a massive business that forces you to pay through the roof if you wish to continue to live. No wonder something like this has happened. Wouldn’t be surprised if more CEO’s from other industries get shot in the future as they continue to screw their workers for more profit.

 

[Certus]

Also, from Tucker. I like hearing the Russian side as we just get fed BS propaganda here. Yes I’m aware it comes from both sides but hearing the other side is always good, and viewing it without the bias.

 

[Altitude sickness]

This interview is a goldmine for Western intelligence agencies. Lavrov is very transparent on where Russia feels aggrieved in the last 20 years by the west. There were enough truths weaved into this that most will believe all of Lavrovs comments. He was spinning just as our politicians do. Rewriting history at times.

It’s becoming more apparent that a settlement is coming between Russia and Ukraine. Zelenskyy already signals he knows Trump will force Ukraine to the table and to stop blocking solutions. And Russia knows Trump needs this agreement to uphold a political campaign promise.

So as we all knew, new territory boundaries will eventually be agreed to by both sides.

NATO will not be allowed Naval bases or joint exercises in Ukraine and Russia will withdraw and help pay to rebuild the destroyed cities

 

[fourfive8]

Speaking of these obsessions with on-the-job experience requirement for those in powerful positions… I’m thinking of Brandon’s history with how many years in Senate and 8 years in executive as VP. Uhhh ahhh, such an impressive resume. Well, how has that worked out?

 

[Altitude sickness]

I think we will quickly learn the shooter that killed the UnitedHealthcare CEO is just another mentally disturbed loner that learned just enough to get the job done with a few internet searches.

Or another cultural justice warrior

 

[Certus]

I think we will quickly learn the shooter that killed the UnitedHealthcare CEO is just another mentally disturbed loner that learned just enough to get the job done with a few internet searches.

Or another cultural justice warrior

I’m still placing bets on it being a revenge sort of thing for some perceived slight.

 

[Mark A Ouellette]

Folks,

While 50% or more of an agency's personal working at home sounds ineffective when spun by TV and YouTube experts, those persons who were productive in the office are also as or more productive working at home.

Those non-productive, retired on active duty type people are equally worthless at home as in the office.

With modern technologies such as MS TEAMS, Zoom, and gosh knows what else, collaboration is as good from at home as in the office, if not better.

My employer allows the option of home or office working. Most everyone selects working from where there will be the least distractions. We do all however meet at work to discuss highly sensitive topics.

Musk has stated that forcing people to return to their office will inspire many to retire or seek other employment. Of that, I have no doubt. I am however afraid that many high producers will change employers if having to chose between working at home or forced to return to less than sufficient cubicles. Time will tell...