Thursday 12.05.24

A potent winter storm stretching from the Midwest to the Northeast is knocking out power and disrupting travel for many commuters. Meteorologists are also warning of dangerous snow squalls that can create blinding, whiteout conditions seemingly out of nowhere. Here's what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and on With Your Day.
 

By Alexandra Banner

A police officer stands outside the Hilton Hotel in Manhattan where UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was fatally shot. (Stefan Jeremiah/AP)

New York manhunt

UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was shot and killed in Manhattan on Wednesday morning in a "brazen, targeted attack" as he walked toward the company's annual investor conference, New York police said. The gunman remains on the loose and a motive is unclear. Police shared video of the hooded suspect and urged New Yorkers to "be alert" as the search intensifies. Detectives said a phone found in an alley the gunman ran through may have belonged to the shooter. Police also found a bottle of water that detectives believe the gunman purchased at a Starbucks just minutes before the attack. The water bottle could yield fingerprints or DNA, and if police technicians can unlock the phone, it may provide the suspect's identity.

California school shooting

Two kindergarten students are in critical condition after they were wounded in a shooting Wednesday at a school north of Sacramento. The boys, aged 5 and 6, were being treated at local hospitals, Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea told reporters, hours after a gunman opened fire at the Feather River Adventist School in the city of Oroville. A suspect was found dead at the scene with what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound, Honea said. The man has been identified but could not be immediately named due to an ongoing investigation. Authorities believe the suspect had targeted the school because of its affiliation with the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

Paris stowaway

A Russian woman who stowed away on a Delta Air Lines flight from New York to Paris last week was arrested after she returned to the US Wednesday night, the FBI said. She is expected to be charged with being a stowaway on a vessel or aircraft without consent and could face up to five years in prison, according to multiple law enforcement officials. The shocking breach has drawn attention to security lapses at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport that enabled an unticketed passenger to board a plane on one of the busiest travel days of the year. One aviation expert said the incident should serve as a "wake-up call" for the airline industry. Delta Air Lines said it has reviewed its own security and insists its infrastructure "is sound."

Transgender care

The Supreme Court appeared likely to endorse a divisive Tennessee law that bans gender-affirming care for minors after more than two hours of oral arguments on Wednesday. The case — US v. Skrmetti — could determine whether states can restrict puberty blockers and hormone therapy for transgender children and teens. A decision is expected by July 2025. During the arguments, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson said she was "suddenly quite worried" and "nervous" about conservatives' arguments in the controversy. Republican lawmakers who support the ban say decisions about care should be made after an individual becomes an adult. Opponents argue that in addition to violating the civil rights of trans youth, the laws also run afoul of parents' rights to make decisions about their child's medical care. 

Bitcoin record

Bitcoin hit $100,000 for the first time on Wednesday, surging to a record high as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to usher in crypto-friendly policies when he takes office in January. Trump plans to nominate Paul Atkins to lead the Securities and Exchange Commission. Atkins, a crypto advocate and former SEC commissioner, is expected to regulate cryptocurrencies with a lighter touch than Gary Gensler, who leads the commission under the Biden administration. Bitcoin is up 130% for the year so far, with a post-election rally accounting for a significant portion of its gains. Its performance far outpaces the S&P 500, which is up 28% over the same period.

People are talking about these. Read up. Join in.

Milk chocolate vs. dark chocolate
While both can satisfy a sweet tooth, a new study shows a small quantity of dark chocolate is better than milk chocolate for insulin control and type 2 diabetes prevention.

This 74-year-old bird found a new partner and just laid another egg
The world's oldest known wild bird left an egg-citing surprise for scientists. 

OnlyFans is now accessible in China
OnlyFans, a popular subscription-based website known for its sexually explicit content, has quietly become accessible in China after previously being blocked by government censors.

More Americans are becoming 401(k) 'millionaires'
The number of 401(k) "millionaires" just jumped by 9.5%, according to Fidelity Investments. For most 401(k) participants, however, the $1 million threshold remains far from reach.

President Joe Biden wraps historic Africa trip
Over the three-day trip, the first for an American president, Biden promoted US investment in a massive railway project. But his visit was overshadowed by domestic and geopolitical controversies. 

20 million

That's around how many doses of fentanyl were recently seized in a record drug bust in Mexico's cartel-ridden Sinaloa state. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum called it the "largest seizure of fentanyl pills that has ever been made."

We're going to fight like hell. There's no reason to back down.

— Pete Hegseth, Donald Trump's pick for defense secretary, saying Wednesday that he will fight for the Cabinet position amid some GOP doubts over his confirmation. The veteran and former Fox News host has faced scrutiny over past misconduct allegations, causing GOP senators to question his fitness to lead the Pentagon.

(Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

Spencer Davis/Pexels

Giant cyborg cockroaches?
Researchers in Australia are putting electronic backpacks onto burrowing cockroaches to help search for victims of earthquakes and other disasters. See how insects could become the search and rescue workers of the future.