Suspect charged with murder in killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO
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The man accused of gunning down the CEO of UnitedHealthcare on a New York City sidewalk is charged with murder. And the Biden administration levels allegations of war crimes against two Syrians who were high-raking members of the now ousted regime. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024.
Suspect charged with murder in killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO
After nearly a week of searching, the manhunt for the suspected gunman who shot and killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside a New York City hotel last week is over. Police said they located the 26-year-old suspect inside a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, about 300 miles from New York on Monday, Dec. 9.
Point phone camera here
The New York City Police Department filed first-degree murder charges against Luigi Mangione, according to court documents released Monday night. Mangione also faces charges of possession of a loaded firearm, possession of a forged driver’s license, and criminal possession of a weapon.
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Mangione is described as a former high school valedictorian and a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, who grew up in Maryland but has also had past addresses in California and Hawaii.
Mangione was taken into custody in Altoona after authorities said a McDonald’s employee recognized him as the person of interest seen in images related to Thompson’s shooting death.
When police arrived on the scene, they questioned Mangione. According to court documents, Mangione “started to shake” when asked if he’d recently been in New York City. Authorities said at first, he lied about his identity.
So proud of @NYPDMTN Detectives, and our Major Case and Homicide Squads, who worked around-the-clock on the homicide investigation in Midtown. I joined them last night to thank them for their dedication. No doubt, their work was instrumental to identifying the person of interest… pic.twitter.com/jAFA7JDcHd
— Jessica S. Tisch (@NYPDPC) December 9, 2024
Court documents show he was carrying a black 3-D printed pistol with a silencer. The NYPD said the “ghost gun” found on him was consistent with the one used in the murder. Ghost guns do not have serial numbers.
Police said Mangione also had on him a fake ID, matching the one used by the suspect at a New York City hostel before the shooting, and a three-page written note.
“That document is currently in the possession of the Altoona Police Department as part of their investigation but just from briefly speaking with them, we don’t think that there’s any specific threats to other people mentioned in that document, but it does seem that he has some ill will toward corporate America,” NYPD Chief of Detectives Joe Kenney said.
Multiple reports Tuesday morning, Dec. 10, claimed those writings included the phrases “these parasites had it coming” and it “had to be done.”
During a press conference Monday evening, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) spoke of how the killing has led to some people online sharing their frustrations and anger over the healthcare system but emphasized that Mangione is not a martyr.
“In some dark corners, this killer’s being hailed as a hero,” Shapiro said. “Hear me on this: he is no hero. The real hero in this story is the person who called 911 at McDonald’s this [Monday] morning. The real heroes every day in our society are the women and men who put on uniforms like these and go out in our communities to keep us safe. This killer is not a hero. He should not be hailed.”
Mangione will remain in custody in Pennsylvania pending his extradition to New York, which is expected to take place later this week.
Jury finds former US Marine not guilty in NYC chokehold death trial
Tensions remain high in New York after a jury acquitted U.S. Marine veteran Daniel Penny of all charges on Monday, including criminally negligent homicide, in the chokehold death of a schizophrenic man, whose behavior had some people on the New York subway testifying they feared for their lives.
The caught-on-camera deadly incident from May 2023 saw Penny put Jordan Neely in a chokehold from behind after Neely walked up and down the F train saying “somebody is going to die today”.
Prosecutors said the chokehold lasted too long, was reckless, and resulted in the 30-year-old homeless man’s death. The defense brought an expert in to show Neely was under the influence of the synthetic marijuana drug K2, arguing he died from drug use and a previous medical condition.
Outside the Manhattan courthouse Tuesday, fights broke out as protesters and counter-protesters clashed. After the verdict Neely’s father stated, “There is no justice.”
US charges 2 former Syrian officials with war crimes
The United States has charged two former high-ranking Syrian intelligence officials with war crimes. The DOJ said during Bashar al-Assad’s regime, Jamil Hassan and Abdul Salam Mahmoud oversaw operations of a detention facility where Americans and civilians who had been deemed enemies of the state were tortured.
In other developments in the Middle East, the U.S. has also sent a special envoy to Beirut, Lebanon to find out what happened to Austin Tice. Tice is an American journalist who vanished in Syria 12 years ago.
"We have heard from sources that have been vetted by the U.S. government that Austin is alive." Austin Tice has been missing in Syria for 12 years. Today his brother & sister tell me "every day is a day that Austin should be released and a day that Austin could be released." pic.twitter.com/o08OgOFKEm
— Christiane Amanpour (@amanpour) December 9, 2024
On Sunday, Dec. 8, President Joe Biden said he believes Tice is still alive and his administration is committed to bringing him home. Syria has publicly denied holding Tice.
Meanwhile, Israel has launched a large-scale attack on Syria, striking what it called strategic military sites after the fall of the al-Assad government. It also expanded its presence into the Golan Heights, a buffer zone along the country’s border with Syria.
Israel claimed the move is temporary and aimed at ensuring nearby areas are not exposed to any potential security threats, but Iran has appealed to the United Nations Security Council, saying the expansion is a “flagrant violation” of U.N. charter, breaking a 50-year cease-fire agreement.
Hegseth looks to shore up Senate support on Capitol Hill
President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for defense secretary is back on Capitol Hill this week. He’s looking to shore up support from Senate Republicans.
Thank you Senator @LindseyGrahamSC https://t.co/5iKQYm6EmL
— Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) December 9, 2024
Pete Hegseth met with Senators Joni Ernst and Lindsey Graham on Monday. Both had expressed concerns over allegations against Hegseth of sexual misconduct, financial mismanagement of veterans’ charities and excessive drinking.
Hegseth denies a lot of it and says he is changed man. He served in the Army in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Hegseth is scheduled to meet with 20 Republican senators this week, according to The Washington Post.
Lord & Taylor to relaunch as online discount luxury retailer
Another department store chain is set to make an internet comeback. Lord & Taylor is set to relaunch in 2025 as a discount luxury e-commerce platform offering designer goods and Lord & Taylor-branded products, according to its new owner.
Regal Brands Global acquired the Lord & Taylor intellectual property in September after its previous owner, Saadia Group — which had re-launched the chain as an e-commerce website in 2021 — ceased operations.
Regal Brands reportedly aims to position Lord & Taylor products to compete with other high-end retailers such as Saks Fifth Avenue and Nordstrom.
‘Emilia Perez’ receives most Golden Globe nominations
The nominations for the 82nd Golden Globes are out.
Musical “Emelia Perez” leads the pack with 10 nominations. No musical or comedy has ever received more Golden Globe nominations.
Netflix, which acquired the rights to the film, was the big winner among studios. It garnered 13 nominations for film and 23 for television.
Over on the TV side, FX’s “The Bear” continued its award show dominance with five nominations.
The Golden Globes will air Jan. 5 on CBS and Paramount+.
Tags: Arrest, Bashar Assad, Beirut, Brian Thompson, California, Capitol Hill, CBS News, Courts, Death, Drugs, E-commerce, Ghost guns, Golden Globes, Gun violence, Guns, Hawaii, Health Care, health insurance, Hollywood awards, Internet, Investigation, Iran, Israel, Joni Ernst, Josh Shapiro, Journalism, jury trial, Lebanon, Lindsey Graham, Manhattan, marijuana, Maryland, McDonald’s, Middle East, Murder, Netflix, New York, New York City, Paramount, Paramount+, Pennsylvania, Pete Hegseth, Protests, shooting, subway, Syria, Television, U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Senate, United Nations, UnitedHealthcare, Veterans, Washington, Washington DC, Weapons
AFTER NEARLY A WEEK OF SEARCHING – THE MANHUNT FOR THE suspected GUNMAN, WHO SHOT AND KILLED UNITEDHEALTHCARE CEO BRIAN THOMPSON, OUTSIDE A NEW YORK CITY HOTEL last week, CAME TO AN END ON MONDAY. POLICE SAYING THEY LOCATED THE 26-YEAR-OLD MAN INSIDE A MCDONALD’S IN ALTOONA, PENNSYLVANIA, ABOUT 300 MILES FROM NEW YORK. AND THIS MORNING – HE IS NOW CHARGED WITH MURDER.
THE NEW YORK CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT FILING FIRST-DEGREE MURDER CHARGES AGAINST 26-YEAR-OLD LUIGI MANGIONE – ACCORDING TO COURT DOCUMENTS RELEASED MONDAY NIGHT.
MANGIONE ALSO FACES CHARGES OF POSSESSION OF A LOADED FIREARM, POSSESSION OF A FORGED DRIVER’S LICENSE, AND CRIMINAL POSSESSION OF A WEAPON.
MANGIONE IS A DESCRIBED AS A FORMER HIGH SCHOOL VALEDICTORIAN WHO GRADUATED FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA – WITH PAST ADDRESSES IN MARYLAND WHERE HE GREW UP, AS WELL AS CALIFORNIA, AND HAWAII.
EARLIER IN THE DAY – MANGIONE WAS TAKEN INTO CUSTODY IN ALTOONA PA AFTER AUTHORITIES SAY A MCDONALD’S EMPLOYEE RECOGNIZED HIM AS THE PERSON OF INTEREST SEEN IN IMAGES RELATED TO THE SHOOTING OF DEATH OF THE 50-YEAR-OLD UNITEDHEALTHCARE CEO LAST WEDNESDAY.
WHEN POLICE ARRIVED ON THE SCENE – THEY QUESTIONED MANGIONE. ACCORDING TO COURT DOCUMENT. MANGIONE — WHO WAS EATING AT THE TIME – QUOTE “STARTED TO SHAKE” WHEN ASKED IF HE’D RECENTLY BEEN IN NEW YORK CITY.
AUTHORITIES SAY AT FIRST HE LIED ABOUT HIS IDENTITY.
COURT DOCUMENTS SAY HE WAS CARRYING A BLACK 3-D PRINTED PISTOL WITH A SILENCER.
THE NYPD SAYS THE GUN FOUND ON HIM — DESCRIBED AS A GHOST GUN – MEANING A WEAPON WITH NO SERIAL NUMBER — WAS CONSISTENT WITH THE ONE USED IN THE MURDER.
POLICE SAY MANGIONE ALSO HAD ON HIM A FAKE ID – MATCHING THE ONE USED BY THE SUSPECT AT A NEW YORK CITY HOSTEL BEFORE THE SHOOTING — AND A THREE-PAGE WRITTEN NOTE.
CHIEF OF DETECTIVE JOE KENNY | NEW YORK CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT
“That document is currently in the possession of the Altoona police department as part of their investigation but just from briefly speaking with them um we don’t think that there’s any specific threats to other people mentioned in that document but it does seem that he has some ill will toward Corporate America.”
THERE ARE REPORTS THIS MORNING THAT THOSE WRITINGS INCLUDE, THE PHRASES – “THESE PARASITES HAD IT COMING” AND IT HAD TO BE DONE.
SPEAKING IN A PRESS CONFERENCE MONDAY EVENING, PENNSYLVANIA GOVERNOR JOSH SHAPIRO SPOKE OF HOW THE KILLING HAS LED TO SOME PEOPLE ONLINE SHARING THEIR FRUSTRATIONS AND ANGER OVER THE HEALTHCARE SYSTEM – BUT EMPHASIZED THAT MANGIONE IS NOT A MARTYR.
GOV. JOSH SHAPIRO | D-Pa.
“In some dark corners, this killer’s being hailed as a hero hear me on this he is no hero the real hero in this story is the person who called 911 at McDonald’s this morning the real heroes every day in our society are the women and men who put on uniforms like these and go out in our communities to keep us safe killer who not a hero. He should not be hailed.
MANGIONE REMAINS IN CUSTODY IN PENNSYLVANIA PENDING HIS EXTRADITION TO NEW YORK, WHICH IS EXPECTED TO TAKE PLACE LATER THIS WEEK.
THIS MORNING, TENSIONS REMAIN HIGH IN NEW YORK AFTER A JURY ACQUITTED U-S MARINE VETERAN DANIEL PENNY OF ALL CHARGES, INCLUDING CRIMINALLY NEGLIGENT HOMICIDE, IN THE CHOKEHOLD DEATH OF A SCHIZOPHRENIC MAN, WHO’S BEHAVIOR HAD SOME PEOPLE ON THE NEW YORK SUBWAY TESTIFYING THEY FEARED FOR THEIR LIVES.
THE CAUGHT-ON-CAMERA DEADLY INCIDENT FROM MAY OF 2023 SAW PENNY PUT JORDAN NEELY IN A CHOKE-HOLD, FROM BEHIND AFTER NEELY WAS WALKING UP AND DOWN THE “F” TRAIN SAYING ” SOMEBODY IS GOING TO DIE TODAY”.
PROSECUTORS SAID THE CHOKE-HOLD LASTED TOO LONG, WAS RECKLESS, AND RESULTED IN THE 30-YEAR-OLD HOMELESS MAN’S DEATH. THE DEFENSE BROUGHT AN EXPERT IN TO SHOW NEELY, WAS UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF THE SYNTHETIC MARIJUANA DRUG – K-2– ARGUING NEELY DIED FROM DRUG USE AND A PREVIOUS MEDICAL CONDITION.
OUTSIDE THE MANHATTAN COURTHOUSE — FIGHTS BROKE OUT AS PROTESTERS AND COUNTER-PROTESTERS CLASHED.
AFTER THE VERDICT NEEKY’S FATHER STATED, ” THERE IS NO JUSTICE”.
NOW TO THE LATEST IN THE MIDDLE EAST — THE UNITED STATES SAYS IT HAS CHARGED TWO FORMER HIGH-RANKING SYRIAN INTELLIGENCE OFFICIALS WITH WAR CRIMES.
THE D-O-J SAYS DURING BASHAR AL-ASSAD’S REGIME, JAMIL HASSAN AND ABDUL SALAM MAHMOUD, OVERSAW OPERATIONS OF A DETENTION FACILITY WHERE AMERICANS AND CIVILIANS, WHO HAD BEEN DEEMED ENEMIES OF THE STATE, WERE TORTURED.
THIS COMES AS THE U-S HAS ALSO SENT A SPECIAL ENVOY TO BEIRUT, LEBANON TO FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENED TO AUSTIN TICE — AN AMERICAN JOURNALIST WHO VANISHED IN SYRIA 12 YEARS AGO.
ON SUNDAY — PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN SAID HE BELIEVES TICE IS STILL ALIVE AND HIS ADMINISTRATION IS COMMITTED TO BRINGING HIM HOME.
SYRIA HAS PUBLICLY DENIED HOLDING TICE.
MEANWHILE — ISRAEL HAS LAUNCHED A LARGE-SCALE ATTACK ON SYRIA, STRIKING WHAT IT CALLED STRATEGIC MILITARY SITES AFTER THE FALL OF THE AL-ASSAD GOVERNMENT.
IT ALSO EXPANDED ITS PRESENCE INTO THE GOLAN HEIGHTS — A BUFFER ZONE ALONG THE COUNTRY’S BORDER WITH SYRIA.
ISRAEL CLAIMS THE MOVE IS TEMPORARY AND AIMED AT ENSURING NEARBY AREAS ARE NOT EXPOSED TO ANY POTENTIAL SECURITY THREATS… BUT IRAN HAS APPEALED TO THE UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL — SAYING THE EXPANSION IS A QUOTE “FLAGRANT VIOLATION” OF U-N CHARTER, BREAKING A 50-YEAR CEASE-FIRE AGREEMENT.
HERE IN THE U-S — PRESIDENT-ELECT DONALD TRUMP’S PICK FOR DEFENSE SECRETARY IS BACK ON CAPITOL HILL, LOOKING TO SHORE UP SUPPORT FROM SENATE REPUBLICANS.
YESTERDAY, PETE HEGSETH MET WITH SENATORS JONI ERNST AND LINDSEY GRAHAM… BOTH OF WHOM HAD EXPRESSED CONCERNS OVER ALLEGATIONS AGAINST HEGSETH OF SEXUAL MISCONDUCT, FINANCIAL MISMANAGEMENT OF VETERANS’ CHARITIES AND EXCESSIVE DRINKING.
HEGSETH DENIES A LOT OF IT AND SAYS HE IS CHANGED MAN. HE SERVED IN THE ARMY IN THE WARS IN AFGHANISTAN AND IRAQ.
HEGSETH IS SCHEDULED TO MEET WITH TWENTY REPUBLICAN SENATORS THIS WEEK — ACCORDING TO THE WASHINGTON POST.
ANOTHER DEPARTMENT STORE CHAIN IS SET TO MAKE AN INTERNET COMEBACK.
LORD AND TAYLOR IS SET TO RE-LAUNCH IN 20-25 AS A DISCOUNT LUXURY E-COMMERCE PLATFORM — OFFERING DESIGNER GOODS AND LORD & TAYLOR-BRANDED PRODUCTS, THAT’S ACCORDING TO ITS NEW OWNER.
REGAL BRANDS GLOBAL ACQUIRED THE LORD & TAYLOR INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY IN SEPTEMBER AFTER ITS PREVIOUS OWNER, SAADIA GROUP — WHICH HAD RE-LAUNCHED THE CHAIN AS AN E-COMMERCE WEBSITE IN 20-21 — CEASED OPERATIONS.
REGAL BRANDS REPORTEDLY AIMS TO POSITION LORD & TAYLOR PRODUCTS TO COMPETE WITH OTHER HIGH-END RETAILERS SUCH AS SAKS FIFTH AVENUE AND NORDSTROM.
FINALLY THIS MORNING — THE NOMINEES FOR THE 82ND GOLDEN GLOBES ARE OUT – AND LEADING THE PACK IS MUSICAL “EMILIA PEREZ” WITH 10 NOMINATIONS.
NO MUSICAL OR COMEDY HAS EVER RECEIVED MORE GLOBE NOMINATIONS.
NETFLIX – WHICH ACQUIRED THE RIGHTS TO THE FILM – WAS THE BIG WINNER AMONG STUDIOS – GETTING 13 NOMINATIONS FOR FILM AND 23 FOR TELEVISION.
OVER ON THE TV SIDE – “THE BEAR” CONTINUES ITS AWARD SHOW DOMINANCE WITH FIVE NOMINATIONS.
THE GOLDEN GLOBES WILL AIR JANUARY 5 ON CBS AND PARAMOUNT PLUS.
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