Tuesday, December 10, 2024
It is Tuesday, December 10, 2024. Here are today’s top stories.
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Updates on suspected CEO killer Luigi Mangione
Luigi Mangione, the suspected killer of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, was officially charged with murder in New York. He will be extradited to New York from Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania Gov. Shapiro said Mangione is “no hero” because in America, we don’t kill people in cold blood to resolve policy differences or express a viewpoint. The governor said the real hero is the person who called 911 at McDonald’s to report that the suspect may be there.
Many people on social media have a different point of view — many view Mangione as some kind of hero, as someone who did a good deed to get vengeance on health insurance companies who deny coverage to those who need it.
Police officers who arrested him said he was just sitting there eating at McDonald’s when they approached him and became nervous when they asked if he had been in New York recently.
When police searched him, they found a firearm that looked similar to the weapon used in the murder and that it may have been 3D printed. He also had a handwritten document that criticized the healthcare industry and called them “parasites” and said they “had it coming.”
Here is some information on who Mangione is.
He is from a well-known and wealthy family in Baltimore. He attended the University of Pennsylvania and graduated with a master’s and bachelor’s degree in computer science and a minor in mathematics.
Mangione recently had back surgery that required several large screws to be inserted in his spine. Those who knew him said he struggled with back pain.
His family reported him missing in November after they lost touch with him. He seemed to have become withdrawn from those who knew him in the time leading to the CEO shooting.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/dec/10/brian-thompson-killing-suspect-family
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Israel seizes territory in Syria
CNN reported that Israel has carried out an intense military campaign to seize territory in Syria after its longtime leader Bashar al-Assad fled the country.
Israel destroyed the Syrian naval fleet and bombed Syrian military facilities housing chemical weapons and long-range missiles. They have also destroyed parts of Syria’s air defenses.
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu said “we are changing the face of the Middle East.” He said Iran used Syria as a pipeline to supply weapons to Hezbollah.
The Arab League, which is composed of several Arab countries, accused Israel of taking advantage of instability to occupy more Syrian territories.
https://www.cnn.com/2024/12/10/middleeast/israel-syria-assad-strikes-intl/index.html
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Polygamist leader sentenced to 50 years
ABC News said a polygamist leader in Arizona, Samuel Bateman, was sentenced to 50 years in prison for forcing girls as young as 9 years old to have sex with him and become his “spiritual wives.”
Bateman led a small group of people who are an offshoot of the sect once led by Warren Jeffs, who is now in prison on similar crimes. Both leaders claimed to be prophets who were acting on orders from God.
Several victims testified in court about experiencing trauma and struggling to cope with it.
The judge in the case said Bateman should not have the opportunity to be free and to be around young women again and said his 50-year sentence was like a life sentence.
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Smuggler at airport wraps meth as Christmas gifts
Authorities in New Zealand said they arrested a Canadian woman who allegedly tried to smuggle about 22 pounds of meth by wrapping them as Christmas presents. The meth is worth about $2 million. Authorities did not release the woman’s name but said she just “made Santa’s naughty list.”
Last year, authorities in New Zealand made its largest ever drug bust when they discovered over 1,500 pounds of meth in containers of Canadian maple syrup and arrested six suspects. The drugs were valued at $150 million.
https://www.cnn.com/2024/12/10/travel/arrest-meth-wrapped-christmas-presents-nz-intl-hnk/index.html
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Wildfire in Malibu region
There is a wildfire that is moving through the Malibu, California region. It is called the Franklin Fire. It began as a five-acre brush fire on Monday but after strong Santa Ana winds fanned the flames, it rapidly increased to at least 2,200 acres today. Fire officials said some homes have been destroyed and that people are under an immediate threat. California Gov. Newsom said the fire has prompted the evacuation of most in Malibu. Winter can be one of the worst times for wildfires in Southern California due to the combination of strong winds and dry grasslands.
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That is all the top stories for today. See you tomorrow and stay with the light.