WORLD NEWS FLASH
UNITED STATES
Usually, when a murder suspect is arrested, there is unanimous cheer among the populace. This case, however, had an unusual caveat.
At around 6:45 a.m. on Dec. 4, UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was shot and killed while New York City for an investor’s conference. CCTV footage showed a masked assailant firing a gun with a silencer at the victim. Shell casings from the scene showed that the bullets were engraved with the words: “delay, deny, defend.” The phrase is a well-known industry phrase which lays out a tactic for not paying out insurance claims.
Although the suspect wore a mask, there was one interaction when his face was visible, and a manhunt began.
Days later, at 9:14 a.m. on Dec. 9, police officers in Altoona, Pa. were dispatched to a McDonald’s restaurant for reports of a male matching the description of the United Healthcare CEO murder suspect. Officers made contact with the male who was subsequently arrested on unrelated charges.
The man detained was 26-year-old Luigi Mangione, who had a medical history of spondylolisthesis, a condition where spinal vertebrae slip out of place. He is related to Maryland state delegate Nino Mangione.
Piece by piece, authorities were able to determine that he came into NYC on a Greyhound bus in November, checked into a hostel, and caught a bus leaving the city from the George Washington Bus Terminal, all within an hour’s time.
There was also a 262-page manifesto. One of the segments in the writing included: “To the Feds, I’ll keep this short, because I do respect what you do for our country. To save you a lengthy investigation, I state plainly that I wasn’t working with anyone…I do apologize for any strife or traumas but it had to be done. Frankly, these parasites simply had it coming.”
The weapon in question was discovered to be a ghost gun, which is untraceable. Among the myriad of charges he faces are carrying a gun without a license, forgery, falsely identifying himself to the authorities, and possessing “instruments of crime” in Blair County, Pennsylvania, second-degree murder, three counts of illegal weapons possession, and forgery in the borough of Manhattan, New York City.
In a press conference announcing the capture of Mangione, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said, “In America, we do not kill people in cold blood to resolve policy differences or express a viewpoint… I understand people have real frustration with our health care system, and I have worked to address that throughout my career.
“But I have no tolerance, nor should anyone, for one man using an illegal ghost gun to murder someone because he thinks his opinion matters most… In a civil society, we are all less safe when ideologues engage in vigilante justice.”
It would seem that Shapiro felt the need to say this because, despite the heinous nature of the crime, many have lauded the suspect as a hero. Some have even given the Altoona McDonald’s negative reviews online for “snitching” on the alleged shooter’s whereabouts. Americans have had frustrations with the health care industry for years, including Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield recently changing course on a plan to limit anesthesia for patients. Still, murder is not an appropriate response.
MASS SHOOTING UPDATE
Information recent as of 12-10-2024 at 12 p.m.
2024 Mass Shooting Stats: (Source: Mass Shooting Tracker – https://www.massshootingtracker.site/data/?year=2024)
- Total Mass Shootings: 548
- Total Dead: 652
- Total Wounded: 2273
- Shootings Per Day: 1.59
- Days Reached in Year 2024 as of December 10: 345
MIDDLE EAST
SYRIAN DICTATOR OVERTHROWN
After 14 years of brutal war and the fall of the dictatorial regime, the people of Syria can seize an historic opportunity to build a stable and peaceful future, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on Dec. 8.
As reports continued to emerge from the Syrian capital, Damascus, where opposition forces declared victory overnight on State television, the UN chief said in a statement: The future of Syria is a matter for the Syrians to determine.
There is much work to be done to ensure an orderly political transition to renewed institutions, Mr. Guterres, and noted that his Special Envoy, Geir Pedersen, will be working with all Syrians to this end.
Mr. Pedersen, who has been attending a high-level meeting of Arab States in Doha this weekend, has called for “urgent political talks” in Geneva to secure a peaceful future for Syria.
There was widespread backing for his appeal, he said on Saturday, from Iran, Russia and Türkiye along with the United States, France, Great Britain, Germany and the European Union.
In the meantime, the Secretary-General renewed his call for calm and avoiding violence at this sensitive time, while protecting the rights of all Syrians, without distinction. He also noted that the inviolability of diplomatic and consular premises and personnel must be respected in all cases in accordance with international law.
“We will need the support of the international community to ensure that any political transition is inclusive and comprehensive and that it meets the legitimate aspirations of the people of Syria, in all their diversity,” Mr. Guterres said and underscored that: “Syria’s sovereignty, unity, independence and territorial integrity must be restored.”
The UN, he said, will honor the memory of those who have borne the brunt of the 14-year conflict.
“We remain committed to helping Syrians build a country where reconciliation, justice, freedom, and prosperity are shared realities for all. This is the path to sustainable peace in Syria,” concluded the Secretary-General.
The dramatic development in the Syrian capital follows a lightning advance by armed opposition forces, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), on 27 November from their stronghold in the country’s northwest into Government-controlled areas, reportedly supported by rebel groups joining from the south.
The UN negotiator also issued an appeal for the new rulers in Damascus to ensure a stable transfer of power and to maintain the country’s institutions.
This was the “clear desire” of millions of Syrians, Mr. Pedersen insisted, so that they can ultimately see their “legitimate aspirations” fulfilled “and restore a unified Syria, with its sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, in a way that can receive the support and engagement of the entire international community.”
Years of fighting between Government troops reinforced foreign State-backed fighters against opposition forces including ISIL extremists – now essentially pushed out of Syria – have devastated Syria, despite repeated calls for peace via several rounds of UN-led negotiations in Geneva.
Ousted President Bashar al-Assad was granted asylum in Russia.
HAITI
EXECUTIONS OVER VOODOO
At least 184 people, including 127 elderly men and women, were killed in Haiti’s Wharf Jérémie neighborhood of Cité Soleil over the weekend, prompting strong condemnation from Secretary-General António Guterres.
According to local reports, the elderly victims were massacred under the orders of a gang leader in the area who consulted a voodoo priest after his son fell ill and died, who pinned the blame for the mystery illness on elders using witchcraft, often called “voodoo.”
“The Secretary-General strongly condemns the continued gang violence and loss of life in Haiti,” said UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric, conveying Mr. Guterres’s “deepest sympathy and condolences to the families of victims of this horrific act.”
The Secretary General also urged Haitian authorities to “conduct a thorough investigation and ensure that perpetrators of these and all the other human rights abuses and violations are brought to justice.”
Armed gangs are continuing to terrorize Haiti’s capital, forcing thousands more civilians to abandon their homes that has now displaced more than 700,000 people, the UN reported.
“The activities of armed gangs in the capital Port-au-Prince continue to disrupt people’s lives, especially the most vulnerable,” UN Spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric told reporters at a Briefing in New York.
“The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reports that between December 6 and 8, more than 4,500 people have become newly displaced due to ongoing insecurity,” Mr. Dujarric said.
Despite security challenges, humanitarian operations continue. “During the first week of December, the World Food Program (WFP) distributed more than 100,000 hot meals to 24,000 people across four displacement sites in the capital,” Mr. Dujarric noted.
IOM has delivered water to approximately 14,000 displaced people across six sites, while also providing medical care and mental health support to more than 12,000 people forced from their homes.
In a breakthrough for maternal healthcare in one of Port-au-Prince’s most dangerous districts, “the Isaie Jeanty maternity ward, which is located in Cité Soleil, was able to reopen after being closed for nine months due to insecurity,” Mr. Dujarric said.
The UN Population Fund (UNFPA) is now supplying the facility with essential medicines and equipment, restoring vital services for expectant mothers in the crisis-hit community.
