NEWS

Unbiased headline news – Luigi Mangione, accused of fatally shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, shouted to the media about what he called “an insult to the intelligence of the American people.” Mangione, restrained at both his waist and ankles, appeared in court for an extradition hearing tied to Thompson’s Dec. 4 murder outside a Midtown Manhattan hotel. “He has constitutional rights, and that’s what he’s exercising,” said his attorney, Thomas Dickey. During the hearing, Mangione attempted to interrupt as Dickey argued for his release on bail. — The United States, Japan, and South Korea have raised concerns about recent actions by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and the “growing military ties between the DPRK and Russia,” according to the U.S. State Department. In their discussions, officials addressed the “escalating military collaboration between the DPRK and Russia,” as well as the DPRK’s ongoing illicit weapons and ballistic missile programs. They described these activities as “highly destabilizing” and a “serious threat to both regional and global security.” — Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene revealed she was targeted by a bomb threat, adding her name to a growing list of U.S. politicians facing similar threats in recent weeks. In an online statement, Greene, a Republican, shared that the Rome Police Department received an email claiming a pipe bomb had been planted in her mailbox. According to Greene, the email warned the bomb was set to detonate over the weekend or the next time the mailbox was opened. — New York City plans to shut down one of its largest migrant shelters “within the next two months,” Mayor Eric Adams announced. “Thanks to our effective management strategies, we’ve turned the corner,” Mayor Adams said, noting that the closures highlight the city’s progress in handling the crisis. He added, “The number of asylum seekers in city shelters has declined for 22 consecutive weeks.” — Law enforcement agencies across the Denver metropolitan area are investigating a surge in burglaries targeting Asian homes, businesses, and places of worship. This year, there have been roughly 100 burglaries reported at Asian residences statewide, according to Denver’s ABC affiliate, KMGH-TV. Douglas County, located south of Denver, reported about 14 incidents involving the homes of Asian business owners since the start of the year, according to the sheriff’s office. — A federal judge has issued a temporary block on the planned merger between supermarket chains Kroger and Albertsons, a move that could jeopardize the deal. U.S. District Court Judge Adrienne Nelson delivered the ruling Tuesday after a three-week hearing in Portland, Oregon. The proposed $24.6 billion merger, which would create the largest grocery chain in U.S. history, was challenged earlier this year by the Federal Trade Commission, which argued the deal should be paused until its implications could be fully reviewed.

Unbiased headline news – The backpack recovered by the NYPD, allegedly belonging to the suspect in the shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, contained just two items: a Tommy Hilfiger jacket and Monopoly money, according to authorities. Luigi Mangione, 26, is in custody in Altoona, Pennsylvania, in connection with the brazen Midtown Manhattan murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, authorities said. Mangione, a Maryland resident, was arrested by Altoona police on unrelated gun charges. — Fewer older Americans report feeling as lonely or isolated as they did during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, but a significant number still experience these emotions, a new poll reveals. The National Poll on Healthy Aging, released Monday in JAMA, found that over one-third of adults aged 50 to 80 feel lonely, with a similar proportion feeling isolated. The poll was conducted by the University of Michigan Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation and supported by AARP, highlighting that some older adults remain particularly vulnerable. — Rapper and entrepreneur Shawn Carter, widely known as Jay-Z, denied allegations made in an amended civil lawsuit filed Sunday accusing him of raping a 13-year-old girl in 2000 alongside music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs. Carter, married to music icon Beyoncé, dismissed the accusations and challenged the alleged victim’s attorney to pursue criminal charges. He also countered with claims of attempted blackmail by the attorney. The legal battle escalated as Carter and Houston-based lawyer Tony Buzbee exchanged statements through media outlets. — Lara Trump, President-elect Donald Trump’s daughter-in-law and co-chair of the Republican National Committee for the 2024 election cycle, announced her intention to step down from her position. Her decision follows growing speculation that she may be considered for a potential Senate vacancy in Florida, where Sen. Marco Rubio has been nominated for secretary of state. “The job I came to do is now complete, and I intend to formally step down from the RNC at our next meeting,” Lara Trump shared in a post on X. — A mother remains in critical condition while her son has died after both were shot during a home invasion in an upscale Philadelphia suburb over the weekend, officials said. The attack occurred at 2:20 a.m. Sunday in Lower Merion Township, according to the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office. The suspect remains unidentified and is still at large. Authorities are seeking information about a car and its driver, believed to have fled the scene near the site of the home invasion. — A delegation of Japanese survivors of the World War II atomic bombings of Nagasaki and Hiroshima was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize on Tuesday. The group, representing Nihon Hidankyo, Japan’s national organization of atomic and hydrogen bomb survivors, arrived in Oslo, Norway, on Monday to accept the honor. Comprising 30 members, Nihon Hidankyo, established in 1956, is dedicated to advocating for the global abolition of nuclear weapons.

Unbiased headline news – Israeli forces have taken control of a buffer zone in the Golan Heights that was originally established by the 1974 ceasefire agreement with Syria. This area had fallen out of Syrian government control following the rise of rebel forces under President Bashar Assad’s regime. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the ceasefire agreement had effectively collapsed as Syrian troops abandoned their posts. Speaking from the Israeli-Syrian border, he shared a video on X and wrote: “This is a historic day in the history of the Middle East. We will not allow any hostile force to establish itself on our border.” — President-Elect Donald Trump announced plans to initiate efforts to deport millions of undocumented immigrants, implement tariffs on foreign nations conducting business with the U.S., and grant pardons to certain individuals convicted in connection with the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot. Trump also stated his intention to extend tax cuts from his previous administration, avoid raising the eligibility age for Medicare or Medicaid, and identify ways to reduce federal expenditures. He further clarified he will not impose restrictions on abortion pills and continues to support leaving abortion decisions to individual states. — SpaceX successfully launched 23 Starlink satellites from Florida’s Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, marking another milestone in its satellite internet program. The 229-foot Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Launch Complex 40 at 12:11 a.m., illuminating the night sky. The first-stage booster landed approximately 8 1/2 minutes later on the drone ship *A Shortfall of Gravitas* in the Atlantic Ocean. This marked the booster’s second mission, having previously carried the NOAA GOES-U satellite in late June. — A Florida man charged with a hate crime in the killing of a gay man is asking the court to dismiss the charges, claiming he acted in self-defense during the incident. Gerald Radford testified that he feared for his life when he shot John “Walt” Lay at a Tampa dog park on February 2. According to local news reports, Radford stated Lay repeatedly struck him in the face just before the shooting. “I don’t know if I told him to stop or not, but he wasn’t stopping,” Radford testified in court. — Far-right influencer Nick Fuentes is scheduled to appear in court later this month after being accused of pepper-spraying a woman outside his home. The incident occurred after the woman arrived at Fuentes’ suburban Chicago residence following his controversial “Your body, my choice” post on X. Court documents indicate the 57-year-old woman went to Fuentes’ Berwyn home on Nov. 10, shortly after his address was leaked online. The Chicago Tribune noted that Berwyn, a suburb of about 54,000 residents, was the scene of the confrontation. — Ten people sustained injuries after a police traffic officer on a motorcycle lost control and crashed into bystanders at a holiday parade in Palm Springs, California, authorities reported. The injured, including the officer, were taken to hospitals Saturday night with non-life-threatening injuries, police said. Witnesses told *The Desert Sun* newspaper that the officer was performing a wheelie when he suddenly lost control, causing the motorcycle to skid into the crowd. The incident brought the festive parade to a halt for more than an hour.

Unbiased headline news – President-elect Donald Trump stated Saturday that “the United States should have nothing to do with” conflicts involving Syria, as rebel forces in the region continue to gain ground. Posting on his Truth Social platform, Trump declared, “Syria is a mess, but is not our friend.” His remarks follow reports of an Islamist opposition group with al-Qaida affiliations making significant advances in Syria, aiming to overthrow Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime. — South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol avoided impeachment on Saturday, securing a brief political reprieve amid mounting public backlash. Nearly all members of his party abstained from the vote, allowing Yoon to sidestep removal from office. Most of the ruling People Power Party vacated the National Assembly’s main hall just prior to the vote held on Saturday evening, highlighting deep political tensions. — U.S. officials criticized Russian attempts to meddle in Romania’s electoral process, condemning actions they said undermine democratic principles after the Constitutional Court invalidated a planned run-off election. The U.S. Department of State expressed solidarity with the Romanian people during what it called an “unprecedented situation regarding the integrity of their elections.” State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller stated, “The integrity of Romania’s elections is paramount for Romanians’ hard-earned democracy.” — Authorities report that two migrant teenagers were attacked in New York City, leaving one dead, following an incident where the teens were asked if they spoke English and responded negatively. The attack occurred Thursday evening around 7:40 p.m., when three men approached the teens. After the teens indicated they did not speak English, they were assaulted, police said. Responding to a 911 call, officers discovered a 17-year-old male fatally stabbed in the chest and an 18-year-old male with a stab wound to the left arm in Lower Manhattan. — Six individuals traveling in a car in Newark, New Jersey, died after their vehicle plunged off an elevated roadway Friday night, local officials said. “The vehicle somehow went off the ramp, became airborne, and struck a support column for the Pulaski Skyway before landing on the ground. Upon impact, the vehicle caught fire,” the prosecutor’s office stated. The identities of the six victims were not immediately released, and the investigation into the crash is ongoing. — The Connecticut Appellate Court upheld a $965 million verdict from 2022 against conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, rejecting his appeal. The court concluded there was “sufficient evidence” to support the damages awarded to the families of Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre victims and an FBI agent. The unanimous ruling emphasized the “traumatic threats and harassment” the families endured due to false claims by Jones and his associates that the massacre was a hoax.

Unbiased headline news – Following the South Korean State Council’s decision to officially lift martial law, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s chief of staff, along with nine other senior presidential secretaries, announced their resignations. The Presidential Office in South Korea confirmed to reporters on Wednesday morning, local time, that Chief of Staff Jeong Jin-seok and the other senior staff members have stepped down in response to the president’s lifted declaration. — French Prime Minister Michel Barnier has been ousted after losing the confidence of France’s National Assembly, which voted in favor of a “no-confidence” motion, forcing his resignation. The motion passed with a 331 to 247 vote, supported by a coalition of right- and left-leaning ministers. Barnier, 73, resigned just three months after becoming prime minister in September, marking the shortest term in French history. His removal signals the collapse of the government, leaving the remnants of his cabinet in charge for now. — Over 4,000 people have been killed and 16,600 injured during nearly 14 months of Israeli air strikes and bombardments targeting Lebanon. Health Minister Firas Abiad reported these numbers, linking most casualties to events after Sept. 15, when Israel intensified its campaign with large-scale attacks on Beirut’s southern suburbs and southern and eastern Lebanon as part of its ongoing conflict with Hezbollah. — Russia’s top general recently held a previously undisclosed conversation with his U.S. counterpart, warning about upcoming test launches of hypersonic missiles in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. General Valery Gerasimov contacted General CQ Brown, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to caution that U.S. Navy vessels should avoid the target area for safety. The discussion also addressed Ukraine and the need to prevent miscalculations in the ongoing conflict between the U.S. and Russia. — A 7-year-old boy accidentally shot and killed his 2-year-old brother after discovering a gun in the glove box of a truck, according to California authorities. The shooting occurred just before 4 p.m. Monday in a parking lot in Rancho Cucamonga, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department reported. Sheriff’s spokesperson Gloria Huerta stated that the boys’ mother was unloading items outside the truck at the time, and the incident appeared to be accidental. — A California art teacher has died after contracting rabies from a bat she discovered in her classroom. Leah Seneng, 60, passed away on Nov. 22, roughly a month after finding the bat in her Fresno classroom and removing it to prevent her students from being exposed. Seneng was hospitalized on Nov. 18 at Saint Agnes Medical Center in Fresno after experiencing fever and uncontrollable shaking. She was placed in a medically induced coma the following day.

Unbiased headline news – Political uncertainty in South Korea has led to a significant drop in the value of the country’s won and has destabilized confidence in its stock market. South Korean financial assets were once considered strong by investors, but President Yoon Suk Yeol’s unexpected declaration of martial law on Tuesday—though it was quickly rescinded—triggered widespread financial disruption both domestically and across Asian markets. The political unrest has undermined the nation’s currency and stock market, with ripple effects harming investor confidence in the region. — The U.S. Treasury Department has imposed sanctions on 35 entities and vessels that have been involved in transporting Iranian oil to international markets in defiance of U.S. restrictions. Officials described an elaborate scheme orchestrated by Iran and its affiliates, which involved frequently renaming ships and altering their country flags to evade detection. The Treasury stated that this tactic enabled Iran and its accomplices to bypass sanctions while avoiding accountability for violating international rules. — China has barred exports of critical materials used in semiconductor production, in a move aimed at retaliating against U.S. restrictions on Chinese technological advancements. The Ministry of Commerce announced that exports of gallium, germanium, antimony, and certain superhard materials to the United States are now prohibited. Additionally, sales of graphite will be restricted. In a separate statement, a ministry spokesperson attributed the escalating conflict to U.S. political motives, accusing Washington of instigating the standoff. — A man convicted of first-degree murder escaped custody while being transported, according to the California Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections. Cesar Hernandez, 34, escaped from a CDCR-operated van en route to a courthouse in Delano, California. Hernandez had been serving a sentence of 25 years to life for murder, according to the Delano Police Department. Authorities reported the escape occurred at approximately 10:40 a.m. local time and issued a community safety alert to warn residents. — Authorities in western Massachusetts announced that a fingerprint from a decades-old taxi license application has led to the arrest of a suspect nearly 46 years after a double homicide. The case began on November 19, 1978, when police discovered the bodies of Theresa Marcoux, 18, and Mark Harnish, 20, fatally shot near Route 5 in West Springfield, Hampden District Attorney Anthony Gulluni stated. Harnish’s Dodge pickup truck was found nearby, with bloodstains and a damaged window. Investigators determined that the pair were shot inside the truck, and their bodies were later moved. — A 22-year-old professional skateboarder and X Games competitor is facing charges after allegedly driving his Porsche the wrong way in Manhattan while under the influence, officials reported. Kader Sylla was apprehended around 2 a.m. Sunday on the Lower East Side, according to the NYPD. Police said his blood alcohol content measured .063 and observed that Sylla displayed slurred speech, unsteady movements, and bloodshot eyes. Authorities reported Sylla admitted, stating in part, “I have been drinking.”