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The suspect in the high-profile killing of a health insurance CEO that has gripped the United States graduated from an Ivy League university, reportedly hails from a wealthy family, and wrote social media posts brimming with cerebral musings. Luigi Mangione, 26, was thrust into the spotlight Monday after police revealed he is their person of interest in the brutal murder of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson, a father of two, last week in broad daylight in Manhattan in a case that laid bare deep frustration and anger with America's privatized medical system. News of his capture in Pennsylvania -- following a tip from a McDonald's worker --triggered an explosion of online activity, with Mangione quickly amassing new followers on social media as citizen sleuths and US media tried to understand who he is. While some lauded him as a hero and lamented his arrest, others analyzed his intellectual takes in search of ideological clues. A photo on one of his social media accounts includes an X-ray of an apparently injured spine. No explicit political affiliation has emerged. Meanwhile, memes and jokes proliferated, many riffing on his first name and comparing him to the "Mario Bros." character Luigi, sometimes depicted in AI-altered images wielding a gun or holding a Big Mac. "Godspeed. Please know that we all hear you," wrote one user on Facebook. "I want to donate to your defense fund," added another. According to Mangione's LinkedIn profile, he is employed as a data engineer at TrueCar, a California-based online auto marketplace. A company spokesperson told AFP Mangione "has not been an employee of our company since 2023." Although he had been living in Hawaii ahead of the killing, he originally hails from Towson, Maryland, near Baltimore. He comes from a prominent and wealthy Italian-American family, according to the Baltimore Banner. The family owns local businesses, including the Hayfields Country Club, its website says. A standout student, Mangione graduated at the top of his high school class in 2016. In an interview with his local paper at the time, he praised his teachers for fostering a passion for learning beyond grades and encouraging intellectual curiosity. A former student who knew Mangione at the Gilman School told AFP the suspect struck him as "a normal guy, nice kid." "There was nothing about him that was off, at least from my perception," this person said, asking that their name not be used. "Seemed to just be smiling, and kind of seemed like he was a smart kid. Ended up being valedictorian, which confirmed that," the former student said. Mangione went on to attend the prestigious University of Pennsylvania, where he completed both a bachelor's and master's degree in computer science by 2020, according to a university spokesperson. While at Penn, Mangione co-led a group of 60 undergraduates who collaborated on video game projects, as noted in a now-deleted university webpage, archived on the Wayback Machine. On Instagram, where his following has skyrocketed from hundreds to tens of thousands, Mangione shared snapshots of his travels in Mexico, Puerto Rico and Hawaii. He also posted shirtless photos flaunting a six-pack and appeared in celebratory posts with fellow members of the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity. However, it is on X (formerly Twitter) that users have scoured Mangione's posts for potential motives. His header photo -- an X-ray of a spine with bolts -- remains cryptic, with no public explanation. Finding a coherent political ideology has also proved elusive, though he had written a review of Ted Kaczynski's manifesto on the online site goodreads, calling it "prescient." Kaczynski, known as the Unabomber, carried out a string of bombings in the United States from 1978 to 1995, a campaign he said was aimed at halting the advance of modern society and technology. Mangione called Kaczynski "rightfully imprisoned," while also saying "'violence never solved anything' is a statement uttered by cowards and predators." According to CNN, handwritten documents recovered when Mangione was arrested included the phrase "these parasites had it coming." Mangione has also linked approvingly to posts criticizing secularism as a harmful consequence of Christianity's decline. In April, he wrote, "Horror vacui (nature abhors a vacuum)." The following month, he posted an essay he wrote in high school titled "How Christianity Prospered by Appealing to the Lower Classes of Ancient Rome." In another post from April, he speculated that Japan's low birthrate stems from societal disconnection, adding that "fleshlights" and other vaginal-replica sex toys should be banned. ia/nro/dwOTTAWA — Pat King, one of the most prominent figures of the 2022 "Freedom Convoy" in Ottawa, has been found guilty on five counts including mischief and disobeying a court order. A judge in an Ottawa courtroom Friday said the Crown proved beyond a reasonable doubt that King was guilty on one count each of mischief, counselling others to commit mischief and counselling others to obstruct police. He was also found guilty of two counts of disobeying a court order. The Alberta resident was found not guilty on three counts of intimidation and one count of obstructing police himself. King could be facing up to 10 years in prison. The sentencing hearing is scheduled to begin on Jan. 16. The Crown is seeking "significant" incarceration time in a penitentiary while the defence wants King to be sentenced to time served and a period of probation. King's attorney Natasha Calvinho said right now she is focused on the sentencing hearing and will determine if any other action, such as an appeal, will be pursued at a later date. Calvinho said she and her client are disappointed with the ruling, but she said it was well reasoned. "I think what the more important takeaway here, and what we've been saying from the very beginning, Mr. King was acquitted of all charges related to inciting any form of violence, specifically intimidation of Ottawa residents," Calvinho said outside the courthouse. "So yes, he was convicted, a couple counts of mischief for his social media posts, as the judge found, and will continue to fight another day." The maximum sentence for mischief in this instance is 10 years. In January 2022 the convoy attracted thousands of demonstrators to Parliament Hill in protest against public-health restrictions, COVID-19 vaccine mandates and the federal government. The event gridlocked downtown streets around Parliament Hill, with area residents complaining about the fumes from diesel engines running non-stop, and unrelenting noise from constant honking of horns and music parties. The federal Liberal government ultimately invoked the Emergencies Act to try and bring an end to the protests, which had expanded to also block several border crossings into the United States. Ottawa Police brought in hundreds of officers from police forces across Canada to force the protest to an end. King's defence argued that King was peacefully protesting during the three-week demonstration and was not a leader of it. But the Crown alleged he was a protest leader who was instrumental to the disruption the protest caused the city and people who lived and worked nearby. The Crown alleged King co-ordinated the honking, ordering protesters to lay on the horn every 30 minutes for 10 minutes at a time and told people to "hold the line" when he was aware police and the city had asked the protesters to leave. The Crown's case relied mainly on King's own videos, which he posted to social media throughout the protest to document the demonstration and communicate with protesters. The court proceedings paused for about 10 minutes when King requested a short "health break" after the first verdicts on the mischief charges were read. Superior Court Justice Charles Hackland described the honking as "malicious conduct" intended to disrupt residents, workers, businesses and others from lawfully enjoying downtown Ottawa. Hackland also said that the videos show King was seen as and accepted the leadership role. He pointed to a quote from King, finding it "hilarious" that residents could not sleep for 10 days as "gleefully" aiding and abetting mischief. This evidence also played a role in determining King's guilt in disobeying a court order and counselling others to do the same. These charges relate to the original Feb. 7, 2022 injunction against using air and train horns in downtown Ottawa which was launched by residents. The city successfully filed a similar injunction days later. As for counselling others to obstruct police, Hackland found King's call to "hold the line" was telling people not to move from the protest site despite police orders. The judge said that phrase can be seen as a greeting between supporters of the convoy protest, but said there was no other logical interpretation in the context of King's videos. In the days before a multi-day police removal operation began, King called on people to link arms and sit down with their backs to police if officers tried to move them. On the intimidation charges, Hackland said that a consistent theme of King's videos were calls to remain peaceful and non-violent. He said that the target was always the federal government and COVID-19 policies, and specific individuals were not targeted by or through King's actions. As for an intimidation charge related to blocking highways, Hackland said that finding guilt in this instance would be an "overly broad" interpretation of the Criminal Code as the blockade was done as part of a political protest, which is protected by the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. His trial was heard over several weeks between May and July. King still has charges of perjury and obstruction of justice that need to be dealt with which is a separate matter stemming from an April 2022 bail review hearing. Details of the testimony that led to the charges are protected under a publication ban, which exists for all information that arises during a bail hearing. This story by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 22, 2024. David Baxter, The Canadian PressLiberty Bowling, Portal Free For All & Too Bad For Bama & The 'Sip
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Biden opens final White House holiday season with turkey pardons and first lady gets Christmas tree WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden has kicked off his final holiday season at the White House, issuing the traditional reprieve to two turkeys who will bypass the Thanksgiving table to live out their days in Minnesota. The president welcomed 2,500 guests under sunny skies as he cracked jokes about the fates of “Peach” and “Blossom.” He also sounded wistful tones about the last weeks of his presidency. Separately, first lady Jill Biden received the delivery of the official White House Christmas tree. And the Bidens are traveling to New York later Monday for an early holiday celebration with members of the Coast Guard. Formula 1 expands grid to add General Motors' Cadillac brand and new American team for 2026 season LAS VEGAS (AP) — Formula 1 will expand the grid in 2026 to make room for an American team that is partnered with General Motors. The approval ends years of wrangling that launched a federal investigation into why Colorado-based Liberty Media, would not approve the team initially started by Michael Andretti, who has since stepped aside. The 11th team will be called Cadillac F1 and be run by new Andretti Global majority owners Dan Towriss and Mark Walter. The team will use Ferrari engines its first two years until GM has a Cadillac engine built for competition in time for the 2028 season. US goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher is retiring from international soccer U.S. women’s national team goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher is retiring from international soccer. Naeher is on the team’s roster for a pair of upcoming matches in Europe but those will be her last after a full 11 years playing for the United States. Naeher was on the U.S. team that won the Women’s World Cup in 2019 and the gold medal at this year's Olympics in France. She’s the only U.S. goalkeeper to earn a shutout in both a World Cup and an Olympic final. Bah, humbug! Vandal smashes Ebenezer Scrooge's tombstone used in 'A Christmas Carol' movie LONDON (AP) — If life imitates art, a vandal in the English countryside may be haunted by The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come. Police in the town of Shrewsbury are investigating how a tombstone at the fictional grave of Ebenezer Scrooge was destroyed. The movie prop used in the 1984 adaption of Charles Dickens' “A Christmas Carol” had become a tourist attraction. The film starred George C. Scott as the cold-hearted curmudgeon who is visited by three ghosts on Christmas Eve who show him what will become of his life if he doesn’t become a better person. West Mercia Police say the stone was vandalized in the past week. Megachurch founder T.D. Jakes suffers health incident during sermon at Dallas church DALLAS (AP) — The founder of Dallas-based megachurch The Potter's House, Bishop T.D. Jakes, was hospitalized after suffering what the church called a “slight health incident.” Jakes was speaking to churchgoers after he sat down and began trembling as several people gathered around him Sunday at the church. Jakes' daughter Sarah Jakes Roberts and her husband Touré Roberts said in a statement on social media late Sunday that Jakes was improving. The 67-year-old Jakes founded the non-denominational The Potter's House in 1996 and his website says it now has more than 30,000 members with campuses in Fort Worth and Frisco, Texas; and in Denver. At the crossroads of news and opinion, 'Morning Joe' hosts grapple with aftermath of Trump meeting The reaction of those who defended “Morning Joe” hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski for meeting with President-elect Trump sounds almost quaint in the days of opinionated journalism. Doesn't it makes sense, they said, for hosts of a political news show to meet with such an important figure? But given how “Morning Joe” has attacked Trump, its viewers felt insulted. Many reacted quickly by staying away. It all reflects the broader trend of opinion crowding out traditional journalist in today's marketplace, and the expectations that creates among consumers. By mid-week, the show's audience was less than two-thirds what it has typically been this year. Pilot dies in plane crash in remote woods of New York, puppy found alive WINDHAM, N.Y. (AP) — Authorities say a pilot and at least one dog he was transporting died when a small plane crashed in the snowy woods of the Catskill Mountains, though a puppy on the flight was found alive with two broken legs. The Greene County sheriff’s office says Seuk Kim of Springfield, Virginia, was flying from Maryland to Albany, New York, when the plane crashed at about 6:10 p.m. Sunday in a remote area. Officials believe the pilot died from the impact. The surviving dog was hospitalized, while a third dog was not located. The flight was connected with a not-for-profit group that transports rescue animals. Warren Buffett gives away another $1.1B and plans for distributing his $147B fortune after his death OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Investor Warren Buffett renewed his Thanksgiving tradition of giving by announcing plans Monday to hand more than $1.1 billion of Berkshire Hathaway stock to four of his family's foundations, and he offered new details about who will be handing out the rest of his fortune after his death. Buffett has said previously that his three kids will distribute his remaining $147.4 billion fortune in the 10 years after his death, but now he has also designated successors for them because it’s possible that Buffett’s children could die before giving it all away. Buffett said he has no regrets about his decision to start giving away his fortune in 2006. Pop star Ed Sheeran apologizes to Man United boss Ruben Amorim for crashing interview MANCHESTER, England (AP) — British pop star Ed Sheeran has apologized to Ruben Amorim after inadvertently interrupting the new Manchester United head coach during a live television interview. Amorim was talking on Sky Sports after United’s 1-1 draw with Ipswich on Sunday when Sheeran walked up to embrace analyst Jamie Redknapp. The interview was paused before Redknapp told the pop star to “come and say hello in a minute.” Sheeran is a lifelong Ipswich fan and holds a minority stake in the club. He was pictured celebrating after Omari Hutchinson’s equalizing goal in the game at Portman Road. A desert oasis outside of Dubai draws a new caravan: A family of rodents from Argentina AL QUDRA LAKES, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A desert oasis hidden away in the dunes in the far reaches of skyscraper-studded Dubai has drawn a surprising new set of weary world travelers: a pack of Argentinian rodents. A number of Patagonian mara, a rabbit-like mammal with long legs, big ears and a body like a hoofed animal, now roam the grounds of Al Qudra Lakes, typically home to gazelle and other desert creatures of the United Arab Emirates. How they got there remains a mystery in the UAE, a country where exotic animals have ended up in the private homes and farms of the wealthy. But the pack appears to be thriving there and likely have survived several years already in a network of warrens among the dunes.
Full house: Inside production of the European Curling Championships The 2024 European Curling Championships are currently underway in the south Finland town of Lohja, bringing together 20 teams from across Europe to compete in a sport that has become more popular in recent years, particularly since the 2022 Winter Olympics. Television coverage has played a part in raising the profile of what was previously regarded as a niche and somewhat arcane game that involves two teams sliding granite ‘stones’ along a lane marked out on ice towards a target known as a house. Curling is now played in many countries around the world, having spread out over the years following its creation in Scotland during the 16th century. It is a major sport in Canada, where it arrived due to Scottish emigration, and is also popular in the US, Japan and Korea. It is Europe, however, that has the greatest concentration of curling countries, including Sweden, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Turkey, Estonia, Lithuania, Czechia, Austria, England and, of course, Scotland. For competitions including the European, World and World Mixed Championships, the sport’s governing body, World Curling, distributes both the world feed to national broadcast companies of competing countries that request it and something more basic for the streamed Curling Channel. The distribution and booking manager for World Curling TV (WCTV), Sylvie Aubrit, who deals with rights holders and unilateral activity on- and off-site, explains that three levels of coverage are produced. “This is because between three and six different matches can be being played on the same sheet of ice during the same session,” she says. “Level 1 coverage will focus on one game but there will be updates on what is happening in the others going on at the same time. And if that game finishes early, we switch to one of those other matches until it is over, while updating the remaining games as well. Level 2 concentrates on only one game, with no updates from any others, and the coverage finishes when it’s over.” The vision set-ups for both these levels involve moving cameras mounted on trusses above the ice, supported by cameras on tripods controlled by operators on the same level as the players. Level 1, used only for the World Championships, involves more crew and offers features such as commentary, replays, interviews and live graphics. Aubrit describes level 2 as similar but more computer-based, involving fewer people; the European Championships is being covered with two level 2 feeds for broadcasters plus one level 3 production on The Curling Channel. This coverage comprises a static overhead camera looking at either end of a sheet with no commentary. “Level 3 uses PTZ cameras and is web-only,” Aubrit comments. “Levels 1 and 2 use broadcast-quality cameras and on the Europeans those are Sony HDC-4300s. We don’t always have the same model and even if we’re using the same supplier the cameras can change [from production to production] but they are always broadcast-quality cameras and lenses. Our suppliers know what we need but it’s not as specific as something like the Tour de France.” The main issue, Aubrit continues, is the workflow, which is “incredibly complicated” due to several games taking place at the same time, with crossovers between different sheets of ice. “Usually the productions are controlled from an OB truck but on this occasion we are using a flyaway kit with all the equipment inside the arena,” she adds. “Sometimes it is easy to send a truck but our suppliers can provide the same equipment in a flyaway kit.” Vision mixers are a 128-input Grass Valley K-Frame for the broadcast coverage and a vMix software switcher on the streaming feed. Aubrit describes the video side of covering curling as relatively simple, while the audio is “very complicated”. This is largely because all the players and coaches are miked up with wireless microphones, with other sound sources dedicated to ambience within the arena and the commentator mics. The wireless system for this event is based on 30 Wisycom MTP 41S transmitters working with Dante Audio over IP for networking and control. The mixing consoles used on European productions are Lawo, while Calrec features on North American events. “The audio mixing requires a lot of expertise and we have two people who work on it for us,” Aubrit says. “There’s also an audio manager and a floor manager who look after the wireless mics. It’s a big thing for us and we can’t mess up on it. If a player goes to the washroom we have to make sure that their mic isn’t left on.” The crew additionally includes production and technical managers, Aubrit comments, with most of those working on at the different competitions coming from Canada, where curling is extremely popular. Aubrit, who worked previously for FIFA and has a background in transmission, oversees distributing the broadcast coverage, which was recently taken in-house. “It’s something new for us, handling the distribution ourselves,” she says. “Transmission costs a lot and we used to use satellite and then fibre. Now we’ve gone full IP with a software-defined networking system provided by GlobalM in Switzerland. We use their technology to schedule all the transmissions to broadcasters and do not have to involve an intermediately or a production company.” Like other sports broadcasters, WCTV has been looking into remote production in recent times but it is does not appear to be something the organisation is preparing to adopt any time soon. “Everyone is testing remote production at the moment,” says Aubrit. “We have run tests on smaller events with some success but not enough for us to move to it yet.” The European Curling Championships began on 16 November, with the men’s and women’s competitions running concurrently. It is available on platforms including Eurosport and BBC iPlayer, as well as The Curling Channel, and concludes on Friday 22 November.
One of the best parts about being honest with yourself as a basketball team is that it allows for everyone to recognize an area of weakness and then take the steps to address it. The Lakers have not been a good defensive team. They have not been a good rebounding team. And one of those remedies, they agree, is to play more physically. Yet what does that actually look like? “You’re just watching guys get up into the ball. You’re watching guys fight over screens. They’re not dying on the screens. They’re actually fighting through them,” Jaxson Hayes explained after Monday’s practice. “Boxing guys out. ... You see a little guard come down, getting into the big legs. Like that’s something physical. Like the big pushing the other big up on the screen. Just little things to get into them, knock them out of the rhythm a little bit so they can’t just walk through everything.” Hayes, who has missed the Lakers’ last six games because of an ankle injury, is set to return Tuesday in time for the Lakers to continue their NBA Cup pool-play schedule at Phoenix. The Lakers are 2-0 and have games with the Suns and the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday before the knockout stage, should they advance. Getting their backup center healthy and on the court won’t fix the team’s bigger, more innate challenges when it comes to playing this style. While Anthony Davis is a game-altering big, the team has to provide more resistance on the perimeter. “Our personnel isn’t, you know, I think if we’re going to be honest with ourselves, isn’t the best defensively,” Austin Reaves said. “Obviously we’ve got AD. That covers up a lot. But we have to be physical out on the perimeter and especially when boxing out. We got to be a better defensive rebounding team and transition as well.” Lakers coach JJ Redick flipped his practice plan on Monday to reinforce some of those habits, keeping coaches off the court for live periods and allowing players to compete against one another ahead of their third game with the Suns this season. The teams split home wins in a three-day period in late October. “It’s interesting when you go back and watch the two regular-season games, I thought we were really physical on the defensive end,” Redick said. “We did some stuff today to try to reignite that a little bit, and that’s ultimately what you’re going to have to do. Those guys are incredible shot-makers. They’re incredible offensive players. [Coach Mike Budenholzer] has them running good stuff. “As a defense, holistically, if you don’t dictate the terms a little bit with them and just allow them freedom, they’re just too good. So we’ve got to be physical with them. And we were the first two games.” Phoenix, who has been without Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal, should be getting both players back Tuesday, placing an even greater emphasis on the Lakers finding some type of defensive force. Through Sunday’s games, the Lakers were 27th in the NBA in defensive rating, ahead of only Washington, New Orleans and Chicago. No other team with 10 wins is outside of the league’s top 10 in defensive rating. Admittedly, those numbers were worsened by the Lakers’ tremendously terrible third quarter Saturday against Denver when they were outscored 37-15. “We can try to joystick it as much as possible, but you still have to like ... I can joystick it as much as I want, but if you’re not competing and you’re not playing and just not participating in the game, there’s not a whole lot I can do,” Redick said. “And that’s an aberration to me. We’ve been punched in the mouth so much in games. We’ve been down and came back, we’ve started slow, we’ve started strong. We’ve had adversity in nearly every game. To me, that stretch of the third quarter was an aberration. That’s not who we are. And I reiterated that to the team this morning.” Tuesday, they get a chance to play with force and prove their coach right — even if it’s not truly who the Lakers are as a team.