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9 nice Luigi Nicholas Mangione, the suspect in the fatal shooting of a healthcare executive in New York City, apparently was living a charmed life: the grandson of a wealthy real estate developer, valedictorian of his elite Baltimore prep school and with degrees from one of the nation’s top private universities. Friends at an exclusive co-living space at the edge of touristy Waikiki in Hawaii where the 26-year-old Mangione once lived widely considered him a “great guy,” and pictures on his social media accounts show a fit, smiling, handsome young man on beaches and at parties. Now, investigators in New York and Pennsylvania are working to piece together why Mangione may have diverged from this path to make the violent and radical decision to gun down UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in a brazen attack on a Manhattan street. The killing sparked widespread discussions about corporate greed, unfairness in the medical insurance industry and even inspired folk-hero sentiment toward his killer. But Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro sharply refuted that perception after Mangione’s arrest on Monday when a customer at a McDonald’s restaurant in Pennsylvania spotted Mangione eating and noticed he resembled the shooting suspect in security-camera photos released by New York police. “In some dark corners, this killer is being hailed as a hero. Hear me on this, he is no hero,” Shapiro said. “The real hero in this story is the person who called 911 at McDonald’s this morning.” Mangione’s family and upbringing Mangione comes from a prominent Maryland family. His grandfather, Nick Mangione, who died in 2008, was a successful real estate developer. One of his best-known projects was Turf Valley Resort, a sprawling luxury retreat and conference center outside Baltimore that he purchased in 1978. The Mangione family also purchased Hayfields Country Club north of Baltimore in 1986. On Monday, Baltimore County police officers blocked off an entrance to the property, which public records link to Luigi Mangione’s parents. Reporters and photographers gathered outside the entrance. The father of 10 children, Nick Mangione prepared his five sons — including Luigi Mangione’s father, Louis Mangione — to help manage the family business, according to a 2003 Washington Post report. Nick Mangione had 37 grandchildren, including Luigi, according to the grandfather’s obituary. Luigi Mangione’s grandparents donated to charities through the Mangione Family Foundation, according to a statement from Loyola University commemorating Nick Mangione’s wife’s death in 2023. They donated to various causes, including Catholic organizations, colleges and the arts. One of Luigi Mangione’s cousins is Republican Maryland state legislator Nino Mangione, a spokesman for the lawmaker’s office confirmed. “Our family is shocked and devastated by Luigi’s arrest,” Mangione’s family said in a statement posted on social media by Nino Mangione. “We offer our prayers to the family of Brian Thompson and we ask people to pray for all involved.” Mangione’s education and work history Mangione, who was valedictorian of his elite Maryland prep school, earned undergraduate and graduate degrees in computer science in 2020 from the University of Pennsylvania, a university spokesman told The Associated Press. He learned to code in high school and helped start a club at Penn for people interested in gaming and game design, according to a 2018 story in Penn Today, a campus publication. His social media posts suggest he belonged to the fraternity Phi Kappa Psi. They also show him taking part in a 2019 program at Stanford University, and in photos with family and friends at the Jersey Shore and in Hawaii, San Diego, Puerto Rico, and other destinations. The Gilman School, from which Mangione graduated in 2016, is one of Baltimore’s elite prep schools. The children of some of the city’s wealthiest and most prominent residents, including Orioles legend Cal Ripken Jr., have attended the school. Its alumni include sportswriter Frank Deford and former Arizona Gov. Fife Symington. In his valedictory speech, Luigi Mangione described his classmates’ “incredible courage to explore the unknown and try new things.” Mangione took a software programming internship after high school at Maryland-based video game studio Firaxis, where he fixed bugs on the hit strategy game Civilization 6, according to a LinkedIn profile. Firaxis’ parent company, Take-Two Interactive, said it would not comment on former employees. He more recently worked at the car-buying website TrueCar, but has not worked there since 2023, the head of the Santa Monica, California-based company confirmed to the AP. Time in Hawaii and reports of back pain From January to June 2022, Mangione lived at Surfbreak, a “co-living” space at the edge of touristy Waikiki in Honolulu. Like other residents of the shared penthouse catering to remote workers, Mangione underwent a background check, said Josiah Ryan, a spokesperson for owner and founder R.J. Martin. “Luigi was just widely considered to be a great guy. There were no complaints,” Ryan said. “There was no sign that might point to these alleged crimes they’re saying he committed.” At Surfbreak, Martin learned Mangione had severe back pain from childhood that interfered with many aspects of his life, including surfing, Ryan said. “He went surfing with R.J. once but it didn’t work out because of his back,” Ryan said, but noted that Mangione and Martin often went together to a rock-climbing gym. Mangione left Surfbreak to get surgery on the mainland, Ryan said, then later returned to Honolulu and rented an apartment. An image posted to a social media account linked to Mangione showed what appeared to be an X-ray of a metal rod and multiple screws inserted into someone’s lower spine. Martin stopped hearing from Mangione six months to a year ago. An X account linked to Mangione includes recent posts about the negative impact of smartphones on children; healthy eating and exercise habits; psychological theories; and a quote from Indian philosopher Jiddu Krishnamurti about the dangers of becoming “well-adjusted to a profoundly sick society.” Police report a darker turn Mangione likely was motivated by his anger at what he called “parasitic” health insurance companies and a disdain for corporate greed, according to a law enforcement bulletin obtained by AP. He wrote that the U.S. has the most expensive healthcare system in the world and that the profits of major corporations continue to rise while “our life expectancy” does not, according to the bulletin, based on a review of the suspect’s handwritten notes and social media posts. He appeared to view the targeted killing of the UnitedHealthcare CEO as a symbolic takedown, asserting in his note that he is the “first to face it with such brutal honesty,” the bulletin said. Mangione called “Unabomber” Ted Kaczynski a “political revolutionary” and may have found inspiration from the man who carried out a series of bombings while railing against modern society and technology, the document said. ___ Associated Press reporters Lea Skene in Baltimore; Jen Kelleher in Honolulu; Maryclaire Dale in Philadelphia; John Seewer in Toledo, Ohio; and Michael Kunzelman in Washington, D.C., contributed to this report. Sean Murphy, The Associated PressLuke Humphries defeats Luke Littler to retain Players Championship Finals titleWalmart shopper swears off superstore forever after 'worst checkout experience I've ever had' By EMMA SALETTA FOR DAILYMAIL.COM Published: 21:24, 10 December 2024 | Updated: 16:44, 11 December 2024 e-mail 37 View comments A shopper has revealed he had the 'worst checkout experience' after shopping at a Walmart store in California . A customer named Victor explained that he shopped at a Walmart in Panorama City, Los Angeles , California, for the first time in eight years in an X post on December 8. The first thing brought up was how the California location did not accept mobile payments, which he believed was 'absurd.' 'The lines were as long as the entire store. Even for self checkout. I will never go back there again!' Victor added. After Victor's post, several other social media users pointed out that Apple Pay is not a viable payment option in any of the country's Walmart locations. 'Walmart not accepting apple pay is the biggest unforced error in corporate American history,' an X user wrote . 'You would think in the year 2024 Walmart would take Apple Pay,' another X user whined . 'You would think in the year 2024 Walmart would take Apple Pay,' a third person tweeted . A social media user named Victor was frustrated after his Walmart trip and insisted the store not accepting mobile payments was 'absurd' Victor claimed it was the first time he visited a Walmart location in eight years Another X user wrote : 'Walmart needs to hurry up and start accepting apple pay like wtf.' Despite Victor's payment complaint, the retail store chain does allow shoppers to complete mobile payments through Walmart Pay , something that explains the company's ban on Apple Pay. 'Walmart do not offer mobile payments like Apple Pay because they have their own Walmart Pay system that they prefer customers to use,' retail expert Neil Saunders of Global Data explained to the DailyMail.com. 'Not offering popular payment systems is a pain for some customers and it makes Walmart a holdout as most other retailers allow mobile payments.' Saunders added the decision to not feature other mobile payment methods didn't seem to harm Walmart as it continues to be 'the largest retailer in both the US and the world.' 'Customers shop at Walmart primarily for the low prices and convenience, so most are probably willing to overlook lack of mobile payment solutions,' Saunders said. And despite the payment method backlash, the retail store chain has shown no signs of changing its mind. 'We would like to have the customers open our app in the store all the time,' Walmart CEO Doug McMillon said regarding Apple Pay in its stores last April . There’s no reason that in 2024, I still have to take my wallet in Walmart. Get Apple Pay nie pic.twitter.com/yRYYl4qbXV — COTUS (@PirateCoop) December 10, 2024 Like Victor, several X users were frustrated over Walmart stores nationwide not having mobile payment options other than Walmart Pay Read More America's best-run companies revealed as tech giant toppled from first place In addition to airing grievances about the lack of Apple Pay, shoppers also complained that Walmart stores in the US also don't accept Google Pay. 'Im a little bit upset with @Walmart and @SamsClub cause at this point people don’t have the option to pay with Apple Pay or Google Pay. Please update!' an X user wrote . While American shoppers are out of luck, a few tweeters north of the border brought up how shoppers can use Apple Pay for purchases at Walmart locations in Canada . One shopper posted a video of them paying for items using Apple Pay at one of the Canadian locations. Despite being unavailable at Walmart locations across the country, more than 85 percent of US retailers accept Apple Pay, which can be used through iPhones, Apple Watches or iPads. US retailers began accepting payments through Google Pay in 2018 after Google merged with Google Wallet and Android Pay. Google Pay was popular for quite some time and is still a well-known payment method even though the standalone app was discontinued in the US in June 2024. However, by the time Google Pay users transitioned to Google Wallet, only four percent of US adults revealed they still used the app in early 2024, according to YouGov . Walmart CEO Doug McMillon explained the company wants shoppers to be 'open on our app in the store all the time' Apple device owners were first allowed to pay for items with Apple Pay in 2014 Google Pay is still available to use in Canada, but unlike Apple Pay, shoppers cannot use it to pay at Walmart locations. While Walmart confirmed it brought in less revenue than usual this holiday season , the company reported a 5.5 percent increase in revenue in its latest quarter. Its global ecommerce sales also rose by 27 percent and its financial forecast raised for the rest of 2024. DailyMail.com has reached out to Walmart for comment regarding Victor's checkout experience. California Walmart Share or comment on this article: Walmart shopper swears off superstore forever after 'worst checkout experience I've ever had' e-mail Add comment

Walgreens Boots Alliance is considering selling the company to a private equity firm — a move that would take the publicly traded company private, according to a Wall Street Journal report. Deerfield, Illinois-based Walgreens has been in discussions with Sycamore Partners over a deal that could be completed early next year, the Journal wrote, citing unnamed “people familiar with the matter.” A Walgreens spokesperson declined to comment on the report Tuesday, telling the Tribune, “we don’t comment on rumors or speculation about our business.” A spokesperson for Sycamore also declined to comment. Walgreens’ stock shot up 21% on the news early Tuesday afternoon. New York-based Sycamore specializes in retail and consumer investment, and would likely sell off pieces of the business or work with partners, the Journal reported. The report follows years of struggles for the massive retail pharmacy chain, some of which are related to industrywide challenges over reimbursements for medications, while others stem from past moves made by Walgreens. The company announced plans in October to close 1,200 stores — about 14% of its U.S. locations — over the next three years, saying that only about three-quarters of its U.S. stores are profitable. Walgreens has also conducted several rounds of layoffs, eliminating more than 1,000 jobs over the last few years, including many in Illinois. The company has had a cost-cutting program in place for years, and exceeded its goal of cutting $1 billion in costs last fiscal year, following years of similar measures. Many of the cuts came as Walgreens worked in recent years to become more of a health care destination, partnering with various health care providers. Walgreens invested billions in primary care provider VillageMD and had planned to put Village Medical clinics in 1,000 of its stores by 2027. But Walgreens has since backtracked on that plan. In March, CEO Tim Wentworth said Walgreens had recorded a $5.8 billion impairment charge related to VillageMD, and that VillageMD would close 160 clinics. In August, Walgreens said in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission that it was considering selling all or part of its VillageMD business. In recent months, Wentworth has indicated that Walgreens is now working on a different strategy of focusing more on its historic work as a retail pharmacy-led organization. ©2024 Chicago Tribune. Visit at chicagotribune.com . Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

CSI women move into top 5, men drop to No. 21 in NJCAA rankingsVANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Brayden Point scored twice and added two assists, and the Tampa Bay Lightning edged the Vancouver Canucks 4-2 on Sunday. Nikita Kucherov had a goal and two helpers for the Lightning, while Jake Guentzel scored on a power play late in the third period. Captain Quinn Hughes and Kiefer Sherwood found the back of the net for the Canucks. Tampa Bay’s Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 22 of the 24 shots he faced and Kevin Lankinen made 28 saves for Vancouver. Lightning: Kucherov, who returned to the lineup Sunday after missing two games with a lower-body injury, added another potent piece to Tampa’s red-hot power play. The Lightning were 2 for 4 with the man advantage and scored a power-play goal for the sixth straight game. Canucks: Hughes took a stick to the face 55 seconds into the game, missed more than 11 minutes, then returned to open the scoring 16:08 into the first period. It was the 50th goal of the defenseman’s career and extended his points streak to seven games with three goals and 10 assists across the stretch. Tampa took the lead 6:29 into the second when Kucherov sliced a pass to Point at the bottom of the faceoff circle and the Lightning winger blasted it in past Lankinen for his 17th of the season. Kucherov put the visitors on the board just a minute and 49 seconds earlier. Point scored his league-leading 10th power-play goal of the season. He’s one away from becoming the third player to score 100 power-play goals for the Lightning. The Canucks continue a six-game homestand Tuesday against the St. Louis Blues. The Lightning visit the Oilers on Tuesday. AP NHL: https://www.apnews.com/hub/NHLMLB Salary Arbitration Eligibles List

NoneNEW YORK (AP) — Minnesota pitchers Justin Topa and Brock Stewart agreed to one-year contracts ahead of Friday's tender deadline along with fellow right-hander Triston McKenzie of Cleveland and Cole Sulser of Tampa Bay. Agreements and non-tenders reduced players eligible for arbitration to 169 from 238 at the start of last week. Teams and players are to exchange proposed arbitration salaries on Jan. 9, 2025, and those who don’t reach agreements will be scheduled for hearings from Jan. 27 through Feb. 14, 2025, in St. Petersburg, Florida. Topa was guaranteed $1,225,000 as part of a deal that included a $1 million salary for 2025 and a $2 million team option for 2026 with a $225,000 buyout. Stewart agreed to an $870,000 salary and can earn $30,000 in bonuses for days on the active roster: $10,000 for 112 and $20,000 for 142. McKenzie agreed to a $1.95 million, one-year contract and Sulser to a one-year deal that pays $900,000 in the major leagues and $450,000 while in the minors. AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Brayden Point scored twice and added two assists, and the Tampa Bay Lightning edged the Vancouver Canucks 4-2 on Sunday. Nikita Kucherov had a goal and two helpers for the Lightning, while Jake Guentzel scored on a power play late in the third period. Captain Quinn Hughes and Kiefer Sherwood found the back of the net for the Canucks. Tampa Bay’s Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 22 of the 24 shots he faced and Kevin Lankinen made 28 saves for Vancouver. Lightning: Kucherov, who returned to the lineup Sunday after missing two games with a lower-body injury, added another potent piece to Tampa’s red-hot power play. The Lightning were 2 for 4 with the man advantage and scored a power-play goal for the sixth straight game. Canucks: Hughes took a stick to the face 55 seconds into the game, missed more than 11 minutes, then returned to open the scoring 16:08 into the first period. It was the 50th goal of the defenseman’s career and extended his points streak to seven games with three goals and 10 assists across the stretch. Tampa took the lead 6:29 into the second when Kucherov sliced a pass to Point at the bottom of the faceoff circle and the Lightning winger blasted it in past Lankinen for his 17th of the season. Kucherov put the visitors on the board just a minute and 49 seconds earlier. Point scored his league-leading 10th power-play goal of the season. He’s one away from becoming the third player to score 100 power-play goals for the Lightning. The Canucks continue a six-game homestand Tuesday against the St. Louis Blues. The Lightning visit the Oilers on Tuesday. AP NHL: https://www.apnews.com/hub/NHLJennifer Lawrence, Emma Thompson, Jesse Eisenberg Go To Bat For Docs

RFP Financial Group LLC Sells 2,645 Shares of Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN)Snow coming Wednesday to central Indiana; travel may be hazardous

Opinion Don't miss out on the headlines from Opinion. Followed categories will be added to My News. The irony is extraordinary: Some of our federal parliamentarians are now apparently wavering on their world-leading and lifesaving plans to impose mandatory age limits for social media use because they are being bullied by Elon Musk. Mr Musk took to the X platform that he owns – and that would be included in the ban – to retweet a statement from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese posted when the legislation was introduced last week. Mr Musk added: “Seems like a backdoor way to control access to the internet by all Australians.” What absolute codswallop. This is about saving kids’ lives, nothing more and nothing less. Our young teens are enduring an epidemic of suicides being fuelled by unlimited access to a tool that makes bullying easy to broadcast, and that our kids cannot escape. The national bullying framework that the government has agreed to pursue needs to be part of the response to this emergency. But without the social media ban, it is like telling 12-year-old kids they can drive a car all they like, so long as they have done a defensive driving course. They are not old enough! Making it illegal for kids under 16 to use social media arms parents and teachers with a big stick. It also means kids will know that using social media is wrong. It is like having an age limit for drinking. You can’t realistically stop teens sneaking some booze before they turn 18, but they sure as heck know they are breaking the law. Imagine a world where there was no age limit for drinking alcohol. Parents would have no way of ever stopping it happening. It is the same now for social media – something that society has now learned is not an appropriate thing for under-16s, as they are not mature enough for it. Mr Musk has further claimed the only way to enforce the ban would be for all Australians, including adults, to have to pass an identity or age verification process. It will be up to the platforms to figure out how to make it work, but the deputy secretary of the federal communications department James Chisholm confirmed in a Senate estimates hearing this month that, indeed, “everybody (would) have to go through an age-verification process” – and the federal government has separately conceded the changes “may require the collection, use and disclosure of additional personal information”. This is, of course, a reasonably significant change. But it will not apply to usage of the internet per se, just if you want to use one of those platforms captured by the change – and at this point that is Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat. All already require you to sign up to use them. And the Prime Minister said yesterday there would be an obligation built in that any personal information was destroyed once age was verified. But even if you back Mr Musk’s position, the alternative is that our kids will continue to suffer – and some will tragically take their own lives as they think it is the only way they can escape the bullying that now follows them everywhere. And so what Mr Musk is really saying is that he does not care about Australia’s children. He is fighting to keep them armed with a tool that they are too young to be trusted with, and that is ruining lives. Any parliamentarians pushing for this ban to not be imposed are taking the same position. They are prioritising the profits of billionaires over the lives of our kids. That is the logical extension of not acting here. We simply must stay the course. TEST MATCH LIVES UP TO NAME There is still nothing better in cricket than the challenges a Test match produces, and the game in Perth proved that, despite it not being the result Australia wanted. The term “test match” was coined in 1 861 to designate which were the most important games to be played in Australia by a visiting team of Englishmen – in that those matches should be the greatest tests for the tourists of their “strength and competency”. And so it was 163 years on in Perth – where an unheralded Indian side led from the front by their fire-breathing, pace-bowling captain Jasprit Bumrah dismantled a heavily favoured Australian side packed with this generation’s batting superstars, after which the homeside’s bowling megastars were picked apart by newly arrived batting prodigy Yashasvi Jaiswal and ageing legend Virat Kohli. The Indians thoroughly deserved their record victory. The Aussie team will have to regroup, and the selectors could be forgiven for contemplating whether this is the time for generational change. But the other great thing about Test cricket is that the tables could well turn in Adelaide at the end of next week. Bumrah under lights is the stuff of nightmares, but the same could be said for Australia’s Mitchell Starc if he finds form. An Australian victory in Adelaide would be the perfect scene-setter for Brisbane’s Test from Saturday, December 14. And knowing the curveballs that Tests can so often produce, it shouldn’t be discounted. Responsibility for election comment is taken by Chris Jones, corner of Mayne Rd & Campbell St, Bowen Hills, Qld 4006. Printed and published by NEWSQUEENSLAND (ACN 009 661 778). Contact details here Originally published as Editorial: Elon Musk doesn’t care about Aussie kids, just his bottom line Read related topics: Let Them Be Kids Join the conversation Add your comment to this story To join the conversation, please log in. Don't have an account? Register Join the conversation, you are commenting as Logout More related stories Opinion Kennett: Only a bad government builds until it goes broke Infrastructure projects must be built as you can afford them, while balancing the other obligations of running the state. Victoria has got that mix badly wrong. Read more Opinion Bracks: Labor is reducing congestion and cutting travel times The Andrews-Allan governments has delivered on its infrastructure promises while delivering world-class projects that have improved the lives of Victorians. Read moreBiden 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. Couple charged in ring suspected of stealing $1 million in Lululemon clothes MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A Connecticut couple has been charged in Minnesota with being part of a shoplifting ring suspected of stealing around $1 million in goods across the country from upscale athletic wear retailer Lululemon.Jadion Anthony Richards and Akwele Nickeisha Lawes-Richards, both of Danbury, Connecticut, were charged this month with one felony count of organized retail theft. Both went free last week after posting bail bonds of $100,000 for him and $30,000 for her. They're also suspected in thefts from Lululemon stores in Colorado, Utah, New York and Connecticut. They're due back in court next month. 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 handing out more than $1.1 billion of Berkshire Hathaway stock to four of his family's foundations Monday, 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.