
On paper, Luigi Mangione had it all: wealth, intellect, athleticism, good looks. But the child of a prominent Maryland family may have spurned it all in a spasm of violence, in a killing that has mesmerized Americans. The 26-year-old was arrested Monday and charged with the murder of Brian Thompson, a health insurance chief executive and father of two who was gunned down in Manhattan last week by someone who, evidence suggests, has endured his own debilitating health crises and grew angry with the privatized US medical system. The cold-blooded killing has laid bare the deep frustration many Americans feel toward the country's labyrinthine health care system: while many have condemned the shooting, others have praised Mangione as a hero. It has also prompted considerable interest in how a young engineer with an Ivy League education could have gone off the rails to commit murder. News of his capture at a Pennsylvania McDonald's 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. As Americans have looked for clues about a political ideology or potential motive, a photo on his X account (formerly Twitter) includes an X-ray of an apparently injured spine. Mangione lived in Hawaii in 2022 and, according to his former roommate R.J. Martin, suffered from back pain, and was hoping to strengthen his back. After a surfing lesson, Mangione was "in bed for about a week" because of the pain, Martin told CNN. Earlier this year, Martin said, Mangione confirmed he'd had back surgery and sent him photos of the X-rays. Police said the suspect carried a hand-written manifesto of grievances in which he slammed America's "most expensive health care system in the world." "He was writing a lot about his disdain for corporate America and in particular the health care industry," New York police chief detective Joseph Kenny told ABC. According to CNN, a document recovered when Mangione was arrested included the phrase "these parasites had it coming." Meanwhile, memes and jokes proliferated, many riffing on his first name and comparing him to the "Mario Bros." video game character Luigi. Many expressed at least partial sympathy, having had their own harrowing experiences with the US health care system. "Godspeed. Please know that we all hear you," wrote one user on Facebook. Mangione hails from the Baltimore area. His wealthy Italian-American family owns local businesses, including the Hayfields Country Club, according to local outlet the Baltimore Banner, and cousin Nino Mangione is a Maryland state delegate. A standout student, Luigi graduated at the top of his high school class in 2016. A former student who knew Mangione at the elite 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," the person said. Mangione attended 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. On Instagram Mangione shared snapshots of his travels, and shirtless images of himself flaunting a six-pack. X users have scoured Mangione's posts for potential motives. His header photo includes an X-ray of a spine with bolts attached. Finding a political ideology that fits neatly onto the right-left divide has proved elusive, though he had written a review of Ted Kaczynski's manifesto on online site Goodreads, calling it "prescient." Kaczynski, known as the Unabomber, carried out multiple bombings in the United States from 1978 to 1995, in a campaign he said was aimed at halting the advance of modern society and technology. Mangione has also linked approvingly to posts criticizing secularism as a harmful consequence of Christianity's decline, and retweeted posts on the impact mobile phones and social media have on mental health. ia/abo-mlm/nroThe Annapolis City Council introduced a resolution Monday that would postpone the coming ban on gas-powered leaf blowers. The resolution, sponsored by Democratic Alderman Rob Savidge, of Ward 7, comes nearly nine months after , which Savidge also co-sponsored. The new measure would postpone enforcement of the legislation, which is set to take effect Jan. 1. If passed, the city would not issue any violations or fines for five months, Savidge said Tuesday. The postponement would allow more time for the city to develop a voucher program that will provide discounts on electric leaf blowers. “What we are trying to do with this is buy staff time to put together the voucher program,” Savidge said Monday. The resolution comes a month after city resident Kirby McAdoo posted However, in an interview in October, she said she wants the council to delay its enforcement so the city can assist businesses and residents during the transition. The proposed resolution postpones the city’s enforcement of the ban until June 1, 2025, to allow city staff to create a voucher program that would provide a discount on electric leaf blowers. How much the discount will be remains unclear. The vouchers will be available to landscaping businesses and residents, said Jacquline Guild, deputy city manager for Resilience and Sustainability. Guild estimates that 90% of the funds will be used to “reimburse businesses accepting vouchers” and that the remaining 10% will be used to run the program. Guild said Monday that staff looked at running the program directly through the city. However, that would add a “certain amount of staff time and burden on staff,” which would be responsible for creating and facilitating the program across several departments. “The current plan is to have this voucher program administered by a third party to decrease the administrative burden on City staff,” she said in an email Tuesday. “City staff are already stretched thin with many responsibilities and the envisioned voucher program would involve significant staff time from the City Manager’s Office, the Office of Law, the Department of Finance, and the new Department of Central Services.” She told the council Monday it’s something that “the Resilience Authority [of Annapolis and Anne Arundel County] could take on and run with a third-party contractor.” She added that the city has put in a request to transfer $105,000 of its one-time use reserve funds to allow the Resilience Authority to administer the first year of the voucher program. The City Council is expected to vote on the resolution at their next, and final, meeting of the year on Dec. 9.
The situation in Syria is dire, and the need for immediate action is more pressing than ever. While the world may be preoccupied with other global crises, we must not forget the suffering of the Syrian people and the urgent need for a resolution to the conflict. The war has ravaged the country's infrastructure, decimated its economy, and left its people struggling to survive in a state of constant insecurity.In a small rural village, a strange and unexpected guest made an appearance recently, leaving the local residents both puzzled and intrigued. The guest in question was none other than the elusive "Four Unlikes", a mythical creature known for its bizarre appearance and mysterious behavior. Its unexpected visit to a villager's doorstep for a meal has sparked speculation and curiosity among the villagers, with many wondering about the true intentions behind this unusual encounter.
Alyssa Naeher announced her retirement from international soccer quietly, which is how she does most everything save for keeping the ball from crossing the goal line. News coverage of her decision last week reinforced her importance to the U.S. women's national team with a simple statement: No other goalkeeper has recorded a shutout in both a World Cup and an Olympic final. That counts as an impressive achievement (or two). But it risks reducing Naeher’s career to a trivia answer. Her time with the USWNT has been so much more impactful than that. MORE: USWNT wins on Lynn Williams goal in Alyssa Naeher finale Her greatest moment in a USWNT kit did not even come in a championship setting. As with Christian Laettner’s shot in the 1992 NCAA Elite Eight or Joe Montana’s pass touchdown pass to Dwight Clark in the 1982 NFC title game, Naeher’s pinnacle came in a game before The Game. Naeher's save of an 84th-minute penalty kick attempt from England defender Steph Houghton in the semifinal of the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup is in the pantheon of iconic American soccer moments. That indelible play ranks alongside Paul Caliguiri’s goal to qualify the U.S. men for the 1990 World Cup, Brandi Chastain's clinching shootout kick at the 1999 Women’s World Cup and Landon Donovan’s injury-time goal against Algeria at South Africa 2010. Naeher waited until Houghton let slip a tell that suggested the kick would go to the keeper’s right, leaped in that direction and smothered the ball. The 2-1 lead that had been imperiled stood until the end of the match, and the USWNT went on to win their fourth World Cup. “Honestly, she saved our ass,” star forward Alex Morgan said following that game. MORE: Complete USWNT results from 2024, including Olympic gold Naehere's USWNT swan song, which came Tuesday in the Netherlands, was not a shutout. But the 2-1 comeback victory was a quintessential Naeher masterpiece. The 36-year-old goalkeeper produced several essential saves, including another dazzler in the 69th minute on a sliding shot by Danielle van de Donk from six feet out. That stop kept the score tied — and positioned the Americans to take the lead on Lynn Williams' goal 90 seconds later. In the first half, she made a savvy veteran move to go down with an injury — or "injury," perhaps — when the young Americans were besieged by the Dutch attack. That allowed coach Emma Hayes to gather the field players and address their early struggles. That is just the sort of calm, measured, insightful maneuver to be expected from Naeher. MORE: USWNT vs. the Netherlands: Timeline of the rivalry As her international retirement commences, her greatest contribution to the USWNT is more than any one play. She rescued the entire program from the volatility that lurked throughout predecessor Hope Solo’s decade in the lineup. Solo stands as probably the most dynamic keeper ever in the women’s game, as well as an impressive technician as her career advanced. But she also was a persistent problem for U.S. Soccer. From the comments about her semifinal benching, which then got her excluded from the team’s final game at the 2007 World Cup, to the arrest of her husband in 2015 while driving one of the team’s vans, to her postgame harangue of 2016 Olympic opponent Sweden for bunkering and eventually eliminating the U.S. in a penalty shootout – she called the Swedes “a bunch of cowards” – Solo kept the program’s headquarters furiously busy. When the USWNT finally had enough, Naeher was the likely replacement, and yet not an obvious one. She’d made 10 appearances between 2014 and 2016 and was a backup keeper at the 2015 World Cup and 2016 Olympics, but she did not play in either of those tournaments. The only thing she did obviously better than Solo was keep her thoughts to herself. As the program built toward the 2019 World Cup, the talent among the field players might have been the best, or at least closest to the career peak, of any USWNT squad: Alex Morgan at forward, Megan Rapinoe and Tobin Heath on the wings, Julie Ertz owning the defensive midfield and Becky Sauerbrunn a fixture in central defense. The team was so loaded that Lindsey Horan, Christen Press and Carli Lloyd were frequently – or exclusively – deployed as substitutes. The goalkeeper spot, though, seemed less secure, as team legend Brianna Scurry acknowledged: “There’s one difference this World Cup team has, the USA, that no other team previously has had, and that’s a question mark at the goalkeeper position.” Naeher entered the tournament at 31 years old as a two-time All-American in 2007 and 2008 at Penn State, Golden Glove winner for the 2008 FIFA U20 World Cup champs and 2014 Goalkeeper of the Year in the NWSL. Her résumé for the full national team, though, consisted primarily of watching Solo play. She did not start the 2019 World Cup in perfect form, as the late Grant Wahl described when writing about that memorable semifinal penalty save for Sports Illustrated. “Yes, there were worries about Naeher—worries that didn’t abate after she whiffed on a ball that ended up in the net against Chile (but was ruled offside) or after her hospital-ball pass in the back helped gift a goal to Spain in the round of 16," Wahl wrote . "Those worries were compounded when you looked in the stands and saw Solo, dropped from the team in 2016 for reasons outside of soccer, looming over the proceedings from her BBC pedestal.” In her time as the USWNT's No. 1 goalkeeper, Naeher was known for her contemplative approach, for her comfort in solitude. I sat in an outdoor cafe in Reims, France, before the United States’ opening game at the 2019 World Cup. Behind me was a table filled with Megan Rapinoe, defender Ali Krieger, backup goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris and forward Jessica McDonald, all of them eating and chatting following a shopping trip to the cosmetics shop Sephora. In front of me was a table where Naeher sat, alone, working on a crossword puzzle. “As much as I am at peace with the decision – I know that, in my head, it’s the right time and I feel good about it and I feel at peace with it – it’s still the end of something,” Naeher said of her international retirement. “Change is scary. I’m going to miss being a part of these camps and this team.” MORE: Who will take over as starting goalkeeper for the USWNT? Naeher probably could have held the starting job a while longer if she wished. In major tournaments, she allowed just 12 goals in 22 starts. That includes four shutouts in six games at the 2024 Summer Games as the USWNT claimed the fourth Olympic gold medal in program history. Her performance included a leaping save with her left foot off a point-blank header by Germany in the semis, as well as her ridiculous right-handed save off an unchallenged header from Adriana in the final against Brazil. The first of those came in extra time, with the U.S. protecting a 1-0 lead and just seconds away from playing for the gold; the second was delivered in added time to secure the same score and another major tournament triumph. Whatever one thinks of talent or artistry or achievement, it’s hard to argue any U.S. goalkeeper ever produced more essential clutch saves under greater pressure than Naeher. "As soon as the whistle blew," defender Naomi Girma told Yahoo! Sports after the Olympic final against Brazil , "I was like, 'My last sprint of the tournament is to give Alyssa a hug.'" In the end, Naeher was noticed for all the right reasons in her time with the USWNT. Before leaving for the locker room after Tuesday's win, she was presented with a bouquet of flowers. And Girma made sure to hug her again, for one final time on the field of play.As the world eagerly awaits the arrival of Wu Jinyan's little one, her radiant beauty and serene presence serve as a reminder of the enduring power of motherhood. Her ability to balance grace and strength, beauty and resilience, is a testament to the infinite potential that lies within every woman as she embarks on the journey of bringing new life into the world. With each passing day, Wu Jinyan embodies the essence of maternal love and devotion, inspiring others to embrace the beauty and wonder of motherhood in all its forms.
The enigmatic forward, who has been sidelined with a nagging muscle injury, has been hard at work in training to regain his match fitness and sharpness. Fans and teammates alike have been eagerly awaiting his return, knowing that his presence on the pitch could make all the difference in the upcoming high-stakes match.