NYPD Arrests Dozens After Jewish Voice for Peace Storms Trump Tower To Demand Release of Pro-Hamas Columbia Activist

Police arrested dozens of Jewish Voice for Peace agitators after they stormed Trump Tower in New York to demand the release of Mahmoud Khalil, the pro-Hamas Columbia University activist in ICE custody.

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Another Day, Another Building Occupation at Barnard. Plus, Democrats Nurse Trump Address Hangover.

For a group of people who routinely rail against "the occupation," student radicals at Columbia and Barnard love to play occupier. Last week, they sent a security guard to the hospital and caused $30,000 in damages while storming a campus building. On Wednesday they occupied the library, disseminating propaganda pamphlets from Hamas and hoisting an effigy of Barnard's president.

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Liberals lose it after Trump announces Dan Bongino as deputy FBI director: 'Feels like a bad dream'



President Donald Trump announced Sunday evening that FBI Director Kash Patel has tapped former U.S. Secret Service agent and popular conservative commentator Dan Bongino to be his right-hand man.

The news that Bongino will serve as FBI deputy director was well received on the right and by members of the Trump administration. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, for instance, noted, "No better patriot or professional. Patel-Bongino atop the FBI is pure [fire]."

White House adviser Stephen Miller wrote, "Dan Bongino is the warrior America needs in this vital role."

On the left, however, there was weeping and gnashing of teeth — par for the course given that Democrats and liberal pundits were still in the process of melting down over Patel's Thursday confirmation.

Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy (Conn.) tweeted, "Trump has chosen grifters to lead the FBI. Kash Patel sells 'K$SH' branded merch, vaccine reversal pills. Dan Bongino's entire show is telling listeners the world is ending so they buy the dozens of survivalist products he sells."

Murphy, who recently humiliated himself by attacking Vice President JD Vance and the Trump family over a post from a Lara Trump fan account, added, "I know this feels like a bad dream. It isn't."

'The choice of Mr. Bongino is a radical and abrupt departure.'

The news feed on the liberal X knockoff Bluesky was crowded with similar complaints, which in many cases recycled the attacks previously used by establishmentarians against Hegseth, U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, Attorney General Pam Bondi, and Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

One self-identified member of the 2024 Kamala Harris team wrote, "Two of Trump's most devout sycophants have now been installed at the highest, most powerful echelons of the FBI — a law enforcement agency heretofore known for its tradition of independence," adding that the duo are "the least experienced leadership pair in the entire 117-year history of the FBI."

Adam Cohen, the vice chair of the anti-Trump group Lawyers for Good Government, similarly characterized Bongino as "unqualified," suggesting that the FBI deputy director's ideas "are generally ludicrous conspiracy theories, totally devoid of fact."

The New York Times was among the liberal publications that rushed to frame the choice, which requires no Senate confirmation, as unorthodox and "radical."

"In the past, F.B.I. directors have selected senior agents with extensive experience to essentially run the bureau's operations, a complex and grueling job that requires working closely with foreign partners and navigating sensitive investigations," said a Times piece on the announcement. "The choice of Mr. Bongino is a radical and abrupt departure from that practice and raises startling questions about how two people who have never served as F.B.I. agents will oversee the vast surveillance and investigative powers of an agency of 38,000 people and a budget of about $11 billion."

The Times further claimed that Bongino "often peddles rampant misinformation." Two of the examples that the Times provided of "conspiracy theories" advanced by Bongino were, however, fact-based — namely that masks were ineffective at preventing the spread of the coronavirus, which the Cochrane Collaboration's 2023 systematic review confirmed, and that Democrats spied on Trump's 2016 campaign.

MSNBC analyst Tim Miller was among the pundits who appeared to have trouble coping, writing, "What in the living f**k."

'Buckle up, America!'

According to the website for his unsuccessful 2012 U.S. Senate campaign, Bongino started as a police cadet with the New York Police Department in 1995 and became a full officer in 1997. After two years spent patrolling the streets of Brooklyn, he joined the Secret Service in 1999 as a special agent. The 50-year-old father of two who beat Hodgkin lymphoma during the pandemic joined the USSS' Presidential Protection Division in 2006 and remained on protective duty with former President Barack Obama.

In addition to penning best-selling books in the time since, including "Exonerated: The Failed Takedown of President Donald Trump by the Swamp," Bongino has long hosted a massively popular podcast that has consistently ranked high among the top political commentary shows.

"Great news for Law Enforcement and American Justice!" Trump wrote on Truth Social. "Dan Bongino, a man of incredible love and passion for our Country, has just been named the next DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF THE FBI, by the man who will be the best ever Director, Kash Patel."

"Dan has a Masters Degree in Psychology from C.U.N.Y., and an MBA from Penn State. He was a member of the New York Police Department (New York's Finest!), a highly respected Special Agent with the United States Secret Service, and is now one of the most successful Podcasters in the Country, something he is willing and prepared to give up in order to serve," added Trump.

Following Trump's announcement, Bongino thanked the president, Attorney General Pam Bondi, and FBI Director Kash Patel on X, then retweeted a post that said, "THE DREAM TEAM. KASH PATEL. DAN BONGINO. FAFO. Buckle up, America!" The acronym used in the message shared by the FBI deputy director, "FAFO," stands for "f**k around and find out."

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Border czar Homan optimistic but firm ahead of alleged second meeting with NYC Mayor Adams



Border czar Tom Homan claims he is scheduled to meet with Democratic New York City Mayor Eric Adams later this week to discuss the illegal immigration crisis, and he seems cautiously optimistic that the two will find common ground.

On Tuesday, Homan joined John Catsimatidis and Rita Cosby on the "Cats & Cosby Show" on WABC 770 AM and revealed details about the forthcoming meeting. Homan said he is planning to be in NYC again on Thursday to talk with Adams about ways local and federal law enforcement can work together to apprehend dangerous illegal aliens in the area.

"I’m hoping we come to an agreement where his officers will help my officers remove these public safety threats, especially Tren de Aragua and the other alien gangs that are creating havoc in New York," Homan told the radio hosts.

"He’s all in on addressing public safety threats that are here illegally and helping me find these missing children."

'Let’s hope Thursday night I head back to DC with a great agreement.'

Homan and Adams met in December to discuss immigration, and afterward, Homan praised Adams for his understanding of the issue and his ready willingness to work with federal agents despite vehement opposition from other Democrats.

"He gets it. And today he proved that as the mayor of New York City, he's more concerned with public safety than politics," Homan said at the time.

"I think New York City is about to get a lot safer," Homan added. "I think New York City is about to send a strong message."

While Homan seems confident that Adams will continue to be cooperative in this second meeting, he did caution that nothing is set in stone yet.

"I’m coming up there Thursday to meet with the mayor — either he comes to the table or we go around him," Homan said, according to the New York Post.

"Let’s hope Thursday night I head back to D.C. with a great agreement."

The mayor's office declined to confirm the alleged second meeting between Adams and Homan, but press secretary Kayla Mamelak did stress that Adams has long supported removing criminal illegal immigrants from NYC.

"The mayor has also been clear that he wants to work with the new federal administration, not war with them, to better the lives of New Yorkers," Mamelak said. "That work includes going after the violent offenders who are wreaking havoc on our streets and ensuring they leave our city after being convicted of a crime and serving a jail sentence."

This alleged meeting comes just days after the Department of Justice under President Donald Trump moved to dismiss the charges brought against Adams under the Biden administration.

Trump has signaled his sympathy with Adams as a fellow victim of apparent political lawfare, but critics suggest that Trump is playing politics with Adams as well, since the charges could be revisited after the NYC mayoral election later this year.

"It certainly sounds like President Trump is holding the mayor hostage," Al Sharpton said in a statement Monday.

For now, Adams faces a tough re-election race. Federal indictments aside, high-profile Democrats such as NYC comptroller Brad Lander and state Sen. Zellnor Myrie have already begun fundraising hundreds of thousands and in some cases over a million dollars, hammering Adams for his legal woes and working relationship with Trump.

Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who resigned from office following allegations of sexual misconduct and of fudging the number of nursing-home COVID deaths, has also been mentioned as a possible contender.

A recent poll showed Cuomo leaving the competition in the dust, should he decide to jump in, outpacing Adams 31% to 12%. However, his lead nearly evaporated after respondents were reminded of his scandal-plagued tenure as governor.

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Police reportedly have described NYC deli stabbing suspect as transgender



Police have described the suspect in the fatal stabbing of a postal worker in Harlem as transgender, according to a New York Post story published Friday afternoon.

"The repeat offender — who has been described by cops as a transgendered woman — now faces murder charges for the brutal knifing of Ray Hodges, an on-duty USPS letter carrier who was grabbing lunch at the deli at 168 Lenox Ave," the Post's story says.

WABC said police found Hodges stabbed or slashed multiple times — including in the torso, arms, back, and neck — inside the establishment.

In addition, the stabbing suspect — 24-year-old Jaia Cruz — was arrested at least five times before Thursday's fatal stabbing of Hodges, the Post added, citing law enforcement sources.

The paper added that the suspect also has a history of knife violence.

More from the Post:

In July 2020, Cruz was caught waving an open box cutter at another person in Midtown West and shouting, “I’m going to cut him,” sources said. Cruz was ordered to get on the ground but refused.

Cruz was ordered to get on the ground, but refused. She was then pulled away by officers and busted for resisting arrest.

Just two weeks later, Cruz was arrested again for a 4:30 a.m. tag-team robbery — she and another individual used knives to steal a man’s phone and wallet after the victim invited the pair to “hang out.”

During Thursday's fatal stabbing of Hodges, New York City police said he and Cruz seemingly argued over who ordered first at the deli before the dispute turned physical.

Hodges, 36, of the Bronx, was working his postal route when he went to get lunch at Joe’s Grocery around 2:30 p.m., police told WPIX-TV.

As Hodges was waiting to pay, an argument ensued over who was next in line, police told WPIX, adding that Cruz is accused of stabbing Hodges seven times. WABC said police found Hodges stabbed or slashed multiple times — including in the torso, arms, back, and neck — inside the establishment. Hodges was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead, WABC said, adding that a weapon has been recovered.

Investigators told WPIX a witness identified the suspect near the scene of the crime. Cruz was was charged with second-degree murder, police told WPIX.

An initial story from the Post, citing sources, said "the knife-wielding suspect went crazy and gutted the victim in the stomach after he stepped in front of her in line, leaving his blood smeared all over the floors and glass door."

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service told WPIX in a separate story that Hodges was a letter carrier and was on duty. WPIX said his postal cart was seen outside the deli.

A friend of the person of interest told WABC that it's not in her friend's character to attack another person without a reason: "She's a nice young lady. She is not the type that just come out in the street and attacking people. This is just a bad neighborhood. What had happened, I have no idea because I was not around yet. I don't know. But I do know if she said it was in self defense, it was in self defense."

Postal worker Kathy Singleton told WABC that Hodges "was a nice young man."

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Blaze News original: 'Defund the police' dying out, but cop-hatred from Dems, media still going strong



Anti-police sentiment remains a major problem in America, several past and present members of law enforcement told Blaze News, despite waning support for the "defund the police" movement and the impending second term of President-elect Donald Trump, who has long been seen as a friend to law enforcement.

While the number of officers killed in the line of duty has dipped in the last couple years, the number skyrocketed in the aftermath of the May 2020 death of George Floyd, the re-emergence of Black Lives Matter, and the calls from Democrats and activists across the country to defund police departments.

According to the Officer Down Memorial Page, a police nonprofit, an alarming 722 officers died in connection with their professional responsibilities in 2020, though that number includes 285 officers who died from COVID-19.

Thankfully, the total number of duty-related blue deaths dwindled to just 137 in 2024, the lowest number recorded at ODMP in the last 10 years.

'They ambushed him': Deputy Bradley Reckling

Though police fatalities are down overall, verbal and physical attacks on police continue in earnest. In fact, the number of gun-related officer deaths has remained fairly consistent over the last decade, averaging about 57 per year and reaching a high of 63 in 2021 and 2022.

And that number includes only those who lost their lives on account of their injuries. It notably does not include those who were wounded but survived, according to Officer Dave Goitia, a 23-year veteran who recently made the switch to full-time labor work as president of the Fraternal Order of Police in Glendale and the second vice president of the Arizona Fraternal Order of Police.

"The numbers of police officers who are shot in the line of duty, for example ... has been rising pretty significantly over the past four years," Goitia told Blaze News. "It doesn't necessarily mean that they were killed, but just the number of shots has been on the rise."

While abstract numbers can at times obscure the painful reality of officers wounded or killed in the line of duty, Sheriff Michael Bouchard (R) and the rest of his office in Oakland County, Michigan, learned firsthand the devastating effects of losing one of their own at the hands of a violent suspect.

On June 22, 2024, Oakland County Deputy Bradley Reckling, 30, was shot and killed while conducting an investigation into a possible auto theft in Detroit in neighboring Wayne County.

Sheriff Bouchard told Blaze News that the auto-theft investigation began, like thousands of others do, with several detectives arriving separately on the scene "in the middle of the night."

"[Reckling] just came across the car first," Bouchard explained, "then they ambushed him."

Deputy Reckling, a nine-year veteran, left behind a pregnant wife and three children. Three 18-year-olds were later arrested and charged in connection with his death.

Bouchard described the murder of Deputy Reckling as a "crushing blow" to everyone at the department.

'This stuff affects us.'

Officer-deaths are also personal for Angel Maysonet, a retired NYPD detective who after 22 and a half years on the force now provides security for the executives of a utility company in a private capacity. In his conversation with Blaze News, Maysonet was able to rattle off the names of five colleagues who died violently while on duty during his tenure with the NYPD and provide minute details regarding the circumstances of their deaths — not to mention, he added, his brother officers who died on September 11, 2001.

"Officers are human," he said. "We're human beings. We have hopes. We have dreams. We have families. We have tragedies. We suffer losses. We celebrate our victories."

"We see officers suffering from PTSD," he continued. "We see officers, especially now that we're in the holidays, taking their own lives. It's happening at an alarming rate right now. We're humans.

"This stuff affects us."

'Unfairly targeted': Politicians fan the flames of outrage

Sheriff Bouchard blames the public's relatively low regard for law enforcement on high-profile politicians who have continuously bad-mouthed officers for using force in cases involving troubled and potentially dangerous individuals, like George Floyd in May 2020.

Maysonet and Goitia, however, believe the problem began much earlier. In their separate conversations with Blaze News, each mentioned President Barack Obama infamously accusing Sgt. James Crowley of acting "stupidly" when responding to an alleged break-in at the home of Harvard Prof. Henry Louis Gates in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 2009. Obama and his vice president, Joe Biden, later hosted a Beer Summit with Crowley and Gates at the White House to discuss their differences.

"[Obama] had no information about what happened at all, no details," Goitia explained. "[He] said that officer 'acted stupidly' and then realized later on what a bad statement that was. So he had to have the Beer Summit."

Maysonet, a one-time Obama voter, also noted that in July 2016, several years after the Cambridge incident, Obama even implicitly aligned himself with some BLM grievances during remarks at a wake honoring five Dallas police officers slain at a BLM rally.

"Faced with this violence, we wonder if the divides of race in America can ever be bridged," Obama said. "We wonder if an African-American community that feels unfairly targeted by police, and police departments that feel unfairly maligned for doing their jobs, can ever understand each other’s experience."

In that speech, Obama also took time to recognize Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, two black men who had died just days earlier during encounters with police. "Today, in this audience, I see people who have protested on behalf of criminal justice reform grieving alongside police officers. I see people who mourn for the five officers we lost but also weep for the families of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile," Obama said.

Sterling, who served five years for tussling with a police officer while armed, was shot and killed by a cop in Baton Rouge on July 5, 2016, after reportedly threatening someone with a gun.

While Castile had no known history of violence, he pled guilty to several traffic violations after having been pulled over more than 50 times. He was shot and killed during a traffic stop for an alleged broken tail light near Minneapolis a day after Sterling died.

'The controversy is what sells.'

Four years later, George Floyd — who served several years behind bars after pointing a firearm at the abdomen of a pregnant woman — died during an encounter with police. At that point, Black Lives Matter stormed back onto the national stage, demanding not only police accountability but a reallocation of resources to starve departments and promote social justice instead.

Many leftist politicians happily trumpeted BLM's call to "defund the police." In October 2021, the Republican National Committee released a nearly seven-minute video of various big-name Democrats — including Vice President Kamala Harris, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, and Reps. Nancy Pelosi of California, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, and Ilhan Omar of Minnesota — embracing the "defund the police" sentiment.

Omar, in fact, went so far as to demand that local governments "dismantle" their police departments and "reimagine" law enforcement and public safety.

In the years since, support for defunding police has plummeted as violent and property crime spiked across America. In fact, some Democrats, such as Reps. Jamaal Bowman of New York and Cori Bush of Missouri, may have even lost their respective seats in part because of their association with the "defund the police" movement.

Other Democrats such as Mayor London Breed of San Francisco and former NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio, who actually implemented policies to defund police, later walked those policies back and restored police funding. Despite the about-face on defunding San Francisco police, Breed still lost her bid for re-election in November.

"They see that it doesn't work," Maysonet said.

Dave Goitia, who was decorated with the Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor by then-President George W. Bush, noted that federal lawmakers, state governors, and local mayors are not the only ones who have contributed to anti-police fervor. Far-left district attorneys, many of them funded by George Soros, have likewise exploited their prosecutorial discretion to wreak havoc on public safety to the detriment of local police.

Goitia described these DAs as "soft-on-crime" activists who advocate for "the elimination of certain bail standards" rather than "keeping ... bad actors behind bars."

News reports about officers from around the country who were allegedly shot in 2024 by suspects with a criminal history seem to support his point. Headlines regarding those cases reveal an alarming pattern:

Black Lives Matter did not respond to Blaze News' request for comment.

In addition to pushing local policies that sometimes benefit defendants at the expense of police, the Democratic Biden-Harris administration has also implemented open-border policies that have caused cities to swell with a new population of people who do not understand local laws and customs and who likely already committed a crime when crossing into the U.S.

Moreover, members of violent international criminal organizations like Tren de Aragua have likewise stolen into the country and terrorized local residents. Not only do these violent gangs add considerably to the workload of local police departments, but reports indicate that gang leaders have even put a hit out on cops, making an already dangerous situation even more dangerous for police and residents alike.

"Credible human sources from Colorado provided information on TdA giving a 'green light' to fire on or attack law enforcement," read a memo reportedly released by the Homeland Security Investigations office in Chicago this summer.

Goitia attributes at least some of the violent attacks on police to unfettered immigration. "I think that the border has been a big problem for law enforcement," he said. "We definitely have seen some bad actors coming across this border."

Maysonet agreed. "Gang members ... are coming from Venezuela and being essentially just let loose to commit crimes," he said.

"The big mouths and the anti-police crowd are going to ... continue to place the lives of police officers in this country in danger."

'It's clickbait': Media outlets pile on

The media has also played an important role in creating anti-police animus, Goitia, Bouchard, and Maysonet all told Blaze News.

Maysonet said that the media relentlessly harps on the rare cases of black men who die during encounters with police to stoke racial tensions. "They make it into always a racial issue," he said.

Evidence supports Maysonet's claim.

In 2015, the Washington Post began tracking "fatal police shootings" and providing an updated tally of yearly totals. In describing its methodology, the outlet listed "the race of the deceased" first among the "details" it considers in each incident.

A 2020 episode of "Hidden Brain" on NPR entitled "The Air We Breathe" explored alleged "implicit bias and police shootings." During the episode, panelists noted that protests in the wake of George Floyd's death sparked "a global conversation on the issue of racism and police brutality — especially in communities of color."

In 2021, the BBC published a list of all the "major incidents" of black people dying during an encounter with police in the past decade. The article featured pictures of police in full tactical gear while seemingly unarmed protestors peacefully stand, march, or raise their fists, further promoting the idea of an adversarial relationship between police and their communities.

Goitia argued that the media may even have a vested interest in pushing this narrative. "The controversy is what sells," he told Blaze News.

"It's clickbait, and it garners viewership," he said. "That's what the media is about. They want to have a large audience. They want people looking at their content."

To illustrate his point, Goitia pointed to an article published just this month in U.S. News & World Report that claimed that "black youth with autism" face "special dangers" during "encounters with police."

"If you look into the story, there's zero statistical evidence of this at all," Goitia said. "They spoke with caregivers for black youth with autism, and these caregivers, they had concerns. They had feelings about how those interactions might go based on what we know about people with autism."

He's right. The article is based on a study in which researchers consulted "43 Black caregivers of Black children with autism." The article does not discuss any particular police incidents involving an autistic black child or include the perspective of "a single cop."

Sheriff Bouchard, who is also the vice president of government affairs at the Major County Sheriffs of America organization, similarly called out the "demonization" of cops by "some media outlets."

"It's constant 'police reform,' 'police reform,' 'police reform,' and that rhetoric makes it sound like we're broken, that all cops are doing something that's inappropriate," Bouchard said, "and that's absolutely false."

This mischaracterization of law enforcement has led to poor recruitment and retention as well as public mistreatment of law enforcement officers, he said.

"The degree of danger, the unpredictability of what you might face on any given day certainly are factors that people consider whether it's something they want to do," Bouchard said.

"They are the Vietnam veterans of today," the sheriff further said about law enforcement agents. "When the veterans came home from Vietnam, they were demonized, even though they went to do a very tough job on behalf of the American people. They didn't make the policy decisions to be there, but they stood up and did what was asked of them."

'Without prejudice': Cops doing their duty despite circumstances

Sheriff Bouchard, Officer Dave Goitia, and retired Det. Angel Maysonet all admitted that, as with all professions, there are some bad apples in law enforcement, and they all advocated for holding bad officers accountable. However, they also expressed hope that public opinion of law enforcement will improve under a second Trump administration.

Bouchard told Blaze News that once Trump resumes office, "support of law enforcement will go up dramatically."

Goitia seemed to agree. "President Trump has always been very supportive of law enforcement," he said. "Anytime he's in the public, just about, he will praise law enforcement. He will thank law enforcement. He makes it clear that law enforcement is not the problem in this country and that law enforcement need to be supported."

While Maysonet, who voted for Trump in 2024, is similarly optimistic about a second Trump term, he is concerned that the media and some lawmakers will continue to vilify law enforcement agents, especially those charged with conducting mass deportations of illegal immigrants.

"It's gonna come down to, again, people trying to portray the police as being brown coats and just doing what the government wants," he said. "The anti-police crowd are going to twist [Trump's] words and continue to place the lives of police officers in this country in danger."

'They're just going to work through it.'

Regardless of how the public perceives them or the media and politicians portray them, officers will continue to do their jobs, they said.

"When somebody calls 911 for service, the dispatcher and the police officer don't say, 'What God does this person worship? What's their skin color? Who do they sleep with? How do they identify?' We go without prejudice, and we respond, and we lay our lives on the line for everyone without prejudice," Maysonet said.

"We don't ask those questions," he continued. "It doesn't matter to us."

Goitia expressed a similar sentiment to Blaze News, claiming that, while members of law enforcement have a "foxhole mentality" and will fiercely defend their own, they often set aside personal issues and emotions to serve the public.

"[Officers] show up on Christmas, show up on New Year's Eve and still do their do their duties," he said. "They're really not going to be able to take to take time off."

"They're just going to work through it."

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FACT CHECK: Did Burger King Troll McDonald’s By Posting ‘We Don’t Snitch’?

A viral social media post claims that the official X account of Burger King posted “We don’t snitch” shortly after the alleged UnitedHealthcare CEO shooter was arrested at a McDonald’s. Luigi Mangione shouldn’t have gone to McDonald’s. pic.twitter.com/vlGc2o2hVd — Mike Beauvais (@MikeBeauvais) December 9, 2024 Verdict: False The screenshot has been digitally altered. No official […]

Alarm sounded over graffiti, flyers, online posts reacting to shooting death of health insurance company head



Police are investigating "Kill your CEO" graffiti spray-painted in white on multiple businesses over the weekend in Chicago, WLS-TV reported.

The vandalism comes after the targeted, fatal shooting last Wednesday of Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, in New York City, the station said.

'F*** him may he rest in piss.'

As you might guess, it wasn't an isolated case.

WLS in a related report said a New York Police Department bulletin was issued Tuesday warning of increased risk for health care executives and the possibility of copycat perps.

The station, citing the bulletin, said online posts have listed the names and salaries of several health insurance executives, multiple "Wanted" flyers highlighting corporate executives have been posted throughout Manhattan, and social media users continue to celebrate Thompson's death.

WLS said many social media posts have heralded shooting suspect Luigi Mangione as a "martyr" — and the NYPD encouraged companies to increase precautions and security for executives since Thompson's fatal shooting could "inspire a variety of extremists and grievance-driven malicious actors to violence."

According to the station, the NYPD bulletin said "both prior to and after the suspected perpetrator's identification and arrest, some online users across social media platforms reacted positively to the killing, encouraged future targeting of similar executives, and shared conspiracy theories regarding the shooting."

WLS said the bulletin called out a viral social media post listing the names and salaries of eight health insurance company CEOs and that some online users viewed it as "a hitlist and that CEOs should be afraid."

The station added that the "Wanted" posters in Manhattan showed images of corporate executives and bullet-shaped graphics warning, "UnitedHealthcare killed everyday people for the sake of profit. As a result Brian Thompson was denied his claim to life. Who will be denied next?" and "Wall Street CEOs Should Not Feel Safe, Deny, Defend, Depose." Bullet casings found at the scene of Thompson's killing in front of a Manhattan Hilton hotel apparently were inscribed with words such as "delay” and “deny" which reportedly refer to health insurance claim denial tactics.

WLS added that the bulletin also included examples of online users saying Thompson deserved to be murdered due to his role in the health insurance industry, such as: "My mom was denied chemo multiple times and suffered tremendously they missed her cancer for two years because she was constantly denied... she will have life altering damage because of it. F*** him may he rest in piss."

Blaze News previously reported that just hours after Thompson was fatally shot, controversial, polarizing former Washington Post writer Taylor Lorenz posted online, "And people wonder why we want these executives dead."

What's more, Lorenz doubled down on her comments, telling Piers Morgan of "Piers Morgan Uncensored" on Monday that she "felt, along with so many other Americans, joy" upon learning of Thompson's slaying.

Glenn Beck, co-founder of Blaze Media, wrote an op-ed the day after Thompson's death that his killing "highlights a rising tide of anti-institutional rage" and that we have a choice "about whether we will uphold the principles of justice or descend into chaos."

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'These parasites simply had it coming': Luigi Mangione, suspect in UnitedHealthcare CEO's killing, now charged with murder



Luigi Mangione — the suspect in last week's fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York City — is now charged with murder.

Manhattan prosecutors late Monday filed murder and other charges against the 26-year-old Ivy League graduate, the Associated Press reported, citing an online court docket. The New York Times, citing court records, reported that the initial murder charge is for second-degree murder.

Mangione remained jailed in Pennsylvania, where he was charged with possession of an unlicensed firearm, forgery, and providing false identification to police, the AP said.

The outlet added that a McDonald's customer in Altoona — which is about two hours east of Pittsburgh — spotted Mangione on Monday morning, notified an employee, and soon police arrived to question him.

Police indicated in a criminal complaint that they recognized Mangione as soon as he pulled down his mask at their request in the restaurant. When they asked Mangione if he'd been in New York City recently, police said he was quiet but started shaking.

Later Monday, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch told reporters that Altoona police arrested Mangione on firearm charges and that he was believed to be “our person of interest."

'Frankly, these parasites simply had it coming'

The AP — citing a law enforcement official unauthorized to discuss the investigation publicly and who spoke with the outlet on the condition of anonymity — said a three-page, handwritten document found in Mangione’s possession includes a line in which he claims to have acted alone.

“To the feds, I’ll keep this short, because I do respect what you do for our country. To save you a lengthy investigation, I state plainly that I wasn’t working with anyone,” the document said, according to the official who spoke with the AP.

The document also contains the following line, the AP reported: “I do apologize for any strife or traumas, but it had to be done. Frankly, these parasites simply had it coming.”

According to the Times, the 262-word "manifesto" also says that as UnitedHealthcare’s market capitalization has grown, American life expectancy has not — and it condemns companies that “continue to abuse our country for immense profit because the American public has allowed them to get away with it.”

Mangione reportedly had back surgery last year

The paper added that friends said Mangione lived with significant, sometimes debilitating, back pain, which prevented him from surfing and negatively affected his romantic life; he underwent surgery for it last year.

The Times said R.J. Martin — a friend of Mangione who had lived with him in Honolulu — asked via text how his surgery went, and Mangione replied, “Long story,” and did not elaborate.

“His spine was kind of misaligned,” Martin told the paper. “He said his lower vertebrae were almost like a half-inch off, and I think it pinched a nerve. Sometimes, he’d be doing well and other times not.”

Nino Mangione — a Maryland state delegate and a cousin of Luigi Mangione — told the Times in a statement on behalf of the Mangione family that they “only know what we have read in the media” and that they were “shocked and devastated by Luigi’s arrest.” The paper said the statement adds that "we offer our prayers to the family of Brian Thompson, and we ask people to pray for all involved.”

Anything else?

Bullet casings found at the scene of Thompson's killing in front of a Manhattan Hilton hotel Wednesday — which New York City police called a "brazen" and "premeditated, preplanned targeted attack" — apparently were inscribed with words referring to health insurance claim denial tactics.

Just hours after the fatal shooting, Thompson's wife said her husband had been threatened. Paulette Thompson told NBC News in a phone call that "there had been some threats. Basically, I don’t know, a lack of coverage? I don’t know details. I just know that he said there were some people that had been threatening him."

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Bullet casings from CEO's killing apparently were inscribed with words referring to health insurance claim denial tactics



Bullet casings recovered at the scene of Wednesday's fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson — which New York City police called a "brazen" and "premeditated, preplanned targeted attack" — apparently were inscribed with words referring to health insurance claim denial tactics.

NBC News reported that three live 9mm rounds and three discharged 9mm shell casings were found at the scene. Citing two law enforcement officials, the New York Times said police are investigating apparent messages on the casings, specifically words such as “delay” and “deny," which may point to ways health insurance companies attempt to avoid paying patient claims.

'Threatening patients with a financial penalty for making the wrong decision could have a chilling effect on seeking emergency care.'

The New York Post published a similar report, noting that sources said words such as “deny,” “depose,” and “defend” were engraved on live rounds and shell casings. The Post added that the words are similar to the main title of a 2010 book, “Delay, Deny, Defend: Why Insurance Companies Don’t Pay Claims and What You Can Do About It.” CBS News published a video report discussing the apparently engraved words.

The Times added that patients, lawmakers, and others have fiercely criticized UnitedHealthcare — one of the America’s largest health insurers — for denying patient claims.

The Associated Press said Thompson drew attention in 2021 when UnitedHealthcare, "like its competitors," was criticized for its intention to deny payments "for what it deemed non-critical visits to hospital emergency rooms."

“Patients are not medical experts and should not be expected to self-diagnose during what they believe is a medical emergency,” the American Hospital Association's chief executive wrote in an open letter addressed to Thompson, according to the AP. “Threatening patients with a financial penalty for making the wrong decision could have a chilling effect on seeking emergency care.” The AP said United Healthcare responded by delaying rollout of the change.

After his fatal shooting, Thompson's wife said he had been receiving "threats." Paulette Thompson told NBC News in a phone call that "there had been some threats. Basically, I don’t know, a lack of coverage? I don’t know details. I just know that he said there were some people that had been threatening him."

A separate New York Post story — which cites a Wall Street Journal report — added that for years, Thompson, 50, and his wife had been living in separate homes less than a mile from each other in Maple Grove, Minnesota.

The Post also reported that Thompson at the time of his killing was facing a Justice Department probe for insider trading.

What else do we know?

Police continue to look for the shooting suspect. NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said the suspect appeared to be lying in wait for Thompson for several minutes, CBS News reported, adding that a senior NYPD official said the suspect's arrival before Thompson outside the Hilton indicates that he knew about the CEO's comings and goings.

More from CBS News:

Police are using surveillance footage to determine how the suspect spent the hours before the shooting. At 5 a.m. Wednesday, about two hours before the attack, surveillance cameras captured the suspect outside near the Frederick Douglass Housing Project on Manhattan's Upper West Side, according to NYPD officials. Police executed a search warrant at a building in the area on Wednesday night. Police said they believe the suspect may have stayed there the night before the attack.

Police also released surveillance images showing the suspect at a Starbucks two blocks from the shooting at 6:17 a.m., less than half an hour before the shooting. Police told CBS News they found unspecified "forensic evidence" at the Starbucks and that items recovered there are being tested for possible DNA and fingerprints by the NYPD's Crime Scene Unit. The suspect paid with cash, police said.

Police said the suspect then waited for Thompson, who left his hotel shortly after 6:40 a.m. and headed to the Hilton across the street, CBS News reported. NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said police are speaking to Thompson's coworkers to understand why he was headed to the hotel so early but acknowledged that Thompson was in charge of a conference there and may have been headed there to help set up.

The suspect approached Thompson from behind at 6:44 a.m., then shot him at least once in the back and once in the right calf, CBS News said, adding that a security camera captured the moment of the shooting.

Wanted poster for suspect in killing United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York City, Dec. 4, 2024. Photo by Alex Kent/Getty Images

According to NBC News, Kenny said at a Wednesday news conference that "the shooter then walks toward the victim and continues to shoot. It appears that the gun malfunctions as he clears the jam and begins to fire again."

The suspect initially was described as a white male wearing a black hoodie, black pants, black sneakers with a white trim, and a gray backpack who was using a gun with a silencer, an individual familiar with the matter told CNBC. Kenny later told CBS News that the suspect was wearing a light brown or cream-colored jacket and that his backpack was "very distinctive."

NYPD News posted on X other images here and here showing the person the outlet says is the suspect.

You can view a Wednesday morning report from CBS News here on the manhunt for Thompson's killer.

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