Fact check: Did UnitedHealthcare murder suspect post viral Substack?
EXPLAINER Online self-publishing platform Substack has removed a post purportedly by Luigi Mangione, chief suspect in the murder of CEO Brian Thompson. By Jeff Cercone | Politifact Published On 11 Dec 202411 Dec 2024 Luigi Mangione, the suspect charged with murder in UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson’s December 4 shooting death, left a handwritten document explaining his motivation, New York City police officials said. Police had not released the document to the public as of December 10. But some X users were sharing what they said was a manifesto Mangione published on Substack, a subscription-based platform for online content creators. “This is allegedly Luigi’s manifesto,” a December 9 X post with more than five million views said. The post shared four screenshots of text from a Substack post with the headline “The Allopathic Complex and Its Consequences” and the subhead “Luigi Mangione’s last words”. The Substack article was dated December 9, the day Mangione was arrested at an Altoona, Pennsylvania, McDonald’s. “The second amendment means I am my own chief executive and commander in chief of my own military,” it said. “I authorise my own act of self-defence in response to a hostile entity making war on me and my family.” Advertisement We found other social media posts sharing the same images or language as the blog post and saying Mangione had written them. But he did not write them. Substack removed the post “for violating Substack’s Content Guidelines, which prohibit impersonation”, a company spokesperson told PolitiFact in an emailed statement. New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said on December 9 that police had found a handwritten document when they arrested Mangione “that speaks to both his motivation and mindset”. As of December 10, authorities had not offered more information about its contents. The New York Times reported on the three-page document, citing an internal police report it obtained. Mangione described the act as a “symbolic takedown” of the healthcare industry, citing “alleged corruption and ‘power games’”. None of that language appeared in the Substack post being shared online as Mangione’s manifesto. PolitiFact reviewed reports about the document by The New York Times, CNN, New York Post or ABC News, all outlets that said they had reviewed the message or had it described to them by law enforcement sources. None of the reports included mention of the Second Amendment. PolitiFact has not obtained a copy. We rate claims that Mangione wrote the Substack article as False. Adblock test (Why?)
Kenyan police tear gas protesters marching against femicide
Police in Nairobi used tear gas to disperse protesters, demanding an end to femicide. Several people were injured, and others were arrested. Activists say President Ruto’s $700K pledge to end the crisis is not enough because cases in Kenya continue to rise. Adblock test (Why?)
Police fire tear gas at Kenya protesters rallying against femicide
Hundreds gather in Kenya’s capital to rally against gender-based violence. Police in Kenya have fired tear gas to disperse hundreds of people who gathered to protest against gender-based violence and femicide. Protesters blew whistles and chanted “stop killing women” as they marched in the capital, Nairobi, on Tuesday, and police repeatedly dispersed the crowds. The rally gathered pace as hundreds of women marched towards parliament, with many chanting, “shame on you” and “teach your sons”. At least three people were arrested, the Reuters news agency reported. The protests in Nairobi were peaceful and it was not immediately clear why the police intervened. There was no immediate comment from the police. Protests also took place in the cities of Mombasa and Lodwar, according to videos posted on social media. Among those arrested in Nairobi was Irungu Houghton, executive director of Amnesty International Kenya. Amnesty International and the Law Society of Kenya released a joint statement condemning the police actions, saying it sent a “chilling message” to peaceful protesters. Advertisement “The violent response by police, including the arrest of these peaceful protesters, is a direct attack on Kenya’s democratic principles and the human rights of its citizens,” the statement said. One activist, Mwikali Mueni, told The Associated Press that she suffered a neck injury at the hands of police officers. “It is very sad that I was injured while championing for women not to be injured or killed. If the president is serious about ending femicide, let him start by taking action on the officers who have brutalised us today,” she said. Last month, President William Ruto committed more than $700,000 for a campaign to end femicide. Following the publication of a report by the Kenyan National Commission for Human Rights in November, Ruto labelled gender-based violence “tragic and unacceptable”. Silent epidemic For years, Kenya has experienced an epidemic of gender-based violence. Between August and October, at least 97 women in Kenya were killed in femicides, according to the National Police Service. The police do not provide statistics for earlier periods, but according to figures compiled by the Africa Data Hub, there were at least 75 femicides in 2022 and 46 the year before. According to Kenyan charity The Gender Violence Recovery Centre, one in three Kenyan women have been abused by the age of 18. Acts of abuse mainly come from intimate male partners or male family members. Patriarchal views and insufficient legal protections are major factors behind Kenya’s high levels of gender-based violence, researchers say. Advertisement Police in Kenya have also faced criticism for their actions during antigovernment protests, when at least 60 people were killed in June and July. Adblock test (Why?)
How can Syria be rebuilt and who will pay?
Years of war and sanctions have left much of the country in ruins. Years of war and sanctions mean Syria is in dire need of reconstruction. Foreign funding is essential, along with political stability so work vital to the country’s future can begin. So how can this be achieved? And who will pay? Presenter: Nick Clark Guests: Sinan Hatahet – Non-resident fellow with the Syria Project at the Atlantic Council Tamer Qarmout – Associate professor at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies Fadi Dayoub – Executive director of the Syrian NGO Local Development and Small Projects Support Adblock test (Why?)
‘Our homes were destroyed’ Palestinian residents return to Yarmouk camp
NewsFeed Residents of the Yarmouk Palestinian refugee camp have started returning to their homes, after years of violent clashes during the Syrian civil war. Yarmouk camp was left in ruins, lacking essentials for survival. Published On 10 Dec 202410 Dec 2024 Adblock test (Why?)
Accused UnitedHealthcare CEO attacker Mangione fights New York extradition
Luigi Nicholas Mangione, the 26-year-old accused of fatally shooting United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson in a Midtown Manhattan attack last week, has signalled he will fight being extradited to New York to face murder charges. Mangione appeared in court in Pennsylvania on Tuesday, a day after he was arrested in the town of Altoona following a tip from a McDonald’s employee. He was charged with Thompson’s New York killing hours after his arrest, as well as a slate of lesser offences in Pennsylvania. Emerging from a police car, Mangione gave a partly unintelligible message to reporters, although he made reference to an “insult to the intelligence of the American people”. At the brief hearing, his defence lawyer, Thomas Dickey, told the court that Mangione would contest extradition to New York, requesting a hearing on the issue. He has 14 days to lodge a formal challenge to being relocated to New York, and in the meantime, he will be held in Pennsylvania without bail. While in court, Mangione wore an orange prison jumpsuit, alternating between staring forward, looking at papers and looking back at the gallery. He was quieted at one point by his lawyer when he attempted to speak. Advertisement The court appearance came six days after a gunman fatally shot Thompson, the head of one of the largest health insurance companies in the United States, outside of a hotel in Midtown Manhattan. The brazen nature of the attack – and the days-long manhunt – garnered national intrigue. Even while condemning the violence, many experts, doctors and US citizens said it was emblematic of the undercurrent of anger in the country towards the healthcare industry, where high costs leave many patients vulnerable to the will of insurers. Bullet casings found at the scene of the killing bore the words “deny”, “defend” and “depose”, appearing to reference a phrase used by critics to describe how health insurers avoid claim payouts. The gunman fled via electric bike to Central Park, and later, he boarded a bus out of the city. In the days since the attack, many have taken to social media to share accounts of insurance companies denying claims. The sentiment has led authorities to gird for copycat attacks, according to a law enforcement memo obtained by US media. The White House has also weighed in. “Obviously, this is horrific,” Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters on Tuesday. “Violence to combat any sort of corporate greed is unacceptable.” Further details emerge The law enforcement memo, which was based on Mangione’s writings, some of which were recovered at the time of his arrest, said that Mangione was likely motivated by what he described as “parasitic” health insurance companies and an overall disdain for corporate greed. Advertisement Authorities have said a 3D-printed gun, a suppressor and several fake IDs, including one believed to be used by the attacker to check into a hostel in New York before the shooting, were recovered when Mangione was arrested. According to the memo, Mangione had written that the US has the most expensive healthcare system in the world and that profits of major corporations continue to rise while “our life expectancy” does not. The document added that Mangione may have been inspired by the so-called “Unabomber” Ted Kaczynski, who he called a “political revolutionary”. Kaczynski had carried out a series of bombings from the late 1970s to mid 1990s railing against modern society, technology and the destruction of the environment. His attacks killed three. The profile that has emerged since Mangione’s arrest also bears some similarities to Kaczynski, who was considered a maths prodigy. Mangione comes from an influential family in Baltimore, Maryland, and was the valedictorian at an elite Baltimore prep school. He went on to earn undergraduate and graduate degrees in computer science in 2020 from the University of Pennsylvania, a prestigious Ivy League school. Known as affable and intelligent, some friends have said in interviews with US media that Mangione’s demeanour changed after recent surgery on his spine. “Our family is shocked and devastated by Luigi’s arrest,” Mangione’s family said in a statement posted on social media late Monday by his cousin, Delaware state legislator Nino Mangione. Advertisement “We offer our prayers to the family of Brian Thompson, and we ask people to pray for all involved.” Adblock test (Why?)
Houthis clash with US Navy ships in the Gulf of Aden
The US military says it has intercepted a barrage of missiles and drones fired by the Yemen-based group. The United States military has said its forces successfully fended off an attack by the Houthis, a Yemen-based armed group, while escorting a group of three commercial vessels through the Gulf of Aden. The US Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees US military activities in the Middle East, said on Tuesday that two destroyers intercepted a barrage of cruise missiles and drones launched from Yemen. “The destroyers were escorting three US owned, operated, and flagged merchant vessels. The reckless attacks resulted in no injuries and no damage to any vessels, civilians or US Naval,” CENTCOM said in a statement. CENTCOM Forces Defeat Houthi Attacks on U.S. Navy and U.S.-Flagged Ships in the Gulf of Aden. U.S. Navy destroyers USS Stockdale (DDG 106) and USS O’Kane (DDG 77) successfully defeated a range of Houthi-launched weapons while transiting the Gulf of Aden, Dec. 9 – 10. The… pic.twitter.com/Jz4AtqBuEL — U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) December 10, 2024 US forces in the region have exchanged fire with the Houthis for months, as the group seeks to block certain commercial ships from travelling through the Red Sea. The group says those actions are a means of exerting pressure to end Israel’s war in Gaza, of which the US is a key supporter. Advertisement But the US has depicted the Houthi attacks as a threat to trade and freedom of navigation. “These actions reflect the ongoing commitment of CENTCOM forces to protect US personnel, regional partners, and international shipping against attacks by Iran-backed Houthis,” CENTCOM said. The three US-flagged commercial vessels were sailing towards Djibouti when the US said they came under attack by “uncrewed aerial systems” and one antiship cruise missile. Two US Navy ships, the USS Stockdale and the USS O’Kane, responded to the attack. Citing an unnamed official, The Associated Press (AP) news agency reported that a US Navy helicopter and French Air Force aircraft also helped repel the attack. Together, they shot down four of the drones and a missile, according to the AP. Despite months of US efforts to put an end to the attacks, including numerous strikes on Yemen, the Houthis have continued to target military and shipping vessels in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. At the start of this year, the US military reported that the Houthis had conducted 27 such attacks in less than two months, from November 19, 2023, to January 11. The Yemeni group also claimed responsibility for a drone attack in central Israel on Monday. Adblock test (Why?)
Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 1,020
Here are the key developments on the 1,020th day of the Russia-Ukraine war. Here is the situation on Tuesday, December 10: Military President Volodymyr Zelenskyy issued orders to increase funding for equipping Ukraine’s brigades with new drones. “We recently approved a decision about the amount of such direct funds. But now I see that the amount is insufficient,” Zelenskyy said in his nightly address. “I instructed the prime minister to increase financing for brigades in the coming days, to increase several times over.” About 800,000 Russian soldiers are currently deployed in Ukraine, the Interfax-Ukraine news agency reported, citing Zelenskyy. Diplomacy At a joint news conference with German opposition leader Friedrich Merz, President Zelenskyy made the case for a diplomatic settlement to the war and raised the idea of foreign troops being deployed in Ukraine until it could join the NATO military alliance. Merz, a frontrunner in the race to become Germany’s next chancellor, condemned his country’s policy on arming Ukraine as akin to making it fight with one arm tied behind its back. Ukraine aims to hold a meeting of its key European allies in December to coordinate a joint position and ensure Kyiv is in a strong position for any potential talks and on the battlefield, a presidential spokesman said. Ukraine will soon get another 4.2 billion euros ($4.4bn) in funds after the European Union’s member states approved the planned payment of the money, the EU Council announced. The EU needs common instruments to fund defence spending amid a protracted war in Ukraine and calls from the United States for NATO members to increase such expenditure, Portugal’s Finance Minister Joaquim Miranda Sarmento said. Five Ukrainian children sent away or placed in care since Russia’s February 2022 invasion returned to their homeland, Ukrainian officials said, as part of a long-running campaign to bring home more than 20,000 children deported by Russian authorities from occupied regions of Ukraine. Ukraine’s Defence Minister Rustem Umerov said he discussed planning for the next meeting of the Ramstein Group – an alliance of NATO, the EU and other countries that back Kyiv against Russia’s invasion – with US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. Austin reportedly reaffirmed the “readiness of the United States to provide Ukraine with everything it needs to effectively fight the enemy”. Europe needs to find ways within the next year to fund hundreds of billions of euros in extra military spending to defend against any attack from Russia, the EU’s new defence commissioner, Andrius Kubilius, told the Reuters news agency. Advertisement Adblock test (Why?)
Israel launches large-scale attack on Syria
NewsFeed The Israeli military launched a large-scale attack on Syria on Monday, striking what it called military and strategic sites after the overthrow of President Assad. Published On 10 Dec 202410 Dec 2024 Adblock test (Why?)
Barrage of Israeli attacks destroys ‘important military sites in Syria’
Some 250 Israeli air strikes have hit Syria in 48 hours, reports the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Israel has unleashed a barrage of aerial attacks across Syria, battering key military sites amid a security vacuum after opposition forces ousted President Bashar al-Assad. Near the port city of Latakia, Israel targeted an air defence facility and damaged Syrian naval ships as well as military warehouses. In and around the capital, Damascus, strikes targeted military installations, research centres and the electronic warfare administration. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), a war monitor, said Israel had “destroyed the most important military sites in Syria, including Syrian airports and their warehouses, aircraft squadrons, radars, military signal stations, and many weapons and ammunition depots in various locations in most Syrian governorates”. Israel, which borders Syria, sent troops into a buffer zone on the east of the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights after al-Assad’s fall, in what Foreign Minister Gideon Saar described as a “limited and temporary step” for “security reasons”. It has also carried out “about 250 air strikes on Syrian territory” over the last 48 hours with the aim of destroying the former regime’s military capabilities, according to SOHR. Advertisement Israel media, quoting a senior security source, described the attacks as the largest air operation carried out by its Air Force in its history. “Israel’s attacks on Syria are systematic,” said Al Jazeera’s Resul Serdar, reporting from Damascus. “They are aiming to destroy Syria’s defence bases”. Serdar said Israel’s latest raids targeted three major airports – in Homs, Qamishli and Damascus – as well as weapons depots and other strategic military sites. “Israel claims it is doing this because it is concerned that these strategic facilities and military equipment could fall into the hands of the opposition,” said Serdar. There was no immediate reaction from Syria’s incoming Salvation Government, which al-Assad’s Prime Minister Mohammad Ghazi al-Jalali agreed on Monday to hand power to. The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a US Muslim group, blasted the US government for its continued support to Israel despite its escalating attacks in the region, saying the “Syrian people deserve to rebuild their country free from foreign occupation and violence”. Pushing ‘beyond’ the Golan The flurry of air strikes came after Israeli troops also seized more territory in a buffer zone near the occupied Syrian Golan heights. The incursion trampled on a 50-year ceasefire agreement with Syria, which established the buffer zone, according to United Nations peacekeepers. Al Jazeera’s senior political analyst Marwan Bishara said “Israel has taken the opportunity of Damascus being preoccupied with a change of regime to expand their presence in the Golan Heights and perhaps beyond”. Advertisement Israel “called it temporary, but we know the implications when Israel says temporary,” Bishara said. “In the occupied West Bank, for example, it’s been almost six decades”. While Syria had been at war for more than 13 years, the al-Assad government’s collapse came in a matter of days in a lightning offensive led by the opposition group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). Syria’s parliament, formerly pro-al-Assad like the PM, said it supports “the will of the people to build a new Syria towards a better future governed by law and justice”. The Baath party said it will support “a transitional phase in Syria aimed at defending the unity of the country”. Adblock test (Why?)