Two dolphins were rescued in Lee County, Florida, on Wednesday after becoming stranded in the shallow waters of a lagoon possibly more than a month ago.
The county sheriff’s office said witnesses reported seeing the pair stranded deep in the mangroves near Matlacha late Monday night, prompting a rescue response Tuesday morning.
LCSO’s Marine Unit and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) biologists used shallow water boats to locate the dolphins, pushing through mangrove canals and mud flats.
FOUR DOLPHINS FOUND DEAD ON MISSISSIPPI’S PETIT BOIS ISLAND IN ‘VERY UNUSUAL EVENT’
Two dolphins stranded in shallow waters of a Florida lagoon were rescued after multiple agencies in Lee County teamed up to pull the mammals to safety.(Lee County Sheriff’s Office)
The lagoon was only about two or three feet deep at high tide, the sheriff’s office said, and the trails leading to open water were only about two feet deep, which prevented the dolphins from escaping.
“Biologists believe the dolphins could have been stranded since – at least – a very high-tide in mid November, or even as far back when water levels rose during Hurricane Milton in October,” the sheriff’s office said.
WATCH: DOLPHINS RESCUED FROM SHALLOW MASSACHUSETTS RIVER ARE RETURNED TO OCEAN
The dolphins were rescued after being placed onto a floating mat and pulled out of heavy mud in the lagoon.(Lee County Sheriff’s Office)
The two agencies were unable to rescue the dolphins on Tuesday because of “technical and environmental challenges of trapping, lifting and moving” the two adult dolphins through “heavy mud,” so more groups joined the efforts on Wednesday.
The FWC, LCSO, the Dolphin Research Program, the Brookfield Zoo Chicago-Sarasota, Clearwater Aquarium and Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium all met at the lagoon with more equipment to rescue the dolphins.
After placing the dolphins on floating mats, pulling them through more than 300 yards of mud and muck, and towing them to deeper waters, they were rescued.
The dolphins were pulled to safety and released into deeper waters after being evaluated by FWC biologists.(Lee County Sheriff’s Office)
FWC biologists evaluated them, applied satellite tags and safely released them into deeper waters in Matlacha Pass.
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“The Lee County Sheriff’s Office is always willing to help out our great residents….. on land and sea,” the agency wrote on Facebook.
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Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie became stars thanks to their 2003 reality show “The Simple Life,” but their famous families weren’t initially on board.
Hilton, daughter of Kathy and Richard Hilton, members of the Hilton Hotels family, and Richie, daughter of legendary musician Lionel Richie, had been friends for years, living a life of luxury and growing media attention as socialite starlets when they signed on for the show.
“I was completely wrong. I never wanted her to do any of that, modeling, I wanted her just to go to school. She was going to become a veterinarian, and she went ahead and did that show, and I was wrong,” Kathy told Fox News Digital during “DIRECTV’s Christmas at Kathy’s” holiday party, benefiting families at Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southern California.
She added, “It was the funniest. There will never be another [like it]. You can’t even try.
A LOOK AT THE LAVISH LIFE OF PARIS HILTON
Paris Hilton’s mom, Kathy Hilton, and Nicole Richie’s dad, Lionel Richie, both admitted they were hesitant to let their daughters star on “The Simple Life.”(Getty Images)
Lionel also was uncertain about the girls going to the middle of nowhere, telling Entertainment Tonight earlier this year, “When they first started doing things like driving down the freeway backwards and I kept saying, ‘What are you guys doing?’ [they’d say] ‘It’s reality television, Dad!'”
“Our parents did not want us to do it and told us not to,” Hilton told Glamour in their December cover story.
“The Simple Life” sent the duo to rural Arkansas, with no cellphones, money or designer gear to live and work with a family on their farm and revel in the fish-out-of-water contrasts as they struggled to adjust and as the people of the town marveled at their seeming cluelessness.
“She went ahead and did that show, and I was wrong… It was the funniest.”
— Kathy Hilton
The show became a hit, spawning four more seasons and setting the tone for reality series to come, like “Keeping Up with the Kardashians.”
“And I don’t know if the world knows this, they started this mess, and I was the first guinea pig daddy to go along with this,” Lionel told ET of the show’s success.
Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie’s hit reality show “The Simple Life” premiered in 2003. (20th Century Fox Film Corp/Everett Collection)
LIONEL RICHIE JOKES THAT DAUGHTER NICOLE’S WILD YEARS ‘ALMOST KILLED ME’
“It was the first of its kind. They hear that we’re going to be sent somewhere and we don’t know where we’re going,” Hilton told Glamour. “But after the first episode aired, my mom called me and she’s like, ‘This is the most hilarious show I’ve ever seen in my life. You and Nicole are incredible.’ She’s like, ‘I was wrong for once.’”
Kathy explained the appeal to Us Weekly, saying the show “was without swearing, without fighting [and] it was really cute and fun and just silly and a lot like I am.”
While already famous by association thanks to their families, “The Simple Life” launched the girls to true stardom.
“I mean, we enjoyed doing it, so of course we hoped that people would like it, but the reason why we said yes was solely for the purpose of having fun,” Richie told Glamour. “We thought it would be such an adventure. We didn’t know what town we were going to. All we knew was that we were going to be gone for 30 days. It’s very different from signing up for something today because you’re doing it to build your brand. That model did not exist back then. So we were solely doing it because we have always chased joy and wanted to have fun.”
Nicole Richie told Glamour she and Paris Hilton thought signing on for the show “would be such an adventure.”(Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
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But, unfortunately, with the fame and fun came increased scrutiny from fans, haters and the media.
“The media in the ’00s was so toxic. They would target a certain group of girls, Nicole and I being two of those, and it was very difficult to be a young girl and discover who you are with the whole world watching,” Hilton said in Glamour. “But then also exaggerating and creating these storylines just to sell tabloids. It’s amazing now how much times have changed. I think it’s just a lot more respectful and it feels a lot safer now. The ’00s were vicious to all the girls.”
“We were solely doing it because we have always chased joy and wanted to have fun.”
— Nicole Richie
Richie added, “I think it took a heavier toll on me than I could have admitted even to myself at the moment. But looking back, I can see how big of an effect it played on my daily life and my daily choices. But it’s also been such a strong motivation for me to own my own voice and my own narrative. And it makes me really proud of women that we’ve come such a long way to say, ‘That’s actually not okay.’”
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Richie also said of the time, “I’m not angry about anything. I think there are and were much more mature 20-year-olds than I was, but boundaries were not necessarily something that I was encouraged to have.”
PAris Hilton called the media attention she and Nicole Richie received at the time “toxic.”(Ray Mickshaw/WireImage)
KHLOE KARDASHIAN RECALLS BEING NICOLE RICHIE’S ASSISTANT AFTER ‘SIMPLE LIFE’ SUCCESS: ‘I JUST NEEDED A JOB’
Hilton and Richie are now reuniting 20 years after the series’ premiere for “Paris & Nicole: The Encore” on Peacock.
In the first episode of the three-part series, they return to Altus, Arkansas, and reconnect with some of the people they met in town, including the patrons at the bar where Richie dumped bleach on a pool table after a misunderstanding. (She does offer to pay for the damages in the episode.)
“The ’00s were vicious to all the girls.”
— Paris Hilton
The family they initially stayed with, the Ledings, declined to be on camera for their part of the reunion, but during the episode, Hilton described reconnecting with them as “really special.”
“It was really nice, being able to thank them and honestly, 20 years ago, we really did come and plow through that city like bats out of hell,” Richie said.
In the first episode of their reunion special, Nicole Richie and Paris Hilton revisit the small town of Altus, Arkansas.(Sara Jaye/Getty Images for SONIC)
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However, reuniting with all their past adventures isn’t the ultimate goal of the special. Hilton and Richie are instead determined to complete an opera, based on a song they made up as children, consisting of one nonsense word, “Sanasa.”
“We were never going to sit down on a couch to recap what we did before and be like, ‘That was so fun,’” Richie told THR. “That’s not something I want to do. But mixing us with the musical elites for that same fish-out-of-water experience? That’s interesting.”
The rest of the series follows the longtime pals as they work with composers, singers (including Sia) and more to put on an opera in just three weeks.
“When we were shooting ‘The Simple Life,’ it was just our little inside joke, but it became an international sensation. People loved it. What people need, even though they don’t know it yet, is for ‘Sanasa’ to be an opera,” Richie told W magazine.
Instead of a traditional reunion special, Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie are putting on an opera to celebrate the 20th anniversary of “The Simple Life.”(Harmony Gerber/Getty Images)
PARIS HILTON’S ‘WILD’ NIGHTS WITH BRITNEY SPEARS AND LINDSAY LOHAN: ‘THE HOLY TRINITY’
Hilton added, “The idea of the opera was very unexpected, and that’s exactly why we loved it.”
And now, their families are on board with the reality concept.
“I think it’s going to be exciting,” Kathy said in Us Weekly. “The two of them are a dynamic duo.”
Kathy Hilton called the girls “a dynamic duo.”(Jamie McCarthy/WireImage)
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Lionel joked, “They haven’t changed. Let me tell you something, those two scare me just standing next to each other,” adding, “And now these two are back together, oh, my God — world, hang on to your seat. Thank God I’m older and my medication will get me through this next phase of our lives.”
“Paris & Nicole: The Encore” is streaming now on Peacock.
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In modern dating, the “ick” is a term that’s primarily experienced by women and feared by men.
The term has gone viral on social media in recent years, describing a feeling of disgust toward the actions, appearances and other characteristics of someone’s partner.
Some examples of popular icks include people chewing with their mouths open, wearing flip-flops or tripping over their own feet while walking.
WOMEN REVEAL THEIR ‘ICKS’ FOR MEN AND WHAT IS KILLING THEIR ‘LADY B—RS’ IN VIRAL TREND
The list has narrowed to a more specific set of icks blasted on the internet, including aversions to how men chase after a ping-pong ball, or even use a debit card instead of a credit card on a date.
One woman on TikTok posted a video of her significant other walking around the apartment wearing tiny no-show socks. (TikTok/Screenshot/Amanda)
Primal instinct
National Geographic claims that the “ick” feeling is related to a biological, primal instinct.
In several primate species, including humans, adult females are “more sensitive to grossness than males,” according to a scientific dive by NatGeo.
STUDY LINKS MENTAL HEALTH RISKS TO THIS TOXIN FOR THOSE BORN IN ‘60S OR ’70S
“For instance, female gray mouse lemurs and Japanese macaques are more likely than males to turn up their noses at contaminated food, while female western lowland gorillas and olive baboons tend to avoid fellow animals with skin infections,” the report stated.
This cautiousness then leads to a lower incidence of infectious disease in females, according to scientists.
Female Japanese macaques are “more likely than males to turn up their noses at contaminated food,” experts say.(iStock)
Cecile Sarabian, a cognitive ecologist at the Institute for Advanced Study in Toulouse, France, told NatGeo that there’s a “protective power to the ‘yuck.’”
She suggested that females’ pickiness about what they eat and who they expose themselves to “may be one of the reasons female primates live longer than males.”
“Scientists don’t know why lots of female animals — including humans — are more easily grossed out than males.”
Elizabeth Anne Brown, a National Geographic contributing writer based in Denmark, commented on these findings.
“Scientists don’t know why lots of female animals — including humans — are more easily grossed out than males,” she told Fox News Digital.
GIVING THANKS CAN MAKE YOU HAPPIER AND HEALTHIER, EXPERTS SAY
“But ‘yuck’ acts like an advanced guard for our immune system, limiting our exposure to things that could make us sick, like parasites and bacteria.”
Disgust “plays an important role” in mate selection for primates, Brown said, as females of some species “will absolutely shut down prospective suitors [that have] symptoms of STDs.”
“Female gorillas take ‘the ick’ so seriously they basically skip town and start a new life,” a NatGeo contributing writer said.(iStock)
“If the resident male in a troop of western lowland gorillas develops pale blotches on his face — a symptom of infection with treponema, the same contagious bacteria that causes syphilis in humans — some females will fully abandon the troop and search for an uninfected male,” she said.
“These female gorillas take ‘the ick’ so seriously that they basically skip town and start a new life.”
WHY ARE MEN OBSESSED WITH THE ROMAN EMPIRE? HISTORY EXPERT SAYS IT’S A ‘VERY AMERICAN THING’
In analyzing Japanese macaques, Sarabian noted how the females would wipe off any leaf litter from their acorns before eating them, while the males were “more likely to gobble the food down having barely looked at it.”
“Unfortunately, the only dating advice we can take from our primate cousins is to be cautious about STDs — always a good policy.”
Those who “get the ick” easily should try shifting their perception of the situation, one expert suggested.(iStock)
The psychology of feeling icky
Dr. Kyra Bobinet, a California behavioral neuroscientist and author of “Unstoppable Brain,” broke down what happens in the brain when someone feels disgusted.
“Anything we are averse to, that we want to avoid, or that we shrink back from — including the ick — is controlled by this area of the brain [called the habenula],” she told Fox News Digital.
The habenula is a central part of the brain that’s involved in various important functions, including motivation and decision-making, according to the expert.
The habenula is a central part of the brain that’s involved in various important functions, including motivation and decision-making.(iStock)
This area, when activated, “kills our motivation to try,” said Bobinet.
“This area of your brain is scouting for anything that’s not going to work out for you,” she said. “It has a negativity bias.”
The expert encourages those who “get the ick” to try shifting their perception of the situation.
THE TAYLOR SWIFT OBSESSION: PSYCHOLOGISTS WEIGHS IN ON WHY FANS WORSHIP CELEBRITIES
Bobinet also agreed that women are biologically more prone to having self-awareness of “icky” feelings, as they are “made to make babies.”
“We have to be very sensitive to our environment because we have to protect the baby from fumes, from danger, from all these things,” she detailed.
Women are biologically more prone to having self-awareness of “icky” feelings, as they are “made to make babies,” an expert noted.(iStock)
The role of social media
The ick gets “taken to an extreme” on social media, according to Bobinet — “and you can get really narrowed down and too picky.”
This can interfere with dating, the expert suggested, as criteria for a partner become “unrealistic.”
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M. David Rudd, PhD, distinguished professor of psychology at The University of Memphis, said there are “undoubtedly evolutionary reasons” for disgust “across genders.”
“But it’s important to always factor into today’s phenomenon the issue of social learning and related reinforcement driven by the broad and unparalleled reach of social media,” he told Fox News Digital.
Modern dating poses struggles for both genders, experts said.(iStock)
Rudd noted that social media creators are also motivated by attention and financial gain, which can move along trends more than “any meaningful evolutionary purpose.”
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“Those most vulnerable to mimicking social media behavior are often those most in need of the central motivators to begin with — attention being the central one, quickly followed by money,” he said.
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“Extrapolating and interpreting evolutionary benefits in this context is likely to lead to considerably high error rates.”
When it comes to seating on a flight, some travelers make sure to book more desirable seats, while others might just wing it.
The term “seat squatters” has been circulating on social media, with flyers calling out those who rob seats that were assigned to others.
Gary Leff, a Virginia-based travel industry expert and author of the blog “View From the Wing,” told Fox News Digital via email that the person holding the seat assignment on their boarding pass is entitled to that seat.
DELTA PASSENGER SHARES RARE MOVE MADE BY GATE AGENT WHO ALTERED SEAT ASSIGNMENTS ON FLIGHT
“[Flyers] may not be able to get what they want from the airline when reserving seats, or the airline may want a fee for the seats they want and the passenger doesn’t want to pay — so they’ll try their luck on board,” said Leff.
One traveler shared their experience on Reddit in the “r/delta” forum with the caption, “My First Class Seat Squatter.”
Flight passengers’ encounters with “seat squatters” are circulating on social media, with some flyers taking over more desirable seats not assigned to them.(iStock)
“Well after the boarding door closed, an agent approached me and let me know someone didn’t show, so they had a first class seat (3A) available for me. Score,” posted the user.
The user went on to say, “I noticed a woman in the seat. I figured the computer was wrong and the person originally booked for the seat had made the flight. I approached the attendant just to double check, and she confirmed that 3A was now assigned to me.”
“This lady had just seen an open seat in first class and figured she’d see if she could get away with sitting there,” the user claimed.
FLIGHT PASSENGER SPARKS DEBATE ABOUT ‘MANSPREADING’ ON PLANES AFTER FELLOW FLYER RESTS FOOT IN HER SPACE
The Redditor went on to share that the woman ordered a beer while occupying the seat, which was later delivered to her [the rightful seat owner] and she “gladly drank.”
On the “r/unitedairlines” forum, another flyer shared a post of a run-in with a “squatter.”
“Ah the thought of being confronted for doing that gives me anxiety lol,” commented one Redditor about taking a different seat.(iStock)
“So midway through my flight, a swarm of FAs [flight attendants] approached the woman in the seat across from me. She had apparently snuck into the seat a few hours in, and main FA had only just realized it,” said the Redditor.
Users took to the comments section, replying, “I would be so ashamed to be caught for something like this in the confined space of a plane on a long trip,” said one.
“Ah the thought of being confronted for doing that gives me anxiety lol,” added another.
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A post titled “Main Extra Squatter” in the “r/americanairlines” subredditshared a passenger’s story witnessing a squatter get away with staying in the seat.
“I booked a Main Extra seat near departure because I saw an empty row and thought I’d take advantage of a whole row to myself. Upon boarding and just before the door was closed a person came along and sat in the seat I had presumed was empty,” said the caption.
One Reddit user said a woman who took her seat ordered a beer.(iStock)
The Redditor went on to share that they assumed the seat was booked at the last minute and did not suspect anything until a flight attendant approached the fellow flyer.
The fellow flyer could not locate their ticket to show where their assigned seat was.
“When the FA returns she asks my neighbor her name again and calls them out for being 10 rows forward of where they’re supposed to be,” said the post.
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The user continued, writing, “FA pauses a moment before telling them ‘ah you can just stay there’ and just walks away. After all the lies and posturing my neighbor gave, the FA didn’t relocate them to their seat.”
Travel industry expert Gary Leff suggests that instead of stealing seats, flyers can try their luck on board by simply asking others to swap seats.(iStock)
Leff suggests that instead of stealing seats, flyers can try their luck on board by simply asking others to swap seats.
“Have a compelling reason that will resonate with the person you’re asking, and have something decent to offer in return so it isn’t as much of a hardship for the person to give you what you want,” he said.
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Leff added, “You need decent trade bait! Don’t offer a middle seat in the back in exchange for an extra legroom aisle.”
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ALTOONA, Pa. — While UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson’s alleged killer’s motive has not been released by officials, the public has been speculating that the suspect had strong grievances with both the health care industry and capitalism in general.
Authorities arrested Luigi Mangione, 26, in a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, on Monday, at which point he allegedly presented local police with a fake ID and appeared to start shaking when they asked if he had been in New York recently.
Authorities also found a handwritten manifesto condemning the health care industry, as NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny previously told Fox News. The manifesto specifically mentioned UnitedHealthcare.
Curtis Sliwa, founder of New York City’s Guardian Angels, told Fox News Digital that “in every era, there are people who go out, take the law into their own hands, and they become heroes.”
OBAMACARE PROVISION AMONG IVY LEAGUE MURDER SUSPECT’S POSSIBLE TRIGGERS: RET. FBI AGENT
UnitedHealthcare CEO murder suspect Luigi Mangione shouts as officers restrain him as he arrives for his extradition hearing in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania, on Tuesday.(David Dee Delgado for Fox News Digital)
“In this case, I think what is most stunning to me is the number of women who have embraced Luigi not because he is a good-looking guy with abs, but rather because of what they believe is this tremendous overreach, especially if this particular health care company in which you have so many denials of procedures that had been guaranteed,” Sliwa said.
UNITED HEALTHCARE CEO MURDER SUSPECT HAS OUTBURST OUTSIDE PENNSYLVANIA COURTHOUSE
He added his belief that the anger regarding the health care industry that has surfaced from Thompson’s murder is misplaced.
“These health care insurance industry people have severe problems with how they operate. But you don’t settle things by shooting people in the back.”
— Curtis Sliwa
The Altoona Police Department in a Tuesday press conference said it is actively investigating threats toward civilians and McDonald’s employees after reports surfaced that a worker at the fast-food chain called 911 to report a sighting of Mangione, who was arrested shortly after the call. The police department has also been receiving threats.
UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was shot and killed in midtown Manhattan on Dec. 4.(Businesswire | NYPD Crimestoppers)
“This is not the way we handle things,” Sliwa said. “You don’t start threatening the person who was responsible for ID’ing him. That’s sort of like the code of gangs when they say ‘snitches get stitches and end up in ditches.’”
Nicholas Creel, associate professor of Business Law and Ethics at Georgia College & State University, told Fox News Digital that “America is currently in a period of rising populist sentiment, one where anger at elites, particularly wealthy corporate executives, is increasingly common.”
“[I]t is anything but surprising to see so many people identifying more with the criminal than the victim in this case.”
— Nicholas Creel
“This explains why so many people across social media began expressing support for Luigi Mangione’s actions as soon as they learned who his victim was,” Creel said. “A health insurance CEO is perhaps the pinnacle of a wealthy elite that many now see as being responsible for their financial troubles, so it is anything but surprising to see so many people identifying more with the criminal than the victim in this case.”
Luigi Mangione is pictured in a Pennsylvania mugshot after his arrest in connection with the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.(Obtained by Fox News Digital)
Creel added that rhetoric from those supporting Mangione can “absolutely have a clear and negative effect on the safety of wealthy corporate executives, as it gives people a specific target for their anger.”
“This is why so many other health insurance companies immediately took down identifying information for their executive teams, to try to make it at least a little more difficult for them to be doxxed by the populist mobs that see this murder as a rallying point to strike out against corporate elites,” Creel said.
WHO IS LUIGI MANGIONE, SUSPECT IN UNITEDHEALTHCARE CEO MURDER?
The suspected gunman in UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson’s murder, believed to be Luigi Mangione, is seen flirting with a hostel employee on surveillance footage before the Dec. 4 shooting.(NYPD)
Dr. Rachel D. Miller, LMFT, founder of Hold the Vision Therapy in Chicago, told Fox News Digital that she is seeing the impacts of capitalism inequality in her practice and with her clients every day.
“Almost everyone is one major medical catastrophe from being homeless, and the system continues to pressure them from multiple angles.”
— Dr. Rachel D. Miller
“What I have been seeing in my clinical work is increased anxiety around employment stability, increased challenges in the ability to make ends meet and an underlying fear of any catastrophic event, such as loss of vehicle, loss of health care,” Miller said.
Luigi Mangione is currently being held at the SCI Huntingdon State Correctional facility in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, after being arrested on Monday for the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York City.(David Dee Delgado for Fox News Digital)
Bill Knack, founder and president of First Responder Protective Services, which delivers executive protection for high-profile leaders and dignitaries across the country, similarly told Fox News Digital that this rhetoric “leads to a slow burn of anger that turns into action.”
“It pushes people who already resent wealth into following messages that single out certain leaders,” he said. “We have managed cases where executives faced direct, specific threats after their names spread through similar online writings.”
COULD IVY LEAGUE MURDER SUSPECT LUIGI MANGIONE FACE FEDERAL CHARGES?
Luigi Mangione is pictured in a Facebook photo.(Luigi Mangione/Facebook)
Mangione, a private-high-school and Ivy League-educated young professional from the Baltimore area, is charged with multiple counts in both Pennsylvania and New York, where he is facing a murder charge.
Since his arrest, internet sleuths have been digging through Mangione’s vast and documented social media presence, with many users praising the murder suspect for allegedly killing Thompson, who was a married father of two originally from a small town in Iowa.
UNITEDHEALTHCARE CEO MURDER SUSPECT LUIGI MANGIONE COMPLAINED ABOUT BACK SURGERY BEFORE SLAYING
Bullets lie on the sidewalk at the scene outside the Hilton Hotel in midtown Manhattan where Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, was fatally shot on Dec. 4.(Stefan Jeremiah/AP)
Even a professor at Mangione’s alma mater, the University of Pennsylvania, took to TikTok and Instagram to voice praise for the suspect that she has since retracted.
UPenn School of Arts and Sciences Deputy Dean Jeffrey Kallberg issued a statement on Wednesday regarding the post from UPenn Assistant English Professor Julia Alekseyeva.
“Much concern was raised by recent social media posts attributed to Assistant Professor Julia Alekseyeva,” Kallberg said. “Her comments regarding the shooting of Brian Thompson in New York City were antithetical to the values of both the School of Arts and Sciences and the University of Pennsylvania, and they were not condoned by the School or the University. Upon reflection, Assistant Professor Alekseyeva has concurred that the comments were insensitive and inappropriate and has retracted them.”
Luigi Mangione is charged in connection with the Dec. 4 murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson (inset) in New York.
Former Washington Post and New York Times reporter Taylor Lorenz told Piers Morgan that she and “so many other Americans” felt “joy” upon hearing the news of Thompson’s death.
“I felt, along with so many other Americans, joy, unfortunately.”
— Taylor Lorenz
“I do believe in the sanctity of life and I think that’s why I felt, along with so many other Americans, joy, unfortunately,” Lorenz told Morgan on Monday, adding later, “Maybe not joy, but certainly not empathy.”
On Goodreads, a platform where users review and keep track of books they’ve read, a profile matching Mangione wrote a review for a book by the Unabomber, Ted Kaczynski.
“It’s easy to quickly and thoughtless write this off as the manifesto of a lunatic, in order to avoid facing some of the uncomfortable problems it identifies,” he wrote. “But it’s simply impossible to ignore how prescient many of his predictions about modern society turned out.”
UNITEDHEALTHCARE CEO SLAYING SUSPECT LUIGI MANGIONE’S FIRST MEAL BEHIND BARS REVEALED
Writing about Kaczynski’s “Industrial Society and Its Future,” he quoted another online “take that [he] found interesting.”
“When all other forms of communication fail, violence is necessary to survive,” he wrote. “You may not like his methods, but to see things from his perspective, it’s not terrorism, it’s war and revolution.”
UnitedHealthcare CEO murder suspect Luigi Mangione faces charges in both New York and Pennsylvania.(David Dee Delgado for Fox News Digital)
Mangione recently lived in a Honolulu-based coliving space called Surfbreak Coliving, which is described on its website as a “co-working space for remote workers and digital nomads.”
“The entire time that he [Mangione] lived at Surfbreak, he was a great community member,” his former roommate, R.J. Martin, told Fox News’ Jesse Waters on Tuesday. “He kind of followed by our values and our ethics to leave things better than you found them. He was always contributing, taking care of other people. And even after he moved out, he came and hung out and contributed to the community, spearheaded a book club.”
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In New York, Mangione faces one count of murder, two counts of second-degree criminal weapons possession, one count of second-degree possession of a forged document and one count of third-degree criminal weapons possession.
In Pennsylvania, he faces one count of forgery, one count of carrying a firearm without a license, one count of tampering with records or identification, one count of possession of instruments of a crime and one count of presenting false ID to law enforcement, according to court documents.
Fox News’ Mollie Markowitz contributed to this report.
President-elect Donald Trump described Richard “Ric” Grenell, his former acting director of National Intelligence, as a “fabulous person” and “A STAR” in response to a news report about him potentially serving as a special envoy for Iran.
Reuters reported that Trump is considering appointing Grenell to the position, citing “two people familiar with the transition plans.”
“He’s definitely in the running,” a person familiar with deliberations told the outlet under conditions of anonymity. Grenell, however, said the report is “made up.”
Trump shared the Reuters report on Truth Social Wednesday night. While he did not confirm or deny the information in the article, he wrote, “Richard Grenell is a fabulous person, A STAR. He will be someplace, high up!”
TRUMP ANNOUNCES MORE NOMINATIONS, INCLUDING KARI LAKE AS DIRECTOR OF VOICE OF AMERICA BROADCAST
President-elect Donald Trump said his former acting intelligence director Ric Grenell will serve in a “high up” position during his second term after a Reuters report said Grenell is being considered for special envoy for Iran.(Justin Merriman/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Grenell shared a link to the Reuters article on his X account on Wednesday evening and denied the information presented.
“Wrong. Again,” he wrote. “I hope there’s an actual editor somewhere at @Reuters who is doing journalism. This is made up.”
Ric Grenell called the Reuters report on him being considered for special envoy for Iran “made up” shortly after the exclusive piece was published Wednesday evening.(Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Grenell was previously rumored to be a candidate for various spots in Trump’s second term, including Secretary of State before Sen. Marco Rubio was appointed and special envoy for the Russia-Ukraine conflict before retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg was selected.
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Whoever is chosen for the Iran position would be responsible for “developing, coordinating, and implementing the State Department’s Iran policy,” per the job description.
The person would report directly to Rubio – assuming the Senate approves his nomination.
Ric Grenell, former acting director of National Intelligence, campaigning for Trump in Grand Rapids, Michigan, during the 2024 election cycle.(Sarah Rice/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
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Grenell has been a loyal ally to Trump since his first presidential term and often appeared on the 2024 campaign trail to show his support for the now president-elect.
Fox News Digital has reached out to Reuters for comment.
South Fulton Arts (SFA), formerly South Fulton Institute, is an arts organization that is dedicated to creating artistic, vibrant, sustainable, and connected communities in South Fulton County and beyond. Founded nearly twenty years ago in 2005, the organization relies on collaborations with schools, institutions, organizations, and artists to provide high-quality free cultural programming to underserved communities.
The eight cities comprising the southernmost portion of Fulton County – namely South Atlanta, Chattahoochee Hills, College Park, City of South Fulton, East Point, Fairburn, Hapeville – have been historically excluded and underfunded particularly when it comes to the arts.
SFA set out to change that dynamic by enlisting artists to share their visions and bring those ideas to life in a community-centric model. They work with artists to present visual arts, music, theater, spoken word, and workshops to the public.
In 2023, SFA facilitated 220 engagements, worked with 90 partnering artists and organizations, brought art programming to 3,669 students across six schools, and broadcast their work via 5,000 print copies of their biannual Arts United print publication as well as 254 listeners who tuned into their monthly SPARK podcast.
As they look ahead to a robust array of offerings in 2025, the SFA team is celebrating expanded audiences, the ‘Create: A Partner Program,’ and their newest addition of culinary arts programming.
“South Fulton Arts’ 2025 season truly reflects the heart and soul of the communities we serve,” said SFA Executive Director Jennifer Bauer-Lyons.
“Our 2025 programming is all about creating spaces where people from all walks of life can come to gather, connect, and share their stories while experiencing the transformative power of the arts. From theater and spoken word, to culinary arts and concerts, we’re offering a season which celebrates the richness of our collective human experience.”
Their 2025 programming includes screenings of films at the Plaza Theatre, readings, short play festivals, spoken word, concerts, workshops, graphic design courses, and artist residencies. All programs by SFA are free, and entry donations are encouraged to support their mission.
SFA 2025 Artistic Partners:
Chloe Alexander | Joining Southern Art Exhibit
Fatou Bessem | Series of Paintings about the Black Fem Experience
Angelica Hairston | Exhale
Jaha Knight | 5 Workshops for Teens Facing Anxiety
Michael McLendon | Honoring the Elders of SFC (documentary)
Brookhaven is revising its street light policy to make fees more equitable across the city. A flat fee will be established in 2025, anticipated to cost $35 per parcel.
The current policy “disproportionately places the financial responsibility for equipment and ongoing operation of each street light district on a small number of local residents,” according to a memo.
Deputy City Manager Steve Chapman proposed that the city combine more than 100 street light districts into one zone, billing residents equally. The city council approved the ordinance in November.
“As part of the budget, we contemplated and proposed creating a uniform street light district across the city, as opposed to the 100-plus individual street light districts that we currently have, with a range of costs between them,” said Chapman.
All residents and visitors benefit from the city’s street lights, said Brookhaven Communications Director Burke Brennan.
Streetlight districts were inherited from DeKalb County when Brookhaven became a city in 2012. The districts define an area by which the municipality charges residents for public lighting.
Street lights on private streets are handled by Georgia Power, not the city. Residents can initiate a request for streetlights installation by contacting the Brookhaven Public Works Department.
Because of the outdated structure of billing by district, 40% of Brookhaven residents were never charged for street lights. The city estimates that after the change, 85% of people will see a decrease in the fee.
In 2023, streetlight service and maintenance fees were billed through the DeKalb County Tax Commissioner’s office, and ranged between $0.40 and $3.96 per streetlight district, per foot, per year. In 2024, Brookhaven City Council approved an increase in the range of fees for the streetlight districts to $0.60 to $5.94 per foot, per year.
Georgia Power is upgrading 2,000 area lights, 130 pendant lights, 505 post top lights, and 35 flood lights throughout Brookhaven with LED lights, which last 10-15 years. LED lights are more reliable, create less waste, consume low energy and improve roadway visibility, according to the city.
A rendering shows the finished Tucker Town Green project, which is under construction. A pilot program to install WiFi in the area has been initiated. (Courtesy City of Tucker)
The Tucker City Council heard a presentation regarding progress on the Tucker Summit Commercial Improvement District’s street lighting program.
Tucker-Summit CID’s Larry Kaiser said the organization has received agreements regarding the lighting program from 54% of the businesses in the affected area.
“We want to see light everywhere,” Kaiser said at the Dec 9 meeting. “We know that bad actors like the dark for criminal activities.”
The finished project would involve illuminating more than 360 streets involving the installation of more than 270 light poles, as well as upgraded lighting at existing poles.
“Well-lit industrial streets discourage criminal activity, while enhancing overall public safety, which results in a CID industrial district safer for everyone,” a report submitted by the group said.
The council was to receive updated information from the CID this week, and will continue conversations about next steps.
The council also heard about a pilot program to implement Wi-Fi and security enhancements in preparation of the opening of the city’s newest park, the Tucker Town Green.
Micah Siebel, assistant to the city manager, said six new light heads have been installed in selected areas from Lavista Road and Lynburn Drive southward, adjacent to the city annex property.
“This targeted section of the trail will provide users with access to the Wi-Fi amenity,” Siebel said. “The objective of this project is to assess the feasibility of public Wi-Fi and security camera installations in high-traffic pedestrian areas within the city. If the pilot proves successful, it could serve as a model for broader service expansion.”
In other action, the council:
Heard that construction contracts have been awarded for the Johns Homestead and the Lake Erin Dam rehabilitation projects that will start this winter. Staff will share details at an upcoming public meeting on Jan. 16 at city hall starting at 6 p.m.;
Was led in the Pledge of Allegiance by Tucker Municipal Court staff members;
Held a public hearing on an ordinance to require permits for film production within city limits;
Recognized DeKalb County Commissioners Steve Bradshaw and Rob Patrick for their financial contributions towards building restrooms at Peters Park;
Approved the reappointment of Chief Judge Steve Nicholas to the city’s municipal court for 2025.
The State Road and Tollway Authority (SRTA) has hit the pause button on a refresh of the Peach Pass website and mobile app.
According to a press release, the data migration that was going to limit access to customer accounts ahead of the Dec. 17 launch of the new mypeachpass.com and Peach Pass GO! Mobile app is being rescheduled.
“SRTA strives to deliver the best products and services for our customers and in this complex technology transition, we are giving more time to our customers to prepare,” the news release said.
Peach Pass customers were previously advised that access to their accounts would not be available between Dec. 12-16 ahead of the launch.
“We appreciate that so many customers have already taken the opportunity to review and update their account information in anticipation of the data migration,” the release continued. “We encourage customers who have not yet done so to use this additional time to make updates to their accounts.”
Peach Pass customers can continue to access the current mypeachpass.com website, Peach Pass GO! 2.0 mobile app and Peach Pass Plus Parking at Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport’s West Deck. Customer service center representatives remain available to provide assistance.
Once the new system is launched Peach Pass customers can expect an upgraded experience making it easier to manage accounts, access pertinent information, and find quicker answers to frequently asked questions.
Customers are encouraged to log into their account and make sure their contact information is up to date. For more information about what’s coming, and to learn more about the new Peach Pass Verify Mobile App available now, visit www.PeachPass.com.
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