United Healthcare CEO Killed in Targeted Attack, Wicked Lawsuit, Georgia Protests, Hannah Kobayashi
PDS Published 12/4/2024
-
The CEO of UnitedHealthcare was shot and killed in a premeditated attack in midtown Manhattan.
It happened early Wednesday morning, the CEO, Brian Thompson was walking outside the Hilton Hotel on Sixth avenue as he was arriving at an investor conference.
The suspect shot him in the back and in the leg, coming up from him behind, and this morning we had Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch saying at a press conference that:
“The CEO of UnitedHealthcare was shot and killed in what appears, at this early stage of our investigation, to be a brazen, targeted attack. This does not appear to be a random act of violence.” (0:11-0:25)
“It appears the suspect was lying in wait for several minutes.” (0:28-0:32)
And even though it was targeted, the motive as to why remains unclear because as of this morning, the suspect was still at large.
Authorities saying that he fled the scene first on foot, then on an ebike, and was last seen in Central Park.[]
With NYPD tweeting out images of the person being sought in this investigation, and encouraging anyone with information to contact them.[]
And there is up to a $10,000 reward for information regarding the homicide.
As far as more details of the shooting, you had some outlets noting that police presence was already high in the area because the Christmas tree lighting at Rockefeller plaza, which is just a few blocks away, is set for tonight.[]
And as of now, it will go on as planned with a massive security presence.
With this, reports say it appears Thompson was unaware that he was in any danger as he had no security detail,
However, The New York Times reported that he had recently received several threats, though the nature of those threats are still being investigated.
The outlet also explaining that this is fairly common for CEOs of healthcare companies because of their line of work.
His wife also telling NBC News 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."
And for some background on Thompson and UnitedHealthcare, the company is the largest private health insurer in the country.[]
You also had the AP explaining that the company is also the largest provider of Medicare Advantage plans in the US.[]
And Thompson had been the CEO since 2021, and with the company since 2004.
With the company saying in a statement this morning that:
“Brian was a highly respected colleague and friend to all who worked with him. We are working closely with the New York Police Department and ask for your patience and understanding during this difficult time. Our hearts go out to Brian’s family and all who were close to him.”
And because the company is based in Minnesota, you had leaders from the state sending condolences as well.[][]
Online, however, his death is trending very high as people are, well, doing the opposite of sharing condolences. []
And even though, again, motive is unclear, you have some saying it is shocking that cases like this do not happen more frequently given how often Americans are hurt by the healthcare and insurance industries. []
Others pointing to backlash UnitedHealthcare has specifically faced recently regarding controversial claim denials.
As well as a hack on a company owned by UnitedHealthcare that put a lot of strain on doctors, hospitals, and patients.
But again, these are just general reactions and events people are talking about, no motive has been made clear as a manhunt is still underway.
And on top of looking at potential threats, investigators are also looking at the possibility of disgruntled or recently fired employees, as well as looking at social media and interviews with family members to get any other insight.[]
But that is where we are with this one, we will obviously be keeping an eye out for developments as the search plays out, on if we get any updates regarding motive, anything at all here.
-
And then we have some super quick entertainment stories, and the first is an update to something we talked about a few weeks ago.
Because remember how Mattel had to apologize and recall its “Wicked” dolls after the boxes included links to a porn site?
Well, that apology was not enough, because they are now facing a lawsuit over it.
Right, if you need a refresher, on the boxes of Mattel’s dolls of characters like Glinda and Elphaba, it told people to go to Wicked dot com.
But the movie’s actual website is Wicked Movie dot com, and Wicked dot com is a porn site.
And now, a mother in South Carolina has filed a class action suit because she purchased a doll for her minor daughter, who ended up going to the site and saw some…things. []
With the lawsuit saying that the daughter witnessed:[]
“hardcore, full on nude pornographic images depicting actual intercourse…Plaintiff’s minor daughter immediately showed her mother the photographs and both were horrified by what they saw.”
The suit adding that the mother would have never purchased the toy if she knew there was a defect of this nature on the box.
And claiming that on top of experiencing emotional distress, they also did not get a refund.
So far, Mattel has not commented on the suit, but did note that “Wicked” dolls are back on shelves with the correct packaging.[]
But the suit is seeking $5 million for people in the US who purchased the dolls with X-rated boxes.
-
And the second entertainment quickie is that the biggest day for Instagram stories has arrived: Spotify Wrapped.
For the top global podcasts this year, no surprise, Joe Rogan again had the number one spot, followed by Alex Cooper’s Caller Her Daddy.[]
But what is interesting about them taking those spots this year is that they are no longer Spotify-exclusive podcasts, []
But still, even though those podcasts can now be listened to on a variety of platforms, they still clung to the top.
And it’s no surprise as they were easily the most talked-about podcasts of the year, especially since they each interviewed a presidential candidate.
This Past Weekend With Theo Vonn was also in the top global podcasts, he had Trump on too, so it shows that not only is there a market for candidates to go on podcasts, that there is reach for them to have.
But there could be benefits for the hosts themselves, right, even if the decision to interview these candidates could be controversial, they still came out on top.
Then, when it comes to music, the top artist was, and I think we can all guess it together and say it in 3...2…1...it was Taylor Swift.
Right, pretty inevitable, she still is pretty untouchable, with over 26 billion streams.
And so now Spotify users, have fun and good luck with your wrapped, may it not embarrass you too much as it tells you if you were having more of a “pumpkin spice tribute power ballad” phase or a “pink pilates princess catwalk pop” season.
And Apple Music people, I think you guys got your little version of wrapped earlier this week and sorry that no one really cared about it.
Go to Vessi and get up to 40% off!
-
I’ve got a hypothetical for y’all.
Let’s say, like a good, freedom-loving American, you want to buy a fully automatic machine gun. [Let’s have American flags and machine guns spring up with gun cocking or firing sound effects]
You know, for self-defense.
Well of course, that’s very illegal unless you have the proper license or jump through a series of onerous hoops.
But what if I were to tell you there’s another way to get your hands on one without doing any of that bullshit, and the government doesn’t have to know?
Right, all you’ve gotta do is find a connection on the inside, someone with access to every firearm under the Sun and little to no oversight.
Or in other words, a cop.
Right, CBS News investigated this, and they uncovered at least 50 cases of law enforcement illegally selling guns over the past 20 years. [Image and Quote, find “50 cases”]
With sheriffs, captains, lieutenants and chiefs of police pocketing the cash hand over fist from transactions done online, through dealers, out of their homes or the backs of their cars. [Same quote and Image]
And all this happening in 23 U.S. states, Puerto Rico and D.C.
So in one ridiculous case, you’ve got a three-person police department in a small town in Iowa asking regulators for 90 machine guns, including an M134 Gatling minigun. [Quote same link, find “90”]
With the police chief being convicted and sentenced for personally profiting off the sale of those weapons earlier this year. [Headline]
In another case from 2011, a police chief, mayor and village trustee in New Mexico smuggled automatic weapons and tactical gear to a Mexican cartel. [Quote, find “cartel”]
In fact, criminals discuss on social media and online forums about how to entice law enforcement into trafficking them weapons. [Quote same link, find “forums”]
And of course, even if they’re not being sold directly to criminals, which they sometimes are, simply putting more guns onto the streets can lead to violence.
But illegal sales for personal profit are only one small part of a much bigger problem.
Right, it turns out that when police departments upgrade their arsenals, or people retire, they often resell their old weapons to firearms dealers. [B roll, 02:29 - 02:47]
A practice which is done legally, openly and at times proudly by police chiefs who tout it as a cost-saving measure for the government. [Same B roll]
As opposed to just melting down the equipment like this. [B roll, 03:13]
So CBS News, the Trace and Reveal spoke to over 160 state and local law enforcement agencies to get a sense of the scale of all this.
And they found that at least 145, or around 90%, had resold guns on at least one occasion between 2006 and 2024. [Same B roll and Quote, find “90”]
With records from 67 agencies showing they had resold more than 87,000 firearms in total. [Quote same link, find “67”]
A number that’s likely a significant undercount as many agencies' records were incomplete or heavily redacted. [Same quote]
And as you might have guessed, we see those guns resurface months or years later in the hands of drug traffickers, gang members, murderers, basically all the best and brightest of our society.
With federal data showing that from 2017 to 2021, nearly 26,000 guns were traced from American crime scenes back to a government agency, law enforcement or the military. [Quote, find “26,000”]
Now, I should note that many of those may have been simply lost or stolen, not sold, legally or illegally.
But I should also note that when the General Services Administration inspector general looked at guns that were reported missing over a 15-year period,
They found that more than two-thirds were in fact sold or traded, including Uzis and grenade launchers that were never recovered. [Quote, find “uzis”]
And that kind of thing became even easier in 2017 after Trump revoked an Obama-era executive order restricting the military from delivering equipment to law enforcement agencies. [Headline/image]
With that including armored vehicles, grenade launchers, riot gear, even bayonets.
But in general, to get their hands on military-grade weapons, police need permission from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, or ATF.
Thing is, though, the agency only began vetting every machine gun application to confirm the requests come from legit law enforcement bodies early last year. [Quote, find “vetting”]
And half a dozen ATF officials told CBS they typically don’t assess the appropriateness of the weapons for a department or track where they end up. [Quote, find “half a dozen”]
Links:
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/police-selling-restricted-guns-posties/
-
Weeks after her disappearance, police say they have an idea of where Hanna` `h Kobayashi (Ko-bah-yah-shee) is but Hannah’s family isn’t so sure.
Right, if you’re unfamiliar with the case, Hannah is a 30-year-old Hawaiian woman that has been missing since November 11th. []
And we have a pretty clear idea of what the few days leading up to her disappearance looked like.
We know that on November 8th, she was on a flight from Maui to New York City with a layover in LA - with her family saying that she had plans to stay with an aunt in upstate New York and to take pictures at a DJ’s show in Brooklyn. []
With her family saying she is an aspiring photographer and has been working towards a paid gig for years. []
But then Hannah didn’t board her connecting flight.
The next day, she was spotted at a bookstore in LA and she made a couple of Venmo transactions to unidentified people. []
And on the 10th, she shared a photo on Instagram of the LeBron 22 Trial event at a Nike store and a YouTube video went up showing her at that event. [B Roll 0:30-0:40]
Then the 11th comes - the last day that anyone heard anything from Hannah before she disappeared.
She reportedly texted her mother to tell her that she never made it to New York and sends a couple concerning messages to a friend - reportedly saying things like, []
“Deep Hackers wiped my identity, stole all of my funds, & have had me on a mind fuck since Friday,” and “I got tricked pretty much into giving away all my funds.”
And followed that second one up with, “For someone I thought I loved.” []
And her sister Sydni says that some of the last messages Hannah sent seemed out of character for her - using words that she normally wouldn’t. []
Surveillance video catches her at a downtown LA Metro station near Crypto.com Arena with an unidentified dude and then she’s gone. []
A few days later on the 15th, the LAPD Missing Persons Unit made a poster about Hannah’s disappearance and the Maui PD said they’re assisting in the search, as well.
And that’s also when Hannah’s family made a GoFundMe - with them promising to use the funds for feeding search teams, a media campaign to maximize awareness, and supporting their family among other things. []
After that, Hannah’s aunt Laura gave an interview with CNN, saying,
“Our mind is now going to, you know, abduction and, I hate to say the word, but, you know, trafficked.”
“We’re doing the best that we can, but the family at this point is having to come to the reality that those things could be a possibility.” []
And just a few days after her disappearance, Hannah’s father, Ryan Ko-bah-yah-shee, traveled to LA to help look for her - telling CNN at the time,
“Hannah loved to travel. She loved photography, art, music. I wasn’t too close with her … growing up. We haven’t had contact for a while. I’m just trying to make up. I’m trying to get her back. That’s my main focus.” []
Ryan spent 13 days searching before he was found dead - with the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner ruling his death a suicide. []
With the family saying in a statement,
“The search for our beloved Hannah must continue with the same love and determination that Ryan would have wanted. We need your help, we need your strength. Our family needs you. The search for our dear Hannah must continue with unwavering hope and determination. She is still out there, and we believe that together, we can bring her home.” []
And Ryan’s death really kicked this story into high gear.
The attention around Hannah’s disappearance exploded - countless headlines and internet sleuths looking to get to the bottom of this and find Hannah.
Hell, there’s even a reddit page titled “FindHannahKobayashi” with people sharing links and updates and many, many theories that I’m not going to dive into right now.
Even real private investigators picked up the case and dove into it.
But it wasn’t until now that we got a real, substantial update - with the LAPD classifying Hannah as a “voluntary missing person.”
Saying they have video surveillance from US Customs and Border Protection which shows Hannah crossing the border into Mexico alone on November 12th. []
They went on to say that Hannah requested her luggage from her missed flight to New York to be sent back to LAX, where she picked it up on November 11th. []
She then took her bag to Los Angeles Union Station, where she bought a ticket to take her to the US-Mexico border. []
Notably, the person that she was seen with by the Crypto.com Arena was reportedly found and cooperated with police and they were able to verify his story. []
They also added that before leaving Maui, investigators say that Hannah had wanted to disconnect from modern technology - with LAPD Lieutenant Douglas Oldfield saying,
“We just know that she did not have her phone after she left LAX. We know she doesn’t have her phone on her. For what reason? We can’t say for sure.” []
What we do know is that, at this point, the LAPD says that Hannah left the country of her own volition - with the chief of the LAPD Jim McDonnell saying,
“To date the investigation has not uncovered any evidence that Kobayashi is being trafficked or is the victim of foul play. She is also not a suspect in any criminal activity. She has a right to her privacy, and we respect her choices but we also understand [the] concern her loved ones feel for her.” []
Finally, they said that they won’t be pushing the investigation past the border but will likely get a notification if Hannah comes back to the States. []
And they implored Hannah to reach out to her family or the US Embassy so that people know she’s safe.
Now, this wasn’t the ending that many were hoping for or expecting.
In fact, some people online actually got angry with Hannah after this update - saying things like,
“I have 0 empathy for #HannahKobayashi ! If you wanna leave, let your family know! She selfishly left the country, and pretended to be missing! Her father took his own life, while the police spend so much time looking for her.” []
While others turned their vitriol towards the family - with Hannah’s sister Sydni saying on Facebook that she had to pull down the page she made to help find Hannah because they were getting death threats.
And there have even been some calls for the GoFundMe donations to be returned. []
But then there are some that aren’t buying this latest update at all - saying things don’t add up and there has to be a missing piece to this puzzle.
And some of those people include Hannah’s family - with Sydni saying that their family wasn’t shown the video that supposedly proves Hannah walked over the border. []
And their family attorney added,
"They just reached this conclusion … without showing them any footage. It takes a lot more digging and investigation to be able to say it's voluntary." []
And the LAPD’s conclusion here has also drawn skepticism from outside the Ko-bah-yah-shee family.
With one private investigator and former FBI agent saying the LAPD should release the video from the border - saying,
"I'm very skeptical of this idea that she voluntarily walked across the border to Mexico. I think it's entirely possible that the LAPD misidentified a person in this video with all the other border crossings. As such, I'm calling on LAPD to release the video publicly. The family will know if it's Hannah.” []
And Sydni added that even if it is Hannah in that video, there are still more sinister possibilities to be explored, saying,
"[The LAPD] say that they have seen her alone, but that doesn't discount the fact that someone could be watching her from afar, knowing how big this case has gotten and maybe controlling her or telling her what to do.” []
Now, despite the LAPD’s findings here, Hannah’s family has promised to continue looking for her - even reportedly planning on sending searchers into Mexico. []
So we’ll just have to keep our eyes on this.
In the meantime, I would love to know your thoughts here - especially if you’ve been following this case in recent weeks.
Visit Sundays for Dogs to get 50% off your first order!
-
I gotta update you on the absolutely crazy events that went down yesterday in South Korea.
Right, quick recap, President Yoon declared martial law.
With him accusing the opposition of plotting an “insurgency” and “trying to overthrow the free democracy.” []
The opposition and even members of the president’s own party quickly urged him to lift the order and vowed to block it.
Thousands of protesters filled the streets demanding that Yoon resign (BROLL: 1:41-1:47)
And 190 of the 300-member National Assembly quickly gathered, with all of them voting to pass a resolution demanding that Yoon lift his order (BROLL: 31:50-31:55)
Notably, with them gathering despite the military blocking the entrance (BROLL 0:01-0:05)
With some, including the 60-year-old leader of the South Korean Democratic Party, climbing over a fence to get into the building (BROLL: 0:06-0:11).
And finally, not long after, we saw President Yoon bowing to the pressure, and lifting his martial law decree.
And just like that, the craziest six hours in Korean politics in a long time came to an end.
Except, of course, we’re still dealing with the fallout.
Right, today, protests have continued demanding the president’s resignation and even his arrest.
And in fact, the country's defence minister has already tendered his resignation, saying he would take full responsibility.[]
With senior aides to the president, including his chief of staff and national security adviser, also resigning []
And then, if Yoon doesn’t go willingly, he might have to go unwillingly.
Right, because also today, South Korea's opposition lawmakers have begun impeachment proceedings against him..
With them saying the president should be charged with “crimes of rebellion.” []
But with that, at least two-thirds of the assembly needs to vote for impeachment.
With that meaning at least eight members of the president’s party would need to vote against him.[]
And as of recording, it’s not clear that will happen, with his party vowing to oppose the move.
But if enough people do break ranks, Yoon would be suspended while the constitutional court is given 180 days to consider his case.
With at least six of its nine members needing to vote to impeach for him to be removed from office.
Though, notably, the court currently has three vacancies and it’s not clear if the court would take up the case before the vacancies are filled. []
And finally, if Yoon resigns or is impeached, the government will have to hold an election within 60 days to vote for a new president , who will start a fresh five-year term.[]
But that’s where we are right now, and we’ll have to wait and see where this leads next.
-
In wild international news, we gotta talk about thousands of people in the country of Georgia have been taking to the streets every night for nearly a week (BROLL: 2:18-2:29)
And they’re protesting a decision by the ruling Georgian Dream party to suspend talks with the EU regarding eventual membership until 2028.
Right, because notably, EU membership is one of very few goals that an overwhelming majority of Georgians agreed on.
With it reportedly being supported by around 80 percent of people. []
And with all that, these protests are just getting more and more intense.
Right, every night, we’re seeing riot police using water cannons and tear gas (BROLL: 0:06-0:10)
And the protesters? They’ve been throwing fireworks at police officers and building barricades on the capital city’s main boulevard (BROLL: 2:17-2:21)
All in all, nearly 300 protesters have been detained (BROLL: 0:33-0:37)
With 26 people, including three police officers, ending up in hospitals. []
WIth one man telling the BBC how he was repeatedly kicked in the head, even after he had been knocked unconscious, saying:
"When I opened my eyes a third time I couldn't feel my legs or hands - I couldn't even move my head."[]
And then, today, one of the main opposition parties saying one of its leaders has been detained by police after being beaten unconscious.
With the party sharing a video showing the man being carried by the arms and legs by several men down some steps (BROLL: 0:05-0:09).
And a key thing, that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
Right, the Georgian official tasked with defending the rights of citizens is now accusing police of inflicting torture on people after they’ve been arrested.
With him saying:
"In most cases, they have received serious injuries in the face, eye and head area…[]
"The location, character, and degree of the injuries create a credible impression that the police use violent methods against citizens in order to punish them.”
And adding: “Intentional, severe violence for the purpose of punishment constitutes an act of torture."[]
But with that, now that we’re clear on where the situation is now, let’s talk about how we got here.
Right, in October, the Georgian Dream party won 54 percent of the vote, keeping its majority in parliament.
But the opposition accused the party of rigging the vote with Russia’s help.
And in fact, observer groups documented violations including ballot stuffing, voter intimidation, and bribery that they say could have swayed the election. []
With two Western firms commissioned by the opposition to carry out exit polls reporting that the outcome made no statistical sense.
With all this leading to the country’s president, the leader of the opposition, refusing to recognize the result.
And now saying she won’t leave office until a “legitimate” Parliament convenes to choose another president.[]
And along with all that, last week, you had the European Parliament adopting a resolution condemning the elections in Georgia as “neither free nor fair” and calling for a re-do under international supervision.
Right, and this is what triggered the Georgian Dream party’s decision to suspend talks with the EU, with the prime minister saying:
“...“the ill-wishers of our country have turned the European Parliament into a blunt weapon of blackmail against Georgia…” []
Though, notably, the Georgian Dream party has and continues to claim that it ultimately aims to join the EU.
But now more than ever, the opposition and other critics say that’s just bullshit.
Right, saying the decision to suspend accession talks is the latest proof that the country is decisively moving toward Russia.
WIth the earlier evidence being the passage of foreign agent and anti-LGBTQ+ laws that the EU said went against its principles – and ultimately led to the EU halting the country’s accession before any of this even happened.
With one Georgian political analyst saying about Georgian Dream:
“They got overconfident.”
“They declared themselves victorious in an election, got used to ignoring Western opinions, decided they could ignore the protests … they thought they could do anything.”[]
But notably, they’re not showing any sign of backing down.
Right, with the party framing this as a power grab, and accusing the opposition of planning an uprising similar to Ukraine’s 2014 Maidan (My-dan) Revolution.
Right, which started as a mass protest movement, led to the ouster of the country’s pro-Russian president, and ultimately is a key chapter in explaining what’s happening in Ukraine today.
And to that point, the Georgian Dream party campaigned heavily on the idea that getting closer with the West would see the country dragged into the war in Ukraine.
Although, key thing, Russia invaded Georgia before it invaded Ukraine.
Right, as this is happening, it’s still illegally occupying 20 percent of the country’s territory.
But with that, we’re gonna keep an eye on this situation and see where it goes.
Right, will it fizzle out, or could it really be a revolution?
