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1 New York Prosecutors Already Presenting Evidence To Grand Jury In UnitedHealthcare CEO Killing
While the extradition process continues for the accused killer of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, prosecutors at the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office have already started presenting evidence to a grand jury. The DA’s office is looking to get an indictment for murder charges, which would strengthen the case for extradition, a process that Luigi Mangione is fighting. While fingerprints recovered from a water bottle and a Kind bar near the crime scene have been matched to Mangione, along the three shell casings at the murder scene, investigators continue to build evidence in the case. Police have obtained a search warrant for a phone found near the crime scene, and are looking to access the phone. At least two other search warrants have been issued, including for the hostel where the suspect stayed and for the backpack found in Central Park that contained a jacket and Monopoly money. Mangione remains in custody at a Pennsylvania state prison.
2 White House Downplays Mysterious Drones
Sightings of unidentified flying craft continue to draw attention, alarm, and serious questions. Many of those questions are coming from elected officials in New Jersey who want the federal government to take more action. Yesterday afternoon, White House national security spokesman John Kirby told reporters that the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI, and state and local law enforcement agencies “have not been able to corroborate any of the reported visual sightings.” He went on to say that officials have concluded “These are actually manned aircraft that are being operated lawfully,” a statement that drew pushback from some of the reporters present. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, FBI Director Christopher Wray, and FAA head Michael Whitaker were sent a letter yesterday from high-powered members of Congress, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Sens. Cory Booker and Andy Kim, and Kirsten Gillibrand demanding a briefing on the “unmanned aircraft systems” or UAS, the latest acronym put forward to describe the objects. Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut said yesterday that the drones should be “shot down, if necessary.”
3 Ex-FBI Informant Pleads Guilty To Lying About The Bidens
Alexander Smirnov was indicted in February for telling his FBI handler in 2020 that President Joe Biden and his son Hunter had accepted $5-million each from the Ukrainian energy company Burisma. Now, Smirnov has pleaded guilty to one count of creating a false federal record, referring to the FBI document where he made the claims against the Bidens, and three tax-related counts. Neither Smirnov’s attorney nor the office of special counsel David Weiss had any comment on the plea.