Insurance CEO Killing Sparks Callous Online Praise & Hate
Plus, DOGE duo takes on Capitol Hill and inside “The Swift Effect”
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Good morning,
Five years after a massive fire roared in Paris’s Notre Dame, the cathedral will reopen Saturday.
How we got here: On April 15, 2019, a mysterious fire broke out and destroyed the 860-year-old Catholic cathedral’s roof. Soot covered artwork and walls.
Investigators suspect the blaze was accidental – perhaps from a cigarette or an electrical malfunction. Now, the renovations have fire-resistant systems in place.
Who’s attending: President-Elect Trump, in his first foreign trip as president-elect, is set to join about 50 heads of state and government this weekend for the reopening ceremony. 170 bishops from around the world and 106 priests from each of Paris’s dioceses will take part in the event.
The reopening: President Emmanuel Macron will give a speech in front of the cathedral around 12 p.m. ET.
Macron will also attend the first Mass following the rebuilding, which will be held on Sunday around 10:30 a.m. local time.
The public can begin entering Notre Dame once again on Dec. 8, for the 6:30 p.m. Mass. As many as 40,000 visitors a day are expected after its reopening.
Bon voyage!
Mosheh, Jill, Sari, & Lauren
PS: Don’t forget to refer friends & family to subscribe to the Mo Newsletter… you could get free Mo News merch — DETAILS at the bottom of this newsletter!
📌 MORE DETAILS EMERGE IN NEW YORK CITY CEO SHOOTING
On Thursday, the NYPD released new photos of “a person of interest” in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Midtown Manhattan Wednesday morning, Thompson was heading into his firm’s annual investor meeting.
The images show him without a face mask, taken while he was checking out of a hostel (and flirting with an employee) on the Upper West Side in New York City on Wednesday. Officials are asking the public for help identifying the man, who they say targeted Thompson.
Police also said they found bullet shell casings at the scene of the crime that were engraved with the words “deny,” “depose,” and “defend.”
They’re investigating whether those words reference insurance company methods for rejecting medical coverage.
A 2010 book called “Delay, Deny, Defend” talks about the methods insurance companies use to deny medical coverage requests.
REACTIONS TO THE SHOOTING
Following the news of Thompson’s death, social media erupted with criticism of UnitedHealthcare and the broader health insurance industry, including from some activists and academics.
These are some of the graphs and headlines about UnitedHealthcare’s coverage making rounds online:
ValuePenguin found that UnitedHealthcare denies 32% of in-network claims for individual health insurance plans — double the industry average.
Some of the callous reactions reveal just how fraught Americans’ relationship with health insurance is. Other more hostile responses included justifying the murder, mocking Thompson, and undermining the police investigation.
Rep. Dean Phillips (D-MN) pushed back, posting, “Seems like leftists opposed to killing terrorists in the Middle East support killing CEOs in Midtown Manhattan. Sick.”
Mo News spoke with psychotherapist and ‘Today Show’ contributor Niro Feliciano to make sense of some of the hostile reactions. She notes that people have become increasingly desensitized to upsetting information because there is so much of it online. “We’ve lost a piece of our humanity,” she said.
Feliciano recommends taking breaks from consuming such information, and instead connect with people in person.
"We need to get back to feeling as humans, exercising empathy, stepping into someone else's shoes. It is harder for some situations than others. But what kind of society are we gonna be if we cannot feel for other people?" she questioned.
📌 THE DOGE DUO MEETS WITH CONGRESSIONAL LAWMAKERS TO DISCUSS GOVERNMENT CUTS
Elon Musk, the richest man in the world, and Vivek Ramaswamy, a businessman who ran against Trump in the GOP presidential primary, met with lawmakers on Capitol Hill Thursday to promote the “Department of Government Efficiency”(DOGE) — a new commission they are leading to cut government spending.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) welcomed them and told reporters, “We have long lamented the size and scope of the government, that it has grown too large. And let me be frank about this: Government is too big, it does too many things, and it does almost nothing.”
Johnson has also said he has no idea how Congress plans to process cuts proposed by DOGE leaders.
Despite its name, DOGE is not an official federal department. That means Musk and Ramaswamy will not need to be Senate confirmed or vetted before assuming their roles.
They have vowed to cut “at least $2 trillion” from the federal budget. In the past, attempts to cut spending have faced serious challenges, threatening programs that millions of Americans rely on and trust.
THE NUMBERS
Of the $6.7 trillion in annual U.S. government spending, two-thirds is mandatory (basically untouchable). That includes Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security and interest on the nation’s debt. The federal government only took in about $5 trillion this year. The difference has led to the country’s ever-growing deficit, which is $36 trillion and counting.
Of the nearly $2 trillion in discretionary spending, $800 billion goes to defense/military funding. Republicans typically don’t support military spending cuts. But, an unlikely ally has emerged to support DOGE’s efforts.
Other discretionary spending includes funding for health, education, and veterans’ benefits:
Federal discretionary spending in 2023. Via: Congressional Budget Office.
PAST COST-CUTTING EFFORTS
In 1982, President Ronald Reagan authorized the Private Sector Survey on Cost Control, also known as the Grace Commission, which Congress largely ignored. In the 90s, Vice President Al Gore led a “national partnership for reinventing government” to streamline government operations and reduce bureaucracy, which was slightly more successful.
Then, there was the Obama White House's deficit-reduction commission chaired by former Republican Sen. Alan Simpson and Democrat Erskine Bowles. In 2010, they recommended reducing the 10-year deficit by $4 trillion with cost-cutting measures and tax reform.
Obama ultimately agreed to about $1 trillion in discretionary spending cuts over the next decade.
Bottom line: All three commissions fell short of their ambitious plans. It’s hard to cut programs that people already have come to rely on…
📌 WILL THE TAYLOR SWIFT EFFECT END NOW THAT HER TOUR IS OVER?
Taylor Swift’s “Eras Tour” is making its final stop in Vancouver this weekend. Swift performed the 3+ hour concert nearly 150 times, in 47 cities across 19 countries.
It was the highest-grossing tour of all time, bringing in $2 billion – almost double the ticket sales for any other artist’s tour in history. And that doesn’t even count the impact she had on local economies, as concertgoers spent big on food, hotels, and tourism.
According to the UK Parliament, the "Eras Tour" boosted the UK economy by an estimated £1 billion. The U.S. Travel Association estimated that the total economic impact of the tour in the U.S. could surpass $10 billion.
SWIFTONOMICS
Mo News talked with CNBC's Sara Eisen about “Swiftonomics,” a term used to describe the economic influence of the pop star.
Eisen notes that post-Covid lockdowns, people are looking to spend their money on experiences. "We all knew that there would be pent-up demand because we were in lockdown for so long. But we didn't know how long it would last. And I think that that has lasted longer than anyone expected."
CULTURAL IMPACT
The hype and mania of Swift’s fanbase (the Swifties) has been compared to Beatlemania in the 60s. But, that doesn’t mean her fans won’t criticize her.
Over the Thanksgiving weekend, Swift released an “Eras Tour” book with photos and commentary from the tour.
Fans pointed out some sloppy mistakes, from typos, to blurry photos, and overall design flaws. Some are calling it the “Errors Tour Book.”
Nonetheless, sales are still through the roof, with 814,000 copies sold on opening weekend. That makes it the largest first week print sales total of any book in 2024.
✔︎ Mo News Reality Check: Swift's global impact is helping her bank account, too. She is now the world’s wealthiest female musician with a net worth of $1.6 billion, as of October. She is unique among the richest music artists because most of her wealth has come from her music alone… rather than brand deals, corporate partnerships, or side hustles.
⏳ SPEED READ
🚨NATION
📌 Blowing snow, blustery winds, bitter cold: Gnarly winter weather grips swath of nation (USA TODAY)
📌 Father of victim in NYC subway chokehold case sues defendant Daniel Penny (ABC)
📌 After meeting with Pete Hegseth, key Senate Republican says she's not ready to support him (GMA)
📌 7.0 earthquake off Northern California prompts brief tsunami warning (AP)
🌎 AROUND THE WORLD
📌 Syrian rebels capture second major city as army withdraws from Hama (CNN)
📌 France's toppled government adds to the European Union's bigger political problems (NPR)
📌 Amnesty International accuses Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians (NPR)
📌 South Korean president fights impeachment as he’s investigated for insurrection (NBC)
📱BUSINESS, SCIENCE & TECH
📌 Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield halts anesthesia payment policy after backlash (NBC NEWS)
📌 University of Michigan ends required diversity statements (GUARDIAN)
📌 Boeing plea deal related to Max crashes rejected by judge (CNN)
📌 Daily dose of dark chocolate may lower diabetes risk, study finds (ABC)
🎬 SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT
📌 ‘Harry Potter’ HBO series to film in summer 2025 after 32,000 kids auditioned for lead roles (VARIETY)
📌 Pregnant Kylie Kelce admits she had a 'full heaving cry for 30 Minutes' after finding out daughter Elliotte was a girl (PEOPLE)
📌 Jamie Foxx declares ‘I’m back’ in trailer for new Netflix special chronicling 2023 hospitalization (CNN)
📌 Amber Heard, 38, is expecting her second child after welcoming daughter Oonagh three years ago (DAILY MAIL)
🎉 CHEERS TO THE FREAKIN WKND
WHAT WE’RE WATCHING: Mosh: The Agency ~ Paramount Plus; Jill: The Swift Effect ~ Peacock.
WHAT WE’RE READING: Mosh: New Prize for These Eyes ~ Juan Williams, get the audiobook here; Jill: “Ripped, dipped, sliced and shmeared — what makes a bagel a bagel?” ~ The Forward
New listeners can sign up for Audible Premium Plus at $0.99/month for the first three months. Click HERE!
WHAT WE’RE EATING: Mosh: Chicago deep dish pizza; Jill: Banana bread.