New Jersey Drone Mystery Deepens
Plus, the FBI director plans to resign before Trump takes office & the strange online culture surrounding Luigi Mangione
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Remember Haliey Welch, aka the "Hawk Tuah" girl? (If not, here’s the NSFW viral video.) Welch took swift advantage of her newfound fame by launching merchandise, hosting her own podcast, and even going on stage with country singer Zach Bryan at a summer concert. But now, she is under fire for her latest viral venture: helping launch crypto memecoin $HAWK.
Welch has been accused of "rug-pulling," a term used in the crypto world when creators build excitement around a project to drive up its value, before selling their shares at its peak – thus driving down the price for other investors.
📉 $HAWK quickly gained traction after its launch and climbed to a market capitalization of about $500 million on Wednesday, December 4.
By the next day, the value had plummeted about 90% to a market cap of $28 million.
Welch has denied allegations of wrongdoing and said she and her team have not sold any of their shares of the memecoin.
However, investors have gone to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, accusing her of misleading them, promoting $HAWK without transparency, and possibly profiting from a rug-pulling scheme.
Someone got rich — just wasn’t us!
Mosheh, Jill, Sari, & Lauren
PS: Please take a few minutes to fill out our audience survey at mo.news/feedback. Your feedback will help us create content that speaks to the people who matter most: you, our community! The survey is open for a few more days… don’t wait!
This Stock is Up 220% and Primed for the Next Breakout
📌 UPDATES ON THE LUIGI MANGIONE CASE & HIS POLARIZING EFFECT ON THE INTERNET
Major developments unfolded Wednesday in the case against Luigi Mangione, the 26-year-old accused of fatally shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
The 3D-printed gun that Mangione was carrying when he was arrested in Pennsylvania on Monday matches the three shell casings found at the crime scene in Midtown Manhattan.
And more, his fingerprints match those found on a water bottle and KIND bar recovered near the NYC crime scene.
The shooting, manhunt, and Mangione’s arrest have captivated the nation, but also sparked unexpected support for the suspect.
SPENDING & COMMENTING
The controversy has spilled into the crypto and e-commerce worlds. A memecoin named after Mangione briefly spiked in value. Merchandise referencing the incident — like T-shirts bearing the phrase "Deny, Defend, Depose,” the same words on shell casings at the crime scene, and “Free Luigi” — has flooded platforms like Etsy, TikTok Shop, and Redbubble.
An ugly Christmas sweatshirt reading “Tis the Season…Deny. Defend. Depose” with scales of justice sold more than 1,000 times, according to TikTok’s sales data.
Some platforms like eBay, Amazon, and Etsy have removed listings tied to the incident, citing policies against celebrating violence. However, loopholes remain.
UnitedHealthcare’s Facebook had to restrict comments and reactions to their post about Thompson’s death, after an influx of people reacted with laughing emojis.
SUPPORT ON CAMPUS
Julia Alekseyeva, an Assistant Professor of English at the University of Pennsylvania, is facing significant backlash after her social media posts celebrated Mangione, who graduated from UPenn in 2020 with a master's and bachelor's degree in computer science and a minor in mathematics.
In one TikTok post after Mangione's arrest, Alekseyeva, under the name "The Soviette," pointed to text saying "have never been prouder to be a professor at the University of P3nnsylvania," while "Do You Hear the People Sing?" from the famous musical Les Misérables played.
On Tuesday, she apologized in an X post and claimed to take back the comments.
That being said, Alekseyeva is not the only academic whose comments have appeared to dismiss or make light of Thompson's murder. So did those of UVA historian David Austin Walsh and Columbia University professor Anthony Zenkus.
📌 TRUMP’S FIRST TERM PICK FOR FBI DIRECTOR TO RESIGN WITH 2.5 YEARS LEFT IN TERM
FBI Director Christopher Wray announced he will step down from his post by the end of the Biden administration next month. That’s only seven years into his 10-year term.
Since reforms after Watergate, the FBI director typically serves a 10-year term, spanning multiple presidential administrations, to ensure independence from political influence.
President-elect Donald Trump originally appointed Wray to the job in 2017, after firing then-FBI Director James Comey. But Trump has grown increasingly critical of Wray throughout the years, especially after the FBI’s search of Mar-a-Lago in 2022 led to his indictment on classified documents charges.
Wray’s move signals that he is opting to resign before Trump can fire him. Last month, Trump announced his plans to nominate Kash Patel, a former federal prosecutor and loyal Trump ally, as Wray’s replacement.
WRAY’S GOODBYE
On Wednesday, Wray told FBI employees that his resignation was intended to protect the agency’s integrity during a time of political turbulence.
“In my view, this is the best way to avoid dragging the Bureau deeper into the fray, while reinforcing the values and principles that are so important to how we do our work,” he said.
On Truth Social, Trump celebrated Wray’s resignation. This “is a great day for America as it will end the Weaponization of what has become known as the United States Department of Injustice,” he posted.
WHAT’S NEXT FOR THE FBI
Patel is a vocal critic of the FBI who has expressed he would consider using the office to seek retribution against Trump’s political enemies. It is unclear how he will fare during his confirmation hearings, as he will need Senate approval to assume the FBI post. He has some fans and some critics on Capitol Hill.
📌 MYSTERIOUS DRONES OVER NEW JERSEY LEAVE FBI STUMPED
In more FBI news, officials still don’t have many answers on the unexplained drone activity over sensitive sites in New Jersey over the last month.
What we do know: A Pentagon spokesperson told reporters Wednesday that there is “no evidence these are coming from a foreign entity or the work of an adversary.” She also confirmed that they are not U.S. military drones.
But weeks after reports began coming in, FBI Assistant Director Robert Wheeler Jr. told Congress this week that the bureau still does not know who is operating the drones spotted at night across central New Jersey, nor whether they pose a public risk.
The sensitive sites include a military installation and President-elect Trump’s golf club in Bedminster, NJ.
The drones also appear to be avoiding detection by radio and helicopter.
INSIDE THE HEARING
On Tuesday, members of Congress grilled Wheeler, who works in the FBI’s Critical Incident Response Group, for details.
Rep. Tony Gonzalez (R-Texas) asked, “You’re telling me we don’t know what the hell these drones in New Jersey are?” To which Wheeler replied, “That’s correct.”
The devices have been described as larger than typical drones used by hobbyists.
🔍 SEE SOMETHING SAY SOMETHING
The FBI is asking for the public’s help with its ongoing investigations.
Call the FBI at 1-800-225-5324. Submit tips and video footage at www.tips.fbi.gov.
⏳ SPEED READ
🚨NATION
📌 20,000 Malibu area residents face evacuation as Red Flag fire warnings persist (CNN)
📌 Only 2 in 10 Americans support Biden’s pardon of his son Hunter after promising to not do so (PBS)
📌 Kimberly Guilfoyle is the latest Trump family ally chosen for an ambassadorship. She is off to Greece (NPR)
📌 Sen. Schumer torpedoed by Manchin and Sinema on crucial labor vote (AXIOS)
🌎 AROUND THE WORLD
📌 Suicide bombing in Kabul kills Taliban refugee minister (CBS)
📌 US scrambles to quell ISIS resurgence in Syria after fall of Assad (CNN)
📌 Ex-defense chief in South Korea tried to kill himself after being arrested over martial law (AP)
📌 Puberty blockers to be banned indefinitely for under-18s across UK (GUARDIAN)
📱BUSINESS, SCIENCE & TECH
📌 Annual inflation rate accelerates to 2.7% in November, as expected (CNBC)
📌 Albertsons gives up on Kroger merger and sues the grocery chain for failing to secure deal (AP)
📌 Bankruptcy judge rejects The Onion's bid for Infowars (NPR)
📌 Elon Musk becomes the first person to reach a net worth of $400 billion (CNN)
🎬 SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT
📌 FIFA names Saudi Arabia as 2034 World Cup host; Spain, Portugal and Morocco to co-host 2030 edition (AP)
📌 Malibu wildfire surrounds Dick Van Dyke's home; 98-year-old star 'safely evacuated' (FOX)
📌 Joe Burrow’s home broken into during Monday Night Football in latest pro-athlete home invasion (AP)
📌 Stuck squirrel wins 2024 Comedy Wildlife Photography award (CNN)
🗓 ON THIS DAY: DECEMBER 12
1913: Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa is recovered in Florence, two years after being stolen from the Louvre, found in Italian waiter Vincenzo Peruggia’s hotel room.
1977: “Saturday Night Fever,” starring John Travolta, premiered in New York to massive success alongside its iconic disco soundtrack by the Bee Gees.
2000: The U.S. Supreme Court effectively decides the presidential election for George W. Bush, halting the Florida ballot recount.
2000: Alex Rodriguez signs a record-breaking 10-year, $252 million contract with the Texas Rangers, the largest in professional sports history.
This week, Juan Soto signed a 15-year contract with the New York Mets for $765 million, a new record.