Plus, Trump's Defense pick Pete Hegseth defends himself after pileup of bad press, and the FBI looks into mysterious drones

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📌 SEARCH CONTINUES FOR SHOOTER WHO KILLED CEO OF AMERICA’S LARGEST PRIVATE INSURER

The chief executive of UnitedHealthcare was fatally shot in the back and leg in Midtown Manhattan on Wednesday morning in what police are calling a “brazen, targeted attack.” Police say the public is not believed to be in danger.

Brian Thompson, 50, was outside the New York Hilton Midtown hotel around 6:46 a.m., as he arrived early for his company’s annual investor meeting.
A masked man waited several minutes outside the hotel for the CEO, before firing at him repeatedly from about 20 feet away. The suspect successfully fled by foot and on an electric Citi Bike, Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said.

THE SUSPECT AT LARGE
Investigators are still searching for the gunman, described as a white male wearing a black hoodie, face mask, gray backpack, and white sneakers. He was last seen in Central Park on Wednesday morning.

Police are offering a $10,000 reward for any information that leads to the shooter’s arrest.
Thompson's wife, Paulette, told NBC News that “he said there were some people that had been threatening him.” It’s unclear who those people are, and what their motive might have been.
- Thompson did not have security protection.

Thompson was promoted to chief executive of UnitedHealthcare in April 2021 and has been with the company since 2004. He managed a division that employs about 140,000 people. The company is part of UnitedHealth Group, which faced a massive cyberattack this year that compromised 100 million Americans’ private information.

UnitedHealthcare is the largest provider of Medicare Advantage plans, the privately run versions of the U.S. government’s program for people over 65. The company has been accused of systematically denying people coverage for health care procedures and treatments.

📌 HEGSETH VOWS SEXUAL & ALCOHOL ABUSE ACCUSATIONS WON’T DERAIL NOMINATION

Former Fox News host Pete Hegseth launched a reputation management campaign on Wednesday, in an attempt to combat widespread reporting of his alleged sexual misconduct, excessive drinking, and financial mismanagement of veterans’ groups.

The Defense Secretary nominee appeared on The Megyn Kelly Show on SiriusXM, while his mom did an interview on Fox News.

Why Mom? An email written by Hegseth’s mother in 2018 recently leaked to the press, revealing that she said her son “belittles, lies, cheats, sleeps around and uses women.” Now, Penelope Hegseth is saying she regrets the email, which she says was published out of context, and that her son is a “changed man.”

INSIDE TRUMP WORLD
Amidst the pile-on, the president-elect’s transition team is considering names to replace Hegseth, including Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst (R), and Tennessee Sen. Bill Hagerty (R).

However, Hegseth told Kelly on Wednesday that President-elect Trump still supports him. He recounted that Trump said yesterday morning, “Pete, I’ve got your back. It’s a fight, they’re coming after you. Get after it.”

STATE OF PLAY
A series of recent news reports raised additional questions about Hegseth’s treatment of women and his history with alcohol abuse. This comes after a police report naming Hegseth in a rape accusation from 2017 was surfaced when he was first named for Trump’s cabinet. He was never charged with a crime, but entered an undisclosed settlement agreement with the woman in the 2017 report.

Some of Hegseth’s Fox News colleagues are speaking about their concerns with his drinking. Some said he often smelled of alcohol before going on-air and talked about being hungover. And then, there are multiple accusations of drinking and inappropriate conduct at two veterans organizations he ran, and resigned from.
While a Trump transition official called the allegations “completely unfounded and false,” on Wednesday Hegseth promised the incoming Senate Armed Services Chair Roger Wicker (R-MS) that he would stop drinking if confirmed.
So far, two Trump nominees have already had to withdraw their nominations due to confirmation concerns (Matt Gaetz for Attorney General and Chad Chronister to run the DEA.)

📌 WHO’S FLYING THESE DRONES?

Reports of drones flying over parts of New Jersey in recent weeks have sparked an investigation by the FBI in Newark. Officials have asked the public for help as they try to uncover why dozens of drones have been spotted during the night near Morris and Somerset counties in New Jersey.

Police have said there is no known public safety threat, but the FAA has imposed drone flight restrictions while authorities investigate.

The devices, larger than the typical drones used by hobbyists, have raised concerns due to their proximity to both a military installation and Trump’s Bedminster golf club.

⏳ SPEED READ

🚨NATION

📌 US Supreme Court leaning towards letting youth transgender care ban stand in Tennessee (NPR)

📌 Biden White House is discussing preemptive pardons for Fauci, Cheney and Schiff (POLITICO)

📌 California Democrat flips seat in the last House race to be called (NBC)

📌 Peter Navarro served prison time related to Jan. 6. Now Trump is bringing him back as an adviser (AP)

📌 Dangerous, blinding snow squalls from a potent, fast-moving winter storm threaten travel in the Northeast (CNN)

🌎 AROUND THE WORLD

📌 South Korea’s opposition parties move to impeach president over sudden declaration of martial law (AP)

📌 French government is toppled in no-confidence vote (NBC)

📌 Georgian opposition politician beaten unconscious by police, party says, as government crackdown intensifies (CNN)

📌 Global investigation exposes alleged billion-dollar Russian money-laundering network (GUARDIAN)

📱BUSINESS, SCIENCE & TECH

📌 Bitcoin hits $100,000 for first time (CNBC)

📌 Google's new AI weather model beats most accurate forecast system (AXIOS)

📌 Trump nominates cryptocurrency advocate Paul Atkins as SEC chair (AP)

📌 Voyager 1 is back online 15 billion miles away in interstellar space. But the end could be near (CNN)

📌 A new phone scanner that detects spyware has already found 7 Pegasus infections (WIRED)

🎬 SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT

📌 Prince Harry addresses speculation about marriage with Meghan Markle: 'we've apparently divorced 10 times' (PEOPLE)

📌 Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Pete Davidson and more 'Saturday Night Live' stars reveal what they spent their first paychecks on (MSNBC)

📌 Japan's famous sake joins UNESCO's cultural heritage list, a boost to brewers and enthusiasts (ABC)

📌 College football signing day winners and losers include Texas, Florida and LSU (USA TODAY)

🗓 ON THIS DAY: DECEMBER 5

1933: The 21st Amendment to the United States Constitution repealed the 18th Amendment, ending a short period of Prohibition.
1952: The Great Smog of London, a period of severe air pollution in London that is also known as the Great Fog, began and lasted for five days.
1984: ‘Beverley Hills Cop,’ starring Eddie Murphy, premiered.
1987: "Heaven is a Place on Earth" by Belinda Carlisle reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.