Losing My Perspicacity December 13, 2024

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Good morning and Happy Free Friday! Boy, am I glad to see you.

First, a huge welcome to all the new subscribers getting their first Free Friday LMP — thanks for being here. And to my premium subscribers, thanks for sticking with me all week, and I’m always grateful for the little “coffees” and notes you send me. They keep me going.

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Yesterday, I wrote quite a bit about what journalists are facing as the industry collapses all around us. I also included some ways to help push back against the private equity and Silicon Valley bros who seem hellbent on diving media into the ground. I hope you’ll read and incorporate the tips into the way you read and share information online. And please talk to your friends and family about doing the same. Without a robust media, we don’t have a democracy. I bring it up for no reason at all.

Today: A weird twist in the murder of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson; Trump pulls a bait-and-switch on voters; Bil Belichick is going to do WHAT?; Aaron Rodgers sure is smrt; and we end on The High Note.

Here we go.

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Wait…what?

If there’s one thing the rapidly unfolding story surrounding the murder of UHC CEO Brian Thompson is reminding us of, it’s that truth is always stranger than fiction. And this story got very strange very fast.

First, we had a millionaire CEO who, by all accounts, oversaw a company that leads the way in denying healthcare to those who need it, murdered in broad daylight in downtown Manhattan. Then, we had the cops chasing a Citibike red herring for days on end, before admitting they believed the suspect had fled the city. Then, it was not one of the shooter’s sprawling family (Luigi Mangione is one of 37 grandkids on his father’s side) who recognized him and turned him in, but a random worker at a McDonald’s in Altoona Pennsylvania, who may or may not get the $60,000 reward offered for information leading to Mangione’s arrest.

From there, we learned that Mangione has a debilitating back injury that everyone assumed motivated the crime. A considerable segment of weirdos on the internet are thirsting after a murderer and setting up a defense fund for him. And, despite what appears to be a shit-ton of evidence against him, there are more than a few people online who are insisting Mangione is innocent and being framed. But now, NOW comes the biggest twist of all: Luigi Mangione was never a United Healthcare client.

I..what?

From the moment Thompson was gunned down — and definitely once the “deny, defend, depose” shell casings were found at the scene — everyone assumed the shooter had a loved one who had been denied life-saving care by UHC. The minute Mangione was named, the image of his spinal fusion went viral, and everybody thought, “Oh, okay. He’s the one with the serious injury.” And without condoning running around knocking off people in broad daylight like we live in Deadwood, you can at least see where sympathy for Mangione began. Here’s a young kid who injured himself and probably couldn’t get the care he needed from UHC. As a result, he’s in constant pain and can’t live a normal life. According to one of Mangione’s acquaintances, he wasn’t able to date or “be physically intimate” because of the severity of his injury. You don’t have to agree with murder to at least understand the motivation.

But now, if it’s true that Mangione had no real relationship to UHC other than hating all healthcare companies… well, it feels like the narrative isn’t quite so pat. Instead of a kid who has been driven to murder out of frustration with UHC, the whole thing feels more Unabomber-adjacent than it did yesterday.

Meanwhile, Mangione is fighting extradition from Pennsylvania to New York, which he is absolutely going to lose, but he’s probably using it as leverage against the prosecution (or just wants to make the proceedings against him as difficult as possible). At the very least, it will delay the murder charges in NY for a few weeks, if not longer.

This one is probably going to get weirder as more people dig into the case.

Oh hey, about the price of eggs…

In the final months of his campaign, Donald Trump honed in on the rising price of groceries as a winning issue, and placed the blame for Americans being gouged by food corporations solely at the feet of Kamala Harris.

And if you were one of the people wondering what the hell the Vice President of the United States has to do with the price of eggs, you weren’t alone. Still, as further proof that we desperately need to invest in adult civics lessons in this country, a lot of Trump voters bought it.

Of course, it’s counter-intuitive to think that the party that is against regulation of any kind would do anything to curb corporate greed, but again — CIVICS.

Raise your hand if you’re shocked that Trump is now backtracking on his promise to lower the price of groceries.

Wow, it’s so weird that Kamala Harris didn’t benefit from the “supply chain is broken” argument. It’s almost like Trump’s election wasn’t about the economy after all.

Bill Belichick is doing what?

I’ve been worried about Bill Belichick for a while now (not really, because I don’t care about guys who pal around with wannabe dictators). First, he’s dating a 24-year-old (and seriously, what 24-year-old takes a look at 72-year-old Bill Belichick and is like, “I gotta get me some of THAT!”?). And what 72-year-old wants to be in a relationship with someone who has never seen a pay phone or heard of Joni Mitchell?

Now, Belichick is taking the head coaching job at the University of North Carolina.

First off, this whole thing feels like a giant middle finger to the NFL, who let Belichick go an whole year without hiring him. And indeed, Belichick’s contract with UNC comes with a built-in escape clause.

Second, I’m sorry, I just can not see Bill Belichick sitting down in the living room with some 17-year-old and trying to sell them on his program or having to be accountable to boosters and alumni. And while I agree with Tom Brady on almost nothing, I do agree with him on this.

(Also, did Brady get new veneers or a lip flip? His mouth looks strange these days.)

Anyway, a few things here:

Who is this smiling, jovial, friendly Bill Belichick? I have rarely, if ever, seen this man crack a smile during a press conference EVER, even after winning a Super Bowl. I’ve certainly never seen him laugh. Also, you’ll note that Belichick says, at one point, “The recruiting process belongs to everyone.” I heard: “Yeah, I’m going to let other people handle the heavy lifting of recruiting.”

At the very least, this should be entertaining.

Aaron Rodgers has a giant brain

Before you read this next section, I’d like you to all keep in mind that Aaron Rodgers keeps insisting he’s “smart” and “a critical thinker.” Here’s what Rodgers said in response to Jets WR Garrett Wilson’s comments on the team having a “losing gene.”

Oh, the Jets are cursed, all right. And the curse is shaped like a 6’2, 225-lb doofus who gets paid a million dollars to spout anti-vax and conspiracy talking points on ESPN once a week, missed mini-camp to visit Egypt, and thinks the sounds of dolphin sex promotes healing.

You know, my great-grandmother believed you could break a cursed object by throwing it into the sea…. just sayin’.

The news we thought we’d never get

If you lived through the AIDS crisis in the 80s and 90s, it’s miracle enough that AIDS has become a chronic disease in our lifetimes. Now, a medical breakthrough may end it for good.

Best news I’ve heard in a long time.

The High Note

Each day, I do my best to leave you with a story that will give you hope for our world.

This video of CNN’s Clarissa Ward entering a liberated prison in Syria to find one man hiding under his blankets is absolutely astounding. He had no idea what was happening outside the prison and hadn’t seen sunlight for a long time.

And God bless the neighbors who saved Dick Van Dyke from the Malibu wildfire.

By the way, Dick Van Dyke turns 99 today!

Survive and advance today, kids. Don’t let the bastards get you down; the weekend is nigh!

See you all on Monday.