Good morning, and welcome to The Epoch Times News Brief for Tuesday, Dec. 24, 2024. I’m Bill Thomas, and on the day before Christmas, we have some very compelling stories to share with you, and here’s what’s going on.
President Joe Biden makes a controversial decision regarding a number of condemned prisoners, the suspect charged in the murder of a prominent health insurance executive enters a plea in New York City, and a House committee releases a report concerning a former member of Congress.
Also, several major automakers say they’re in serious talks regarding a mega-merger, and President-elect Donald Trump says that the United States absolutely needs to take control of a strategic island in North America.
Biden Commutes Death Row Prisoners
Yesterday, Biden said that he’s commuting the sentences of 37 convicted murderers who are currently serving time on the federal government’s death row, and those prisoners will now serve life sentences without the possibility of parole.He said that although he condemns “these murderers” and grieves for the victims of “their despicable acts,” he was guided to make this decision by both his conscience and his political experience.
He went on to say that he’s more convinced than ever that the death penalty should stop being used at the federal level, except in cases involving terrorism and hate-motivated mass murder.
It’s worth pointing out that during his first term, President-elect Donald Trump’s Justice Department resumed executions of condemned federal prisoners after a 17-year pause, but a moratorium was issued after Biden took office.
Trump made it clear during his recent campaign that he would not only resume but expand the death penalty upon taking office again; however, Biden’s commutations cannot be overturned.
Right now, there are 40 prisoners on federal death row, and three of these convicts remain subject to the death penalty after Biden’s commutations.
They include Robert Bowers, who was convicted of killing 11 people in the 2018 mass shooting at a Pittsburgh synagogue; Dylann Roof, who killed nine parishioners in the 2015 mass shooting at a church in Charleston, South Carolina.; and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, who was convicted for crimes related to the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing.
Mangione Pleads Not Guilty to Murder
Luigi Mangione pleaded not guilty to multiple counts of murder, including murder as an act of terrorism, in a state case brought by the Manhattan district attorney’s office.Mangione’s attorney told the judge presiding over the case that the 26-year-old suspect is being treated like both a “human spectacle” and “a human ping-pong ball” by two warring jurisdictions who have charged him with crimes.
His lawyer said she’s highly concerned about her client’s ability to receive a fair trial in New York City. She pointed specifically to Mayor Eric Adams, who was seen in a number of photos walking directly behind her client when he arrived in Manhattan along with a heavy law enforcement escort.
However, the judge told the defendant’s attorney that he has little control over what happens outside the courtroom. He also said he can guarantee that Mangione will get a fair trial.
As a refresher, prosecutors say that earlier this month, Mangione shot and killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in a targeted, well-planned attack as he was walking to an investors conference in Manhattan. They also say that when he was captured later in Pennsylvania, the suspect was carrying a firearm that matched the one used in the killing, a fake ID, and a notebook containing writings critical of the health insurance industry.
The victim’s murder has prompted some social media users to praise Mangione while denigrating the health insurance industry, a stance that has drawn significant pushback from a number of elected U.S. officials.
Meanwhile, reporters say that the next court date has been set for two months from now, and it’s a case of national interest that we’ll all be watching very closely.
House Ethics Committee Releases Gaetz Report
Yesterday, the House Ethics Committee unveiled its report into the past conduct of former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), after he filed a last-minute lawsuit in federal court to block its release. He said that the committee is reaching beyond its constitutional authority because it lacks jurisdiction over him now that he’s a private citizen.The group determined there is substantial evidence to indicate that a number of House standards of conduct were violated by the former congressman, including rules prohibiting prostitution, statutory rape, and illicit drug use.
So you know, Gaetz has denied any wrongdoing and several committee members voted against releasing that report; however, the majority were in favor of making it public.
The report alleges that Gaetz paid tens of thousands of dollars to women for drugs or sex on at least 20 occasions, that he accepted improper gifts including a trip to the Bahamas, and that he sought to obstruct the committee’s investigation. The panel also cited a number of potential violations of both federal and state laws.
However, the document also points out that investigators did not find sufficient evidence to conclude that the former congressman had violated the federal sex trafficking statute, and that Gaetz had declined a voluntary interview.
Meanwhile, Gaetz recently said that he has been fully exonerated and that no claims have ever been made against him in court. He said, “It’s embarrassing, though not criminal, that I probably partied, womanized, drank, and smoked more than I should have earlier in life. I live a different life now.”
As you may recall, last month, Gaetz resigned from Congress following his nomination by President-elect Donald Trump to be the country’s next attorney general. He withdrew his name from consideration to avoid becoming a distraction to the incoming president’s new administration.
Nissan, Honda Confirm Merger Talks
Both Honda and Nissan now say they’re in talks to combine resources, that they’re investigating complete business integration, and that Mitsubishi Motors is also considering joining forces with the other two automakers.For the record, earlier this year, Nissan and Honda signed a strategic partnership agreement to speed up electrification and intelligent vehicle technology. Executives say that this latest decision reflects an urgent need to respond swiftly to changing market forces and the rapid pace of automotive innovation.
Leaders from both companies believe that pooling resources will help them remain globally competitive and deliver cutting-edge products to consumers.
Earlier this year, Nissan said the potential deal is focused on working together on self-driving vehicle technology, as well as jointly developing electric vehicle (EV) batteries and other drivetrain components.
By the way, the global push toward EVs is likely a significant factor in the merger. According to Reuters, by 2030, Honda wants to produce more than 2 million EVs annually and have EVs represent about 40 percent of its new car sales, while Nissan is aiming for 60 percent of its new vehicle sales to be either EVs or hybrids also by the year 2030.
Executives hope that a three-way collaboration will bolster each brand’s ability to innovate and remain competitive amid a changing industry. If Nissan and Honda merge, even without Mitsubishi, they would still form the world’s third-largest automotive company by sales, trailing only Toyota and the Volkswagen Group.
Trump: US Control of Greenland an Absolute Necessity
Trump says that U.S. control and ownership of Greenland is “an absolute necessity” for “national security and freedom throughout the world.”During his first term, Trump expressed interest in the United States acquiring the strategically located but financially challenged island, which is an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark. He called the purchase essentially “a large real estate deal.”
However, at the time, that territory’s Department of Foreign Affairs said the island is not for sale. So you know, Greenland is the size of about a quarter of the United States, has a population of just over 55,000, and is located halfway along the shortest route from Europe to North America.
Denmark and the United States have shared defense of the island for more than 70 years, and Greenland currently hosts a critical space base in the remote northwest part of the territory. The base hosts a crucial early warning radar system for monitoring intercontinental ballistic missile launches from Russia, China, or North Korea.
By the way, over the past decade, Greenland has become more economically dependent on China, and according to Chinese state media reports, Beijing considers Greenland a critical and strategic part of its ongoing Arctic ambitions.
Trump commented on buying the island as he announced PayPal co-founder Ken Howery to be his nominee for U.S. ambassador to the Kingdom of Denmark. Howery was the U.S. ambassador to Sweden during the president-elect’s first term in office, which ended in 2021.
Before we go, a few other important stories we’re keeping a close watch on today in the News Brief newsroom, and here’s what’s happening.
And now, it looks like our time is just about up for today, so we’re going to call it a wrap for the Tuesday edition (the Christmas Eve edition) of The Epoch Times News Brief.
Don’t forget the News Brief Motto: We’re portable, affordable, and we’re always on-demand. You can even take us along during your Christmas shopping adventures, and if you’re like me, you’ll be starting your Christmas shopping in about three or four more hours.
And finally, as we do each and every day on this program, we wrap everything up with a very notable quote, and this one comes to us from Calvin Coolidge who said:
“Christmas is not a time nor a season, but a state of mind.”
Calvin Coolidge was the 30th president of the United States, and he served in our nation’s highest office from 1923–1929.
By the way, the countdown to Christmas continues and tomorrow is Christmas Day, so make sure the stockings are hung by the chimney with care, and don’t forget to leave cookies out for any visitors who happen to stop by with presents in tow.
For all of us here at The Epoch Times News Brief, I’m Bill Thomas.
The Epoch Times News Brief program is written each day by David Ross.
Thank you for making us your one-stop source for a concise, accurate, and unbiased daily synopsis of many of the news stories you need to know about.
Enjoy the remainder of your day, have a remarkable Christmas Eve, and we’ll see you right back here tomorrow for the Christmas Day edition of The Epoch Times News Brief.
For now, it’s imperative that we all continue to watch out for one another, and have an absolutely superb day today. Bye for now.
