Good morning, and welcome to The Epoch Times News Brief for Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024. I’m Bill Thomas, we have some pressing stories to share with you right now, and here’s what’s going on.
The CEO of our nation’s largest health care firm makes his first public comments about the murder of one of his close associates, Russia launches a devastating attack against a number of Ukrainian targets, and the Teamsters union says a massive strike may be necessary unless a big box warehouse chain comes to the bargaining table.
Also, Democratic lawmakers say they’re willing to work with the upcoming administration regarding at least two major issues, and a former House speaker is hospitalized in Europe—we’ll tell you all about it.
UnitedHealth CEO Reacts to Associate’s Killing
Yesterday, UnitedHealth Group CEO Andrew Witty released an emotional tribute to Brian Thompson, the head of the group’s insurance arm, UnitedHealthcare.In an op-ed, Witty called the killing of Thompson an “unconscionable act” that has left Thompson’s family, friends, and colleagues grappling with profound grief which he says they will carry for the rest of their lives.
The CEO called the victim a “brilliant, kind man” who was working to make health care better for everyone.
Witty went on to express appreciation for the outpouring of support for Thompson. However, he condemned the fact that company employees are facing threats to their lives and being subjected to online vitriol in the wake of the killing.
You may be aware that Thompson’s murder has brought renewed attention to the failings of the U.S. health care system, and some people have even praised Luigi Mangione, the man accused of killing the executive.
Witty says he understands people’s frustration with the health care system in the United States, which he says is “flawed” and “does not work as well as it should.”
He went on to say that no one would design a system like the one we have, that it’s a “patchwork built over decades,” and that UnitedHealth Group’s mission is to help make it work better. He also said his company is willing to partner with anyone to affect positive change, and they’re always looking for ways to deliver high-quality care and lower costs.
By the way, UnitedHealthcare, which Thompson led, is the largest private insurer in the United States.
Russia Launches Huge Aerial Attack on Ukraine’s Energy Grid
Russia’s aerial bombardment of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure involved dozens of cruise missiles and drones, and officials warned people to stay in underground shelters until the attack ended.Ukraine’s air force said that Russia used air-launched ballistic Kinzhal missiles against targets in western Ukraine, and authorities reported multiple explosions in both the capital of Kyiv and the southern port city of Odesa.
Ukraine’s energy minister said workers were doing whatever they could to minimize the “negative consequences” for the country’s power grid, which has been a major target in recent weeks as Russia seeks to knock out heating and lighting just as the winter cold begins to bite.
However, following the attack, Ukraine’s national grid operator imposed further restrictions on power usage throughout the country.
So you know, Ukraine has already suffered 11 significant attacks on its energy infrastructure this year, which have caused substantial damage and led to lengthy power cuts for the war-torn population.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s foreign minister urged Western countries to help out by delivering more air defense systems, including a number of surface-to-air missile batteries.
By the way, yesterday’s attack came only hours after Ukrainian officials said they were not ready to start negotiations with Russia because they don’t have any guarantees that similar conflicts won’t happen again in the future.
Teamsters Accuse Costco of Rejecting Their Contract Demands
Negotiations for a new worker contract between membership warehouse retail giant Costco and the Teamsters union have fallen apart, and the union now says that if they don’t reach a new deal by the end of next month when contracts expire, 18,000 workers will go on strike.The Teamsters say that Costco has taken an “aggressive anti-union stance” and rejected 98 percent of their proposals, which include policies dealing with paid family leave, sick time, and more.
Costco is the third biggest retailer globally—with net profits last year of more than $6 billion—and the union is accusing the company of ditching its earlier “pro-worker” reputation to instead prioritize “corporate greed.”
The Teamsters’ president says that Costco’s actions surrounding the negotiations are pushing the Teamsters “closer to a labor dispute every day.” The union also filed several unfair labor practice charges against Costco recently, and accuses the company of attempting to suppress union activities.
So you know, in the past, Costco and the Teamsters have been at odds on several occasions regarding contract negotiations. Earlier this year, the company accused a Teamsters press release of propagating false information about another contract negotiation involving drivers, saying it “inaccurately accused Costco of delays and threatened a possible future strike by the drivers.” Costco said it had engaged in a “cordial and respectful” discussion with the union at the time.
By the way, the Teamsters union represents 1.3 million workers in the United States, Puerto Rico, and Canada, while Costco operates nearly 900 warehouses worldwide, including more than 600 in the United States.
Some Democrats Willing to Partner With GOP on Key Issues
Earlier this week, at something called the No Labels National Conference, a number of Democratic members of Congress pointed to where they may be willing to back up the Republicans on some significant policy initiatives.So you know, beginning next month, Republicans will control both the House and the Senate, but their majorities will be very narrow—meaning Democratic support may be necessary to pass their proposals.
At the convention, Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y) said that border security and public safety should not be partisan issues, that the problems must be addressed, and that it’s time to get serious about it.
He said his party’s position on border security contributed to Vice President Kamala Harris’s defeat in the 2024 presidential election, and that the Democrats swung the pendulum too far to the left on the issue.
Another Democrat, Rep. Vicente Gonzalez (D-Texas), agreed with him, and said that the upcoming administration makes it possible to pass a lot of policy proposals that were not realistic in a Democratic administration.
Their thoughts on immigration reform were echoed by a number of other Democrats in attendance at the conference, who said that the issue was an area where genuine compromise can be achieved.
You should know that government streamlining and permitting reform were also areas where the lawmakers believed consensus could be reached, with some conference participants pointing specifically to President-elect Donald Trump’s upcoming Department of Government Efficiency initiative.
Former House Speaker Hospitalized After Injury
The former speaker suffered an injury during an official engagement in Luxembourg, which is a country that borders Germany, Belgium, and France.Yesterday, a spokesman for Pelosi said she was traveling with a bipartisan congressional delegation to mark the 80th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge when the injury occurred, and that she was admitted to the hospital for evaluation.
The spokesman went on to say that the 84-year-old Democrat is “currently receiving excellent treatment” and that she continues to work. However, he didn’t provide any further details regarding either how she got hurt or just how serious the injury is.
Pelosi said that she’ll cancel the remainder of her engagements in Luxembourg, and she’ll be unable to attend any of the remaining ceremonies which have been scheduled to honor the courage of U.S. service members during World War II.
Yesterday on X, Republican Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) of Texas, who is part of the congressional delegation in Europe, said he is disappointed that Pelosi won’t be able to join the group’s events this weekend as he said he knows that she really looked forward to it, adding that he believes Pelosi will make a quick recovery.
So you know, last month, Pelosi clinched a 20th term in the House when she won her reelection in California’s 11th Congressional District, which largely encompasses the city of San Francisco.
And now, it looks like our time is just about up for today, so we’re gonna call it a wrap for the Saturday edition of the Epoch Times News Brief.
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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 the legendary Tony Bennett, who said:
“Fame comes and goes. Longevity is the thing to aim for.”
Bennett had a brilliant decades-long career as a jazz and pop singer. Along the way, he picked up 20 Grammy Awards, a Lifetime Achievement Award, and two Primetime Emmy Awards. He was one of the best that ever was.
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.
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Enjoy the remainder of your day and we’ll see you right back here next time for another edition of the Epoch Times News Brief.
For now, let’s all continue to watch out for one another and have an absolutely superb day today. Bye for now.
