Transcript
Well, well, well. Let me just start. Thank you for attempting. Well, well, well, your voice has somehow gotten worse. Well, that's why I stopped because I was just like, this sounds so bad. You need to be the one to do the well, well, well. Yeah. It's okay. It's really not great. It's not great, everyone. I'm gonna do my best to try to provide some sort of, like, vocal texture today instead of just, like, the hollowness that I feel. Yeah. Yeah. I'm gonna work hard, though, to bring in that voice because we're here. We're here. We're recording. Okay? We've got a lot to get into, a lot to discuss. So much to get into. Obviously, this has been a huge week in the country Mhmm. Alright, in the world. So the world is really watching the country these days. So So true. So this week, we're going to be talking about the cold blooded murder of Brian Thompson by allegedly Luigi Angioni. So quick question. Are we gonna spend the the duration of the episode talking about Luigi? We're gonna spend a a huge chunk of it, but right now, we're gonna chat first. Okay. Does that work? Yeah. Thank you. I was confused. I didn't know. I'm a little bit blind to to today's episode. Okay. Just what our listeners were watching. Well, I'm well, I'm blind to this subject a little bit more. I'm I'm up to speed with the other subjects. I actually thought some of the biggest news was the Jay z stuff. We do need to. So we're gonna get into that as well. Yeah. But let's let's just quickly catch up house not even housekeeping, but I guess friendship housekeeping. How are you? Doing great. Last night was my 1st night in the new unit, in the new apartment. So happy, loving being officially not a tourist in New York. Now I'm obsessed with the place. I can't wait to show everyone. Yesterday was just, like, extremely chaotic, stressful, just unpacking and getting everything situated. We had a lovely day together. Are you gonna mention me or any I was gonna say you were there, so it feels weird to tell you about it. So that's all you gotta say is that I was there. I you guys, it was so cute. Chandler was like, I wanna be there for the 1st day. You cry. I don't think that's gonna happen, but I did find it to be super cute. Chandler was, like, so excited for me when she came over. And when I got upstairs, because she, you know, got in without me, basically, randomly, while I was checking out something downstairs or getting a package. Anyway, I walked in, and there was a beautiful, like, little welcome package from her with a homemade baked loaf of bread, of sourdough bread, some gorgeous peppermint Oreos, and a beautiful, beautiful piece of flowers. So, anyway, it was so, so nice. Thank you, Chandler. Why am I talking like this? That last little part made it feel like a less sincere Thank you, truly. Why don't you clear your throat and say thank you with your chest? It's getting quieter every time. Are we gonna make it through this episode? I we're gonna do our darndest. Okay. I'm concerned because you're gonna be leading a large section of it, but that's fine. Let me give you some vocal rest right now Okay. Which is something that never happens on this podcast. Lauren never has vocal rest. No wonder your voice is gone. Yes, everyone. I wanted to be there on Lauren's 1st day moving in. I really like, you know, move in days. I think it's, like obviously, this one was very momentous. And, yes, I wanted to bring you something special. So I did make a loaf of homemade sourdough bread, 3 ingredients. Okay. That's it. Doesn't it taste amazing till you were let's just quickly share, I guess, here and back off a vocal rest. It's good? So Chandler made me sourdough bread, and it was just so good this morning. It was delicious. Thank you. Incredible. Like, honestly, I wanna learn how to do that. You absolutely should. It's very easy. Anyway yeah. It was really fun to be there yesterday, and, like, I see you unpack and help you unpack, and it's just gonna be a great new chapter for us. It is. It's gonna be a really fun new chapter for the pod, for our sisterhood, and it was just really sweet, though. I wanted to say that you wanted to be there when, like, it was just a bunch of, like, movers and big boxes. Like, part of me wanted to be, like, come tomorrow when it's, like, all set up. Oh. But it was cute how you just know you wanted to be there. I have this maternal yearning, Just another wonderful thing about me. Yeah. No. But I wanted to have, like, the, you know, Gigi moving in, Bella enter her apartment experience. I wanted to help you set things up or give my opinions. That's a a flame that burns within me. Well, I hope you caught that yesterday. I absolutely did. Yeah. So you're welcome. I don't know why I said you're welcome. Thank you, and you're welcome. Another flame that burns within me. Yeah. I had a small moment over the weekend that I kind of have, I don't know, mixed emotions about. On Sunday afternoon, I went to go to, like, the local bazaar. There's, like, a bazaar on the upper west side, and, you know, there's thrifting things with vintage stuff. And I wanted to look and see if there were anything that I could get for the tablescape at our wedding. K? So, anyway, that that that was the reason for me going. I'm there. I've probably been meandering for 10, 15 minutes when all of a sudden and it's like booths, outdoor booths. Okay? So it's a very crowded situation. Okay. So you're looking through vintage yeah. I'm just kinda going up and down the aisles, whatever. Or unique stuff at the table. Yeah. Just for, like, silver platters and stuff like that. Anyway but that's not important. What's important is that out of the corner of my eye, I suddenly see, like, a scene happening, a scene unfolding. Or do you know how you just, like, know something's off, like, something's happening? And it was literally 5 seconds where all of a sudden I see this kid, literally, I think he was, like, 17, rip something from a stall and run away. Wait. What? Yeah. So he literally grabs something and I because I see him, like, rip it, like, to where, like, the table shook. And Were they, like was it glued to the table? I think yeah. Or I think it was, like, in a box or something. Anyway, he had to, like, pry it off the table. And then he just starts running, and he runs right past me. Woah. And in that same moment, I see the people who he was just standing by say, he just stole that. Okay? Yeah. And I don't know what came over me. Oh my gosh. So he runs past me, and I just go, he just stole something. Of course you did. You've always been a tattletale. This goes back to, like, our very first experiences together. I'm surprised you didn't tell on me yesterday during my move in if I, like, did something wrong with the building. You know? Like, oh, she has the wrong detergent and this type of dryer. I'm with the washer. I don't know what I think whether it was a party with fight or flight, tell or not to tell. You love rules. And I love rules, and I love justice. And I was like I literally pointed my finger because I was like, I'm not gonna let this guy go. Yeah. And then what's crazy is that so, obviously, I'm like, he just stole something. Yeah. You know, alerting the people that where he is now running to say, hey. Yeah. A thief is among you. Then the guy from the stand runs after him, and then they get in a fist fight. And they're they're, like, punching and swinging at each other, and one's got him in a headlock. The craziest thing, though, is that there's, like, folk security or, like, people in, like, fluorescent jackets who are manning the entrance to the bazaar. Oh, are they not stepping in another They're not doing anything. They're not, like, police officers or anything. Anyway, I don't even know what happened, but there was, like they were, like, fighting, and then the kid got away again. And he caught up to him again, and then they were fighting again. Anyway, I don't know what happened. I don't know if my, you know, me raising the alarm did anything, but I don't know. I have mixed emotions about this because I'm like, I don't know why I need to be like, he stole something. Send him to, like, to the gallows. It's not very New Yorker of you. No. It's exactly. He's the thief. Like, most you know, that you don't get involved. You you know, you're doing your own thing. And it's especially if it was, like, low kinda low stakes. Yeah. Right. Like he was hurting somebody. Right. It kinda felt like not woke of me. Oh, interesting. Yeah. Because capitalism really is what steals everyone's Something like that. Everyone else's experiences. I don't know. I just like, after that moment happened, I was like, ugh, I feel kind of embarrassed. I left soon after, but, yeah, that was my justice story. And Wow. Yeah. I mean, that is an incredible tale. Thank you for sharing. I am floored. You don't see that stuff like that very often. I mean, like, purveyor of those goods was you know, he must have really liked whatever that man had taken. I guess, I think it was like a ring or something, but it didn't look like diamonds per se, like gemstones or, like, turquoise. The other thing what it made me think about is, like, if I was in the 14th century Okay. Like, I would be the person that's, like, chop off their arm. They Oh, gosh. No. You were not. I don't know. Maybe I would've. I just I didn't like what that revealed about me. I had no mercy. It is really interesting that you especially in today's climate where all sorts of things happen all over the place And there's nuance with everything. Yeah. And with how woke you are that you are all of a sudden so so willing to put yourself on in the line of fire, essentially. I was. I was. I don't understand the rule of law. I really wanted to bring this to the podcast because I don't know what it means. I don't know if I want to know what it means. I don't know. Maybe it means nothing, and this was just a simple moment where I also wanted a little bit of the limelight. But, anyway, I wanted to bring it up. You might be an attention w***e. That's potentially true. No. I don't think that's what was going on. Thieves, beware. Yeah. Don't tune in front of Chandler. She will tell on you like she told on me. I mean, I was a tattletale growing up. So, yeah, this is The biggest. Yeah. It's true. I feel absolved myself when I tell. You should start feeling less guilt, period, and then you can save us all a lot of trouble. Lauren, I have to tell you that, when I was in London, I asked Ben if he could bring a bigger suitcase because I wanted to, you know, bring home some goodies with me. But when he got to London, he opened up his suitcase, and you know what he'd stuffed it with? Illegal items? No. Clean simple eats travel packs. Like, he must have brought at least he's gonna be here for 5 days. He must have brought 20 of them. You know, when this man's packing, he has the right priorities. Protein. No. Absolutely. I was really impressed. I was actually kinda grateful because I have not been eating well, and I was very happy to get my hands on some of that delicious protein. The travel packs are amazing. Everyone, clean, simple eats. We love it. Eating it, drinking it, and vibing it any way we can for years. I am personally obsessed with both their protein powders and their clear protein. We all know we're supposed to get 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight, and it's very difficult to do if you're not being focused and you're not actually intentionally trying to get any more protein. That's where Clean Simple Eats steps in. Highly recommend. It's clean grass fed protein. Your body needs it. I would never even come close to hitting my protein goals if it weren't for Clean Simple Eats. Let me just say that. They are single handedly helping me reach those goals. One scoop of the powder has 20 grams of protein. One can of the clear protein has 20 grams. It's perfect. Everyone, go to cleansimpletes.com. Use code popapologist for 10% off. Cleansimpletes.com. Code popapologist for 10% off. Okay. The heiress tour concluded. It did. So It's done. We need to talk about that before we get to the rest of the episode. Yes. I personally was devastated. There was no announcement. I know. And people are telling me that I need to give her grace because she's probably tired, but I'm sorry, but she built this cage for us to live in. Oh, do okay. That's interesting. You think that she kinda set us up to fail here? I just think that, like, of course, people thought we were gonna get some huge announcement announcement Yeah. Especially after the book fumble. I don't know. It's just it I and I get I hope she's tired. Like, if she's a human being, she's tired. I mean, she deserves all the rest. I just thought we were gonna get an announcement as well, and I'm kinda disappointed that we did it. It. Oh, I think everyone's extremely disappointed that we didn't, especially when they have, like, cameras filming her the 2nd night in Vancouver on stage Height. Where it very much looks like I mean, we've seen cameras filming her and Travis leaving the stadium, so we know there's documentary footage or there's some footage that would be used in documentary. Maybe they're just doing an expanded version of the movie Yeah. To feature TTPD. I personally just think it's so interesting that she didn't plan one surprise for the last show. She's, like, out of surprises. Like, yes, there are surprise songs, but I would have thought that she would have done one just song randomly that left a surprise or just something. Or, like, another surprise guest. Just something. I think that everyone who thought they were gonna get a little something extra on that night totally had every right to think that. And it's fine if she didn't announce a new album or whatever, but I think, yeah, like, there was nothing extra special about it. Like, I kinda understand feeling a little disappointed. Totally. I because I I would rather go to the last last night than the second to last night because I would think there was going to be something special on the last night. Oh, fine. Sure. Well and I I'm so glad I was sick because I honestly was, like, ready to risk my marriage and my financial future to go to the last show. Yeah. Because I was just sure that I was going to be something beyond once in a lifetime. So now I'm kind of like so glad I didn't. You know, I'm sure everyone had an amazing dime. It doesn't, like, negate your experience at all. Special is announced to any of the shows that I went to. Yeah. I mean and, also, like, when I went to see her at MetLife, I thought she was gonna play Cornelia Street, and I was sure she was going to. And then when she didn't, I was 10% disappointed in that moment. It didn't actually color my experience in the long term. But, yeah, in the moment, I was like, oh. Womp womp. The fact that there was no surprise just really makes me think that she's exhausted and that she's, like, just finishing the tour was the most she could do. Of course. Yeah. No. I I think a 100%. Because, you know, following whatever announcement she potentially could have made, there was going to be another then cycle of things. And maybe she really does just wanna let the dust settle from us, you know, the fairy dust because it has been so incredible. And I don't want this to, like, undercut anything, how special the last 2 years have been. You know, it's crazy. 2 years, it's a long time. It's a long time. It's a long time. And it's really sad, I think, for a lot of us because now we're just like, okay. Is it were we going back to the dark ages? Were we going back to the Joe adjacent times when we never saw her? No. Because Travis will have things. Donna's got her movies. Yeah. That's true. Like, we're gonna be seeing them. Yeah. Yeah. Well It is the end of an era. It is. It is. And the start of an age. And I think that the fact that she kept the energy alive for so long really didn't cancel any shows out of tiredness. Oh, thank you for bringing that up. I thought about that on the train here. Like, it's a miracle, she not to cancel any shows. Like, it's not even, like, tiredness. Like, even if I was Taylor Swift right now, if I had this voice, it's not like I could perform No. Era store. Right? Absolutely not. God had his hands in her being able to do all the shows. So Because fact that she never even just got a cold that took I'm sure she got a cold. She got a cold. She just pushed through. You can't push through if she's bored. Get, like, laryngitis or something. I don't have laryngitis. I have a cold. I feel like they they have remedies, and they've got, like, doctor feel good or something. I feel like celebrities can get, like, a shot of something crazy, some crazy vitamin c**ktail, and be okay for a couple hours. I need someone super rich in the audience to verify if you know something about But I but that is true. I mean, she could have gotten, like, strep or something, and it just would have been impossible for her to perform. Yeah. Okay. Well, anyway, speaking of care for the ill, let's take a subway. It's so funny. I saw a headline today that was, like, Bill Belichick, whatever, like, considers UNC job. And I'm like, wait. He's gonna go be the new CEO of UHC? But then I was like, no. UNC. Anyway What is the UNC? I think it's a football team. Oh, okay. But I am I it's just That was a hilarious little tale. I just feel so sorry to hear. I was like, oh my gosh. I can't believe they're already ready to replace the CEO who just got killed with Bill Belichick. Belichick. Wow. You know? You can leave that, and you can keep it out. Whatever. UnitedHealthcare, clearly, they're after value for the shareholders is the bottom line. Apparently, they deny double what the normal rate is in health care. So, anyway, everyone, obviously, we have, of course, now moved on. Look. Let's just say really quick. We tried to make the turn from Taylor Swift to this Luigi alleged killer, a couple of times, and it's it's a tough segue for us. So let's just now I'll hold hands together and move on to, you know, what we know about Luigi Mangione, the person of interest in Brian Thompson's murder. So I personally have been on quite a journey with Have you? I have with Okay. I have been fascinated with this story ever since it came out. Yeah. I haven't been able to stop paying attention to it. First, it's just so terrifying that someone can just literally murder someone on the streets of the city, by the way, I just moved to. Okay? And then, I'm sorry, skedaddle away. Yeah. That was very alarming to me. It's alarming. You would think that there's enough Ring cameras around this city and enough people. It's not like you can just get in a getaway car and speed out of town. Getaway car. That could've been a good segue. Thank you. No. It it's totally alarming. I mean, I think the footage of it is really eerie. The woman who's, like, outside, I don't know if she's taking a smoke break or she's just, like, standing outside, and then all of a sudden she, like, see is right there seeing what's happening, then she runs away. I mean, it's it's a 10 second video that is so chilling. It is absolutely terrifying. Alright, Jen. So let's first let's lead everyone through the facts of the case. Okay. So Brian Thompson was the CEO of the health insurance division of the $550,000,000,000 company UnitedHealth Group, and he was in New York City on Wednesday for an investor meeting. He was shot from behind just before 7 AM on December 4th outside of the New York Hilton Midtown. He was hit in the back and the right calf, after which the suspect fled on foot and on an electric bike. A video of the shooting showed the suspect walk out behind Thompson, who did not have a security detail, before firing multiple times. Multiple times. Officers found 3 9 millimeter rounds at the scene in bullet casings that had the words deny, defend, and depose on them, which echo a phrase commonly used to criticize tactics insurance companies use to reject claims. So that's a play on the phrase delay, deny, defend, which is the rallying cry of people who are critical of insurance companies. So it's delay, deny, defend. Okay. But on the bullet casings, they change the last word to depose, which means to, like, swiftly get rid of somebody. Oh, really? Is that what depose means? Well, there's 2 meanings. There's obviously the law meaning of, like, you know, being questioned, and then, you know, depose can also be defined as to remove from office suddenly and forcefully. Really? So that's what I thought it was. I thought the depose was like the kind of, like, zinger, if you will, about this act. That's gotta be what he intended it to mean then. Right? Like, you think you're going to delay and deny our claims Right. Right. And our coverage. Yeah. And then you think you're gonna defend yourself, and I'm actually going to Depose of you. Depose. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Well, yeah, we're gonna get to it, but the manifesto sheds a lot of light on this person's state of mind, on Luigi's state of mind. So the victim, Brian Thompson, was CEO of UnitedHealth Group, as we said, and he had 2 sons. The NYPD and the FBI both offered rewards for the rest of the suspect, $10 from the NYPD and $50 from the FBI. I think that what was interesting and kind of shocking to everyone Mhmm. Was how the Internet you know, before it became a thing that he was hot Yeah. Before that was something that was a big part of the conversation, the people were still cheering on Yeah. This act of violence. Oh, yeah. It was like this guy had it coming. Yeah. Exactly. This is like one of the most hated CEOs, c suite people, and, you know, this is the type of person who has it coming for them. Well and I think that UnitedHealth Group, if they really have 2 x, the average rate of denials Mhmm. Of other companies, it makes it even more blatant what this was all about. Right. You know? Right. There's clearly a pattern with this particular company. And I think I I don't wanna be speak out of my depth here because I don't know an a lot about this subject, but I just you know, obviously, health care is a broken thing in the United States and is a broken system, and people have a lot of discontentment with it and feel like the health care companies just take advantage of them. I think that the tricky thing is if you've never experienced what it's like to not be able to afford your medical care and have a health insurance company that you've paid faithfully monthly, essentially, like, denying coverage, which you and I both have been lucky enough to be healthy Yeah. Together medical community We've never lives. We've never experienced, I would say, any type of extreme Health issues. Yeah. And and I think no extreme situations with health care companies. I will say, though, I do know what it's like after working in a couple different corporate jobs to have baseline insurance and then what it's like to have great insurance and how it feels super arbitrary what you get. Like, depending on the the job you work at, your company provides you with health insurance. Right? And I am fortunate enough to have great health insurance now with my current job. With my previous job, it was not very good at all. And I I was paying through the nose for things I I shouldn't have to pay through the nose for. If if money is coming out of my already very low paycheck, I think that was the really s**tty part is that I was, you know, working at a job where I was paid very little, and my health insurance was terrible. Yeah. And so it was just like, wow. Like, I just feel like the rich get richer and the poorer get poorer. Right. And I think that is just one obvious that's a very real story, but it's, like, such a small, like, pain compared to the people that and I'm not trying to do this real thing, but I I think that it's important to be aware that, like, the people who are so sick, they don't have a Totally. I I'm not trying to say that, like, oh, I know what this experience is like. I'm just saying, like, I have seen in small ways, on my own small experience, how health insurance can, like, make or break you financially. Right. And, also, we we know people who had cancer and who racked up insane medical bills from you know, it's just it feels like you can really get kicked while you're down, thanks to insurance companies, even though you pay them faithfully month after month. Right. And it's very interesting that we're the richest country in the world Mhmm. And we have this broken system. Right. Anyway It doesn't make any sense. Yeah. So back to this killing. So after the murder in cold blood, the rumor was that he kind of, like, disappeared into Central Park, and they just couldn't find him. Mhmm. 5 days later, he was recognized 250 miles away in Pennsylvania in a McDonald's by a customer who recognized him from all the media Mhmm. Showing his photo, kind of, like, very faint photo we had. Yeah. I think that, actually, that photo was from him checking into a hostel. And, also, that photo was everywhere. It had been memeified. It was not just like Yeah. Like, I think it's it's worth noting that this wasn't obviously, it was, like, you know, a security camera still, but it was everywhere. Right. Like, I could probably do a sketch from memory of this guy Right. Just from all the memes I saw. Yeah. Well, and I think that it it got memeified because he looked really cute in the photo. Mhmm. That's just, like, wildfire that he was caught. Okay. So police arrived to the McDonald's and found that Luigi had multiple fraudulent ideas on him, a US passport, a firearm, and a suppressor similar to what was used in the murder, and a handwritten document that speaks to both his motivation and his mindset. So according to the New York Times, the manifesto found on Luigi Mangione mentions UnitedHealthcare by name, noting the size of the company and how much money it makes according to a senior law enforcement official who saw the document. The manifesto also broadly condemns healthcare companies for placing profits over care. So a little bit about this 26 year old. He's from a wealthy Baltimore family and attended high school at the Gilman School in Baltimore, where tuition is nearly $40 a year. He was an athlete and also class valedictorian. He attended Penn for his bachelor's and his master's degree. So what's interesting, I think, in captivating everyone so much is that this is a guy who does not really fit the bill for what you would expect. Usually, you know, like the Unabomber and, like, the They're like outcasts. They're total outcasts. Exactly. And losers. And this guy was, by all accounts, a real winner. Yeah. He lived and worked in hon Honolulu where he worked remotely as an engineer for TrueCar and lived in a coliving community. So Like a what are those called? I think it's like a Commune. Right? I don't yeah. I mean, I don't have any details on that. It was a co living community. I can get into the detail of his arrest. Okay. Officers found a 3 d printed pistol and a 3 d printed silencer in his backpack consistent with the firearm used in the shooting of Brian Thompson. First of all, that is really scary to me that the murder Robin was potentially 3 d printed. There was also a 3 page written manifesto, and the police said, quote, it does seem that he has some ill will towards corporate America, end quote, police have not named a formal motive in the killing of Thompson. In the manifesto, though, Luigi allegedly admitted to working alone stating, quote, to the feds, I'll keep this short because I do respect what you do for our country. To save you a lengthy investigation, I state plainly that I wasn't work working with anyone. The note then added, I do apologize for any strife or traumas, but it had to be done. Frankly, these parasites simply had it coming. So one interesting thing about Luigi is that he had a very serious back injury. So Luigi's friends in Hawaii told various news outlets that he was suffering from debilitating back pain. Luigi left Hawaii to get back surgery last year since his spine was misaligned and said his lower vertebrae were almost a half inch off, and I think it pinched a nerve. Luigi had confided to close friends about not being able to date people because being physically intimate, quote, with his back condition wasn't possible. Okay. So Chrissy, who helps on the podcast, messaged me this morning about this connection, okay, about this back pain that Luigi has. Okay. And she shared that she thinks that well, Lisa, let's just hear what she has to say. Also, you'll probably have some insight because what I'm reading this guy, he had a back injury and then had kind of a botched surgery, and his quality of life was really not that great. Like, one of the articles said that he couldn't date because, like, you know, he wasn't able to hook up with anybody because, physically, his back hurt too much. And I know Kagan had some pretty debilitating back stuff, so could probably shed some light on that. I had the same thought. It's so it was just so funny because I'm like, Chrissy, you are so right. I need to ask Egan what insight he has into this Well, yeah, like of Luigi. I mean, I'm with Chrissy on this one because I asked because I'm thank god have never had a slipped disc or back nerve in, you know, pain, but I know it can be debilitating. Is it impossible to have sex? It's a great question. So Kagan, can you call him? Kagan's back pain is not nearly that bad Okay. To where it's you know? You just have to be on top all the time. I just thought that'd bring bring a moment of levity, and it sure did. Yeah. Well, I more. Chrissy and my and my mind were on the exact same page because I was like, oh, Kagan can speak to this because I know he has back pain. Yes. I I think that back pain obviously ranges in its in how debilitating it is, and it's painless. Well, it's a monolith. Anyway, I thought that was, like, very, very funny. Okay. So Luigi had withdrawn from his family and friends Mhmm. Before this incident for a matter of months, and there was a clue on his Goodreads that, you know, his state of mind was shifting. He actually left a review for the Unabomber's book. Yeah. And this review said, it's easy to quickly and thoughtlessly write this off as the manifesto of a lunatic in order to avoid facing some of the uncomfortable problems it identifies. But it's simply impossible to ignore how prescient many of his predictions about modern society turned out to be. Their view also quoted another person's take about how violence is necessary to survive. Okay. So the public response to this murder has obviously been outrageous with a lot of people really coming to his defense. Mhmm. Okay? The photos of him that have emerged now that he's been identified, he really is gorgeous. He's like the Internet's crush, I would say, right now. Menendez's brother, step aside. He's looking all good. Okay. So some of the comments are that I saw on TikTok was, he's young and smart. Let's not ruin his very promising future over this Oh my god. Because he's, like you know, with Japan is Yeah. Obviously very accomplished. I think too it sounds like he comes from a wealthy family Yeah. Which is very interesting to me. Someone put put me at the top of the list for his conjugal visit. How much is his bail set for? I got him. Luigi is not guilty. He was with me all last week, so there's a bunch of funny Tik Toks that people are, like, actually could never have done it. I was with him, and then the only time he left my side was to go feed the homeless. I'm curious, though. Yeah. Was he trying to not get caught? Like, I I wanna unpack his being arrested and especially all the things that were on his person when he was arrested. You'd think if you didn't wanna get caught Right. And if you were, you know, hoping that you could deny the crime, if you did get caught, you would get rid of all that stuff. Well, it's it's such a good point, and I was listening to a podcast this morning that was kind of taking a more conspiratorial route. Mhmm. And they were like, there's just no way any of this adds up. And I I think what their thesis is essentially because, of course, the conspiracy theorists are already like they always have an idea for how this was set up actually by the government Mhmm. So that we can take away gun rights. Right. So they were saying it doesn't add up that he had all that on him. Well, they were just saying, like, it makes no sense. So this guy figured out where Brian Thompson was going to be. Obviously, like, he's a very smart, accomplished person. Mhmm. And then he didn't know to just to get rid of all the evidence Right. Right. To, like, get rid of the murder. Dumpsters between here and, you know, wherever he was in Pennsylvania. Exactly. So a lot of people were are very suspicious of this and think that none of this makes any sense. Also, the fact that he would go to a McDonald's, you know, doesn't make any sense that he would leave some paper trail. You would think that you would just go into hiding. Mhmm. Also, I listened to the police announcement when they apprehended him, and it was just so funny because they were, like, so self congratulatory to, like, the NYPD and the police department of Yeah. And, you know, of this Pennsylvania town worked in concert to, like, apprehend this murder. And it's like, I'm so sorry. No. Like, a McDonald employee and customer figured out where he was. Like, not the NYPD. Like, not any police. Right. Right. Well and on the podcast that I was listening to, basically, they said that sometimes the police selectively only release certain details so that the person can kind of, like, settle into thinking that they kinda got away with it. Like, for example, saying, we're looking for them, but they might actually have an idea of where they are Yeah. In a small radius, but they want that person to act normally or to get comfortable and make a mistake, like go to McDonald's. Were you listening to the NYPD's podcast? Sounds like a very primipity podcast. What what am I supposed to say to that? No. I'm actually Chandler just motioned to her ear like she was, like, getting you know what? Like, someone was telling her what to say. For those listening at home, not watching the video, I curtsy the police officers. I thank them for their courage. I don't love the fact that it seems like this guy just escaped into the wild. Yeah. Right. And we'll add to rely on a McDonald's employee and customer to find him. And so I hope you're correct. Yeah. No. Absolutely. And, I mean, at the end of the day, it came from a tip from a civilian person. Right. You know? It wasn't like they apprehended him out of McDonald's where they've been tracking him. Right. Yeah. Exactly. So now I think that we should get to his manifesto Yeah. Because I think it's very interesting to hear what he had to say. This manifesto is gripping to me. Okay. It's so interesting. And I asked our producer. I was like, is it are we gonna be in trouble if we read this? And he was like, no. You should read it. Okay. So this is what it says. The title is the allopathic complex and its consequences. Do you know what allopathic I don't. Let's just look that up really quick. Allopathic medicine is a medical practice that uses conventional treatments to treat diseases and symptoms. Okay. So I think that's like west Western medicine? Yeah. Yeah. So this is what Luigi Mangione allegedly wrote in what was apprehended. The second amendment means I am my own chief executive and commander in chief of my own military. I authorize my own act of self defense in response to a hostile entity making war on me and my family. They diagnosed my mother with severe neuropathy when she was 41 years old. She said it started 10 years before that with burning sensations in her feet and occasional sharp stabbing pains. At first, the pain would last few moments, then fade to tingling, then numbness, then fade to nothing a few days later. First time the pain came, she ignored it. Then it came a couple times a year and she ignored it. Then every couple months, then a couple times a month, then a couple times a week. At that point, by the time the tingling faded to numbness, the pain would start and the discomfort was constant. At that point, even going from the couch to the kitchen to make her own lunch became a major endeavor. The first doctor said it was psychosomatic. Nothing was wrong. She needed to relax, de stress, sleep more. The second doctor said it was a compressed nerve in her spine. She needed back surgery. It would cost a $180,000. Recovery would be 6 months minimum before walking again. 12 months for full potential recovery, and she would never lift more than £10 of weight again. The 3rd doctor performed a nerve conduction study, electromography, MRI, and blood test. Each test cost 800 to $1200. She hit the $6,000 deductible of her UnitedHealthcare plan in October. Then the doctor went on vacation, and my mother wasn't able to resume tests until January when her deductible reset. The test showed severe neuropathy. The $180,000 surgery would have no effect. By now, the pain was so bad she couldn't exercise, which compounded the weight gain from the slowed metabolic rate and hormonal shifts, and it barely helped the pain and made her so fatigued she would go an entire day without getting out of bed. Then corticosteroids, which didn't even work. The pain was so bad, I would hear my mother wake up in the night screaming in pain. I would run into her room asking if she's okay. Eventually, I stopped getting up. She'd yell out anguish, shrieks of wordless pain, or the word f**k stretched and distended to its limits. I turn over and go back to sleep. All of this while they bled us dry with follow-up appointment after follow-up appointment, specialist consultations, and more image scans. Each appointment was promised to be fully covered until the insurance claims were delayed and denied. Allopathic medicine did nothing to help my mother suffering, yet it is the foundation of our entire society. My mother told me that on a good day, the nerve pain was like her legs were immersed in ice water. On a bad day, it felt like her legs were clamped in a machine shop vise, screwed down to where the crank stopped turning, then crushed further until her ankle bones sprinted and cracked to accommodate the tightening clamp. She had more bad days than good. My mother crawled to the bathroom on her hands and knees. I slept in the living room to create more distance from her cries in the night. I still woke up and still went back to sleep. Back then, I thought there was nothing I could do. The high co pays made consistent treatment impossible. New treatments were denied as an, quote, not medically necessary. Old treatments didn't work and still put us out for 1,000 of dollars. UnitedHealthcare limited specialist consultations to twice a year, then they refused to cover advanced imaging, which is specialist required for an appointment. Prior authorizations took weeks then months. UnitedHealthcare constantly changed their claim filing procedure. They said my mother's doctor needed to fax his notes. Then UnitedHealthcare said they did not save fax patient correspondence and required a hard copy of the doctor's typed notes to be mailed. Then they said they never received the notes. They were unable to approve the claim until they had received and filed the notes. They promised coverage, and they broke their word to my mother. With every delay, my anger surged. With every denial, I wanted to throw the doctor through the glass wall of their hospital waiting room. But it wasn't them. It wasn't the doctors. It wasn't the receptionists, administrators, pharmacists, imaging technicians, or anyone we ever met. It was UnitedHealthcare. People are dying. Evil has become institutionalized. Corporations make 1,000,000,000 of dollars off the pain, suffering, death, and anguish cries in the night of 1,000,000 of Americans. We entered into an agreement for health care with a legally binding contract that promised care commensurate with our insurance payments and medical needs. Then UnitedHealthcare changes the rules to suit their own profits. They think they make the rules and think that because it's legal that no one can punish them. They think there's no one out there who will stop them. Now my own chronic back pain wakes me in the night screaming in pain. I sought out another type of healing that showed me the real antidote to what ails us. I bide my time, saving the last of my strength to strike my final blows. All extractors must be forced to swallow the bitter pain they deal out to 1,000,000. As our own chief executives, it's our obligation to make our own lives better. 1st and foremost, we must seek to improve our own circumstances and defend ourselves. As we do so, our actions have ripple effects that can improve the lives of others. Rules exist between 2 individuals and a network that covers the entire earth. Some of these rules are written down. Some of these rules emerge from natural respect between 2 individuals. Some of these rules are defined in physical laws, like the properties of gravity, magnetism, or the potential energy stored in the comical bonds of potassium nitrate. No single document better encapsulates the belief that all people are equal and fundamental worth and moral status and the frameworks for fostering collective well-being within the US constitution. Writing a rule down makes it into a law. I don't give a f**k about the law. Laws mean nothing. What does matter is following the guidance of our own logic and what we learn from those before us to maximize our own well-being, which will then maximize the well-being of our loved ones and community. That's where UnitedHealthcare went wrong. They violated their contract with my mother, with me, and the tens of millions of other Americans. This threat to my own life, my family's health, and the health of our country's people requires me to respond with an act of war and was long. Sorry. That was long. I wanted to read that because I think that it's, like, very, very gripping to hear that experience. Mhmm. Mhmm. And okay. So I'm actually gonna I have one more quote. This is very brief, though. It's by Tina Brown. Okay. So Tina Brown just wrote a Substack article about this. I think this is very apt. She says, the resonance of his evil actions, the sinister brilliance of his inscribed bullet casings, and the shocking way a middle aged father of 2's brutal killing has unleashed a social media fury, not at his murderer, but at the health insurance industry will, I suspect, make the slaying of Brian Thompson an era defining crime. The viral ugliness of the response on social media is just a taste of what is boiling in the hearts of countless Americans ground down by the cost of health care and the rejection of their claims. Anyway, I think it's just so heavy. Mhmm. And it honestly kinda reminds me when there was all of the violence after George Floyd. Yeah. There was a lot of people, like, defending that violence Yeah. And saying sometimes, like, peace doesn't bring about, like, the need to change, essentially. Yeah. I I think that this is a cause. And when I say cause, I mean, taking down insurance companies that do prey on people who expect care from them and who do, like, choose profits over care. I think that this is a cause that a lot of people feel like is justified. Yeah. I think that the truth is that both are wrong. Yeah. Like, you can't do an act of vigilante justice. You know, you shouldn't murder someone in order to bring about the change you want. Mhmm. But at the same time, like, these health insurance companies are completely evil and corrupt. And someone wrote, 2 things come wrong at the same time, the health insurance industry and murderer. So let's focus on what's approvable. The 31% claims denial rate of UnitedHealthcare, double the average, and the insider trading at the company. Yeah. 100% agree. I said something to Ben about this the other night because I don't know. I'm not gonna post, like, heart eyes over this guy's photo. Yeah. Because I think that's gross. Yeah. I think he at the end of the day, he killed someone in cold blood. Yeah. And that is something that is that is wrong. That is wrong to me. Yeah. But a lot of people are very, very upset and have been very wronged by insurance companies. And so I do hope that things improve. Yeah. And it's like, I'm so with you. I'm not gonna, like, take part in, like, the ghoulish applause for this person. Yeah. But at the same time, like, you can't invalidate just how horrific the suffering is. This act came from a place of real suffering. Yeah. You know? Yeah. And some people actually feel like their suffering was heard Mhmm. Potentially for the first time. Yeah. And the gravity, you know, of what they have gone through is potentially reverberating Yeah. Across this industry. Yeah. I think Tina's right that this feeling and and it is obviously, like, so serious compared to what we normally talk about. Mhmm. And Scott, our producer, was like, you should definitely talk about this because it's, like, very pop culture y with the way this is being memeified across the Internet. Feels almost impossible to really talk about this in a comical way because it's really not funny. Yeah. And nothing nothing is funny about this scenario to me. No part of it is funny. And so I guess, like, you know, a serious topic requires serious conversation, but I think that this sentiment and this tone isn't just being felt by people who are victims of the health care industry. This, like, discontent is what happens when this stratification of wealth and, you know, people with resources and people without resources when it just gets bigger and bigger. Right. Resentment festers, and people become capable of things they never probably would have thought they would be capable of. Honestly, in a way where, like, this guy, the CEO, in his brain, I he probably didn't think he was a bad guy. Mhmm. His family probably didn't think he was a bad guy Yeah. Even though his company was doing evil things Right. Right. And hurting people. So I think that it's just yeah. It's very, very interesting. Yeah. Yeah. And sorry, everyone. The tone of today's podcast episode is just much more heavy and serious than normal, but that's just really the content and what's going on. In other very serious news, Jay z has been accused in a civil lawsuit of raping a 13 year old girl in 2000 along with Shonditty Combs. So this is that case where there was another big celebrity. Yeah. So, like, I think that's that's important to clarify that, you know, there was talk that it was Diddy and then this other a lister celebrity Right. And then a female in the room. The rumor was that it was that it was Jay z. Yeah. So now that person, Jay z, has been named. Mhmm. He has been formally named in the lawsuit. So Jay z has fired back. Yeah. And he wrote that this is essentially, you know I mean, he posted a screenshot of a Word document on his Instagram, and he calls this let let me just read a little bit. He says, my lawyer received a blackmail letter called a demand letter from a lawyer named Tony Busby. What he had calculated was the nature of these allegations and the public scrutiny would make me want to settle. No, sir. It had the opposite effect. It made me want to expose you for the fraud you are in a very public fashion. So, no, I will not give you one red penny. His allegations are so heinous in nature that I implore you to file a criminal complaint, not a civil one. Whomever would commit such a crime against a minor should be locked away. Would you not agree? These alleged victims would deserve real justice if that were the case. So he essentially says that his heart only breaks for his family Right. Who he has to now explain what's going on to, but that he's completely falsely accused Right. And that this is a cash grab. Yeah. Yeah. I think that the statement is very interesting because it's really sounds like, you know, he just literally crafted it and posted it. Yeah. And I think that it's interesting that they were also out on the red carpet last night or the night before. Like, they're putting on a united front. It seems like an interesting PR move to immediately, like, have him and Beyonce and Tina Knowles Mhmm. And their daughter Right. On the red carpet seen in public. Clearly, I think the message is is we're not hiding from Yeah. Anything. Yeah. We're going out about our business. That's normal. We have nothing to hide. I mean, I don't wanna be like, I believe this. Right. But I'll just feels crazy to Yeah. I have no idea We how to believe or what to believe, but I I saw that elevator footage. Yeah. You And, like, I just think that, like, you don't physically attack your brother-in-law unless he's, like, a bad dude Yeah. And where while your sister is standing by. Some people are like, that's a double standard. Solange's praise for hitting him or whatever. And just because someone's unfaithful, it doesn't mean they're a rapist. But I don't I don't think Jay z is a great guy. I completely agree with you. And I also think that there's not a chance in hell that he was just unaware that all this stuff went on. Uh-huh. And Diddy somehow shielded one of his, like, best buds Yeah. From all of this, kept it a secret. Okay. So clearly, Jay z knew what was going on. Right. He knew what Diddy was getting up to, in my opinion, allegedly. You know? Just my opinion. Yeah. And he just, you know, sat by, continued to be friends with a rapist. Mhmm. You know? A child molester, a child rapist. Yeah. I'm sorry. What? A lot of people in Hollywood are reconciling with this. And I just think there needs to be a reckoning for all like, you either need to be, like, fully against Diddy, or you're called into question. Right. But and I will say, though, there's, like, there's a difference between the people who were at his white party every year. Like, I'm guessing Ellen was not invited to the freak offs. You know what I mean? Like, I I think that there's probably Yeah. I'm sure there's levels to what you knew about Diddy, but then I also think there's, like there wasn't an Ashton Country who was like, there's stuff I can't even talk about. Yeah. And I think Hollywood is a I've said this before. I think Hollywood's a small town. Yeah. Right. People know stuff about each other. Yeah. You know who the weirdos are. Right. And so it's like, unless you and people were probably too afraid to ever be publicly, against Diddy or whatever. But now I just think, like, I wonder if Jay z is going to condemn Diddy. Maybe he has. I don't know. I'm not sure. But I think that Jay z is is questionable, at best questionable. Yeah. It does strain credulity that he would be such good friends with this person. Yeah. Anyone who was such good friends with this person. Yeah. I don't wanna be friends with anyone who is who is good friends with a child molester Right. Or rapist. Right. And I don't know anybody like that, but I can't even imagine if that was, like, loosely in circles that I ran with. Right. Right. And somehow it was like, yeah. We're just kinda all chill with it. We all look the other way. Right. What? What world are you living in where it's so untouchable and you are you know, you're so far away from what's right and what's wrong that you just live like that? Well and people are now calling into question the timeline of him and Beyonce because Mhmm. He met Beyonce when she was underage. Yeah. Yeah. And, you know, there were official reports that they didn't start dating Yeah. Until she was 18, but it's murky. Also, I just wanna say another thing. He obviously is gonna bring up that Blue Ivy by saying we have a daughter whose friends are gonna surely ask her about this. Okay? I think people always do the I'm a father of a daughter thing. So how could I ever be capable of such a thing? And it's like this person on Reddit was like, it never ceases to amaze me. What if some men only have empathy for women once they reproduce 1? Yeah. It just is interesting because it does like, I feel like the experience of being a woman is honestly feeling like men don't actually have that much empathy for women. Yeah. And so it's almost like that is a valid thing to them because they're like, wait. I actually didn't really care until I had a daughter. And then I No. I I think it is valid for them, but it's just like, what? But I know, but that doesn't make any sense. Yeah. Yeah. Anyway, we'll see what happens. A question I have is about why there can't be criminal filings. Like, because why it's only civil? Is that because of statute of limitations? Probably statute of limitations. Yeah. I mean, I think that the this person has has every right to have been scared for the last 25 years about, you know, literally the a number 1 a list couple, essentially gods in the celebrity world. Right. Yeah. But with all of that, before we get struck down Yeah. We should probably sign off. Let's sign off. Thank you guys so much for listening. Apologies for my voice. Really appreciate anyone who's made it to the end, and we'll be back on Friday on Patreon elites. Premium episode on Apple subscribers as well. Love you guys. Bye bye.
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