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Good morning, I'm Jayakumar Madala filling in for Sarah Naffa.

In the news today: Luigi Mangione’s hard turn from a prosperous life to murder suspect; President Biden defends his economic record; and Israeli warplanes carry out heavy airstrikes across Syria. Also, India’s Indigenous Nagas showcase their traditional culture at the Hornbill Festival. 

Luigi Nicholas Mangione is escorted into Blair County Courthouse in Pennsylvania. (AP Photo/Gary M. Baranec)

U.S. NEWS

Luigi Mangione's hard turn from wealth and success to murder suspect

The suspect in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was apparently living a charmed life: the grandson of a wealthy developer, valedictorian of his elite prep school and with degrees from an Ivy League university. Read more.

Key points:

• A law enforcement bulletin obtained by AP said Mangione likely was motivated by his anger at what he called “parasitic” health insurance companies and a disdain for corporate greed. The killing has sparked widespread discussions about unfairness in the medical insurance industry and even inspired folk-hero sentiment toward his killer.  
  
  

• An X account linked to Mangione includes recent posts about the negative impact of smartphones on children; healthy eating and exercise habits; psychological theories; and a quote from Indian philosopher Jiddu Krishnamurti about the dangers of becoming “well-adjusted to a profoundly sick society.”
  

RELATED COVERAGE ➤

• Man accused of killing UnitedHealthcare’s CEO fights extradition
  
  
• WATCH: Defense lawyer for Luigi Mangione tells press that client is pleading not guilty

POLITICS

Biden says he was 'stupid' not to put his name on pandemic relief checks

President Joe Biden said Tuesday he was “stupid” not to put his own name on pandemic relief checks in 2021, noting that Donald Trump had done so in 2020 and likely got credit for helping people out through this simple, effective act of branding. Biden did the second-guessing as he delivered a speech at the Brookings Institution defending his economic record.  Read more.

What to know:

• Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris largely failed to convince the American public of the strength of the economy. The addition of 16 million jobs, funding for infrastructure, new factories and investments in renewable energy were not enough to overcome public exhaustion over inflation, which spiked in 2022 and left many households coping with elevated grocery, gasoline and housing costs.

   

• More than 6 in 10 voters in November’s election described the economy as “poor” or “not so good,” according to AP VoteCast, an extensive survey of the electorate. Trump won nearly 7 in 10 of the voters who felt the economy was in bad shape.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤

• Trump says he’ll pick Andrew Ferguson head of FTC and Kimberly Guilfoyle as ambassador to Greece
  
  
• Florida lawmaker’s party switch increases Republican supermajority in the House
  
  
• For now, ‘Dreamers’ will be shut out of the health care marketplace in 19 states
  
  
• DeSantis appointee says he won’t help his elected replacement take office
  
  
• Making a $1B investment in the US? Trump pledges expedited permits — but there are hurdles
  
  
• McConnell falls and sprains wrist after GOP luncheon, colleague says he is ‘fine’

WORLD NEWS

Israeli warplanes pound Syria as troops reportedly advance deeper into the country

Israel carried out a wave of heavy airstrikes across Syria as its troops advanced deeper into the country, a Syrian opposition war monitor said. Israel acknowledged pushing into a buffer zone inside Syria following the overthrow of President Bashar Assad. Read more. 

Why this matters:

• Israeli forces moved into a roughly 400-square-kilometer (155-square-mile) buffer zone inside Syria that was established after the 1973 Mideast war, a move it said was taken to prevent attacks on its citizens.
  
  

• The Israeli military said that it carried out more than 350 strikes in Syria over the last 48 hours, hitting “most of the strategic weapons stockpiles” to stop them from falling into the hands of extremists. 
  
  

• There was no immediate comment from the insurgent groups, led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, that have taken control of much of the country. Members of the ousted Syrian government will gradually transfer power to a new transitional cabinet headed by Mohammed al-Bashir. Outgoing officials met for the first time Tuesday with al-Bashir, who told reporters that the transitional period would last until the beginning of March.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤

• Israeli strikes on Gaza kill at least 29, Palestinian medics say
  
  

• These Palestinians disappeared after encounters with Israeli troops in Gaza
  
  
• Humanitarian aid to northern Gaza mostly blocked for the last 2 months, UN says

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IN OTHER NEWS

READ

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Balkan unrest: Serbia’s president says he won’t flee his country like Syria’s Assad did despite growing protests

Wisconsin: Kayaker who faked his death and fled to Eastern Europe is in custody, records show

Search trends: What did you Google in 2024?

Scrabble: A New Zealander studied for a year to win the Spanish world Scrabble title. He doesn’t speak Spanish

Today in History: King Edward VIII abdicates British throne

WATCH

Malibu fire: Wind-driven wildfire in Malibu, California forces residents to flee

Politics: Donald Trump is returning to the world stage. So is his trolling

New Orleans: A fugitive dog gains fame amid city-wide effort to recapture him

Entertainment: Jim Carrey shares why he decided to come back to the 'Sonic' franchise

Nobel Peace Prize: Atomic bombing survivors receive award on behalf of Japan’s Nihon Hidankyo

A CHANGE OF PACE

An Indigenous Naga tribal sings during the Hornbill Festival at Kisama, in the northeastern Indian state of Nagaland. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath)

Nagas showcase traditional culture at Hornbill Festival In India’s northeast
The men were dressed like warriors as they stabbed their spears in the air, reenacting a form of tribal warfare their ancestors used in battles. Many others, wearing tribal costumes, sang and danced, keeping alive customs that have passed down through generations. These were among the scenes at the 10-day Hornbill Festival in Kohima, the capital of India’s remote Nagaland state. Named after the Indian hornbill, a large forest bird, the festival is Nagaland's biggest tourist draw and seeks to showcase the rich tradition and cultural heritage of the state's Indigenous tribes.

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