95.1 The Bee

Attorney General Pamela Bondi announced Tuesday she is directing federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty for Luigi Mangione if he is convicted of the December murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Mangione is accused of gunning down Thompson outside a Hilton hotel in Midtown Manhattan as the CEO headed to an investors conference on Dec. 4, and was later arrested in Altoona, Pennsylvania five days after the murder.

Mangione is facing federal charges for stalking and killing Thompson as well as the use of a silencer in a crime of violence. One of the federal charges against Mangione, murder through use of a firearm, makes him eligible for the death penalty if convicted.

Bondi said in a statement that “Mangione’s murder of Brian Thompson — an innocent man and father of two young children — was a premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked America.  After careful consideration, I have directed federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty in this case as we carry out President [Donald] Trump’s agenda to stop violent crime and Make America Safe Again.”

Bondi called the killing of Thompson “an act of political violence,” and further alleges that “Mangione’s actions involved substantial planning and premeditation and because the murder took place in public with bystanders nearby, may have posed grave risk of death to additional persons.”

Mangione’s attorney, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, called the decision to seek the death penalty “political,” and said it “goes against the recommendation of the local federal prosecutors, the law, and historical precedent. While claiming to protect against murder, the federal government moves to commit the pre-meditated, state-sponsored murder of Luigi. By doing this, they are defending the broken, immoral, and murderous healthcare industry that continues to terrorize the American people.  We are prepared to fight these federal charges, brought by a lawless Justice Department, as well as the New York State charges, and the Pennsylvania charges, and anything else they want to pile on Luigi. This is a corrupt web of government dysfunction and one-upmanship. Luigi is caught in a high-stakes game of tug-of-war between state and federal prosecutors, except the trophy is a young man’s life.”

Mangione has pleaded not guilty to all charges, and his legal team confirmed he consents to a preliminary hearing under the Speedy Trial Act.  He has yet to enter a plea on the federal charges, including murder through the use of a firearm, which would make him eligible for the death penalty if convicted. He is due back in federal court on April 18.

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New Jersey Democratic Sen. Cory Booker broke a record Tuesday evening after speaking for more than 24 hours in a marathon speech, in which he protested the Trump administration and what he called the national “crisis” that President Trump and Elon Musk has created.

Booker began delivering the marathon speech starting on Monday evening and continuing into Tuesday for at least 24 hours and 19 minutes — which surpassed (at 7:19 ET) the previous record set by Sen. Strom Thurmond, who filibustered the Civil Rights Act of 1957 for 24 hours and 18 minutes. Booker’s speech, however, is not considered a filibuster, as it is not occurring during debate on a specific measure to block proceedings.

Booker, 55, took the floor at 7 p.m. Monday, announcing that he intended to disrupt “the normal business of the United States Senate for as long as I am physically able.”  The senator painted his speech as a warning over the “grave and urgent” threat Americans faced from the Trump administration, arguing that “bedrock commitments to the country are being broken. Unnecessary hardships are being borne by Americans of all backgrounds, and institutions which are special in America, which are precious, which are unique in our country, are being recklessly — and I would say even unconstitutionally — affected, attacked and even shattered.”

The Senator from New Jersey cited the legacy of leaders including late congressman and civil rights activist John Lewis, whom he said stood up “when this country was facing crossroads, was facing crises, they stood up. I rise today in an unusual manner. Tonight, I rise with the intention of getting in some good trouble. I rise tonight because I believe sincerely that our country is in crisis… These are not normal times in America, and they should not be treated as such.” Booker spent time reading letters from constituents who say they have been harmed by the Trump administration’s policies, and condemned the administration’s policies, including trade wars and mass firings of government workers, as well as deportation issues.

On occasion, Booker yielded to his Democratic colleagues on the floor who encouraged his effort – including Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York, and Sens. Lisa Blunt Rochester of Delaware, Andy Kim of New Jersey, Peter Welch of Vermont, Dick Durbin of Illinois and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York. At noon on Tuesday, Booker briefly paused for the chaplain to say a prayer (as is required under Senate rules during a continuous session) but continued to hold the floor.

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Military officials said Monday that the bodies of three U.S. Army soldiers — who went missing in Lithuania during a training exercise last week after their armored vehicle sank in a body of water — have been found. Search and recovery efforts were ongoing to locate a fourth missing soldier.

The soldiers had been deployed to Lithuania in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve, and were permanently stationed at Fort Stewart, Georgia. Lithuanian armed forces and law enforcement worked alongside them during last week’s training exercise. The Army later shared in a statement that the soldiers’ identities were being withheld pending notification of their next of kin.

The soldiers, assigned to the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, went missing the morning of March 25 after their M88A2 Hercules armored recovery vehicle became submerged in a peat bog during a mission to repair and tow an immobilized tactical vehicle. The submerged armored recovery vehicle was found by the Army and Lithuanian authorities last Wednesday; in an update from over the weekend, the Army said the vehicle was under at least 15 feet of water, clay-like mud and silt. Their 63-ton armored vehicle was removed from the peat bog early Monday morning.

Maj. Gen. Christopher Norrie, 3rd Infantry Division commanding general, said in a statement: “our hearts are heavy with a sorrow that echoes across the whole Marne Division, both forward and at home. We stand in grief with the families and loved ones of these extraordinary ‘Dogface Soldiers’ during this unimaginable time.”

Lithuania’s President Gitanas Nausėda expressed his condolences to President Trump and the United States in a post on social platform X. “It is with deep sadness and sorrow that I received the news of the tragic loss of three U.S. soldiers during a US-led training exercise in Lithuania. The search and rescue operation will continue until the fourth soldier is found. @realDonaldTrump, Lithuania mourns together with the American nation. Please accept my heartfelt condolences, as well as those of the Lithuanian people, to you, the loved ones of those who lost their lives, and all the people of the United States of America. During this difficult time, our thoughts and prayers are with you.”

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The financial technology platform Rocket Companies — , which includes real estate, title and personal finance businesses, and mortgages under its umbrella — has acquired the mortgage company Mr. Cooper Group Inc. in an all-stock deal valued at $9.4 billion.  The acquisition of Mr. Cooper by Rocket creates an entity that will represent nearly 20% of all mortgages in the United States.

Per AP News: Rocket said Monday that the purchase of Mr. Cooper Group Inc. will create a business representing one in every six mortgages in the United States and give it almost 7 million additional clients. The deal will boost loan volumes, while lowering client acquisition costs; with Rocket stating in a press release that “it will bring its industry-leading mortgage recapture capabilities to a combined servicing book of $2.1 trillion across nearly 10 million clients, representing one in every six mortgages in America.”

The move comes just weeks after Rocket acquired real estate listing company Redfin in an all-stock deal worth $1.75 billion.. The acquisitions of Mr. Cooper and Redfin will allow Rocket to speed up its AI-powered platform “and remove the friction and complexities plaguing today’s homebuying process,” according to the release.

The combined company will see Mr. Cooper Group Chairperson and CEO Jay Bray become President and CEO of Rocket Mortgage, who will work under Rocket CEO Varun Krishna. Bray said in a statement: “By combining Mr. Cooper and Rocket, we will form the strongest mortgage company in the industry, offering an end-to-end homeownership experience backed by leading technology and grounded in customer care.”

Rocket shareholders will own approximately 75% of the combined company, while Mr. Cooper stockholders will own about 25%. The combined company’s board will have 11 members, with nine being from Rocket and two from Mr. Cooper.

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