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Don't want this to get lost. Basically if Luigi Mangione pleads guilty tomorrow in federal court — either by plea deal or just open plea — Manhattan DA could try to push to convict him on a firearms charge in state.

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On double jeopardy, Luigi Mangione, and a possible guilty plea today

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There's been a lot of accusations of "copycat crimes" following Brian Thompson's murder, I explore that idea here: www.rollingstone.com/culture/cult...

Luigi Mangione, Copycat Crimes, and the Rise of Political Violence

Experts weigh in on the complex nature of copycat crimes and why political violence is on the rise

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I've been reporting on Luigi Mangione since his arrest following the killing of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson. In March 2025 I published a deep dive profile on Mangione for @rollingstone.com www.rollingstone.com/culture/cult...

The Life and Mystery of Luigi Mangione

How Luigi Mangione, an Ivy League grad accused of the United Healthcare CEO shooting, became one of the most debated murder suspects in recent history

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It depends what the judge sentences LM to if he pleads guilty. If he gets 30 years, makes state case less irrelevant

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Yes, the death penalty-related charge was dropped in January

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There were long press/public lines for Luigi Mangione’s federal hearing in NYC early this morning, where he’s expected to plea guilty to stalking United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson

A long line of press outside of federal court in NYC

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Another lawyer I spoke with had an interesting note, he said there's a chance Manhattan DA can try to go to trial on the firearms charge. Just depends if Seidemann wants to push or not / what Carro decides

Another lawyer, who asked to remain anonymous because he hadn’t been given permission by his company to speak on the record, says that it’s important to note that the Manhattan DA still has a legal argument that they can use to prosecute Mangione: Because Mangione faces a state weapons charge that is separate from second-degree murder, Seidemann can still potentially go to trial on the weapons charge alone, and try to ask for consecutive sentencing if Mangione is convicted. (The firearms charge carries a maximum of 15 years.) Seidemann also has the option to wait to make this decision until after he sees what the federal sentence is.

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It will be up to New York Supreme Court State Judge Gregory Carro to decide whether to dismiss the state indictment, assuming Mangione’s team argues double jeopardy. In Feb, Carro said it wouldn't be fair for federal trial to go first because state “did most of the work."

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If, as part of a plea tomorrow, Luigi Mangione states he intended to and did kill Thompson, that could make a double jeopardy case stronger

Christian says the double jeopardy argument could be made stronger if, in a plea change, Mangione were to state he intended to and did kill Thompson.

“Those are the elements of murder in the second degree,” says Christina, “If I were the defense, I would argue it’s the same transaction, and factually, he’s pled to the same thing he’s being charged in state, therefore, the indictment should be dismissed.”

She says this was an argument former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort’s defense successfully made in 2019.

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Some other things to note, IF a federal plea deal is reached that does not mean Mangione is going into court knowing what his federal sentencing will be

If Mangione does make a plea deal in his federal case, that doesn’t mean he will be able to negotiate what his sentencing will look like. “The [federal] prosecutors will recommend a certain sentence within the guidelines, and then the defense says we agree to that, but ultimately it’s going to be up to the judge,” says attorney Catherine Christian. Though she has not worked on this case, Christian was a prosecutor in the Manhattan District Attorney’s office and is now a criminal defense lawyer. She explains that in federal court, defendants don’t necessarily know what the sentencing will be when a plea deal happens, because that is ultimately determined by the judge in the case, which for Mangione is Judge Margaret Garnett.

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Also just want to add ****A source close to the matter spoke with me and stressed that plea negotiations can always change up until the last minute, so things are still in flux****

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Luigi Mangione might be pleading guilty tomorrow in federal court, but what does that mean for his state murder trial in September? I spoke with lawyers about double jeopardy and potential next steps: www.rollingstone.com/culture/cult...

What Happens If Luigi Mangione Pleads Guilty in Federal Court Tomorrow?

Lawyers weigh in on how a federal plea deal could affect his upcoming state trial for the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.

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Reposted by Lorena O’Neil

I spoke with a close friend of Nolan Wells, Tracestin Shepherd, who is clearing up what that viral video of a fight is about: “In that video, you hear somebody yelling — that is me." www.rollingstone.com/culture/cult...

What Really Happened in the Last Known Video of Nolan Wells: 'It's Me Yelling'

One of Nolan Xavier Wells’ close friends says he’s the person on the boat who can be heard shouting in the viral video circulating online

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Shepherd says he wants to correct the record, both because he wants the truth out there and because he’s worried about his friends who are receiving death threats after online sleuths have misconstrued what is happening in the video.

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Wells and Shepherd met in high school and were close friends. “He made sure everybody was included in everything and if you were somewhere, he made you feel welcome there. He didn’t see any flaws you had, he only saw the positive you brought into his life, into the world."

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“It’s me yelling — my exact wording is, ‘Get me off this fucking boat.’ I wanted to fight, and I’d felt like I hadn’t had my fair share.” -Shepherd

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The fight did not involve Wells, says Shepherd. In the video, Shepherd -- who had jumped on to his uncle's boat -- was yelling at another friend to let him off the boat so he could finish the fight.

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The fight started because of a disagreement Shepherd had w/his girlfriend, a young man from a neighboring town criticized their conversation, and things between the two boys got physical

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What Really Happened in the Last Known Video of Nolan Wells: 'It's Me Yelling'

One of Nolan Xavier Wells’ close friends says he’s the person on the boat who can be heard shouting in the viral video circulating online

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Lorena O’Neil @lorenaoneil.com · 09/07/2026

MS people: I'm reporting on Nolan Wells for @rollingstone.com if you have any information you'd like to share my signal is lorenaoneil.64 and DMS are open

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Reposted by Lorena O’Neil

Eileen Clancy 🧿 @clancyny.bsky.social · 11/05/2026

Lorena O'Neil's latest ..., @lorenaoneil.com

Photo of Mangione arriving in NYC off a plane, wearing an orange jumpsuit surrounded by a massive amount of cops and feds.

caption: Luigi Mangione, suspect in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, arrives in New York City, December 2024.

📸: credit: Spencer Platt/Getty Images

RS Reports
Luigi Mangione, Copycat Crimes, and the Rise of Political Violence
Experts weigh in on the complex nature of copycat crimes and why political violence is on the rise

By Lorena O’Neil

May 11, 2026

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Reposted by Lorena O’Neil

Kathleen Bachynski @bachynski.bsky.social · 25/04/2026

“Measles is basically a canary in the coal mine for our entire system,” says Dr. Scott Harris, the state health officer in Alabama’s Department of Public Health. “When it surges like this, it signals that our vaccination programs are starting to fail, and that other diseases won’t be far behind.”

nytimes.com

Opinion | Measles Is Back. It’s a Sign Worse Is Coming.

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Reposted by Lorena O’Neil

Alondra Nelson @alondra.bsky.social · 17/04/2026

Data centers are a physical manifestation of AI infrastructure and they've become a flashpoint precisely because they're tractable. They exist in specific places, consume specific resources, can be seen and pointed to. I spoke with @lorenaoneil.com @rollingstone.com about our urgent AI reckoning.

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Reposted by Lorena O’Neil

Susan Kaye Quinn is Writing Solarpunk 🌞🌱 @susankayequinn.bsky.social · 17/04/2026

"what’s changed is that the public has developed both the vocabulary and the lived experience to name what’s bothering them,”

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Reposted by Lorena O’Neil

I wrote about the celebratory reaction to the rash of violent acts against Sam Altman and AI, and how it reflects the public’s growing anger and resentment against AI companies, data centers, and tech billionaires: www.rollingstone.com/culture/cult...

The 'Techlash' Against AI Is Here. Have We Hit a Tipping Point?

As backlash against AI increases, it has also turned violent, unveiling a deep mistrust of a system that would benefit from guardrails, say experts.

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Building trust comes from action, Suresh Venkatasubramanian says: “The states have tried very hard to legislate, but they’re also being hampered, ironically, by the very tech companies who parachute into states and block them from doing anything to build more trust and to put up guardrails on AI.”

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There's a long history of the general public responding strongly to advances in technology, explains economist Carl Benedikt Frey, adding that resistance to automation tends to coincide with economic downturns. The war in Iran, higher interest rates, and an unstable job market could amp up anxiety.

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“They’ve stolen all the works of humanity, the books, the art, everything we’ve ever put on Reddit, they’ve turned around and tried to monetize and sell it back to us and defund education, libraries, public health institutions,” Safiya Noble says. “People are not stupid."

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Data centers are increasingly unpopular, they use enormous amounts of water/electricity and have displaced residents. Maine recently passed the first statewide ban on them, and Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez support legislation to pause them www.rollingstone.com/politics/pol...

Bernie Sanders and AOC Want to Pump the Brakes on AI Development

Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez are introducing legislation aimed at slowing down the development of AI data centers.

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“The negative sentiment around AI has been growing steadily, and what’s changed is that the public has developed both the vocabulary and the lived experience to name what’s bothering them,” says Alondra Nelson, who led Biden's Office of Science and Tech Policy

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For the story I spoke with multiple AI experts who have been sounding the alarm within the tech community about the harms of building AI without guardrails. They see the public’s reaction as an escalation of the mistrust toward AI that has been simmering for years.

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The 'Techlash' Against AI Is Here. Have We Hit a Tipping Point?

As backlash against AI increases, it has also turned violent, unveiling a deep mistrust of a system that would benefit from guardrails, say experts.

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Reposted by Lorena O’Neil

jenna newman phd @jennanewman.bsky.social · 27/03/2026

“the way [these companies]have designed it, the bones of social media, is inherently unhealthy to kids…they’ll scroll &scroll until the wee hrs of the AM. Dev’ing brains need a lot of sleep, &so if a kid’s only getting 3 or 4 hrs of sleep/pm, it has ramifications that are completely debilitating.”🛟🧪

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Lorena O’Neil @lorenaoneil.com · 27/03/2026

I spoke with one of the plaintiff's attorneys in the social media addiction trial about what comes next and how this $6 million verdict could impact tech companies www.rollingstone.com/culture/cult...

Social Media Addiction Lawyer on Landmark Trial: 'Social Media Is Inherently Unhealthy for Kids'

Emily Jeffcott, one of the lawyers for the plaintiff, on why this trial was so significant — and what happens next.

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Lorena O’Neil @lorenaoneil.com · 26/03/2026

UPDATED with @aoc.bsky.social comments: "We must sound the alarm now — because this surveillance of the American people is not going to stop. We must stop it. All of this harm has occurred, not in spite of, but because of the absence of federal legislation to regulate AI.”

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Lorena O’Neil @lorenaoneil.com · 26/03/2026

UPDATED w/@aoc.bsky.social's comments: "We must sound the alarm now — because this surveillance of the American people is not going to stop. We must stop it. All of this harm has occurred, not in spite of, but because of the absence of federal legislation to regulate AI.”

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Reposted by Lorena O’Neil

Rolling Stone @rollingstone.com · 25/03/2026

“We cannot sit back and allow a handful of billionaire Big Tech oligarchs to make decisions that will reshape our economy, our democracy and the future of humanity." Story: www.rollingstone.com/politics/pol...

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Lorena O’Neil @lorenaoneil.com · 25/03/2026

Today @sanders.senate.gov is introducing an AI data center moratorium bill in the senate, and @aoc.bsky.social will be following suit in the house as they call for more AI regulation to protect Americans and the environment www.rollingstone.com/politics/pol... @rollingstone.com

Bernie Sanders and AOC Want to Pump the Brakes on AI Development

Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez are introducing legislation aimed at slowing down the development of AI data centers.

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Lorena O’Neil @lorenaoneil.com · 18/03/2026

It's dangerous for civilians AND for troops to dismiss guardrails on AI as bureaucracy and speed toward modernization without safety, experts tell me. “You have a Pentagon, under Hegseth’s leadership, that is increasingly dismantling accountability structures." www.rollingstone.com/culture/cult...