UPenn prof praises accused CEO killer online — then hides her social media after backlash
A University of Pennsylvania professor made some of her social media accounts private and appeared to take down her TikTok account after going viral for appearing to celebrate that the suspected killer of UnitedHealthCare CEO Brian Thompson was a graduate of the Ivy League school.
Luigi Mangione, 26, is accused of executing the former insurance executive on a New York City sidewalk last week. He was taken into custody on Monday at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania.
He is wanted in New York for charges including Murder in the Second Degree, Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree and Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument in the Second Degree.
Since Thompson’s murder last week, social media has been flooded with posts celebrating or mocking Thompson’s killing as justified because of anger people feel about their health insurance claims being denied.
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After Mangione was taken into custody as a person of interest on Monday, UPenn professor Julia Alekseyeva appeared to share several social media posts fawning over the murder suspect.
In one TikTok, Alekseyeva, who posts under the name, “The Soviette,” smiles while playing the song, “Do You Hear the People Sing?” from the famous musical Les Miserables.
The text on screen reads, “Have never been prouder to be a professor at the University of Pennsylvania,” she wrote, replacing the “E” in Pennsylvania with the number 3.
Alekseyeva is an Assistant Professor of English and Cinema & Media Studies at the university and identifies herself as “a socialist and ardent antifascist” on her website.
The posts picked up steam after they were reposted to X by popular account Libs of TikTok and UPenn graduate Eyal Yakoby.
“DISGUSTING,” Yakoby wrote in response. “UPenn professor Julia Alekseyeva celebrates the alleged UnitedHealthcare CEO’s assassin and that the murderer attended UPenn. To anyone wondering how America’s youth becomes so radical to murder someone, it is because of the extremist professors.”
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Yakoby also shared an alleged screenshot from Alekseyeva’s Instagram stories where she called Mangione, “the icon we all need and deserve,” in response to a magazine article purporting to know the murder suspect’s sexuality.
Yakoby also claimed the professor had a history of left-wing activism on campus.
Since her post was shared to X by others, Alekseyeva has made her Instagram account private and appears to have taken down her TikTok account under the same name, though her X account still remains public.
The University of Pennsylvania and Alekseyeva did not immediately return requests for comment.
Other professors have also received backlash for their hot takes mocking Thompson’s murder.
“Today, we mourn the death of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson, gunned down…. wait, I’m sorry – today we mourn the deaths of the 68,000 Americans who needlessly die each year so that insurance company execs like Brian Thompson can become multimillionaires,” Anthony Zenkus, a senior lecturer in social work at Columbia University’s School of Social Work, posted to X on December 4.
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Zenkus’ post racked up over 7 million views and was flooded with comments criticizing him. In reply to these comments, the professor clarified that he wasn’t justifying murder.
“Murdering someone publicly in cold blood in broad daylight is never okay,” he wrote in a follow-up post on December 6. “Best we kill them by denying or delaying their claim for life-saving medical treatment so their families can watch them wither away till they die slowly and in severe and excruciating pain.”
These professors certainly weren’t the only ones on social media expressing these sentiments.
Former Washington Post reporter Taylor Lorenz shared multiple posts appearing to at least understand the killing while suggesting other health insurance executives should be targeted.
Hours after news broke of Thompson’s death, Lorenz wrote on the social media site Bluesky, “And people wonder why we want these executives dead,” alongside a report about Blue Cross Blue Shield no longer covering anesthesia for the full length of some surgeries. The insurance company has since reversed course on this proposed policy change after facing backlash.
Lorenz has since repeatedly doubled down, even appearing to tell TV host Piers Morgan that she felt “joy” over Thompson’s murder.
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Republican leading charge on transgender policies allegedly attacked on Capitol grounds
Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., said she was physically accosted on Capitol grounds Tuesday night, and the suspect has since been arrested.
The U.S. Capitol Police said that just before 6 p.m. the office of a member of Congress, later identified as Mace, reported an incident in the Rayburn House Office Building.
House division officers and agents with the Threat Assessment Section of the police department tracked down the suspect, identified as 33-year-old James McIntyre of Illinois.
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Police interviewed McIntyre and ultimately arrested him on the grounds of assaulting a government official.
“I was physically accosted tonight on Capitol grounds over my fight to protect women. Capitol police have arrested him,” Mace said in a post on X. “All the violence and threats keep proving our point. Women deserve to be safe. Your threats will not stop my fight for women!”
Mace has been vocal about her opposition to transgender individuals using bathrooms not assigned to their biological gender.
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She led the charge against allowing Rep.-elect Sarah McBride, a Democrat from Delaware, to use the women’s restrooms on Capitol Hill. McBride is a biological man who identifies and presents as a woman.
Mace said last month she was receiving death threats, adding that she was being “unfairly targeted.”
Mace also drafted resolution H.R. 1579, which would prohibit members, officers and employees of the House from using facilities other than those corresponding to their biological sex.
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Mace’s office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Mom ‘horrified’ after school allegedly withheld services from her son because of race
FIRST ON FOX: A Wisconsin parent is mulling legal action over a situation where she alleges her son was passed over being given the extra learning attention he needed due to language on the school’s website that says it prioritizes additional help for students based on race.
Attorneys for the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty argue on behalf of their client Mrs. Colbey Decker that a “troubling” and “unlawful” policy in the Green Bay Area School District “explicitly prioritizes reading support resources based on race, thereby violating the U.S. Constitution and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964,” according to a letter obtained by Fox News Digital.
“Mrs. Decker’s child, who suffers from dyslexia, has received different (and less favorable) services because he is white,” the letter states. “If he was Black, Hispanic, or Native American, Mrs. Decker’s son would have been treated more favorably and received different services.”
Decker told Fox News Digital that her son had been receiving one-on-one reading services in another district and that she assumed he would continue receiving that when he moved into the current district in January 2024 but that he was waitlisted for that additional help.
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Decker explained that she learned of the policy while looking at the school’s website.
“I asked them point blank, does he receive less services or is he less of a priority because he’s white?” Decker said. “And even asking that question made me extremely uncomfortable because to think that someone isn’t getting the services they deserve because of the color of their skin is just horrifying. So the principal did respond to me, and much to my surprise, he was very excited to explain to me the work they do in these priority groups.”
The letter alleges, citing the school’s website, that the “district’s literacy policy establishes ‘priority groups’ race—namely, Black, Hispanic, and Native American students—and states that the school will conduct intentional work educating our focus students, prioritizing additional resources to First Nations, Black, and Hispanic students.”
“This policy is in effect and has been applied to Mrs. Decker’s son, according to multiple district employees.”
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The language on the school website also states next to an asterisk at the bottom of the page that, “Priority performance goals are established based on data that shows us we are meeting the needs of some student groups better than others.”
“Focusing on a priority performance group of students will elevate our skills as educators and ultimately benefit all students.”
The letter to the district asks that the policy, known as the King Elementary School Success Plan, be rescinded in favor of a “colorblind approach” to resource allocation along with “immediate and adequate support” to Decker’s son “who has been unfairly excluded from the opportunity to receive necessary resources.”
“Seeing a policy that explicitly prioritizes resources based on race is really troubling, both morally and legally,” WILL associate counsel Cory Brewer told Fox News Digital. “The law demands that Colbey’s son and any child be treated equally to other children, regardless of their race. There should not be special treatment based on skin color. And the fact that this district is embracing the idea that they need to treat children differently based on race is really problematic.”
“We are asking the district to rescind its discriminatory policy immediately to implement a colorblind approach to how it allocates resources, focusing on the needs of the individual student. And we’re also asking the district to provide Colby’s son with the resources that he needs,” Brewer continued. “There’s no reason it should be taking this long for him to get that support. If the district does not change its discriminatory policy, the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty will pursue all legal avenues to protect the rights of Colbey’s son.”
Fox News Digital reached out to the Green Bay Area School District for comment and received the following statement on Tuesday, “The District received the letter from WILL yesterday and we are investigating the allegations. However, we can state unequivocally that the District does not have a policy that includes the language included in the letter.”
“All District policies must be approved by the Board of Education and no such policy language exists.”
The spokesperson added that the language in the School Success Plan is “developed to outline the school’s goals toward continuous improvement, but would not be considered Board (District) policy” which the spokesperson called an “important distinction.”
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Decker told Fox News Digital that other parents she has spoken to “can’t believe” the situation when told about it and every parent “just wants their child to be treated equally.”
“Any time a parent or a grandparent advocates for a child, I know that their sincere hope is that that child is just treated equally,” Decker said. “And that’s not what’s happening when someone is a priority. If someone is more of a priority than someone else’s child has to be less of a priority. And I don’t think that’s the way most of America wants to move forward with education.”
“I think everybody wants us to just be completely color-blind and look at children as simply being children. My son is in the 17th percentile in the state for reading, and there are children who are performing at a higher level than him that are more of a priority only because of their skin color. And I don’t think most parents want anything like that to ever happen in any educational setting ever.”
Marine vet explains why he chose to step in on the subway in first interview since acquittal
New York City Marine veteran Daniel Penny sat down with Judge Jeanine Pirro for a powerful first interview since jurors found him not guilty of criminally negligent homicide in the subway chokehold death of Jordan Neely.
“He was just threatening to kill people,” Penny said in a preview clip that aired on “The Five” Tuesday. “He was threatening to go to jail forever, go to jail for the rest of his life, and now I’m on the ground with him. I’m on my back in a very vulnerable position…If I’d just let him go, now I’m on my back and he can just turn around and start doing what he said – to me…killing, hurting.”
Penny was arrested in May 2023 nearly two weeks after he was questioned and released following a deadly encounter with Neely, who was high on drugs and threatening to kill people on a Manhattan F train when the 26-year-old architecture student grabbed him in a headlock from behind.
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The guilt I would’ve felt if someone did get hurt, if he did do what he was threatening to do, I would never be able to live with myself. And I’ll take a million court appearances and people calling me names and people hating me just to keep one of those people from getting hurt, or killed.
Penny described himself as a non-confrontational person. He said all the attention he’s received since the incident – strong praise from some, demonization from others – makes him uncomfortable.
“I didn’t want any attention or praise, and I still don’t,” he said. “The guilt I would’ve felt if someone did get hurt, if he did do what he was threatening to do, I would never be able to live with myself. And I’ll take a million court appearances and people calling me names and people hating me just to keep one of those people from getting hurt, or killed.”
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WATCH: Daniel Penny speaks out for first time since acquittal
Penny also took issue with the policies of officials like Alvin Bragg, the Manhattan district attorney who spearheaded the failed case against him, as politically motivated and beholden to policies that “have clearly not worked.”
“[Policies] that the people, the general population, are not in support of, yet their egos are too big just to admit that they’re wrong,” he said.
Neely had an active arrest warrant and lengthy criminal history at the time of his death. He had schizophrenia and a drug abuse problem. Three days before his encounter with Penny, a subway rider had been stabbed on another train with an ice pick, according to prior reporting. A PBS reporter had been sucker punched on another train, and more than 20 people had been shoved off of subway platforms in the year leading up to Penny’s arrest.
It was a climate of fear that put straphangers on high alert. Penny even referenced those other cases in a voluntary interview he gave to police after remaining on scene.
“He was talking gibberish…but these guys are pushing people in front of trains and stuff,” he told detectives. They released him without charges, but Bragg’s office secured an indictment 11 days later.
Witness Ivette Rosario, a 19-year-old student, testified that Neely shouted someone would “die that day.”
“I got scared by the tone that he was saying it,” she said. “I have seen situations, but not like that.”
Neely was free to threaten subway riders on the day of his death, and it was Penny that Bragg tried to send to prison.
Witnesses testified that Neely’s threats scared them more than a typical subway outburst would. They were thankful for Penny’s intervention.
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Penny, a Marine veteran who received a humanitarian award for helping hurricane victims, is a Long Island native who friends described as calm and empathetic during trial testimony. He played lacrosse and was in his school’s orchestra as a teen and worked two jobs while studying architecture at the New York City College of Technology following his honorable discharge.
The full interview will stream Wednesday on FOX Nation.
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Legendary 98-year-old actor evacuated after massive wildfire surrounds his home
Dick Van Dyke has made it out of harm’s way.
The legendary 98-year-old actor’s home is one of many at risk as wildfires in Malibu, California, continue to spread. Van Dyke shared an update with concerned fans on his Facebook account, letting them know he and his wife, Arlene Silver, have “safely evacuated.”
“Arlene and I have safely evacuated with our animals except for Bobo escaped as we were leaving,” he wrote. “We’re praying he’ll be ok and that our community in Serra Retreat will survive these terrible fires.”
Fans quickly took to the comments section to send prayers and well wishes to the “Mary Poppins” star.
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“Prayers lifted for you and your family and friends. Prayers for emergency responders as well!” one fan wrote in the comments section.
“My thoughts are with you and all those impacted. Glad you all are safe, hoping BoBo will be rescued,” a second fan wrote.
A third added, “So glad you are all safe. Praying for you.”
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He later posted a video of his cat Bobo, writing, “I hope Bobo is okay.”
Just a few days ago, the actor’s home was featured in a music video for Coldplay’s new song, “All My Love,” which celebrated the actor’s decades-long career in Hollywood. The video included moments of Van Dyke with his family, moments of reflection and footage of his many awards and accolades.
In the video, the actor, who turns 99 Friday, reflects on his life, saying he is “not afraid” of death.
“I’m acutely aware that I could go any day now. But I don’t know why it doesn’t concern me. I’m not afraid of it,” Van Dyke said in the video. “I have that feeling, totally against anything intellectual, that I’m going to be all right.”
According to Fox 11, the Franklin Fire began around 10:50 p.m. Monday north of Pepperdine University and has grown to over 2,800 acres.
“Arlene and I have safely evacuated with our animals except for Bobo escaped as we were leaving. We’re praying he’ll be ok and that our community in Serra Retreat will survive these terrible fires.”
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According to the outlet, a sheriff said during a press conference Tuesday that over 18,000 people and 8,100 buildings have been affected, with 2,000 of those buildings under evacuation orders. The cause of the wildfire is under investigation by LA County Fire and Sheriff’s arson teams.
Aside from Van Dyke, other celebrities living in the area have evacuated, including actress Mira Sorvino and singers Cher and Barbra Streisand.
Representatives for Cher told The New York Times she and her pets are staying in a hotel.
“All my Malibu friends and neighbors I pray that you are safe,” Sorvino shared on X, formerly Twitter. “We evacuated in the middle of the night, kids and pets all accounted for! Scary times!!”
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Tren de Aragua gang member busted in Palm Beach, home of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence
A Venezuelan national suspected of being a member of the Tren de Aragua gang has been arrested in President-elect Trump’s backyard of Palm Beach, Florida, according to a senior U.S. Border Patrol (USBP) official.
Jeffrey Dinise, the chief patrol agent of the USBP Miami Sector, announced the arrest in a social media post on Tuesday.
“U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested a Venezuelan national who was identified as a Tren de Aragua gang member,” Dinise wrote on X. “He has a criminal record for assault w/ a deadly weapon. Our agents continue to keep our communities safe.”
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U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for additional information about the arrest.
The arrest happened in Palm Beach, Florida, where Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence is located.
Researchers have traced the origins of Tren de Aragua, which translates to “Train of Aragua,” to the Tocoron prison in the Aragua state of Venezuela sometime between 2013 and 2015.
The violent gang, which has been terrorizing neighborhoods across the country, is now operating in 16 states, according to a new Department of Homeland Security memo cited by the New York Post. The gang has reportedly taken advantage of a lax southern border under the Biden-Harris administration, with many of its foot soldiers swarming into unsuspecting U.S. communities.
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The gang has been engaged in all sorts of violent crime, including murders, shootings of police officers, assaults, robberies and gun smuggling into migrant shelters. It is also said to be engaged in drug dealing and the sex trafficking of migrant women in New York City, and in some states armed members of the gang have been taking over apartment buildings.
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And now, according to a New York Post report, the gang is operating in an area that includes half of America’s population.
In addition to New York City, Colorado and Texas, the gang has a foothold in California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Nevada, New Jersey, North Carolina, Tennessee and Wisconsin, and most recently in Washington, D.C., Virginia, Montana and Wyoming, according to the report that cites a Homeland Security memo.
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The Homeland Security memo, titled “Expansion of Tren de Aragua (TdA) Across the United States Presents Challenges for Law Enforcement,” states that the gang has increased its “violent tendencies” as it spreads, according to the report.
Mysterious sightings of massive drones spark call for ‘limited state of emergency’
A New Jersey state senator called for a limited state of emergency Tuesday as the mystery surrounding large drones flying over the Garden State continues to deepen.
“The State of New Jersey should issue a limited state of emergency banning all drones until the public receives an explanation regarding these multiple sightings,” Republican New Jersey state Sen. Jon Bramnick said in a press release.
Reports of large drones flying over President-elect Trump’s Bedminster golf course and near military research sites in New Jersey have been on the rise in recent weeks. On Monday, Gov. Phil Murphy announced there were dozens of reports of drones on Sunday alone.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Tuesday that drones flying over New Jersey were not foreign, adding that President Biden has been made aware of the situation, and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and FBI are investigating.
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“So, we are certainly aware. The president is aware, so we are closely tracking the activity and coordinating closely with relevant agencies, including DHS and FBI, to continue to investigate these incidents,” Jean-Pierre said before adding she did not have anything else to share. “Obviously, this is something the DHS and FBI are tracking very, very closely.”
When pressed if the federal government had ruled out that the drones are being controlled by foreign entities, Jean-Pierre promptly responded, “Yeah.”
The Federal Aviation Administration first received reports of drone activity Nov. 18 in Morris County, which is nearly 2 miles north of Trump National Golf Club Bedminster in Somerset County.
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Since then, sightings have occurred a few miles north of Bedminster in Mendham and Parsippany and other places across the Garden State.
On Monday, Murphy said there were 49 reports of drones Sunday, mostly in Hunterdon County. The Democratic governor said his numbers also included possible sightings and potentially the same drone being reported more than once.
Federal lawmakers from the state have expressed a degree of concern about the drones, regardless of the side of the aisle they stand on.
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“My office has been in communication with Governor Murphy’s office and our federal agency partners,” Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., said in a post on X. “While the drones currently pose no known threat to the public, my team and I will continue to monitor the situation closely.”
Booker also penned a letter to DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, FBI Director Christopher Wray and Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg Tuesday, seeking better transparency and a comprehensive briefing on drone activity over New Jersey.
“Over the past several weeks, there have been multiple confirmed sightings of unexplained drone activity over New Jersey communities and military installations,” Booker wrote. “I recognize the need to maintain operational security of ongoing investigations and that this situation requires complex Interagency coordination.
“However, there is a growing sense of uncertainty and urgency across the state — from constituents and local officials alike — despite assurances that the drones pose no known threats to public safety. As such, I urge you to share any relevant information about these drone sightings with the public. Without transparency, I believe that rumors, fear, and misinformation will continue to spread.”
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Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-N.J., said in a statement to Fox News Digital that the recent drone sightings in New Jersey are “not only scary for residents.” They point to the need for change in the state and in the U.S.
“There has been no transparency with the public, and this lack of communication is unacceptable,” Van Drew said. “Constituents have been told the drones are not a threat, but no further information has been provided. People need, want and deserve answers now so they can stop worrying about their safety and privacy.”
As concerns continue to mount, Robert Wheeler, the FBI’s assistant director of the Critical IIncident Response Group, told Congress the federal agency knows concerningly little about the mysterious drones that have been spotted hovering over New Jersey.
When asked if Americans are at risk, Wheeler said, “There is nothing that is known that would lead me to say that, but we just don’t know. And that’s the concerning part.”
While the FBI has been investigating the incidents, the agency has called on the public for additional information.
The FAA confirmed earlier this month that it had issued two flight restrictions in response to the questionable drone activity reported near Trump’s Bedminster golf club.
Upon request from “federal security partners,” the agency issued two temporary flight restrictions.
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One restriction covers an area near Solberg-Hunterdon County Airport that consists of airspace above Trump Bedminster. Flights are also banned over Picatinny Arsenal, a major U.S. Army hub in Dover, N.J., geared toward research and development via its CCDCAC armaments center.
The ban remained in place over Trump Bedminster through last week, snd the ban over Picatinny Arsenal will remain in place until Dec. 26.
Over three hundred vials of deadly virus samples go missing from lab
Hundreds of deadly virus samples are missing from a laboratory in Australia, the Queensland government announced on Monday.
The government has instructed Queensland Health — Australia’s public health department — to launch an investigation into what’s being described as a “major historical breach of biosecurity protocols,” according to the online media statement.
It was reported that 323 vials of multiple infectious viruses — including Hendra virus, Lyssavirus and Hantavirus — went missing from Queensland’s Public Health Virology Laboratory in August 2023.
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Hendra is a zoonotic (animal-to-human) virus that has only been found in Australia.
Hantavirus is a family of viruses that can lead to serious illness and death, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, while Lyssavirus is a group of viruses that can cause rabies.
The lab where the samples went missing provides “diagnostic services, surveillance and research for viruses and mosquito and tick-borne pathogens of medical importance,” the release stated.
It is not known whether the infectious samples were stolen or destroyed, the statement said, and there is “no evidence of risk to the community.”
The government has launched a “Part 9 investigation.”
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“With such a serious breach of biosecurity protocols and infectious virus samples potentially missing, Queensland Health must investigate what occurred and how to prevent it from happening again,” Minister Timothy Nicholls said in the release.
“The Part 9 investigation will ensure nothing has been overlooked in responding to this incident and examine the current policies and procedures in operation today at the laboratory.”
“This investigation will also consider regulatory compliance and staff conduct.”
Nicholls added that Queensland Health has taken “proactive measures,” including retraining staff on required regulations and conducting audits to ensure correct storage of materials.
Sam Scarpino, PhD, director of AI and life sciences at Northeastern University in Boston, confirmed that the situation in Australia amounts to a “critical biosecurity lapse.”
“Given the limited ability for any of these pathogens to transmit from person to person, the risk of an epidemic is very low.”
“The pathogens reported missing are all high-consequence and could pose a threat to the public,” he told Fox News Digital.
The three pathogens can have very high fatality rates in humans, Scarpino said, but they do not transmit readily from person to person.
“Some hantaviruses have case fatality rates of up to 15%, or over 100 times more lethal than COVID-19, while others are more similar to COVID-19 in terms of severity,” he said.
There is also a high risk to animals and livestock from all three pathogens, he added.
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The Lyssavirus family contains the rabies virus, which is almost universally fatal in humans if they do not receive treatment in time, the expert noted.
“Given the limited ability for any of these pathogens to transmit from person to person, the risk of an epidemic is very low,” Scarpino said.
“However, Hendra virus — along with certain members of the Hantavirus and Lyssavirus family — can be very severe in humans and animals.”
Chief Health Officer Dr. John Gerrard reiterated in the media statement that there is no evidence of public risk.
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“It’s important to note that virus samples would degrade very rapidly outside a low temperature freezer and become non-infectious,” he said.
“It’s very unlikely that samples were discarded in general waste, as this would be completely outside routine laboratory practice.”
There have been no human cases of Hendra or Lyssavirus in Queensland over the past five years, Gerrard noted, and no confirmed Hantavirus infections “ever in Australia.”
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Despite the low risk, Scarpino said, “It’s important to understand where these samples ended up, to confirm that there is no longer a risk of exposure.”
“While I applaud the Australian government for taking this seriously, it’s unacceptable that it took over a year for news of the breach to be made public.”
“The pathogens reported missing are all high-consequence.”
There have been similarly high-profile biosecurity lapses in the U.S., Scarpino noted.
“It’s clear that we need quite a bit more investment and transparency related to pathogen biosecurity,” he added.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Queensland government requesting further comment.