Luigi Mangione appears for a suppression of evidence hearing in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Manhattan Criminal Court on December 18, 2025 in New York City. (Curtis Means-Pool/Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) — Luigi Mangione should stand trial in State Supreme Court in New York starting July 1, at least three months ahead of when the accused killer could stand trial in federal court, the Manhattan district attorney’s office said in a letter Wednesday.
Mangione has pleaded not guilty to state and federal charges stemming from the assassination-style killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Manhattan in December 2024.
Federal judge Margaret Garnett said Mangione would stand trial in October if she eliminates the death penalty as a possible sentence, as the defense has sought. Otherwise, she said at a hearing last week, Mangione would stand trial in January. Either way, she set jury selection for Sept. 8.
The Manhattan district attorney’s office said there are “significant state interests” in putting Mangione on trial sooner.
“This heinous crime happened in midtown Manhattan, one of the busiest commercial areas in this County and spread fear and shock throughout Manhattan. New York State unquestionably has a deep interest in, upholding the fundamental right to life, maintaining public order, and delivering justice for a murder committed in its jurisdiction,” assistant district attorney Joel Seidemann wrote.
“Federal law supports our request that we proceed first and our right to a speedy resolution of this case would be severely compromised should the federal trial proceed first,” he said.
Judge Gregory Carro, the judge for the state case, is weighing a defense request to suppress evidence pulled from Mangione’s backpack, including the alleged murder weapon, a notebook and writings. After a three-week hearing, the judge said he would accept written submissions by March and issue a ruling in May.
The district attorney’s office told Carro the case is otherwise ready for trial.
“It is entirely natural then that the state case would proceed to trial prior to the federal case,” Seidemann’s letter said. “And, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York has said that it expects the State case to proceed to trial first.”
Mangione has been held in the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn since his return to New York from Pennsylvania, where he was arrested at an Altoona McDonald’s following a five-day manhunt.
Defense attorneys have said police waited too long to read Mangione his rights and unlawfully searched his backpack without a warrant. Prosecutors have argued the Altoona police officers were justified in searching the bag because the search pertained to a lawful arrest.
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell speaks during a press conference following the Federal Open Markets Committee meeting at the Federal Reserve on December 10, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) — The Federal Reserve held interest rates steady on Wednesday, ending a string of three consecutive quarter-point rate cuts as the central bank grapples with a combination of elevated inflation and sluggish hiring.
The move marked the first interest-rate decision since news surfaced earlier this month of a federal criminal investigation into Fed Chair Jerome Powell.
The choice to maintain interest rates at their current level aligned with a cautious approach outlined by Powell last month, before reports of the investigation into his conduct.
“We’re well positioned to wait and see how the economy evolves,” Powell said at a press conference in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 10.
The benchmark rate stands at a level between 3.5% and 3.75%. That figure marks a significant drop from a recent peak attained in 2023, but borrowing costs remain well above a 0% rate established at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Futures markets expect two quarter-point interest rate cuts this year, forecasting the first in June and a second in the fall, according to CME FedWatch Tool, a measure of market sentiment.
The investigation into Powell ratcheted up an extraordinary clash between the nation’s top central banker and the White House, which has urged the Fed to significantly reduce interest rates.
The federal probe appears to center on Powell’s testimony to Congress last year about cost overruns in a multi-billion-dollar office renovation project. Powell, who was appointed by Trump in 2017, issued a rare video message earlier this month rebuking the investigation as a politically motivated effort to influence the Fed’s interest rate policy.
The investigation follows months of strident criticism leveled at the Fed by Trump. The president denied any involvement in the criminal investigation during a brief interview with NBC News hours after the Fed posted Powell’s video.
Over the past year, hiring has slowed dramatically while inflation has remained elevated, risking an economic double-whammy known as “stagflation.” Those conditions have put the Fed in a difficult position.
The central bank must balance a dual mandate to keep inflation under control and maximize employment. To address pressure on both of its goals, the Fed primarily holds a single tool: interest rates.
The strain on both sides of the Fed’s mandate presents a “challenging situation” for the central bank, Powell noted last month.
“There’s no risk-free path for policy as we navigate this tension between our employment and inflation goals,” Powell said.
If the Fed raises interest rates as a means of protecting against elevated inflation, it risks a deeper slowdown of the labor market. On the other hand, by lowering rates to stimulate hiring, the Fed threatens to boost spending and worsen inflation.
The criminal investigation into Powell raised concern among some analysts and former top Fed officials, who said it poses a threat to central bank independence.
In the event a central bank loses independence, policymakers tend to favor lower interest rates as a means of boosting short-term economic activity, analysts previously told ABC News. Such a posture could pose a major risk of yearslong inflation fueled by a rise in consumer demand, untethered by interest rates.
Federal law allows the president to remove the Fed chair for “cause” — though no precedent exists for such an ouster. Powell’s term as chair is set to expire in May, but he can remain on the Fed’s policymaking board until 2028. Powell has not indicated whether he intends to remain on the board.
Tom Morello at 2023 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. (Disney/Jennifer Pottheiser)
Rage Against the Machine‘s Tom Morello and Rise Against are performing at a concert in Minneapolis in protest of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE.
The show takes place Friday at the downtown Minneapolis venue First Ave. Doors open at 10:30 a.m., and the show begins at noon.
All proceeds will benefit the families of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, who were both shot and killed by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis in January.
“If it looks like fascism, sounds like fascism, acts like fascism, dresses like fascism, talks like fascism, kills like fascism and lies like fascism, boys & girls it’s f****** fascism,” Morello says in a statement. “It’s here, it’s now, it’s in my city, it’s in your city and it must be resisted, protested, defended against, stood up to, exposed, ousted, overthrown and driven out. By you and by me.”
The bill also includes Al Di Meola and Ike Reilly, as well as unannounced special guests.
Dustin Lynch & Chase Rice at Red Rocks Amphitheatre (Molson Coors Beverage Company)
Dustin Lynch and Chase Rice are headed back to Colorado’s iconic Red Rocks Amphitheatre to co-headline a show to help firefighters.
“Red Rocks is such a legendary venue, I couldn’t be more pumped to be back – especially with my buddy Chase Rice joining me this time around,” Dustin says. “I’m excited to partner with my friends over at Coors Banquet and help in their mission to support the Wildland Firefighter Foundation.”
“This one’s going to be special, see y’all out there!” he adds.
Presales for the April 22 concert are underway now, with tickets becoming available to the public on Friday.
John Mellencamp performs in concert during the 40th Farm Aid at Huntington Bank Stadium on September 20, 2025 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Gary Miller/Getty Images)
John Mellencamp recently announced dates for his Dancing Words Tour — The Greatest Hits, and it seems he’s already getting his body ready for the trek, although how he’s going about it seems a bit questionable.
The rocker shared a video on Instagram of him working out on a treadmill, while smoking a cigarette. He added the caption, “Getting in shape for the Dancing Words – The Greatest Hits Tour. Who’s joining us?”
In the clip he puffs away as he tells the camera, “I’m gonna play 2 1/2 hours of nothing but hits so I thought I better get in shape, you know what I mean?”
Mellencamp’s Dancing Words Tour — The Greatest Hits kicks off July 10 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and wraps Aug. 12 in Mountain View, California.
He’s promised fans a set filled with hits including “Jack and Diane,” “Hurts So Good,” “Small Town” and “Pink Houses,” as well as break-out tracks he hasn’t performed live in nearly a decade, like “R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A. (A Salute To 60’s Rock),” “I Need a Lover,” “Wild Night” and “Ain’t Even Done With the Night.”
Tickets are on sale now. A complete list of dates can be found at Mellencamp.com.
In this June 3, 2025, file photo, Karine Jean-Pierre speaks at an event at 92NY in New York. (John Lamparski/Getty Images, FILE)
(WASHINGTON) — With a polarized political climate approaching the high-stakes 2026 midterm elections, more Americans are identifying as independents than ever before, according to a Gallup poll conducted throughout 2025.
A record-high 45% of Americans called themselves political independents in 2025. The figure is a record since Gallup started measuring in 1988 — with the previous high for independents at 43% in 2014, 2023 and 2024.
Gallup found that an equal share of Americans identified as Republicans and Democrats — 27% each.
These findings come as the midterm elections approach in November and several tight races are expected as Republicans in the House try to maintain their slim majority so they can work to push President Donald Trump’s agenda. Both Republicans and Democrats will have to appeal to independents to win any tight races nationwide.
Thomas Nickel, an 85-year-old who lives in California, told ABC News that he has been independent for several years after leaving the Democratic Party. Nickel left his former party because he said he believes Democrats have not pushed hard enough for issues that are “necessary” — specifically mentioning health care coverage. He said universal health coverage is a priority for him, which he said he believes neither party has focused on.
Trump, who has been a vocal critic of President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act, unveiled his new health care proposal earlier this month, which presents a proposal to shift government insurance subsidies directly to consumers through health savings accounts and take advantage of his “most favored nation” drug price initiative. However, Trump’s proposal has left experts unsure on how impactful these ideas could be.
When asked about his thoughts on the president’s recent health care proposal, Nickel called it “ridiculous,” and added that an average person won’t be able to afford to pay for their own insurance with money they would receive directly. When asked what he would like to see Democrats do, Nickel noted that the ACA is “a step in the right direction,” but that “there’s going to be 25% of people that can’t even afford the health care premiums for the Medicare assistance.”
A Louisiana resident who did not want to disclose his name told ABC News that he is an independent because of how “divisive” politics have become. He said he remains a registered Republican so that he can vote in Republican primaries. Some states hold closed primaries where only voters registered with a certain party can vote in that party’s primary; other states hold open primaries where voters of any affiliation can vote in the primary of any party.
“I think, in recent years, especially the last decade or so, things have gotten so divisive that it feels like the minority on both sides speak for the majority,” he said, adding that he believes both parties “had alienated their voter base by being so polarizing.” He cited the Trump administration’s push to acquire Greenland as “a game of Risk,” but didn’t give specifics on Democrats’ actions he found polarizing.
Zach Servis — a 27-year-old independent who lost his bid for mayor for Jackson, Mississippi, last year — also said that the political climate is “way too polarized and hateful.”
Servis said he left the Republican Party around 2020 during the height of COVID after recognizing what he described as “hypocrisy” of his former party. He pointed to Republicans not supporting social programs such as the ACA, but willingness to help other countries — something he said is not in line with Trump’s “America First” slogan.
Looking ahead to this year’s midterm elections, Servis said he believes that independent voters have enough “power to shift which side wins.”
“I think that independent politics have an opportunity to shape this midterm where some of these parties are going to have to shift a little bit in how they win these voters — and if they’re not willing to come a little more to the middle or reach across the aisle, they’re going to risk people crossing the aisle entirely and voting even for a party they don’t believe in because at least that person’s willing to listen,” Servis said.
Generational shifts in political affiliations
The increase in the share of independents is partly attributable to a larger percentage of younger generations of Americans remaining independent as they age — compared to older generations who are less likely to remain unaffiliated, according to Gallup.
Generation Z, born between 1997 and 2007, has the highest percentage of independents, with 56% identifying as independent, Gallup found.
Gen Z is also less likely to identify as Republican compared to older generations, with 17% identifying as Republican compared to 37% of the Silent Generation (born before 1946).
Gallup found 27% of Gen Z identifying as Democrats compared to 32% of the Silent Generation.
Karine Jean-Pierre, who became an independent after serving in the Biden administration as White House press secretary, told ABC News that she believes the growing percentage of independents is not “temporary” and will continue to reshape the electorate in this 2026 election year.
“I do think there’s power amongst independents. The thing that is changing the electorate is changing in the sense of that you’re seeing more and more independents,” Jean-Pierre told ABC News.
Jean-Pierre also noted that younger generations may be reluctant to join a political party as a way to “express moral concern” over U.S. involvement in global issues.
She also noted that young independents deserve a seat at the table as the midterms approach.
“I don’t think independents, especially young independents, are disengaged,” Jean-Pierre said. “I think what they’re doing is they’re growing numbers — put pressure on both political parties to earn support with real policy results, rather than just assuming loyalty based on branding or identity.”
The Gallup poll was conducted throughout 2025 among 13,454 U.S. adults nationwide and has a margin of error of +/- 1 percentage point.
J. Cole performs onstage during the 2025 Dreamville Music Festival at Dorothea Dix Park on April 6, 2025, in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Prince Williams/WireImage)
J. Cole dropped four new freestyles Tuesday, just ahead of his 41st birthday on Wednesday. The tracks arrive as part of a DJ Clue–hosted mixtape titled Birthday Blizzard ’26, where Cole reflects on his controversial public apology to Kendrick Lamar on “Bronx Zoo Freestyle.”
Rapping over Diddy’s “Victory” featuring The Notorious B.I.G. and Busta Rhymes, Cole directly addresses the backlash. “I used to be top, see/ the apology dropped me way out of the top three/ no problem, I’m probably my best when they doubt me,” he spits. “The top ain’t really what I thought it would be, so I jumped off and landed back at the bottom/ and restarted at a level where I wasn’t regarded as much/ just to climb past them again and tell them all to keep up.”
The bars reference Cole’s apology following his diss track “7 Minute Drill,” which was released in response to Lamar’s verse on Metro Boomin’s “Like That.” On the song, Kendrick dismissed both Drake and Cole as top rappers, declaring, “Motherf*** the Big Three, n****, it’s just big me.”
Cole later walked back his response at Dreamville Festival, calling the diss “the lamest, goofiest s***.”
Elsewhere on Birthday Blizzard ’26, Cole delivers “Golden Goose Freestyle” over Black Rob’s “Can I Live” featuring The LOX, “Winter Storm Freestyle” over Biggie’s “Who Shot Ya?” and “99 Build Freestyle” over The LOX’s 1998 classic “Money, Power & Respect.”
Jadakiss previously teased the project on his Joe and Jada podcast, confirming Cole’s use of LOX instrumentals.
Birthday Blizzard ’26 is now available on thefalloff.com; a track of the same name appears on the website.
Cole’s next album, The Fall-Off, is set to arrive on Feb. 6.
‘Bridgerton’ season 4 soundtrack cover artwork. (Capitol Records)
If all you wanted was to hear Paramore on Bridgerton, then your dream is about to come true.
An orchestral cover of the Brand New Eyes track “All I Wanted” will be featured in the upcoming fourth season of the hit Netflix romance series.
You’ll hear the “All I Wanted” cover, recorded by the Vitamin String Quartet, in the season’s third episode, “The Field Next to the Other Road.”
The first four episodes of Bridgerton season 4 premiere Thursday along with the accompanying soundtrack. Along with the Paramore cover, the track list includes orchestral versions of Coldplay‘s “Life in Technicolor” and Third Eye Blind‘s “Never Let You Go.”
Previous seasons of Bridgerton have featured covers of songs by Nirvana, Imagine Dragons and Billie Eilish.
Seth MacFarlane attends ‘The Naked Gun’ New York premiere on July 28, 2025, in New York City. (Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images)
It seems today, that all we see, is violence in movies and Seth MacFarlane on TV. As long as you’re watching TV on streaming services, that is.
MacFarlane has been named the winner of the inaugural Streaming Icon of the Year award from the media audience measurement firm Nielsen. This award was given as part of the company’s annual Audience Rated Television Entertainment of the Year Awards, or the ARTEY Awards, which recognize the most-watched streaming titles of the year.
The honor of Streaming Icon of the Year recognizes a creator, actor, producer or writer whose body of work drives significant viewership across many platforms, according to Nielsen.
MacFarlane’s catalog of TV shows and films contributed majorly to his win. In all, they generated over 60 billion viewing minutes across multiple platforms, which Nielsen notes would be equivalent to 116,000 years.
Among his many shows and films, it was Family Guy that contributed greatly to MacFarlane’s win. The show was the second most-watched adult animation show of 2025 and the #7 streaming program overall. It charted in the top 10 on Nielsen’s streaming charts for 37 weeks in 2025. American Dad! also contributed to his win, as the #3 most-watched adult animation streaming title of the year.
“I want to thank Nielsen for this Streaming Icon Award,” MacFarlane said in a statement. “It’s a high honor to receive the first prize in show business that isn’t determined by quality.”
As for some of the other big winners at the 2025 ARTEY Awards, Bluey was the top overall program and the top acquired program with 45.2 billion minutes streamed. Stranger Things was the top original streaming program, while KPop Demon Hunters won for top kids movie.
Lainey Wilson spent Christmas Day performing on Snoop Dogg‘s Holiday Halftime Party, and it won’t be her last time on Netflix.
The documentary Lainey Wilson: Keepin’ Country Cool is set to premiere on the streamer April 22.
“I couldn’t be more excited that this documentary is going to be on Netflix,” she tells Deadline. “This was such a special project to make, and I hope that folks who watch it see that no dream is too big and that staying true to who you are will always lead you exactly where you’re meant to be.”
The show “captures a pivotal moment in her career,” according to the official release from Netflix.
Lainey’s also been rubbing elbows with some other Netflix stars. She recently stopped by the Los Angeles set as Leanne Morgan shoots the second season of her eponymous sitcom. You might remember the Tennessee comedian also visited Lainey as she hosted November’s CMA Awards.
