A judge in New York ruled on Tuesday that Luigi Mangione, the man accused of the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, cannot be charged with terrorism — but the second-degree murder charges can proceed.

According to the Associated Press, Manhattan Justice Gregory Carro "said that although there is no doubt that the killing was not ordinary street crime, New York law doesn’t consider something terrorism simply because it was motivated by ideology." He added that, “While the defendant was clearly expressing an animus toward UHC, and the health care industry generally, it does not follow that his goal was to ‘intimidate and coerce a civilian population,’ and indeed, there was no evidence presented of such a goal.”

Mangione's lawyers also argued that the state charges were double jeopardy because of a parallel federal death penalty case against him, and that it would be “legally and logistically impossible to defend against them simultaneously.” But Carro rejected this argument, calling it premature.

Mangione has already pleaded not guilty to all charges against him, including in the federal case.

According to investigators, Mangione, an Ivy League graduate who comes from a wealthy family, donned a mask and shot Thompson from behind while he was attending an investor conference at the New York Hilton Midtown. Police found that he had written, “delay,” “deny” and “depose” on the ammunition — common industry speak for how health insurance companies avoid paying out claims to their beneficiaries.

The killing triggered a massive reaction on the internet, with some activists going so far as to celebrate Mangione as a folk hero as they raged about their own experiences navigating the health insurance industry.

Overall, however, it has increased a climate of public fear, even triggering an increase in positions in the security industry as people fear further politically-motivated violence — which has only escalated with the murders of former Minnesota state House Speaker Melissa Hortman and right-wing youth activist Charlie Kirk.

FBI Director Kash Patel shifted all blame for the Trump administration’s botched handling of its investigation into Jeffrey Epstein onto a former Trump official during his testimony Tuesday in front of a Senate committee, blaming that official for having committed “the original sin.”

“I know that there's a lot of talk about Epstein, and I'm here to testify that the original sin in the Epstein case was the way it was initially brought by Mr. [Alexander] Acosta back in 2006,” Patel said, testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

“The original case involved a very limited search warrant or set of search warrants, and didn't take as much investigatory material it should have seized. If I were the FBI director then, it wouldn't have happened.”

The Trump administration has received intense scrutiny for its fumbling of its investigation into Epstein, who died in 2019 awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges and is alleged to have run a blackmail operation targeting powerful figures. That scrutiny was in large part a product of the administration’s own making, with many top officials, including Patel, having promoted theories that Epstein’s crimes were being covered up by the government.

Acosta previously served as President Donald Trump’s labor secretary during his first term, and before that, was a federal prosecutor in Florida. During his tenure in law enforcement, Acosta offered Epstein a generous plea deal that granted broad immunity to Epstein and any potential co-conspirators from federal charges, despite the FBI having identified at least 40 potential minor victims of Epstein’s.

Acosta would later say that he offered Epstein the plea deal because he was told Epstein “belonged to intelligence,” that the matter was “above his paygrade” and that he should “leave it alone.”

Patel, deflecting blame for the botched investigation into Epstein, went on to further criticize the plea deal the convicted child sex abuser received from Acosta.

“Mr. Acosta allowed Epstein to enter in 2008 to a plea and non-prosecution agreement, which then the courts issued mandates and protective orders legally prohibiting anyone from ever seeing that material ever again without the permission of the court,” Patel said.

“The non-prosecution agreements also barred future prosecutions for those involved at that time. Still, this administration at the direction of President Trump has done more to turn over all the credible information we are legally able to do, and we will continue to work with Congress to achieve that end.”

A heated debate on Piers Morgan's show descended into chaos when Cornel West, a longshot candidate in last November's presidential election, dramatically walked out after a confrontation with conservative podcaster Andrew Wilson about the killing of Charlie Kirk.

The exchange quickly escalated when West defended his position, declaring, "This brother right here says, 'Well, all leftists want to see me dead.' Well, I'm a leftist, I don't want to see you dead. I'm a Christian!"

Wilson launched aggressive accusations, shouting, "You called Trump's administration a neo-fascist movement, you lunatic!" This prompted West to plead, "Let me make the case! Will you allow me to speak, brother? Come on, man."

When Wilson claimed, "It's the rhetoric from people like you that got that man killed, sir," West became visibly frustrated. He turned to Morgan, demanding, "Why you have a brother on who's not gonna allow nobody to speak, man? We're just wasting time."

West passionately spoke about his relationship with Kirk, stating, "Charlie was made in the image of a loving and mighty God! I believe that. I have said my prayers for sister Erika and the kids."

The situation further deteriorated when Wilson lit a cigarette, prompting West to exclaim, "This is ridiculous! He's smoking his cigarette with his arrogant self. Come on, man."

Attempting to maintain the debate, Morgan asked, "Surely you're not gonna walk out in a debate about dialogue?"

But West was resolute. He pointed out that fellow conservative podcaster Jack Posobiec was "willing to at least listen," unlike Wilson. Repeatedly declaring "I'm gone!", West removed his microphone and exited the set.

Morgan concluded by calling West's departure "farcical," saying, "It seems to me completely insane" to abandon a discussion about free speech and listening to different opinions.

The incident highlighted the deep political divisions and communication challenges in contemporary political discourse.