Latest news with #LuigiMangioneAccesstoHealthCareAct
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
New bombshell study reveals 'assassination culture' spreading on the left under President Trump
A disturbing new report reveals that violent political rhetoric online, including calls for the murder of public figures like President Donald Trump and Elon Musk, is being increasingly normalized, particularly on the left. The report, from Network Contagion Research Institute (NCRI), found that a growing number of people are willing to justify and even applaud killing in the name of politics and a warped sense of social justice. The chilling change appears to have accelerated in recent months. "What was formerly taboo culturally has become acceptable," Joel Finkelstein, the lead author of the report, told Fox News Digital. "We are seeing a clear shift – glorification, increased attempts and changing norms – all converging into what we define as 'assassination culture.'" The NCRI study traces the cultural shift back to the assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson by Luigi Mangione in December 2024. What followed, researchers say, was a viral wave of memes that turned Mangione into a folk hero. According to the study, these memes have sparked copycat behavior targeting other figures associated with wealth and conservative politics. New Study Finds Dei Initiatives Creating 'Hostile Attribution Bias' Read On The Fox News App "It's not just Luigi anymore," Finkelstein said. "We're seeing an expansion: Trump, Musk and others are now being openly discussed as legitimate targets, often cloaked in meme culture and gamified online dialogue." A ballot measure in California, darkly named the Luigi Mangione Access to Health Care Act, is just one real-world outgrowth of this online movement. NCRI conducted a nationally representative survey of more than 1,200 U.S. adults, weighted to reflect national census demographics. The findings were stark: Some 38% of respondents said it would be at least "somewhat justified" to murder Donald Trump, and 31% said the same about Elon Musk. When counting only left-leaning respondents, justification for killing Trump rose to 55% and Musk to 48%. "These are not isolated opinions," the report states. "They are part of a tightly connected belief system linked to what we call left-wing authoritarianism." Colorado Man Federally Charged In Tesla Firebomb Attack: 'Justice Is Coming,' Ag Pam Bondi Says "Trump represents the perfect target for assassination culture. He's powerful, he's rich and he's provocative," said Finkelstein to Fox News Digital. "That puts him on the highest shelf for those who glorify political violence." When asked whether destroying a Tesla dealership was justified, nearly four in 10 respondents agreed it was, to some degree. Among self-identified left-of-center participants, support for vandalism and property damage was significantly higher. "Property destruction wasn't just an outlier opinion, it clustered tightly with support for political assassinations and other forms of violence," said Finkelstein. "This points to a coherent belief system, not just isolated grievances." "Tesla has become a stand-in for broader frustrations about capitalism, tech power and conservative politics. Burning down a dealership isn't just a protest, it's a performance, a signal of belonging to a radical in-group." Finkelstein said that while some level of violent sentiment exists on the right, "What we found was a statistically higher endorsement of political murder on the left, 41% more than among right-leaning participants." The report singles out BlueSky, a social media platform favored by progressive users, as a major amplifier of extremist ideation. "BlueSky was modeled as a safe alternative to Twitter for the left, but what it's become is an extremist platform," Finkelstein said. "It functions today much like 4chan or Gab once did for far-right ideologies. These platforms are now lead indicators of violent real-world trends." According to NCRI's open-source analysis, BlueSky saw a spike in engagement on posts referencing Mangione, Trump and Musk, crossing over 200,000 posts and 2 million engagements in just months. Reddit currently hosts pro-Mangione communities with tens of thousands of members. Finkelstein believes the psychological roots of "assassination culture" are a mix of ideological radicalism and feelings of powerlessness, particularly in the aftermath of electoral losses. "When people feel like they have no say, no future and no leadership offering vision, they become susceptible to radical ideation," he said. "And that's when the memes turn into permission structures for real violence." A key predictor identified in the study is external locus of control, which is the belief that one's life is governed by outside forces. "Combine that with extreme partisanship, and you get an explosive mix," Finkelstein said. Finkelstein does not believe censorship will end "assassination culture," but strong leadership just might. "We are not an anti-free speech organization," said Finkelstein. "But we know what a threat is. And what's happening online on platforms like BlueSky represents a significant threat to American democratic values. If leaders on the left explicitly condemn these trends and reassert moral norms, they can dismantle this culture quickly," he said. "It's about reminding people there is a future worth striving for that doesn't involve glorifying political violence." The NCRI report ends on a sobering note: The normalization of assassination ideation is already spilling into real-world violence. Whether it's attacks on Tesla dealerships or assassination attempts on public officials, the NCRI warns that political violence is no longer fringe but culturally fashionable in some corners of the article source: New bombshell study reveals 'assassination culture' spreading on the left under President Trump
Fox News
07-04-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
New bombshell study reveals 'assassination culture' spreading on the left under President Trump
A disturbing new report reveals that violent political rhetoric online, including calls for the murder of public figures like President Donald Trump and Elon Musk, is being increasingly normalized, particularly on the left. The report, from Network Contagion Research Institute (NCRI), found that a growing number of people are willing to justify and even applaud killing in the name of politics and a warped sense of social justice. The chilling change appears to have accelerated in recent months. "What was formerly taboo culturally has become acceptable," Joel Finkelstein, the lead author of the report, told Fox News Digital. "We are seeing a clear shift – glorification, increased attempts and changing norms – all converging into what we define as 'assassination culture.'" The NCRI study traces the cultural shift back to the assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson by Luigi Mangione in December 2024. What followed, researchers say, was a viral wave of memes that turned Mangione into a folk hero. According to the study, these memes have sparked copycat behavior targeting other figures associated with wealth and conservative politics. "It's not just Luigi anymore," Finkelstein said. "We're seeing an expansion: Trump, Musk and others are now being openly discussed as legitimate targets, often cloaked in meme culture and gamified online dialogue." A ballot measure in California, darkly named the Luigi Mangione Access to Health Care Act, is just one real-world outgrowth of this online movement. NCRI conducted a nationally representative survey of more than 1,200 U.S. adults, weighted to reflect national census demographics. The findings were stark: Some 38% of respondents said it would be at least "somewhat justified" to murder Donald Trump, and 31% said the same about Elon Musk. When counting only left-leaning respondents, justification for killing Trump rose to 55% and Musk to 48%. "These are not isolated opinions," the report states. "They are part of a tightly connected belief system linked to what we call left-wing authoritarianism." "Trump represents the perfect target for assassination culture. He's powerful, he's rich and he's provocative," said Finkelstein to Fox News Digital. "That puts him on the highest shelf for those who glorify political violence." "Trump represents the perfect target for assassination culture. He's powerful, he's rich and he's provocative. That puts him on the highest shelf for those who glorify political violence." When asked whether destroying a Tesla dealership was justified, nearly four in 10 respondents agreed it was, to some degree. Among self-identified left-of-center participants, support for vandalism and property damage was significantly higher. "Property destruction wasn't just an outlier opinion, it clustered tightly with support for political assassinations and other forms of violence," said Finkelstein. "This points to a coherent belief system, not just isolated grievances." "Tesla has become a stand-in for broader frustrations about capitalism, tech power and conservative politics. Burning down a dealership isn't just a protest, it's a performance, a signal of belonging to a radical in-group." Finkelstein said that while some level of violent sentiment exists on the right, "What we found was a statistically higher endorsement of political murder on the left, 41% more than among right-leaning participants." The report singles out BlueSky, a social media platform favored by progressive users, as a major amplifier of extremist ideation. "BlueSky was modeled as a safe alternative to Twitter for the left, but what it's become is an extremist platform," Finkelstein said. "It functions today much like 4chan or Gab once did for far-right ideologies. These platforms are now lead indicators of violent real-world trends." According to NCRI's open-source analysis, BlueSky saw a spike in engagement on posts referencing Mangione, Trump and Musk, crossing over 200,000 posts and 2 million engagements in just months. Reddit currently hosts pro-Mangione communities with tens of thousands of members. Finkelstein believes the psychological roots of "assassination culture" are a mix of ideological radicalism and feelings of powerlessness, particularly in the aftermath of electoral losses. "When people feel like they have no say, no future and no leadership offering vision, they become susceptible to radical ideation," he said. "And that's when the memes turn into permission structures for real violence." A key predictor identified in the study is external locus of control, which is the belief that one's life is governed by outside forces. "Combine that with extreme partisanship, and you get an explosive mix," Finkelstein said. Finkelstein does not believe censorship will end "assassination culture," but strong leadership just might. "We are not an anti-free speech organization," said Finkelstein. "But we know what a threat is. And what's happening online on platforms like BlueSky represents a significant threat to American democratic values. If leaders on the left explicitly condemn these trends and reassert moral norms, they can dismantle this culture quickly," he said. "It's about reminding people there is a future worth striving for that doesn't involve glorifying political violence." "It's about reminding people there is a future worth striving for that doesn't involve glorifying political violence." The NCRI report ends on a sobering note: The normalization of assassination ideation is already spilling into real-world violence. Whether it's attacks on Tesla dealerships or assassination attempts on public officials, the NCRI warns that political violence is no longer fringe but culturally fashionable in some corners of the internet. "With economic instability and ideological echo chambers feeding radicalism, the threat environment is shifting beneath our feet," Finkelstein said. "But recognizing that – hearing the sirens – is the first step to stopping it."CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPThe Network Contagion Research Institute describes itself as a "neutral and independent organization whose mission is to identify and forecast cyber-social threats and report on them in a timely fashion."
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Here's Why People Can't Stop Talking About The "Luigi Mangione Act"
Recently, a California ballot initiative proposal named after suspected UnitedHealthcare CEO killer Luigi Mangione has been going viral. Yes, you read that right. According to the initiative document, the proposed name is the "Luigi Mangione Access to Health Care Act." It proposes: "No insurer may delay, deny or modify any medical procedure or medication... recommended by a treating or attending physician where the delay, denial or modification could result in disability, death, amputation, permanent disfigurement, [or] loss or reduction of any bodily function." Further, any decision made to delay, deny, or modify medication or a medical procedure must also be made by the physician themselves, on behalf of the insurer. AND employing "any person who is not a physician to review a decision made by a treating or attending physician shall be a felony." This would be a significant shake-up for insurance companies — some of which have been found by ProPublica to reject claims without even reading them. On average, families in the US spend thousands of dollars every year on healthcare insurance, yet, according to the limited data mined by healthcare policy non-profit KFF, about one in five in-network insurance claims were denied in 2023. Depending on the insurance provider and state, the denial rate reportedly reached up to about 54% that same year. And why does this happen? Well, when speaking to ABC Action News, one doctor shared his personal insight: 'The national average, as well as my physician billing company average, is 20 percent of claims are denied,' Dr. Bill Hennessey shared. 'It's based primarily on one thing... price tag. The more expensive the care, the more likely the denial.' It's a fraught subject, and reactions to the proposal have been wide-ranging — as with most news attached to Mangione's name. His name, in association with the proposal, appears to bring immediate discomfort from opposition online. One response on X reads, "Naming a bill after a murderer wont stick. If it does, it tells our children killing others is how you enact change. Society is turning sociopathic. Not good." However, in response to someone claiming that the proposal is "GLORIFYING assassinations in the street," others pushed back, suggesting it instead aims to quell future unrest and dissatisfaction with the US healthcare system. "The point of this act is so that people DON'T feel the need to kill healthcare CEOs. It's called the Luigi Mangione act because LUIGI MANGIONE IS THE REASON THEY NEEDED TO WRITE A BILL ABOUT THIS," someone wrote. Overall, a middle-of-the-road faction ignored the name and expressed they believe "this act could significantly improve healthcare access" by holding "insurance companies accountable for patients' well-being and needs."
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
The Proposed "Luigi Mangione Act" Is Going Viral Because It Could Make It Harder For Healthcare Insurers To Deny Claims
Recently, a California ballot initiative proposal named after suspected UnitedHealthcare CEO killer Luigi Mangione has been going viral. Yes, you read that right. According to the initiative document, the proposed name is the "Luigi Mangione Access to Health Care Act." It proposes: "No insurer may delay, deny or modify any medical procedure or medication... recommended by a treating or attending physician where the delay, denial or modification could result in disability, death, amputation, permanent disfigurement, [or] loss or reduction of any bodily function." Further, any decision made to delay, deny, or modify medication or a medical procedure must also be made by the physician themselves, on behalf of the insurer. AND employing "any person who is not a physician to review a decision made by a treating or attending physician shall be a felony." This would be a significant shake-up for insurance companies — some of which have been found by ProPublica to reject claims without even reading them. On average, families in the US spend thousands of dollars every year on healthcare insurance, yet, according to the limited data mined by healthcare policy non-profit KFF, about one in five in-network insurance claims were denied in 2023. Depending on the insurance provider and state, the denial rate reportedly reached up to about 54% that same year. And why does this happen? Well, when speaking to ABC Action News, one doctor shared his personal insight: 'The national average, as well as my physician billing company average, is 20 percent of claims are denied,' Dr. Bill Hennessey shared. 'It's based primarily on one thing... price tag. The more expensive the care, the more likely the denial.' It's a fraught subject, and reactions to the proposal have been wide-ranging — as with most news attached to Mangione's name. His name, in association with the proposal, appears to bring immediate discomfort from opposition online. One response on X reads, "Naming a bill after a murderer wont stick. If it does, it tells our children killing others is how you enact change. Society is turning sociopathic. Not good." However, in response to someone claiming that the proposal is "GLORIFYING assassinations in the street," others pushed back, suggesting it instead aims to quell future unrest and dissatisfaction with the US healthcare system. "The point of this act is so that people DON'T feel the need to kill healthcare CEOs. It's called the Luigi Mangione act because LUIGI MANGIONE IS THE REASON THEY NEEDED TO WRITE A BILL ABOUT THIS," someone wrote. Overall, a middle-of-the-road faction ignored the name and expressed they believe "this act could significantly improve healthcare access" by holding "insurance companies accountable for patients' well-being and needs." What are your thoughts on the ballot initiative proposal and its name? Let us know in the comments.
Buzz Feed
01-04-2025
- Health
- Buzz Feed
Reactions: Luigi Mangione Act
Recently, a California ballot initiative proposal named after suspected UnitedHealthcare CEO killer Luigi Mangione has been going viral. Yes, you read that right. According to the initiative document, the proposed name is the "Luigi Mangione Access to Health Care Act." It proposes: "No insurer may delay, deny or modify any medical procedure or medication... recommended by a treating or attending physician where the delay, denial or modification could result in disability, death, amputation, permanent disfigurement, [or] loss or reduction of any bodily function." This would be a significant shake-up for insurance companies — some of which have been found by ProPublica to reject claims without even reading them. And why does this happen? Well, when speaking to ABC Action News, one doctor shared his personal insight: It's a fraught subject, and reactions to the proposal have been wide-ranging — as with most news attached to Mangione's name. His name, in association with the proposal, appears to bring immediate discomfort from opposition online. One response on X reads, "Naming a bill after a murderer wont stick. If it does, it tells our children killing others is how you enact change. Society is turning sociopathic. Not good." However, in response to someone claiming that the proposal is "GLORIFYING assassinations in the street," others pushed back, suggesting it instead aims to quell future unrest and dissatisfaction with the US healthcare system. Overall, a middle-of-the-road faction ignored the name and expressed they believe "this act could significantly improve healthcare access" by holding "insurance companies accountable for patients' well-being and needs." What are your thoughts on the ballot initiative proposal and its name? Let us know in the comments.
