City councilor pleads not guilty to federal corruption charges

Boston City Councilor Tania Fernades Anderson, who represents District 7, pleaded not guilty to federal charges of wire fraud and theft Dec. 6 after she was arrested for an alleged scheme to receive a $7,000 cash kickback from a family member who worked on her staff.

According to the federal indictment, Fernandes Anderson gave a $13,000 bonus — more than twice the amount of other staff’s bonuses combined — to a family member she hired in December 2022 with the expectation the majority of the money would be given as a kickback to the councilor. City councilors are prohibited from hiring relatives, so prosecutors allege Fernandes Anderson falsely claimed she was not related to the incoming staffer. 

In June 2023, the staff member allegedly handed off the cash to Fernandes Anderson in a bathroom at City Hall, according to the indictment. Federal prosecutors allege Fernandes Anderson was struggling financially at the time, in part due to a $5,000 fine she agreed to pay to the state ethics commission after she admitted to illegally hiring her son and sister as salaried employees earlier in 2022, according to The Boston Globe. 

Additionally, in 2023 the councilor required members of her staff to sign non-disclosure agreements that prevented them from discussing “confidential information” about Fernandes Anderson’s office or staff with people she didn’t approve. 

Multiple of Fernandes Anderson’s colleagues on the City Council, including Council President Ruthzee Louijeune, called on her to resign. NBC10 Boston reported that in a statement Dec. 6 Mayor Michelle Wu said the weight of the charges risk Fernandes Anderson’s ability to continue her term.

“The serious nature of these charges undermine the public trust and will prevent her from effectively serving the city. I urge Councilor Fernandes Anderson to resign,” said Wu.

Fernandes Anderson gaveled in a virtual hearing Dec. 9 about historical racial harms and upholding civil rights in her district, which covers areas of Roxbury, Dorchester, Fenway and the South End. Originally elected in 2021, Fernandes Anderson is the first Muslim city councilor, first African immigrant and first formerly undocumented person to serve on the council. 

The next hearing for Fernandes Anderson will be Jan. 29, according to the Globe. 

UnitedHealthcare CEO shooter suspect in custody

Luigi Mangione was charged on six counts Dec. 9, including murder in the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO last week. 

On Dec. 4, Brian Thompson was killed in Manhattan, N.Y. Investigators found that written on the shells from ammunition used to kill Thompson were the words “deny,” “defend” and “depose,” which is a twist on the common rhetoric used to describe insurance companies tactics in avoiding paying claims made by customers, according to the Associated Press. 

When Mangione was arrested, officials found a manifesto in his possession in which he described the killing as a “symbolic takedown” to fight the injustices of the healthcare system, reported The New York Times. 

Mangione was arrested in Altoona, Pennsylvania at a McDonalds after people recognized him as the suspect authorities were looking for. He was first arrested for illegal gun possession and has now been charged with murder in New York and five other charges in Pennsylvania. 

UnitedHealthcare has long been scrutinized for its coverage and policies, according to AP. When news broke about the killing, people online praised the person responsible claiming they were a hero. After Mangione’s arrest, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro condemned these reactions and said it was “deeply disturbing” to see praise for a killer. 

The variety of mixed reactions to this killing and continued developments in the case continue to spark controversy in the healthcare system that exists in the United States. 

Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, another major health insurance company, halted its plans to limit anesthesia coverage two days after Thompson was killed. This policy would limit the amount of time the company would cover a patient to be placed under anesthesia and after strong pushback from anesthesiologists and the greater public, the company announced it would no longer pursue this policy. 

Thompson’s death and Mangione’s arrest raised questions around health insurance companies’ conduct and the idea of violent retribution that continues to perpetrate across the country. 

South Korea in political unrest

The citizens of South Korea sit in the midst of a political stalemate as President Yoon Suk Yeol escaped impeachment and former defense minister remains in custody over speculation of involvement of the martial law enforcement that took place Dec. 3.

The night of the military rule declaration, police swarmed the South Korean National Assembly, which “triggered a domestic firestorm and large street protests” from citizens and politicians inside the Parliament building.

Though the military declared a banning of any political activity, protest or objection of any kind, while also putting the media under the control of the government, local news showed troops marching towards the building as helicopters engulfed the sky.

Two hours after Yoon’s decree of martial law the National Assembly voted to overturn it at 1 a.m. local time. By 5 a.m. the Cabinet had lifted martial law, ending the six hour stretch that had broken the country’s nearly 50 year streak without military rule.

Within the next 24 hours the president was encouraged to withdraw before facing impeachment from the opposition lawmakers, as well as face his own party the PPP, the conservative People’s Power Party, that overwhelmingly agreed it was the wrong call.

The Defence Minister Kim Yong-hyun also offered to resign, but a week later Dec. 10, was formally arrested over his alleged assist in the martial law decree.

President Yoon remains in position after the vote of impeachment fell five short of the 200 necessary to relieve him of his authority. To succeed in the impeachment, at least eight members of his own political party would have to vote against him.

“All but three walked out of the chamber,” BBC reported.

The main fear was that the leader of the Democratic Party of Korea or DPK, Lee Jae-myung would gain the presidential title in Yoon’s place. This does not, however, overlook the fact Yoon described his actions as a last resort to “save South Korea from ‘anti-state forces.’”

The South Korean Justice Ministry has given Yoon along with eight other suspects a travel ban, forbidding them from leaving the country and making Yoon the first president to receive one.

Rebels topple Assad government in Syria

Since 2011, the Civil War in Syria has continued to affect the political and social environment both within the country and around the world. More than 500,000 Syrians have died and millions more have fled their homes. On Dec. 8, parts of Syria were declared liberated as the president fled the country. 

President Bashar al-Assad’s family has controlled Syria since 1970, facing challenges to power from rebel groups for decades.

Syrian rebels liberated Damascus Dec. 8 and now continue their fight to other major cities in the country. al-Assad arrived in Russia on the evening of Dec. 8 after the liberation according to Russian state media. Russia granted al-Assad and his family political asylum in Moscow, according to The New York Times. 

Citizens and rebels across Syria declared it a victory as they began to see hope for the end of the Assad regime, which has been said to be responsible for much of the war, hardships and death. 

As the Civil War began, so did a rise in political rebellions. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham is the group that has been fighting pro al-Assad groups to overturn the current political regime. On Dec. 7, they saw the first sign of hope as Deraa – the most southern region of Syria – saw its first signs of liberation. 

Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and other civilians joining the fight continue to see steps towards liberation after Assad was confirmed to have fled the country. 

With the Syrian government in unknown territory, Israel began to more forcibly invade liberated parts of the country. According to Al Jazeera, Israel has launched 250 air attacks in 48 hours, specifically in the southern region of Deraa. 

Israeli Defense Minister, Israel Katz, said Dec. 10 that he ordered Israeli troops to create a “sterile defense zone” but did not elaborate on what that would mean. 

The religious and political tensions in the Middle East continue to rise as rebellion groups, Israeli forces, Assad allies and countless other sides battle for the freedom and control of Syria and other Middle Eastern countries.