Start your week smart: CEO killing suspect, ABC News settlement, Trump poll, Nancy Pelosi fall, Jamie Foxx incident

By CNN Newsource

Published December 15, 2024 7:00 AM

By Andrew Torgan, CNN

(CNN) — December is typically packed with year-end work obligations and holiday preparations, but taking a little time to review your finances could lower your 2024 taxes. Make these five moves now to boost your bottom line or spare yourself financial penalties.

Here’s what else you need to know to Start Your Week Smart.

The weekend that was

• The man accused of killing UnitedHealthcare’s CEO in Manhattan has retained a high-profile New York attorney — a development revealed as an official indicated the defendant may soon stop fighting extradition from Pennsylvania, the site of his arrest, to the Empire State. Luigi Mangione, charged in New York with second-degree murder in the December 4 shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, has retained Karen Friedman Agnifilo — a former Manhattan prosecutor — to represent him, CNN learned Friday.
• ABC News will pay $15 million to a “presidential foundation and museum” in a settlement reached with President-elect Donald Trump in his defamation suit against the network and anchor George Stephanopoulos. The settlement, which was filed publicly Saturday, reveals the network will also pay $1 million in Trump’s attorneys’ fees and will issue an apology.
• The American public is closely divided on the outlook for Donald Trump’s second term, a new CNN poll conducted by SSRS finds, with 52% of adults expressing positive feelings, and 48% responding negatively. One of the biggest drivers for Americans who express enthusiasm or optimism about Trump’s next stint in the White House is the hope that he’ll improve the economy, with many also approvingly citing his first term in office. By contrast, those who are pessimistic are most likely to cite concerns about his character. And a significant share of those who say they’re afraid of what’s to come say they’re frightened by the prospect of rising bigotry, weakened democracy, or the impact his administration could have on their own lives.
• Rep. Nancy Pelosi underwent a “successful” hip replacement surgery Saturday and is “well on the mend,” according to a spokesperson, one day after being hospitalized from an injury sustained during an official engagement in Luxembourg. The former House speaker, who is 84, was admitted to a hospital in Luxembourg as the result of a fall on the stairs, three sources told CNN. Pelosi’s office declined to comment on how the California congresswoman was injured.
• Oscar-winning actor Jamie Foxx is recovering after an incident at a Beverly Hills restaurant during his birthday dinner on Friday left him with injuries. “Jamie Foxx was at his birthday dinner when someone from another table threw a glass that hit him in the mouth,” a spokesperson for Foxx said. “He had to get stitches and is recovering. The police were called and the matter is now in law enforcement’s hands.”

The week ahead

Tuesday
Another step in the official election process is set to take place when slates of electors from the 50 states and Washington, DC, meet in their capitols to officially cast the 538 Electoral College votes in the 2024 presidential election.

Wednesday
The Federal Reserve will conclude a two-day meeting and announce its decision on interest rates. Most economists are expecting policymakers will cut rates by a quarter-point, despite a recent report showing an uptick in inflation at the wholesale level. The Producer Price Index, a measurement of average price changes seen by producers and manufacturers, rose 3% for the 12 months ended in November, marking an acceleration from October’s reading of 2.6%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Friday
Congress is facing a December 20 deadline to avoid a government shutdown. Lawmakers approved the stopgap spending bill in September that funds the government until that date, and House Speaker Mike Johnson will likely again need support from Democrats to pass another continuing resolution to keep the lights on.

Saturday
December 21 is the winter solstice and the longest night of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. Fun fact: Fairbanks, Alaska, will see a mere 3 hours and 42 minutes of daylight on Saturday. Meantime, residents of Utqiaġvik (formerly Barrow), the northernmost town in Alaska, watched the sun go down toward the end of November and are in the midst of over 60 days of darkness.

Listen in

One Thing: 🎧 “Make America Healthy Again” moms
In this episode of the “One Thing” podcast, CNN’s Meena Duerson explains why a group of moms are cheering Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s nomination to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. Listen here.

Photos of the week

Check out more images, curated by CNN Photos.

What’s happening in entertainment

TV and streaming
From the moment fatal shots were fired outside a New York City hotel, the US has been riveted by the search for the UnitedHealthcare CEO killer. CNN traces the timeline of the murder and the subsequent manhunt while examining the lives of Brian Thompson, a health care executive, and Luigi Mangione, the alleged shooter. How does this case expose deeper issues of America’s health care system? Click here to watch CNN’s online Flash Doc short, “Manhunt: Tracking the CEO Murder Suspect.”

In theaters
A pair of PG-rated movies hit the big screen on Friday, including “Sonic the Hedgehog 3,” featuring the voices of Ben Schwartz, Keanu Reeves, Idris Elba and Colleen O’Shaughnessey. Also back is Jim Carrey as villain Dr. Robotnik — and you may be surprised why he decided to return to the franchise.

If lions, rather than hedgehogs, are your thing, there’s “Mufasa: The Lion King”— aka “The Lion King” before “The Lion King.” The movie recounts the rise of an orphaned cub (orphaned because, well, it’s Disney) destined to become the beloved king of the Pride Lands.

What’s happening in sports

Week 15 of the 2024 NFL season sees four games between teams currently in playoff positions, with all four taking place on Sunday. The week’s action began on Thursday with the Los Angeles Rams keeping their playoff hopes alive through their narrow victory over the San Francisco 49ers. The postseason picture is coming into focus as the end of the regular season approaches, with job security and future roster positions on the line in the final few weeks. Here’s a look at three of Sunday’s standout matchups.

In college football, the University of Colorado’s Travis Hunter was crowned the winner of the 2024 Heisman Trophy on Saturday following an impressive season with the Buffaloes. Hunter excelled as a wide receiver and cornerback for the Buffs. His offensive contributions included leading the Big 12 with 92 receptions and 14 touchdowns and ranked third with 1,152 receiving yards. He was also dynamic on defense – a rarity in today’s game – showcasing his versatility with four interceptions, 31 total tackles, 15 passes defended, and a pivotal game-winning forced fumble in an overtime win against Baylor.

And the first-ever field of 12 teams will compete for a national title in the expanded College Football Playoff format beginning Friday. The top four seeds in the tournament — Oregon, Georgia, Boise State and Arizona State — receive a bye in the tournament’s first round and will prepare for a game on either New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day. They’ll be watching at home as the rest of the teams compete in the first round. Those matchups are: No. 7 seed Notre Dame hosting No. 10 seed Indiana at 8 p.m. ET on Friday, No. 6 seed Penn State hosting No. 11 seed Southern Methodist University at noon ET on Saturday, No. 5 seed Texas hosting No. 12 seed Clemson at 4 p.m. ET on Saturday and No. 8 seed Ohio State hosting No. 9 seed Tennessee at 8 p.m. ET on Saturday.

Skiing great Lindsey Vonn will make her World Cup return at St Moritz, Switzerland, on Saturday. In a video posted by her sponsor, Red Bull, late last week, the 40-year-old Vonn said: “So, I have some news. My body is finally put back together and I hear St Moritz is pretty nice this time of year.” Vonn announced her retirement from competitive skiing in 2019 after 18 years on the World Cup circuit. In that time, she recorded 82 World Cup race wins, eight world championship medals and three Winter Olympic medals. After undergoing successful partial knee replacement surgery earlier this year, Vonn decided to attempt a comeback.

For more of your favorite sports, head on over to CNN Sports as well as Bleacher Report, which — like CNN — is owned by Warner Bros. Discovery.

Quiz time!

Looking for a challenge to start your week? Take CNN’s weekly news quiz to see how much you remember from the week that was! So far, 40% of fellow quiz fans have gotten eight or more questions right. How will you fare?

Play me off …

‘Step into Christmas’
Attention all you bakers, crafters and last-minute shoppers — Christmas is now just 10 days away! It’s time to step it up! (Click here to view)

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