Article written by Avalon Stewart, Feb 3rd 2026

Coming to a Freezing Point

Luigi Mangione

This last week, multiple updates have come out about Luigi Mangione, the 27 year old of alleged CEO killing fame. Although it has been since December of 2024 when he was accused of shooting and killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, details of his case are still actively unfolding. Mangione, who has pleaded not guilty, still faces federal charges that carry the possibility of life imprisonment.

Additionally, a New York State Supreme Court judge, Gregory Carro, sent a summons to Mangione and his legal team for an unexpected court appearance on February 6th to the Manhattan district attorney's office. The appearance request stated no reasoning with Mangione not having been due back in court until May, and there have been no comments from either side of the legal dispute except for defense attorney Karen Friedman Agnifilo being expected to raise double jeopardy concerns.

Finally, authorities have stated that on January 28th, a man, Mark Anderson, that claimed to be an FBI agent arrived at a federal jail in New York City with claims of possessing a court order to release Luigi Mangione from prison. On the scene, when officers requested to see his credentials, Anderson allegedly revealed his Minnesota driver's license and tossed documents at them with claims of having a weapon on him. After being searched by officers, it was reported that the weapons he had on him were in fact a barbecue fork and a small pizza cutter wheel. Luigi Mangione on the other hand, was being held in the notorious Brooklyn jail, awaiting further trials.

Winter Storm Surge

Throughout the last week, the storm has progressively East moved along the Central US and has brought with it a heavy combination of snow, sleet, and a bitter cold. Twenty-four U.S. state governors issued emergency declarations in response to the storm. From January 23 to January 25, the number of counties under a winter storm warning was the highest recorded. National Guardsmen from 12 states were activated in advance of the storm.

This past weekend was especially harsh with reports from North Carolina getting over 20 inches of snow and parts of Florida having been hit with record breaking low temperatures for the area. Due to the intense weather, the road conditions in this part of the country has rapidly declined into a state of staying “off the roads unless it’s absolutely necessary”. 

On the Southeast coast, a combination of intense winds and some of the most snow in decades to some areas, has caused the formation of a meteorological phenomenon called a “bomb cyclone”. According to meteorologist Mary Gilbert, “A bomb cyclone is a rapidly strengthening storm that undergoes a significant drop in pressure – one measure of a storm’s strength – in a short time. They often unleash strong winds, heavy snow and rain, and the one developing off the Southeast coast right now is no different”.

Even though Punxsutawney Phil predicted 4 more weeks of winter conditions, we thankfully have good news for those in the affected areas. Most places should be in the 40s or even low 50s by Tuesday and Wednesday, which should really ramp up the meltdown, although temperatures may fluctuate more in the coming weeks.