Killing the CEO of UnitedHealthcare and lighting the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree: Morning overview

The manhunt continues for the gunman who fatally shot UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York City. A study suggests that there are millions of psychiatric disorders linked to exposure to lead in gasoline. And Rockefeller Center creates a Christmas atmosphere with its annual Christmas tree lighting.

This is what you should know today.

The search for the shooter in the murder of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO continues

The manhunt for the person who fatally shot the CEO of UnitedHealthcare is still ongoing. Police in New York released images of the man wanted in the murder of Brian Thompson. They show him wearing a black jacket and a mask that covers half his face. He was last seen in Central Park after fleeing the scene on an e-bike.

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Police said it appeared to be a “premeditated, planned targeted attack” outside the Hilton hotel in midtown Manhattan. Thompson, 50, was on his way to speak at the UnitedHealth Group investor conference when the gunman approached him from behind and “fired several shots,” Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said. Safety video What emerged from the incident was how the shooting unfolded.

Detective Chief Joseph Kenny reiterated that the attack was targeted, but police do not know the motive for the shooting. Thompson’s wife, Paulette Thompson, said her husband had received threats. Despite the well-known threats against him, Thompson did not travel with a security detail.

Shell casings found at the scene bore the words “deny,” “defend” and “depose.” written on itsaid a senior police official.

Here’s what else we know.

Kash Patel’s past comments take center stage in the context of the FBI candidacy

The spotlight is on a 2023 podcast interview with Kash Patel, President-elect Donald Trump as FBI director, and his Trump supporter Steve Bannon. In the recording, Patel said he would “go after people in the media,” particularly those who “lied” and “helped Joe Biden rig the presidential election.” He added: “Whether it’s criminal or civil, we’ll sort it out.”

The comments are now being viewed critically by politicians on both sides of the aisle. Republican Sen. John Cornyn said he would ask Patel to “clarify” some of his past comments. “I don’t know how much of it was rhetorical and how much of it was serious,” Cornyn said. Meanwhile, Democratic senators see Patel’s comments as a major warning sign. Patel has scoffed at the idea that he was eager to attack reporters.

The question of whether Patel will really “hunt” journalists is likely to become a key point of contention if he faces Senate confirmation. Critics also fear Patel’s fierce loyalty to Trump and his history of embracing conspiracy theories will influence his actions at the FBI.

A connection between lead in gasoline and psychological disorders

Exposure to lead in gasoline led to an estimated 151 million additional cases of psychiatric disorders over the past 75 years, according to a new study. The findings, published this week in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, say lead exposure from car exhaust during children’s early development has made generations of Americans more depressed, anxious, inattentive and hyperactive. Exposure to lead through gas also reduced people’s ability to control impulses and made them more neurotic, the study said.

The researchers found that lead-related mental health and personality differences were most pronounced among people born between 1966 and 1986, which coincided with the peak of leaded gasoline consumption in the mid-1960s and 1970s. Lead was banned from automobile fuels in 1996. The study complements years of research shows the harmful effects of lead exposure.

The tree at Rockefeller Center brightens the Christmas season

It’s starting to look like Christmas at Rockefeller Center, where the tree lighting was celebrated with a star-studded show last night. Kelly Clarkson hosted the annual ceremony, which featured performances from the Backstreet Boys, Thalia, Dan + Shay and Jennifer Hudson, among others. As if the night couldn’t get more festive, it started snowing during the special event. New York City Mayor Eric Adams and Chuck Scarborough, an NBC New York anchor who recently announced his retirement after more than 50 years, were on hand to help light the tree. See more highlights of the evening.

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• The price of Bitcoin reached the $100,000 mark for the first time as demand for the cryptocurrency has risen sharply since Trump’s election victory.
• Two sailors assigned to the USS George Washington died within a few days of each other Shortly after the aircraft carrier arrived in Japan, officials and family members said. Two years ago, the George Washington was hit by a series of suicides.
• Two children were shot and a gunman is dead after opening fire at an elementary school in California.
• An unknown illness with flu-like symptoms killed dozens of people and hundreds more people in the Democratic Republic of Congo fell ill.
• France’s Prime Minister is expected to resign from his post after lawmakers passed a vote of no confidence in him and his cabinet, likely plunging the country into a period of political uncertainty.

Personnel selection: Some migrant deaths at the border go unreported

In Arizona’s unforgiving desert, the scorching heat or freezing temperatures can be deadly for thousands of people crossing the border. Our Noticias Telemundo colleague Albinson Linares interviewed a pastor who leads a group that regularly goes into the desert to try to rescue those in need of help or recover the bodies of those who have succumbed to the elements. He also reports on a new study that is being investigated why there are discrepancies in the numbers of migrant deaths reported by county and federal authorities — and why none of these numbers fully capture the number of people dying. — Sandra LilleyEditorial Director of NBC Latino

NBC Select: Online shopping, simplified

It’s holiday shopping time and NBC Select can make it easier for you. Our editors have put together a series of gift guides for just about every scenario imaginable. First of all: 41+ Gifts for Mom That She Will Truly Love. And we haven’t forgotten the fathers. Here are 23+ Gifts for Dads Who Say They “Don’t Need Anything.”

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