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Bar Smith is sitting behind bars in Nevada. While he’s busy on the inside, his soon-to-be-ex-wife, Ashley Jones, and his mother, Shen Williams, are trading barbs on social media. Things came to a head recently when Williams took to Instagram to call Jones out for monopolizing Smith’s limited visitation opportunities. The Teen Mom star was quick to clap back. Ashley Jones claps back at Shen Williams on Instagram Shen Williams, whose social media takes have been strange in the best of times, took to Instagram to claim Ashley Jones had signed up for jail visits with Williams’ son and Jones’ alleged abuser, Bar Smith. She went on to call into question the nature of Smith’s crimes, claiming that Jones would not be visiting the troubled California native in jail if he had abused her or if she was concerned for her safety or the safety of their shared child. Williams is trying to cast doubt on Jones’ story, but it might have backfired. Jones, who appears to be entirely over the drama her soon-to-be-ex and his meddling mother brings to the table, shot back via her Instagram Stories. The Teen Mom star called Williams out by name, insisting that she set up the visits to allow their shared child to see her father and that nothing she is doing is going “above and beyond.” She implored Williams to either be a good mother and grandmother or sit down and remain quiet. Jones later added that the visits are via Facetime, punctuating once again that the visits are to benefit Bar and his daughter, Holly. While the Instagram stories have since expired, TeenMom Shaderoom , an Instagram account dedicated to gossip about the stars, shared screenshots. Why is Bar Smith still in jail? Bar Smith’s legal situation is precarious at best. He has been sitting in jail since he was arrested back in early July. He likely will remain behind bars for the foreseeable future. At the very least, he’ll be remanded to jail until his trial. According to Starcasm , a judge initially set Smith’s bail at $35,000. He later attempted to have that amount reduced, claiming that he was not, in fact, a flight risk. The prosecutor disagreed. They tried to have the bail increased. Prosecutors argued that Smith had a history of dangerous and felonious behavior. His charges were later upgraded, and a judge set his new bail amount at $250,000. Smith has not come up with his bail. He will remain behind bars for at least the next several months. According to The Ashley Reality Roundup Group , Smith’s trial will begin in March 2025. He could be facing up to 15 years behind bars for domestic violence and aggravated stalking. Jones has filed for divorce.Lions injury updates: Amon-Ra St. Brown, David Montgomery, Carlton Davis, more | Sporting News
Islamist rebel groups, also called opposition forces, have managed to sweep victory into Aleppo city only three days after starting an unexpected operation in the country. This occurred for the first time that the Syrian opposition was able to step on the country’s second-largest city after President Bashar al-Assad’s regime supported by Iran and Russia recaptured it in December 2016. By Friday evening, the forces reached the city’s heart, as seen in videos posted by CNN that show fighters holding the flag of the Syrian opposition in one of the squares of the city, marking the first major challenge to President Bashar al-Assad’s regime, who has ruled the war-torn country since 2000. Subsequently, the rebels mainly operated by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group, officially announced that they had taken control of more than 50 towns and villages in large portions of the city and entered the western districts of Aleppo and Idlib provinces in northern Syria while describing the victory as reclaiming their lost ground. The invasion prompted fierce retaliation from al-Assad’s government forces supported by Russian airstrikes. In a statement on Friday the army said the HTS launched attacks using various heavy and medium weapons, including drones provided by its foreign allies, Xinhua news agency reported. “Our armed forces have inflicted heavy losses to the attacking groups, causing hundreds of deaths and injuries among the terrorists,” the statement said, adding, “We have destroyed dozens of vehicles and armoured units and have downed 17 drones.” Britain-based Observatory stated that the fighting was intense in the beginning, and 277 people were killed. The toll included 28 civilians among which many were killed by a Russian air strike. Pertinently, Russia launched airstrikes inside Syrian territory on Friday for the first time after 2016. After a decade Aleppo has made headlines again as it has been the worst battleground throughout the Syrian civil war. Before the conflict, it was estimated that about 2.3 million people lived in this particular region. The city was split in 2012 after rebel forces seized the eastern part of it but by 2016 government forces managed to liberate the region after a devastating war characterised by indiscriminate bombings and starvation tactics. The latest aggression is potentially capable of frustrating this achieved delicate balance and the consequent possibility of resumed urban combat. The offensive is being led by HTS, which began as an al-Qaida affiliate but has now shifted toward a focus on governance and is still considered a terrorist group by the United States and the United Nations. HTS is reportedly backed by the United States and Turkey, operating under the umbrella of the Syrian National Army. However, the United States and the United Nations still consider HTS a terrorist organization, but its leader, Abu Mohammed al-Golani, distanced the group from its extremist roots. These groups have a history of internal conflicts. However, al-Assad is their common enemy whom they describe as a dictator and war criminal for his alleged role in the mass killing of civilians including children by using chemical weapons in the early hours of August 21 2013 in Ghouta. In a video statement announcing the campaign, rebel military commander Lt. Col. Hassan Abdulghany claimed the attack as defensive in an effort to safeguard civilians from airstrike attacks and regain territory. They asserted that their specific objectives are to prevent Syrian government ground as well as air assaults on populated districts and disrupting supply lines essential for Assad’s military operations. “To push back their fire from our people, this operation is not a choice. It is an obligation to defend our people and their land. It has become clear to everyone that the regime militias and their allies, including the Iranian mercenaries, have declared an open war on the Syrian people,” he said, according to the New York Times Of necessity, this operation is not a match to push back their fire from our people. People must be protected and their territory is to be safeguarded. As it was seen by everyone, the regime militias and their allies, including Iranians, launched an open war against the Syrian people,” he said, according to the New York Times . The timing of this operation is crucial as it coincides with ongoing conflicts involving Iranian rebel wings such as Hezbollah and Hamas in Lebanon and Gaza. These groups are currently engaged in their own battles against Israel which might make it difficult for them to effectively support Assad. Additionally, Turkey’s role—supporting rebel groups on the ground in northwest Syria complicates already fragile conflict. Although Syria has not actively participated in recent conflicts in the Middle East, the country’s territory has been called a battleground by global actors for decades. Israel has regularly conducted attacks in Syria, claiming its targets are Iran-backed factions including the Hezbollah from Lebanon. These kinds of attacks, however, have since then surged after the Hamas-led assault on Israel on October 7, 2023. These attacks have already weakened Asaad’s regime. President Asaad has depended on Russian and Iranian forces to contain the rebels for years yet the civil unrest in the Middle East has also compromised his support. On the other side, the emergence of renewed fighting in Syria has now added severe humanitarian risks. The International Rescue Committee reported that 6674 families have been affected and displaced in recent days by violence. Currently, northwestern Syria hosts millions of internally displaced people who are already living in vulnerable situations. Some of them might find themselves in an even worse situation if the situation deteriorates. The recent increase in violence in Aleppo brings to light that any stability in Syria is transient and this has implications for not only Syria but other countries in the Middle East and will assume a new dimension in Middle East conflicts. Soon after announcing victory in Aleppo and other major districts, rebel forces stormed into Syrian jails and released all of the prisoners in Northwestern Aleppo, most of whom were seen as women and political prisoners of the Assad Regime. Rebels have broken into and freed all of the Prisoners at the Al-Sabil Temporary Prison in Northwestern Aleppo, most of whom are Women and Political Prisoners of the Assad Regime. pic.twitter.com/b99Xbl5yxN Rebel forces pose in front of the Syrian army flag, at the Citadel within the City of Aleppo. Rebel Fighters pose in front of the Free Syrian Army Flag, at the Citadel within the City of Aleppo. pic.twitter.com/2U5snyGgc9 The rebel forces movement in Aleppo after taking over #MiddleEast – Assad forces defence lines in #Aleppo have collapsed, and rebels are advancing almost unopposed through the city centre. 60,000 #SyrianRebels from 13 different factions have participated in the takeover of #Syria 's 2nd largest city. pic.twitter.com/HTojz2LtUf Bashar al-Assad’s army arrived with reinforcements and started launching attacks at the rebel forces. The battle on Aleppo: Bashar al-Assad’s army has arrived with reinforcements, starting now launching at the rebel forces, who entered the city. There is panic among the Shiite militias. pic.twitter.com/69hLKwVfIV After Kurdish forces rejected the Syrian National Army’s demand to withdraw from the area north of Aleppo, rebel forces launched an attack. Clashes between Kurdish forces and the Syrian National Army have been reported near Tel Rifaat. #BREAKING #Syria JUST IN: After Kurdish forces rejected the Syrian National Army's demand to withdraw from the area north of Aleppo, rebel forces launched an attack. Clashes between Kurdish forces and the Syrian National Army have been reported near Tel Rifaat. pic.twitter.com/F4ZQRyvWNJA judge on Monday rejected a request to block a San Jose State women’s volleyball team member from playing in a conference tournament on grounds that she is transgender. Monday’s ruling by U.S. Magistrate Judge S. Kato Crews in Denver will allow the player, who has played all season, to continue competing in the Mountain West Conference women’s championship scheduled for later this week in Las Vegas. The ruling comes after a lawsuit was filed by nine current players who are suing the Mountain West Conference to challenge the league’s policies for allowing transgender players to participate. The players argued that letting her compete was a safety risk and unfair. While some media have reported those and other details, neither San Jose State nor the forfeiting teams have confirmed the school has a trans women’s volleyball player. The Associated Press is withholding the player’s name because she has not publicly commented on her gender identity. School officials also have declined an interview request with the player. Judge Crews referred to the athlete as an “alleged transgender” player in his ruling and noted that no defendant disputed that San Jose State rosters a transgender woman volleyball player. He said the players who filed the complaint could have sought relief much earlier, noting that the individual universities had acknowledged that not playing their games against San Jose State this season would result in a forfeit in league standings. He also said injunctions are meant to preserve the status quo. The conference policy regarding forfeiting for refusing to play against a team with a transgender player had been in effect since 2022 and the San Jose State player has been on the roster since 2022 – making that the status quo. The player competed at the college level three previous seasons, including two for San Jose State, drawing little attention. This season’s awareness of her identity led to an uproar among some players, pundits, parents and politicians in a political campaign year. The tournament starts Wednesday and continues Friday and Saturday. San Jose State is seeded second. The judge's order maintains the seedings and pairings for the tournament. Several teams refused to play against San Jose State during the season, earning losses in the official standings. Boise State and Wyoming each had two forfeits while Utah State and Nevada both had one. Southern Utah, a member of the Western Athletic Conference, was first to cancel against San Jose State this year. Nevada’s players stated they “refuse to participate in any match that advances injustice against female athletes,” without providing further details. Crews served as a magistrate judge in Colorado’s U.S. District Court for more than five years before President Joe Biden appointed him to serve as a federal judge in January of this year. Gruver reported from Cheyenne, Wyoming, and Hanson from Helena, Montana.
Chris Cenac Jr., the top center in the Class of 2025 according to the ESPN100, has committed to play for the Houston Cougars. The five-star recruit announced his decision Tuesday via the Bleacher Report's B/R App. Cenac previously said he wouldn't make his decision until the spring, but his stock soared over the summer after his impressive play on the Puma Pro 16 circuit with Dallas-based YGC, vaulting him into the national top-10 rankings. The 6-foot-10 New Orleans native was reportedly choosing between LSU, Auburn, Arkansas, Baylor, Kentucky, Tennessee and others before making the decision to join Cougars coach Kelvin Sampson's team. "I just like the coaching staff a lot, I like their plan to develop me and I like coming into a winning program," Cenac told 247Sports. "I'm looking forward to producing and just helping them win more. But the main thing was development and them being able to get me better so I can be ready for that next level." Cenac's rating of .9978 by 247Sports Composite makes him the Cougars' highest-rated commit in the modern era, according to multiple outlets. "They see me as a four who can kind of play all over the court and do everything," Cenac told 247Sports. "I can get rebounds, push the ball, shoot and play all over the floor." With Cenac joining other Houston commits like five-star shooting guard Isaiah Harwell, four-star point guard Kingston Flemings and three-star wing Bryce Jackson, Houston's Class of 2025 is ranked No. 2 in the nation by 247Sports and ESPN. --Field Level MediaFRISCO, Texas (AP) — A rare win as a double-digit underdog came just in time to let the Dallas Cowboys believe their playoff hopes aren't completely gone in 2024. Cooper Rush probably will need three more victories in a row filling in for the injured Dak Prescott for any postseason talk to be realistic. The thing is, the Cowboys (4-7) could be favored in two of those games, and already are by four points as an annual Thanksgiving Day host against the New York Giants (2-9) on Thursday, according to BetMGM. Not to mention the losing record at the moment for each of the next four opponents for the defending NFC East champions, playoff qualifiers each of the past three seasons. The Cowboys have a chance to make something of the improbable and chaotic 34-26 win at Washington that ended a five-game losing streak. “Behind the eight ball,” Micah Parsons said, the star pass rusher acknowledging the reality that Dallas hadn't done much yet. “Let’s see how we can handle adversity and see if we can make a playoff run. But we got a long way to go.” It was a start, though, powered in part by the best 55 minutes from the Dallas defense since the opener, when the Cowboys dismantled Cleveland and looked the part of a Super Bowl contender. The last five minutes for the Dallas defense against the Commanders looked a lot like most of the nine games after that 33-17 victory over the Browns. Which is to say not very good. Jayden Daniels easily drove Washington 69 yards to a touchdown before throwing an 86-yard scoring pass in the final seconds to Terry McLaurin, who weaved through five defenders when a tackle might have ended the game. The Cowboys kept a 27-26 lead thanks to Austin Seibert's second missed extra point, and withstood another blunder when Juanyeh Thomas returned an onside kick recovery for a TD rather than slide and leave one kneel-down from Rush to end the game. Dallas will have to remember it did hold a dynamic rookie quarterback's offense to 251 yards before the madness of the ending in the Cowboys' biggest upset victory since 2010 at the New York Giants. That one was too late to save the season. This one might not be. “We needed it,” embattled coach Mike McCarthy said. “It’s been frustrating, no doubt. We’ve acknowledged that. We’ve got another one right around the corner here, so we have to get some wins and get some momentum.” Rush ended a personal three-game losing streak with his best showing since the previous time he won as the replacement for Prescott, who is out for the season after surgery for a torn hamstring. The 117.6 passer rating was Rush's best as a starter, and the NFL's second-worst rushing attack played a solid complementary role with Rico Dowdle gaining 86 yards on 19 carries. KaVontae Turpin's electrifying 99-yard kickoff return did more than lift the Cowboys when it appeared an 11-point lead might get away in the final five minutes. It eased the worst day of special teams for Dallas since John Fassel took over that phase four years ago. Suddenly struggling kicker Brandon Aubrey had one field-goal attempt blocked and missed another. Bryan Anger had a punt blocked. For the second time in five games, Aubrey's attempt to bounce a kickoff in front of the return man backfired. The ball bounced outside the landing zone, putting the Commanders at the 40-yard line to start the second half and setting up the drive to the game's first touchdown. CB Josh Butler, whose NFL debut earlier this season came five years after the end of his college career, had 12 tackles, a sack and three pass breakups. The pass breakups were the most by an undrafted Dallas player since 1994. Rookie LT Tyler Guyton, who has had an up-and-down season with injuries and performance issues, was benched immediately after getting called for a false start in the fourth quarter. His replacement, Asim Richards, could be sidelined with a high ankle sprain that executive vice president of personnel Stephen Jones revealed on his radio show Monday. Veteran Chuma Edoga, who was the projected starter at Guyton's position before a preseason toe injury, was active but didn't play against the Commanders. He's awaiting his season debut. The status of perennial All-Pro RG Zack Martin (ankle/shoulder) and LG Tyler Smith (ankle/knee) will be a question on the short week after both sat against Washington. Stephen Jones indicated Smith could be available and said the same of WR Brandin Cooks, who hasn't played since Week 4 because of a knee issue. TE Jake Ferguson may miss at least a second week with a concussion. The short week might make it tough for CB Trevon Diggs (groin/knee) to return. 75% — Rush's completion rate, his best with at least 10 passes. He was 24 of 32 for 247 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. His other game with multiple TDs and no picks was a 25-10 victory over Washington two years ago, when he went 4-1 with Prescott sidelined by a broken thumb. There's some extra rest after the short week, with Cincinnati making a “Monday Night Football” visit on Dec. 9. The next road game is at Carolina on Dec. 15. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
The season 2 finale of 'The Diplomat' has left viewers on the edge of their seats after a major twist that sharpens Kate Wyler 's future. While it gears up for season 3, showrunner Debora Cahn teased what is to come for Keri Russell 's character. Though the details are limited as of now, Cahn's comments do indicate some dramatic shifts in Kate and the broader political landscape. Season 3 is going to take it to uncharted territory, particularly for Kate, as Cahn disclosed that the upcoming season would "flip the chessboard" and look at the challenges in a new way. IPL 2025 Mega Auction IPL Auction 2025: Who went where and for how much IPL 2025: Complete list of players of each franchise While cryptic, Cahn noted that Kate would "live the particular nightmare that is getting what you want," a comment suggesting much for the character. Given what happened in the season 2 finale, it's becoming more probable that Kate will become Vice President , though not confirmed. Cahn's hints indicate that what Kate resisted, her political ambitions, are coming close to being fulfilled. The implication of President Rayburn's offscreen death makes Kate's fall just a matter of time. Kate was uninterested in a Vice Presidency at first and, in fact, was unaware that her posting to the UK was part of a much larger strategic political experiment to test her for the role. When Kate discovered the ruse, she was angry and fought against it, but by the end of season 2, her attitude had seemingly relaxed enough to become more receptive to the idea. This change brings with it new challenges because Kate's newfound ambition complicates her position, especially in a troubled relationship with the new President, Grace Penn, and revelations that could imperil her political future. If Kate indeed becomes Vice President, a natural question arises: what would be the reason for President Grace Penn to install her in this position? Penn would have two choices: distance herself from Kate or not. The latter is far from ideal but would enable her to keep track of Kate's movement and prevent her from telling everyone the truth about the attack on the HMS Courageous. This strategic move would help maintain Penn's control over the narrative and silence destabilizing information. For Kate, the potential promotion offers an opportunity to gather evidence against Penn while maneuvering for a more powerful position. As production on season 3 continues in London and New York, 'The Diplomat' promises to deliver even more political intrigue and high-stakes drama.None
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IIM Ranchi Student Creates Indian Version of Mona Lisa Using AI, Goes Viral on Social MediaWorkers at Strand Books — one of New York City’s most famous book shops — walked off the job Saturday as part of a labor strike demanding they make more than minimum wage. The store’s 110 unionized workers went on strike in the middle of the busy holiday season, leaving the shop’s “18 miles of books” to be run by a skeleton staff made up of a mix of store managers, part time non-union workers and other non-union administrative staff, according to labor organizers. The union wants their base pay to increase from $16 an hour, which is minimum wage in New York City, to $18 an hour in the first year of the contract. The workers voted to authorize a strike late last month. Aaron Eisenberg, political director of the regional chapter of the United Auto Workers, which represents the workers, said the Strand’s current base pay isn’t enough to survive in the city. “That's far from enough for workers in the city,” Eisenberg said. “Our workers at the Strand will continue to be on strike until the owners come back to the table with a real offer.” Shop steward and bookseller Brian Bermeo said the union and management are hung up over wage proposals. The union has demanded a $2 hourly raise in their first year of the contract, followed by $1.50 per hour raise in each of the second and third years. Strand Books' management has offered 50 cents less for each year and has not agreed to the next negotiation date, according to Bermeo. The UAW’s Local 2179 represents the Strand’s workers at a second shop on the Upper West Side and a warehouse in Brooklyn on top of the flagship location near Union Square, according to the Chief newspaper. The Strand is owned by Nancy Bass Wyden, whose husband Ron Wyden is the senior U.S. senator of Oregon. Strand spokesperson Paul Colarusso said the 97-year-old company wants to reach a compromise that will “keep our business alive.” “We respect and value our staff, and we have made sizable economic offers during this contract negotiation accordingly,” Colarusso said. The Strand is known for its “ 18 miles of books ” — a collection of 2.5 million works spread across four levels and multiple sections, including its rare book room. The union and management have been locked in labor disputes multiple times since the start of the pandemic, when the Strand laid off its entire workforce amid a citywide business shutdown. The shop’s employees planned to continue picketing outside the store Sunday afternoon. “I really genuinely do like working there,” Bermeo said. “There's a lot of problems that come from upper management down that just make the habit of working at the Strand stressful.”Rudy Giuliani tells judge he can’t pay his bills in courtroom outburst
As open enrollment for Affordable Care Act plans continues through Jan. 15, you’re likely seeing fewer social media ads promising monthly cash cards worth hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars that you can use for groceries, medical bills, rent and other expenses. But don’t worry. You haven’t missed out on any windfalls. Clicking on one of those ads would not have provided you with a cash card — at least not worth hundreds or thousands. But you might have found yourself switched to a health insurance plan you did not authorize, unable to afford treatment for an unforeseen medical emergency, and owing thousands of dollars to the IRS, according to an ongoing lawsuit against companies and individuals who plaintiffs say masterminded the ads and alleged scams committed against millions of people who responded to them. The absence of those once-ubiquitous ads are likely a result of the federal government suspending access to the ACA marketplace for two companies that market health insurance out of South Florida offices, amid accusations they used “fraudulent” ads to lure customers and then switched their insurance plans and agents without their knowledge. In its suspension letter, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) cited “credible allegations of misconduct” in the agency’s decision to suspend the abilities of two companies — TrueCoverage (doing business as Inshura) and BenefitAlign — to transact information with the marketplace. CMS licenses and monitors agencies that use their own websites and information technology platforms to enroll health insurance customers in ACA plans offered in the federal marketplace. The alleged scheme affected millions of consumers, according to a lawsuit winding its way through U.S. District Court in Fort Lauderdale that seeks class-action status. An amended version of the suit, filed in August, increased the number of defendants from six to 12: — TrueCoverage LLC, an Albuquerque, New Mexico-based health insurance agency with large offices in Miami, Miramar and Deerfield Beach. TrueCoverage is a sub-tenant of the South Florida Sun Sentinel in a building leased by the newspaper in Deerfield Beach. — Enhance Health LLC, a Sunrise-based health insurance agency that the lawsuit says was founded by Matthew Herman, also named as a defendant, with a $150 million investment from hedge fund Bain Capital’s insurance division. Bain Capital Insurance Fund LP is also a defendant. — Speridian Technologies LLC, accused in the lawsuit of establishing two direct enrollment platforms that provided TrueCoverage and other agencies access to the ACA marketplace. — Benefitalign LLC, identified in the suit as one of the direct enrollment platforms created by Speridian. Like Speridian and TrueCoverage, the company is based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. — Number One Prospecting LLC, doing business as Minerva Marketing, based in Fort Lauderdale, and its founder, Brandon Bowsky, accused of developing the social media ads that drove customers — or “leads” — to the health insurance agencies. — Digital Media Solutions LLC, doing business as Protect Health, a Miami-based agency that the suit says bought Minerva’s “fraudulent” ads. In September, the company filed for Chapter 11 protection from creditors in United States Bankruptcy Court in Texas, which automatically suspended claims filed against the company. — Net Health Affiliates Inc., an Aventura-based agency the lawsuit says was associated with Enhance Health and like it, bought leads from Minerva. — Garish Panicker, identified in the lawsuit as half-owner of Speridian Global Holdings and day-to-day controller of companies under its umbrella, including TrueCoverage, Benefitalign and Speridian Technologies. — Matthew Goldfuss, accused by the suit of overseeing and directing TrueCoverage’s ACA enrollment efforts. All of the defendants have filed motions to dismiss the lawsuit. The motions deny the allegations and argue that the plaintiffs failed to properly state their claims and lack the standing to file the complaints. The Sun Sentinel sent requests for comment and lists of questions about the cases to four separate law firms representing separate groups of defendants. Three of the law firms — one representing Brandon Bowsky and Number One Prospecting LLC d/b/a Minerva Marketing, and two others representing Net Health Affiliates Inc. and Bain Capital Insurance Fund — did not respond to the requests. A representative of Enhance Health LLC and Matthew Herman, Olga M. Vieira of the Miami-based firm Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP, responded with a short message saying she was glad the newspaper knew a motion to dismiss the charges had been filed by the defendants. She also said that, “Enhance has denied all the allegations as reported previously in the media.” Catherine Riedel, a communications specialist representing TrueCoverage LLC, Benefitalign LLC, Speridian Technologies LLC, Girish Panicker and Matthew Goldfuss, issued the following statement: “TrueCoverage takes these allegations very seriously and is responding appropriately. While we cannot comment on ongoing litigation, we strongly believe that the allegations are baseless and without merit. “Compliance is our business. The TrueCoverage team records and reviews every call with a customer, including during Open Enrollment when roughly 500 agents handle nearly 30,000 calls a day. No customer is enrolled into any policy without a formal verbal consent given by the customer. If any customer calls in as a result of misleading content presented by third-party marketing vendors, agents are trained to correct such misinformation and action is taken against such third-party vendors.” Through Riedel, the defendants declined to answer follow-up questions, including whether the company remains in business, whether it continues to enroll Affordable Care Act clients, and whether it is still operating its New Mexico call center using another affiliated technology platform. The suspension notification from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services letter cites several factors, including the histories of noncompliance and previous suspensions. The letter noted suspicion that TrueCoverage and Benefitalign were storing consumers’ personally identifiable information in databases located in India and possibly other overseas locations in violation of the centers’ rules. The letter also notes allegations against the companies in the pending lawsuit that “they engaged in a variety of illegal practices, including violations of the (Racketeer Influenced & Corrupt Organizations, or RICO Act), misuse of consumer (personal identifiable information) and insurance fraud.” The amended lawsuit filed in August names as plaintiffs five individuals who say their insurance plans were changed and two agencies who say they lost money when they were replaced as agents. The lawsuit accuses the defendants of 55 counts of wrongdoing, ranging from running ads offering thousands of dollars in cash that they knew would never be provided directly to consumers, switching millions of consumers into different insurance policies without their authorization, misstating their household incomes to make them eligible for $0 premium coverage, and “stealing” commissions by switching the agents listed in their accounts. TrueCoverage, Enhance Health, Protect Health, and some of their associates “engaged in hundreds of thousands of agent-of-record swaps to steal other agents’ commissions,” the suit states. “Using the Benefitalign and Inshura platforms, they created large spreadsheet lists of consumer names, dates of birth and zip codes.” They provided those spreadsheets to agents, it says, and instructed them to access platforms linked to the ACA marketplace and change the customers’ agents of record “without telling the client or providing informed consent.” “In doing so, they immediately captured the monthly commissions of agents ... who had originally worked with the consumers directly to sign them up,” the lawsuit asserts. TrueCoverage employees who complained about dealing with prospects who called looking for cash cards were routinely chided by supervisors who told them to be vague and keep making money, the suit says. When the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services began contacting the company in January about customer complaints, the suit says TrueCoverage enrollment supervisor Matthew Goldfuss sent an email instructing agents “do not respond.” The lawsuit states the “scheme” was made possible in 2021 when Congress passed the American Rescue Plan Act in the wake of the COVID pandemic. The act made it possible for Americans with household incomes between 100% and 150% of the federal poverty level to pay zero in premiums and it enabled those consumers to enroll in ACA plans all year round, instead of during the three-month open enrollment period from November to January. Experienced health insurance brokers recognized the opportunity presented by the changes, the lawsuit says. More than 40 million Americans live within 100% and 150% of the federal poverty level, while only 15 million had ACA insurance at the time. The defendants developed or benefited from online ads, the lawsuit says, which falsely promised “hundreds and sometimes thousands of dollars per month in cash benefits such as subsidy cards to pay for common expenses like rent, groceries, and gas.” Consumers who clicked on the ads were brought to a landing page that asked a few qualifying questions, and if their answers suggested that they might qualify for a low-cost or no-cost plan, they were provided a phone number to a health insurance agency. There was a major problem with the plan, according to the lawsuit. “Customers believe they are being routed to someone who will send them a free cash card, not enroll them in health insurance.” By law, the federal government sends subsidies for ACA plans to insurance companies, and not to individual consumers. Scripts were developed requiring agents not to mention a cash card, and if a customer mentions a cash card, “be vague” and tell the caller that only the insurance carrier can provide that information, the lawsuit alleges. In September, the defendants filed a motion to dismiss the claims. In addition to denying the charges, they argued that the class plaintiffs lacked the standing to make the accusations and failed to demonstrate that they suffered harm. The motion also argued that the lawsuit’s accusations failed to meet requirements necessary to claim civil violations of the RICO Act. Miami-based attorney Jason Kellogg, representing the plaintiffs, said he doesn’t expect a ruling on the motion to dismiss the case for several months. The complaint also lists nearly 50 companies, not named as defendants, that it says fed business to TrueCoverage and Enhance Health. Known in the industry as “downlines,” most operate in office parks throughout South Florida, the lawsuit says. The lawsuit quotes former TrueCoverage employees complaining about having to work with customers lured by false cash promises in the online ads. A former employee who worked in the company’s Deerfield Beach office was quoted in the lawsuit as saying that senior TrueCoverage and Speridian executives “knew that consumers were calling in response to the false advertisements promising cash cards and they pressured agents to use them to enroll consumers into ACA plans.” A former human resources manager for TrueCoverage said sales agents frequently complained “that they did not feel comfortable having to mislead consumers,” the lawsuit said. Over two dozen agents “came to me with these complaints and showed me the false advertisements that consumers who called in were showing them,” the lawsuit quoted the former manager as saying. For much of the time the companies operated, the ACA marketplace enabled agents to easily access customer accounts using their names and Social Security numbers, change their insurance plans and switch their agents of record without their knowledge or authorization, the lawsuit says. This resulted in customers’ original agents losing their commissions and many of the policyholders finding out they suddenly owed far more for health care services than their original plans had required, the suit states. It says that one of the co-plaintiffs’ health plans was changed at least 22 times without her consent. She first discovered that she had lost her original plan when she sought to renew a prescription for her heart condition and her doctor told her she did not have health insurance, the suit states. Another co-plaintiff’s policy was switched after her husband responded to one of the cash card advertisements, the lawsuit says. That couple’s insurance plan was switched multiple times after a TrueCoverage agent excluded the wife’s income from an application so the couple would qualify. Later, they received bills from the IRS for $4,300 to cover tax credits issued to pay for the plans. CMS barred TrueCoverage and BenefitAlign from accessing the ACA marketplace. It said it received more than 90,000 complaints about unauthorized plan switches and more than 183,500 complaints about unauthorized enrollments, but the agency did not attribute all of the complaints to activities by the two companies. In addition, CMS restricted all agents’ abilities to alter policyholders’ enrollment information, the lawsuit says. Now access is allowed only for agents that already represent policyholders or if the policyholder participates in a three-way call with an agent and a marketplace employee. Between June and October, the agency barred 850 agents and brokers from accessing the marketplace “for reasonable suspicion of fraudulent or abusive conduct related to unauthorized enrollments or unauthorized plan switches,” according to an October CMS news release . The changes resulted in a “dramatic and sustained drop” in unauthorized activity, including a nearly 70% decrease in plan changes associated with an agent or broker and a nearly 90% decrease in changes to agent or broker commission information, the release said. It added that while consumers were often unaware of such changes, the opportunity to make them provided “significant financial incentive for non-compliant agents and brokers.” But CMS’ restrictions might be having unintended consequences for law-abiding agents and brokers. A story published by Insurance News Net on Nov. 11 quoted the president of the Health Agents for America (HAFA) trade group as saying agents are being suspended by CMS after being flagged by a mysterious algorithm that no one can figure out. The story quotes HAFA president Ronnell Nolan as surmising, “maybe they wrote too many policies on the same day for people who have the same income or they’re writing too many policies on people of a certain occupation.” Nolan continued, “We have members who have thousands of ACA clients. They can’t update or renew their clients. So those consumers have lost access to their professional agent, which is simply unfair.” Ron Hurtibise covers business and consumer issues for the South Florida Sun Sentinel. He can be reached by phone at 954-356-4071, on Twitter @ronhurtibise or by email at rhurtibise@sunsentinel.com.