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Helium Evolution Announces Joint Well Encounters Helium, Proceeding With Completion and TestingChildren of the wealthy and connected get special admissions consideration at some elite U.S. universities, according to new filings in a class-action lawsuit originally brought against 17 schools. Georgetown’s then-president, for example, listed a prospective student on his “president’s list” after meeting her and her wealthy father at an Idaho conference known as “summer camp for billionaires,” according to Tuesday court filings in the price-fixing lawsuit filed in Chicago federal court in 2022. Although it’s always been assumed that such favoritism exists, the filings offer a rare peek at the often secret deliberations of university heads and admissions officials. They show how schools admit otherwise unqualified wealthy children because their parents have connections and could possibly donate large sums down the line, raising questions about fairness. Stuart Schmill, the dean of admissions at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, wrote in a 2018 email that the university admitted four out of six applicants recommended by then-board chairman Robert Millard, including two who “we would really not have otherwise admitted.” The two others were not admitted because they were “not in the ball park, or the push from him was not as strong.” In the email, Schmill said Millard was careful to play down his influence on admissions decisions, but he said the chair also sent notes on all six students and later met with Schmill to share insight “into who he thought was more of a priority.” The filings are the latest salvo in a lawsuit that claims that 17 of the nation’s most prestigious colleges colluded to reduce the competition for prospective students and drive down the amount of financial aid they would offer, all while giving special preference to the children of wealthy donors. “That illegal collusion resulted in the defendants providing far less aid to students than would have been provided in a free market,” said Robert Gilbert, an attorney for the plaintiffs. Since the lawsuit was filed, 10 of the schools have reached settlements to pay out a total of $284 million, including payments of up to $2,000 to current or former students whose financial aid might have been shortchanged over a period of more than two decades. They are Brown, the University of Chicago, Columbia, Dartmouth, Duke, Emory, Northwestern, Rice, Vanderbilt and Yale. Johns Hopkins is working on a settlement and the six schools still fighting the lawsuit are the California Institute of Technology, Cornell, Georgetown, MIT, Notre Dame and the University of Pennsylvania. MIT called the lawsuit and the claims about admissions favoritism baseless. “MIT has no history of wealth favoritism in its admissions; quite the opposite,” university spokesperson Kimberly Allen said. “After years of discovery in which millions of documents were produced that provide an overwhelming record of independence in our admissions process, plaintiffs could cite just a single instance in which the recommendation of a board member helped sway the decisions for two undergraduate applicants." In a statement, Penn also said the case is meritless that the evidence shows that it doesn't favor students whose families have donated or pledged money to the Ivy League school. “Plaintiffs’ whole case is an attempt to embarrass the University about its purported admission practices on issues totally unrelated to this case," the school said. Notre Dame officials also called the case baseless. “We are confident that every student admitted to Notre Dame is fully qualified and ready to succeed,” a university spokesperson said in a statement. The South Bend, Indiana, school, though, did apparently admit wealthy students with subpar academic backgrounds. According to the new court filings, Don Bishop, who was then associate vice president for enrollment at Notre Dame, bluntly wrote about the “special interest” admits in a 2012 email, saying that year's crop had poorer academic records than the previous year's. The 2012 group included 38 applicants who were given a “very low” academic rating, Bishop wrote. He said those students represented “massive allowances to the power of the family connections and funding history,” adding that “we allowed their high gifting or potential gifting to influence our choices more this year than last year.” The final line of his email: “Sure hope the wealthy next year raise a few more smart kids!” Some of the examples pointed to in this week's court filings showed that just being able to pay full tuition would give students an advantage. During a deposition, a former Vanderbilt admissions director said that in some cases, a student would get an edge on the waitlist if they didn’t need financial aid. The 17 schools were part of a decades-old group that got permission from Congress to come up with a shared approach to awarding financial aid. Such an arrangement might otherwise violate antitrust laws, but Congress allowed it as long as the colleges all had need-blind admissions policies, meaning they wouldn't consider a student’s financial situation when deciding who gets in. The lawsuit argues that many colleges claimed to be need-blind but routinely favored the children of alumni and donors. In doing so, the suit says, the colleges violated the Congressional exemption and tainted the entire organization. The group dissolved in recent years when the provision allowing the collaboration expired. The Associated Press’ education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org .Datasource Background Screening Partners with Cerebrum to Elevate Client Experience with Integrated Identity Verification Servicesg star 28 。

If you are on the lookout for a big income boost, then the ASX dividend stocks in this article could be just the ticket. They are rated as buys by analysts and tipped to provide huge in the near term. Here's what you need to know about them: ( ) The first high yield ASX dividend stock that is being tipped as a buy for income investors is the Healthco Healthcare and Wellness REIT. It is a real estate investment trust with a focus on healthcare and wellness assets. This includes hospitals, aged care, childcare, government, life sciences and research, and primary care and wellness properties. Bell Potter is positive and recently commented: As we highlighted in our recent detailed note, at a prevailing 27% discount to NTA, HCW's share price is factoring a poor outcome vis-a-vis HSO which is notwithstanding the recut terms upon entry of the deal in March '23 and cross default rights which sit across all 11 HSO-tenanted properties. With +5% earnings growth expected for FY25, we see value in HCW at current levels with the buyback putting a floor under the share price and HCW continuing to deliver from a property perspective. At a +7% DPS yield and meaningful discount to NTA, HCW screens attractively on a sector-relative basis. As mentioned above, big yields are expected from this ASX dividend stock. Bell Potter is forecasting dividends per share of 8.4 cents in FY 2025 and then 8.7 cents FY 2026. Based on the current Healthco Healthcare and Wellness REIT unit price of $1.10, this will mean yields of 7.6% and 7.9%, respectively. Bell Potter currently has a buy rating and $1.50 price target on its shares. ( ) Another high-yield ASX dividend stock that could be a buy is intellectual property (IP) services company IPH. Goldman Sachs believes that the company is well-placed to deliver consistent defensive earnings and organic growth. It explains: In our view, IPH is well-placed to deliver consistent and defensive earnings with modest overall organic growth. We expect Asia to be the fastest growing region for IPH, as the company leverages its strong market share in Singapore to grow in other Asian markets. We expect relatively stable earnings in the A/NZ business and see market share stabilising at c.30-35%. We expect the next factor to watch for will be further consolidation of the Canadian market and/or an acquisition in a new secondary market (e.g. South Africa, South America, or Eastern Europe). Trading on a material NTM P/E discount to its historical average multiple, and with defensive earnings, strong cash flow and M&A optionality, we believe risk-reward is skewed to the upside; hence, we are Buy rated. As for income, Goldman expects fully franked dividends of 36 cents per share in FY 2025 and then 39 cents per share in FY 2026. Based on the current IPH share price of $5.08, this represents yields of 7.1% and 7.7%, respectively. Goldman currently has a buy rating and $7.50 price target on its shares.Market Titans On The Move! Discover Today’s Top Stock ShakersUS News Today Live Updates: In today’s dynamic landscape, staying updated on the latest developments across the United States is essential. US News delivers the most impactful and current stories from coast to coast, covering a broad spectrum of topics, including politics, economic trends, healthcare, social issues, and cultural shifts. From significant government actions and economic shifts to breakthroughs in technology and the latest social debates, we provide real-time updates and thoughtful analysis to keep you informed. Our goal is to keep you connected to the stories that shape American life, ensuring you’re always in the know on the news that matters. US News Today Live: New releases on OTT in US next week: Here's the ultimate lineup of must-watch shows and movies US News Today Live: Wicked audience review: Stunning visuals, Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo’s magical performances feast for the eyes

Savion Williams rushed for two touchdowns and Josh Hoover threw for 252 yards as TCU pulled away from Arizona in the second half, winning 49-28 on Saturday in Fort Worth, Texas. The Horned Frogs (7-4, 5-3 Big 12) scored touchdowns on five consecutive possessions, starting late in the first half after the Wildcats (4-7, 2-6) pulled within 14-13. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. Scenes from the City of Stockbridge’s 2024 Free Turkey Giveaway held Saturday at the Stockbridge Amphitheater. Click for more. PHOTOS: Turkey GiveawayShares of Autodesk, Inc. ADSK are trading lower on Wednesday but they may have found support. The company posted earnings that were slightly better than estimates but investors are concerned about decreasing margins. Our team of traders and technical analysts has made it our Stock of the Day . Operating margin is the percent of profit a company has on a dollar of sales after all costs are considered. In Q3 of last year, Autodesk had an operating margin of 24%. This means that for every dollar of sales, the company kept 24 cents. But this year, the margin has dropped to 22%. This means they are now only keeping 22 cents. This may not sound like a significant drop, but it shows that the company is becoming less efficient. This may be a bearish sign for the longer-term and some investors are selling. It isn't a coincidence that the shares found support around the $293 level. Read Also: Fed’s Favorite Inflation Gauge Heats Up As Predicted, Personal Incomes Soar As you can see on the chart, this level was resistance in October. Many of the investors and traders who sold at this resistance thought they made a good decision when the price dropped soon after. But in early November the resistance broke and the stock gapped higher. When this happened, some of those who sold came to regret their decision to do so. A number of them decided to buy their shares back. But they would only do so if they could buy them at the same price they were sold for. As a result, now that the stock has dropped back to their selling prices they are placing buy orders. The large concentration of these orders has formed support at the price that had been resistance. Sometimes stocks rally after they drop to resistance. This happens because some of the buyers become nervous. They know that the sellers are going to go to whoever is willing to pay the highest price. They are afraid that they will be outbid by other buyers. So, they increase their bid prices. Other nervous buyers see this and do the same thing. It could result in a snowball effect or bidding war that pushes the price up. Levels that had been resistance can become support. Stocks tend to rally after reaching support. Shares of Autodesk may be about to move higher. Price Action : Autodesk closed Wednesday at $290.64 per share, down 8.6%. Read Next: Anthony Scaramucci: Trump Win Is ‘The Greatest Political Comeback In US History,’ Crypto Surge Following It Was 3 Years Overdue © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

Some elite US universities favor wealthy students in admissions decisions, lawsuit alleges

The biggest names in data recovery software require subscriptions, which seems wasteful given you should only need these apps on rare occasions. You probably aren’t accidentally deleting files and experiencing drive failures several times in a single year, so an option to make a one-time purchase could be more attractive. When I reviewed Disk Drill Pro and DMDE Professional, I was impressed that these no-subscription apps effectively restored lost files without ongoing fees. To help you choose between them, I’ll compare the user interfaces, feature sets, recovery accuracy, and customer service quality, so you can pick the best data recovery software for your needs. Specs Tiers and pricing Disk Drill offers a free version capped at 500MB of data recovery. That’s a restrictive amount that will likely leave you wanting more, so it’s best to think of it as a trial version. The free app can help you test the app on your drive before purchasing. In contrast, the free version of DMDE is quite useful, letting you restore up to 4,000 files at a time. The only other limitation is that it skips folders. That means you need to scan each folder separately or pay for a license to unlock all the features. You can buy Disk Drill Pro for just $89. Data recovery software like EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard Pro costs more than that annually. With a paid copy, you can use Disk Drill Pro on up to three computers. At that bargain price, you get minor updates and a 50% discount on major updates. For even more value, Disk Drill developer CleverFiles offers a lifetime upgrade option for another $19. DMDE has four payment options. Express is an annual subscription for $20 for one computer, Standard requires a one-time payment of $48 for a perpetual license on a single computer, and two professional plans, starting at $95, that let you purchase lifetime licenses for commercial use on more devices. Both apps have very affordable one-time purchase prices, but price isn’t everything. Features Disk Drill Pro has a modern design that’s easy to use even if you’re unfamiliar with data recovery apps. After selecting a drive and starting a scan, you’ll see a list of files the app might be able to restore. It also shows an estimate of recovery chances for each file and lets you preview images. After Disk Drill Pro’s scan is complete, you choose individual files or select them all and pick another drive and folder to begin restoring the lost files. The speed depends on the size and number of files and the speed of the source and destination drives. DMDE works similarly but the layout will be more appealing to technical users. There are more options for digging deeper into the drive, and the basics are simple. You get a file list and previews during the scan operation. DMDE doesn’t show recovery chances, but a viewable preview indicates success is likely. If you have deep knowledge of file formats, you can even edit the contents of a drive with DMDE, potentially correcting errors manually. Ultimately, data recovery software is only worthwhile if it works, and in my testing I found Disk Drill Pro to be effective at restoring recently lost or deleted files from a hard disk drive (HDD). DMDE was equally adept. While both apps recovered data from a damaged thumb drive, solid-state drive (SSD) restoration failed. That’s inherent to fast, efficient SSD technology , not a flaw in data recovery software. Overall, Disk Drill Pro and DMDE performed as well as the leading solutions while costing much less. Support If you’ve lost essential files or photos and videos of special moments, getting your data back is important and you don’t want to make a mistake. Good customer service can help you solve problems and provide peace of mind in this challenging situation. I was surprised to learn that Disk Drill Pro offers 24/7 live chat support despite its low price. In my tests, I waited one to six minutes for replies to my questions. That’s fast for good technical customer service. DMDE has email support and it took more than a day to get a reply. That’s not uncommon for utility apps. Still, it’s much slower than Disk Drill Pro. For the fastest customer service you’ll need a premium subscription from data recovery apps like EaseUS or Stellar . Privacy and security If you install the free versions of Disk Drill or DMDE, you don’t even need to provide an email address. DMDE has fewer restrictions, so it’s the best for ultimate anonymity. Both apps respect user privacy when you purchase a license. Disk Drill Pro and DMDE collect only what’s needed to process your payment and deliver the services you paid for. Neither has a record of a data breach, and I haven’t received an increase in spam after using both. Disk Drill Pro and DMDE are safe and private. Which data recovery app is right for you? Both apps have good data recovery rates for HDDs and thumb drives, but don’t expect to restore any lost SSD files. That’s a difficult challenge, even for the best data recovery software . That said, there are some notable distinctions between Disk Drill Pro and DMDE. Disk Drill Pro is the right choice if you need an app that’s easy to use. The app guides you from step to step, making file restoration simple. While the $89 price makes it the more expensive solution, you can install Disk Drill Pro on up to three computers, and it works on Windows and macOS. It might take some time to learn how to get the most from DMDE, but it has more options and advanced features, even drive editing. DMDE Free is just as effective as the paid version, but $48 unlocks the time-saving features like folder recovery. DMDE supports Linux as as well as Windows and macOS. A Standard license supports only a single computer, but a Professional license lets you use it on up to five computers per month. DMDE’s flexible pricing with free, low-cost subscription, and three one-time purchase options, along with broad operating system support, effective HDD recovery, and advanced features, tip the scales in its favor. Overall, we recommend DMDE over Disk Drill Pro as the best no-subscription data recovery software.LITTLE ROCK, Ark., Nov. 21, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Dillard's, Inc. DDS (the "Company" or "Dillard's") announced that the Board of Directors declared a special dividend of $25.00 per share on the Class A and Class B Common Stock of the Company. The special dividend is payable January 6, 2025 to shareholders of record as of December 13, 2024. In a joint statement, Dillard's Chief Executive Officer, William Dillard, II and President Alex Dillard shared, "We are pleased to announce a $25.00 special dividend today, the largest in Dillard's history. Rewarding shareholders is important to us, particularly because the majority of our shareholders are also our associates. Their exceptional efforts and our loyal customers have helped make today's announcement possible. Today is another great day at Dillard's." The Company also announced that the Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.25 per share on the Class A and Class B Common Stock of the Company. The dividend is payable February 3, 2025 to shareholders of record as of December 31, 2024. CONTACT: Julie Johnson Guymon, C.P.A. 501-376-5965 julie.guymon@dillards.com © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

Mobile Concrete Mixer Market Analysis of Major Segments and Future Opportunity Assessment Hits at CAGR of 5.6% by 2030In the region: W&L advances in NCAA volleyball tournament

On Monday, Apple’s list of finalists for its coveted “iPhone App of the Year” award once again reveals how the iPhone maker is downplaying the impact of AI technology on the mobile app ecosystem. As it did last year, Apple’s 2024 list of top iPhone finalists favors more traditional iOS apps, including those that help iPhone users perform specific tasks like recording professional video ( Kino ), tailoring their running plans ( Runna ), or organizing their travels ( Tripsy ). Other AI apps like ChatGPT, Anthropic’s Claude, Microsoft Copilot, and those that create AI photos or videos were not nominated for iPhone App of the Year. Given the popularity of ChatGPT, also now an Apple partner for its Siri improvements, it’s surprising to find the app has not earned any official year-end accolades from Apple’s App Store editorial team, despite its adoption of clever new features in 2024, like an Advanced Voice Mode for chatting with the AI virtual assistant and a web search feature that challenges Google . While ChatGPT is regularly featured within the App Store and Google Play’s editorial suggestions, both Apple and Google last year avoided nominating ChatGPT as an overall winner, despite the app becoming the fastest-growing consumer application in history in early 2023 when it reached 100 million users shortly after its launch. This year, Google dubbed party-planning app Partifu l its app of the year. Despite ChatGPT’s snub, a small number of AI-powered apps made appearances on Apple’s other 2024 finalist lists, like those for the iPad and Mac App of the Year. But among Apple’s list of 45 finalists across various categories in apps and games, AI-powered apps were mentioned only a few times. Moises , an app that offers AI tools for practicing music, was nominated alongside kids app Bluey: Let’s Play and animation app Procreate Dreams for iPad App of the Year. Adobe Lightroom , which now includes AI-powered features, was nominated along with productivity app OmniFocus 4 and 3D design app Shapr3D for Mac App of the Year. And, among a dozen Cultural Impact finalists, only one — language-learning app EF Hello — was described by Apple as an app enhanced by AI technology. (While other apps may use AI under the hood, as the finalist Pinterest does , their App Store marketing doesn’t promote them as “AI” apps to consumers.) If anything, Apple’s curated list of finalists suggests that apps empowering human creativity, not those assisting with AI automation, are the apps that are worthy of highlighting. Most of the finalists’ apps help users do something more with their iPhone or other device, without relying on an AI assistant or features, whether that’s designing, organizing, filming, creating, or playing. Kino , the pro video app from the makers of the pro camera app Halide, for instance, aims to make everyone a better videographer, while others help Apple’s devices work as productivity tools for those in creative fields. This year, Apple also added the new Apple Vision Pro category, where it will pick both an app and game winner.

Aston Villa boss Unai Emery described the decision to rule out his side’s last-gasp goal in their Champions League draw with Juventus as “very soft” and has called for consistency from European referees. Morgan Rogers looked to have given Emery’s side another famous win when he slammed a loose ball home in stoppage time, but referee Jesus Gil Manzano ruled Diego Carlos to have fouled Juve goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio and the goal was chalked off. Contact seemed minimal but VAR did not intervene and Villa had to settle for a point in a 0-0 draw. “With the last action, it is the interpretation of the referee,” the Spaniard said. “In England, 80 per cent of those is given a goal and it’s not a foul. It’s very soft. “But in Europe, it could be a foul. We have to accept. “Everybody will know, in England the interpretation is different. The England referees, when actions like that the interpretation is a clear no foul but in Europe that interpretation is different. “They have to be working to get the same decision when some action like that is coming. I don’t know exactly why but we knew before in the Premier League that it is different. A very controversial finish at Villa Park 😲 Morgan Rogers' late goal is ruled out for a foul on Juventus goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio and the match ends 0-0 ❌ 📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/MyYL5Vdy3r — Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) November 27, 2024 “In Europe for example we are not doing a block like in England and we are not doing in front of the goalkeeper in offensive corners the same situations like in England. “When the action happened, I was thinking here in Europe it’s a foul. In England not, but in Europe I have to accept it. “At first, I thought the referee gave us a goal. In cases like that, it’s confusing because he has to wait for VAR. I don’t know what happened but I think so (the referee changed his mind with VAR).” It was a disappointment for Villa, who remain unbeaten at home in their debut Champions League campaign and are still in contention to qualify automatically for the last 16. “We were playing a favourite to be in the top eight and usually a contender to win this competition,” Emery added. “We are a team who for a long time didn’t play in Europe and the Champions League and this year is very important. “We wanted to play competitive and we are in the right way. Today to get one point is very good, we wanted to win but wanted to avoid some mistakes we made in previous games. “We have 10 points and we’re happy.” Before the game Emery called Juventus one of the “best teams in the world, historically and now”, but this was an Italian side down to the bare bones. Only 14 outfield players made the trip from Turin, with striker Dusan Vlahovic among those who stayed behind. Juve boss Thiago Motta, whose side are 19th but still in contention to reach the top eight, said: “There’s just three games left to qualify. The next home against Man City, then Brugge, then Benfica. “One at a time, as we always did with the goal to qualify for the next round. “In the end we will try and reach our goal which is to go to the next round.”President-elect Donald Trump’s choice to run the sprawling government agency that administers Medicare, Medicaid, and the Affordable Care Act marketplace — celebrity doctor Mehmet Oz — recently held broad investments in health care, tech, and food companies that would pose significant conflicts of interest. Oz’s holdings, some shared with family, included a stake in UnitedHealth Group worth as much as $600,000, as well as shares of pharmaceutical firms and tech companies with business in the health care sector, such as Amazon. Collectively, Oz’s investments total tens of millions of dollars, according to financial disclosures he filed during his failed 2022 run for a Pennsylvania U.S. Senate seat. Trump said Tuesday he would nominate Oz as administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. The agency’s scope is huge: CMS oversees coverage for more than 160 million Americans, nearly half the population. accounts for approximately $1 trillion in annual spending, with over 67 million enrollees. UnitedHealth Group is one of the largest health care companies in the nation and arguably the most important business partner of CMS, through which it is the leading provider of commercial health plans available to Medicare beneficiaries. UnitedHealth also offers managed-care plans under Medicaid, the joint state-federal program for low-income people, and sells plans on government-run marketplaces set up via the Affordable Care Act. Oz also had smaller stakes in CVS Health, which now includes the insurer Aetna, and in the insurer Cigna. It’s not clear if Oz, a heart surgeon by training, still holds investments in health care companies, or if he would divest his shares or otherwise seek to mitigate conflicts of interest should he be confirmed by the Senate. Reached by phone on Wednesday, he said he was in a Zoom meeting and declined to comment. An assistant did not reply to an email message with detailed questions. “It’s obvious that over the years he’s cultivated an interest in the pharmaceutical industry and the insurance industry,” said Peter Lurie, president of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a watchdog group. “That raises a question of whether he can be trusted to act on behalf of the American people.” (The publisher of KFF Health News, David Rousseau, is on the .) Oz used his TikTok page on multiple occasions in November to praise Trump and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., including their efforts to take on the “illness-industrial complex,” and he slammed “so-called experts like the big medical societies” for dishing out what he called bad nutritional advice. Oz’s positions on health policy have been chameleonic; in 2010, he urging Californians to sign up for insurance under President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act, telling viewers they had a “historic opportunity.” Oz’s 2022 financial disclosures show that the television star invested a substantial part of his wealth in health care and food firms. Were he confirmed to run CMS, his job would involve interacting with giants of the industry that have contributed to his wealth. Given the breadth of his investments, it would be difficult for Oz to recuse himself from matters affecting his assets, if he still holds them. “He could spend his time in a rocking chair” if that happened, Lurie said. In the past, nominees for government positions with similar potential conflicts of interest have chosen to sell the assets or otherwise divest themselves. For instance, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Attorney General Merrick Garland agreed to divest their holdings in relevant, publicly traded companies when they joined the Biden administration. Trump, however, declined in his first term to relinquish control of his own companies and other assets while in office, and he isn’t expected to do so in his second term. He has not publicly indicated concern about his subordinates’ financial holdings. CMS’ main job is to administer Medicare. About half of new enrollees now choose Medicare Advantage, in which commercial insurers provide their health coverage, instead of the traditional, government-run program, from KFF, a health information nonprofit that includes KFF Health News. Proponents of Medicare Advantage say the private plans offer more compelling services than the government and better manage the costs of care. Critics note that Medicare Advantage plans have a long history of than the traditional program. UnitedHealth, CVS, and Cigna are all substantial players in the Medicare Advantage market. It’s not always a good relationship with the government. The Department of Justice filed a 2017 complaint against UnitedHealth used false information to inflate charges to the government. The case is ongoing. Oz is an enthusiastic proponent of Medicare Advantage. In 2020, he proposed offering Medicare Advantage to all; during his Senate run, he offered a more general pledge to expand those plans. After Trump announced Oz’s nomination for CMS, Jeffrey Singer, a senior fellow at the libertarian-leaning Cato Institute, “uncertain about Dr. Oz’s familiarity with health care financing and economics.” Singer said Oz’s Medicare Advantage proposal could require large new taxes — perhaps a 20% payroll tax — to implement. Oz has gotten a mixed reception from elsewhere in Washington. Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman, the Democrat who defeated Oz in 2022, signaled he’d potentially support his appointment to CMS. “If Dr. Oz is about protecting and preserving Medicare and Medicaid, I’m voting for the dude,” on the social platform X. Oz’s investments in companies doing business with the federal government don’t end with big insurers. He and his family also hold hospital stocks, according to his 2022 disclosure, as well as a stake in Amazon worth as much as nearly $2.4 million. (Candidates for federal office are required to disclose a broad range of values for their holdings, not a specific figure.) Amazon operates an internet pharmacy, and the company announced in June that its is available to Medicare enrollees. It also , One Medical, that accepts Medicare and “select” Medicare Advantage plans. Oz was also directly invested in several large pharmaceutical companies and, through investments in venture capital funds, indirectly invested in other biotech and vaccine firms. Big Pharma has been a frequent target of criticism and sometimes conspiracy theories from Trump and his allies. Kennedy, whom Trump has said he’ll nominate to be Health and Human Services secretary, is a longtime anti-vaccine activist. During the Biden administration, Congress gave Medicare authority to negotiate with drug companies over their prices. CMS initially selected 10 drugs. Those drugs collectively accounted for between June 1, 2022, and May 31, 2023, under Medicare’s Part D prescription drug benefit. At least four of those 10 medications are manufactured by companies in which Oz held stock, worth as much as about $50,000. Related Articles Oz may gain or lose financially from other Trump administration proposals. For example, as of 2022, Oz held investments worth as much as $6 million in fertility treatment providers. To counter fears that politicians who oppose abortion would ban in vitro fertilization, Trump making in vitro fertilization treatment free. It’s unclear whether the government would pay for the services. In his TikTok videos from earlier in November, Oz echoed attacks on the food industry by Kennedy and other figures in his “Make America Healthy Again” movement. They blame processed foods and underregulation of the industry for the poor health of many Americans, concerns shared by many Democrats and more mainstream experts. But in 2022, Oz owned stakes worth as much as $80,000 in Domino’s Pizza, Pepsi, and US Foods, as well as more substantial investments in other parts of the food chain, including cattle; Oz reported investments worth as much as $5.5 million in a farm and livestock, as well as a stake in a dairy-free milk startup. He was also indirectly invested in the restaurant chain Epic Burger. One of his largest investments was in the Pennsylvania-based convenience store chain Wawa, which sells fast food and all manner of ultra-processed snacks. Oz and his wife reported a stake in the company, beloved by many Pennsylvanians, worth as much as $30 million. ©2024 KFF Health News. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.