NEW YORK (AP) — Angelina Jolie never expected to hit all the notes. But finding the breath of Maria Callas was enough to bring things out of Jolie that she didn’t even know were in her. “All of us, we really don’t realize where things land in our body over a lifetime of different experiences and where we hold it to protect ourselves,” Jolie said in a recent interview. “We hold it in our stomachs. We hold it in our chest. We breathe from a different place when we’re nervous or we’re sad. “The first few weeks were the hardest because my body had to open and I had to breathe again,” she adds. “And that was a discovery of how much I wasn’t.” In Pablo Larraín’s “Maria,” which Netflix released in theaters Wednesday before it begins streaming on Dec. 11, Jolie gives, if not the performance of her career, then certainly of her last decade. Beginning with 2010’s “In the Land of Blood and Honey,” Jolie has spent recent years directing films while prioritizing raising her six children. “So my choices for quite a few years were whatever was smart financially and short. I worked very little the last eight years,” says Jolie. “And I was kind of drained. I couldn’t for a while.” But her youngest kids are now 16. And for the first time in years, Jolie is back in the spotlight, in full movie-star mode. Her commanding performance in “Maria” seems assured of bringing Jolie her third Oscar nomination. (She won supporting actress in 2000 for “Girl, Interrupted.”) For an actress whose filmography might lack a signature movie, “Maria” may be Jolie's defining role. Jolie's oldest children, Maddox and Pax, worked on the set of the film. There, they saw a version of their mother they hadn't seen before. “They had certainly seen me sad in my life. But I don’t cry in front of my children like that,” Jolie says of the emotion Callas dredged up in her. “That was a moment in realizing they were going to be with me, side by side, in this process of really understanding the depth of some of the pain I carry.” Jolie, who met a reporter earlier this fall at the Carlyle Hotel, didn't speak in any detail of that pain. But it was hard not to sense some it had to do with her lengthy and ongoing divorce from Brad Pitt, with whom she had six children. Just prior to meeting, a judge allowed Pitt’s remaining claim against Jolie, over the French winery Château Miraval, to proceed. On Monday, a judge ruled that Pitt must disclose documents Jolie’s legal team have sought that they allege include “communications concerning abuse.” Pitt has denied ever being abusive. The result of the U.S. presidential election was also just days old, though Jolie — special envoy for the United Nations Refugee Agency from 2012 to 2022 – wasn’t inclined to talk politics. Asked about Donald Trump’s win , she responded, “Global storytelling is essential,” before adding: “That’s what I’m focusing on. Listening. Listening to the voices of people in my country and around the world.” Balancing such things — reports concerning her private life, questions that accompany someone of her fame — is a big reason why Jolie is so suited to the part of Callas. The film takes place during the American-born soprano’s final days. (She died of a heart attack at 53 in 1977.) Spending much of her time in her grand Paris apartment, Callas hasn’t sung publicly in years; she’s lost her voice. Imprisoned by the myth she’s created, Callas is redefining herself and her voice. An instructor tells her he wants to hear “Callas, not Maria." The movie, of course, is more concerned with Maria. It’s Larrain’s third portrait of 20th century female icon, following “Jackie” (with Natalie Portman as Jacqueline Kennedy) and “Spencer” (with Kristen Stewart as Princess Diana). As Callas, Jolie is wonderfully regal — a self-possessed diva who deliciously, in lines penned by screenwriter Steven Knight, spouts lines like: “I took liberties all my life and the world took liberties with me.” Asked if she identified with that line, Jolie answered, “Yeah, yeah.” Then she took a long pause. “I’m sure people will read a lot into this and there’s probably a lot I could say but don’t want to feed into,” Jolie eventually continues. “I know she was a public person because she loved her work. And I’m a public person because I love my work, not because I like being public. I think some people are more comfortable with a public life, and I’ve never been fully comfortable with it.” When Larraín first approached Jolie about the role, he screened “Spencer” for her. That film, like “Jackie” and “Maria,” eschews a biopic approach to instead intimately focus on a specific moment of crisis. Larraín was convinced Jolie was meant for the role. “I felt she could have that magnetism,” Larraín says. “The enigmatic diva that’s come to a point in her life where she has to take control of her life again. But the weight of her experience, of her music, of her singing, everything, is on her back. And she carries that. It’s someone who’s already loaded with a life that’s been intense.” “There’s a loneliness that we both share,” Jolie says. “That’s not necessarily a bad thing. I think people can be alone and lonely sometimes, and that can be part of who they are.” Larraín, the Chilean filmmaker, grew up in Santiago going to the opera, and he has long yearned to bring its full power and majesty to a movie. In Callas, he heard something that transfixed him. “I hear something near perfection, but at the same time, it’s something that’s about to be destroyed,” Larraín says. “So it’s as fragile and as strong as possible. It lives in both extremes. That’s why it’s so moving. I hear a voice that’s about to be broken, but it doesn’t.” In Callas’ less perfect moments singing in the film, Larraín fuses archival recordings of Callas with Jolie’s own voice. Some mix of the two runs throughout “Maria.” “Early in the process,” Jolie says, “I discovered that you can’t fake-sing opera.” Jolie has said she never sang before, not even karaoke. But the experience has left her with a newfound appreciation of opera and its healing properties. “I wonder if it’s something you lean into as you get older,” Jolie says. “Maybe your depth of pain is bigger, your depth of loss is bigger, and that sound in opera meets that, the enormity of it.” If Larraín’s approach to “Maria” is predicated on an unknowingness, he's inclined to say something similar about his star. “Because of media and social media, some people might think that they know a lot about Angelina,” he says. “Maria, I read nine biographies of her. I saw everything. I read every interview. I made this movie. But I don’t think I would be capable of telling you who she was us. So if there’s an element in common, it’s that. They carry an enormous amount of mystery. Even if you think that you know them, you don’t.” Whether “Maria” means more acting in the future for Jolie, she's not sure. “There's not a clear map,” she says. Besides, Jolie isn't quite ready to shake Callas. “When you play a real person, you feel at some point that they become your friend,” says Jolie. “Right now, it’s still a little personal. It’s funny, I’ll be at a premiere or I’ll walk into a room and someone will start blaring her music for fun, but I have this crazy internal sense memory of dropping to my knees and crying.” Jake Coyle, The Associated PressSANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Brock Purdy threw one short pass in the open portion of practice for the San Francisco 49ers as he remains slowed by an injury to his throwing shoulder that has already forced him to miss a game. Purdy spent the bulk of the session of Wednesday's practice open to reporters as either a spectator or executing handoffs outside of one short pass to Jordan Mason. Purdy hurt his shoulder during a loss to Seattle on Nov. 17. He tried to throw at practice last Thursday but had soreness in his right shoulder and shut it down. He missed a loss to Green Bay but was able to do some light throwing on Monday. His status for this week remains in doubt as the Niners (5-6) prepare to visit Buffalo on Sunday night. Purdy isn't the only key player for San Francisco dealing with injuries. Left tackle Trent Williams and defensive end Nick Bosa remain sidelined at practice Wednesday after missing last week's game. Williams was using a scooter to get around the locker room as he deals with a left ankle injury. Bosa has been out with injuries to his left hip and oblique. Bosa said the week off helped him make progress and that he hopes to be able to take part in individual drills later in the week. Bosa wouldn't rule out being able to play on Sunday. "It’s feeling a lot better,” Bosa said. “Still need to get better before I’m ready to go. This week will be big and I’ll know a lot more in the next couple of days.” Running back Christian McCaffrey has been able to play, but isn't back to the form that helped him win AP Offensive Player of the Year in 2023 after missing the first eight games this season with Achilles tendinitis. McCaffrey has 149 yards rushing in three games back with his 3.5 yards per carry down significantly from last season's mark of 5.4. But he is confident he will be able to get back to his usual level of play. “When you lose and maybe you don’t jump out on the stat sheet, your failures are highlighted,” he said. “I’m happy I’m out here playing football and I just know with time it will come.” Coach Kyle Shanahan said he has liked what he has seen from McCaffrey, adding that there hasn't been much room to run in recent weeks. But Shanahan said it takes time to get back to speed after McCaffrey had almost no practice time for nine months. “Guys who miss offseasons and miss training camp, usually it takes them a little bit of time at the beginning of the year to get back into how they were the year before, let alone missing half the season also on top of that,” Shanahan said. “I think Christian’s doing a hell of a job. But to just think him coming back in Week 8 with not being able to do anything for the last nine months or whatever it is, and to think he’s just going to be in MVP form is a very unrealistic expectation.” NOTES: LB Dre Greenlaw took part in his first practice since tearing his Achilles tendon in the Super Bowl. Greenlaw will likely need a couple of weeks of practice before being able to play. ... LB Fred Warner said he has been dealing with a fracture in his ankle since Week 4 and is doing his best to manage the pain as he plays through it. ... CB Deommodore Lenoir didn't practice after banging knees on Sunday. His status for this week remains in question. ... DT Jordan Elliott (concussion), OL Aaron Banks (concussion) and LB Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles (knee) also didn't practice. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFLLOOMING CRUNCH The Malampaya natural gas fields, which currently supply around 30 percent of Luzon’s energy consumption, are expected to be depleted by 2025 to 2027. MANILA, Philippines — The seventh Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) in the United Nations’ (UN) 2030 Agenda is focused on providing affordable and clean energy for all people. As the core of agriculture, business, communications, health care, education, transportation, and everything else in daily modern life, access to energy has become ever more critical. In the year 2021, over 91 percent of the global population had access to electricity, an increase from 87 percent in 2015. Unfortunately, according to the UN, progress on SDG 7 is not fast enough to keep up with its targets. At the current global pace in prioritizing access to affordable energy, around 660 million people will still lack access to electricity and almost two billion people will still have to rely on polluting fuels and technologies for cooking by 2030. The Philippines is still falling behind in its affordable and clean energy targets, according to the UN’s 2024 Sustainable Development Report. The country continues to face several significant challenges across the board, and progress is mostly stagnating or increasing at less than 50 percent of the required rate. Though the country is on track or maintaining SDG achievement with regard to access to electricity, the other target indicators for SDG 7 are still facing significant to major challenges, and progress on renewable energy share in total final energy consumption is decreasing alongside other stagnant indicators. As of 2021, coal and oil, which are the biggest sources of energy in the Philippines, took up 31 percent and 30 percent of total energy supply, respectively. The transport and residential sectors take up the largest portions of total final consumption at 31 and 29 percent, respectively. The country is also facing a mounting energy crisis, with the Malampaya natural gas fields, which currently supply around 30 percent of Luzon’s energy consumption, expected to be depleted by 2025 to 2027, according to the International Trade Administration. In an attempt to help combat the country’s high energy consumption and design a more sustainable energy blueprint for the future, the National Renewable Energy Board (NREB) introduced the National Renewable Energy Program (NREP) for 2020 to 2040, which builds on the NREP for 2011 to 2030. The NREP 2020-2040 sets a target of at least 35 percent renewable energy (RE) share in the power generation mix by the year 2030, and growth to at least 50 percent by 2040. It aims to provide energy security (accelerating the exploration and development of RE resources), sustainable development (contributing to the SDG goals), climate change mitigation (reducing greenhouse gases and other harmful emissions), capability building (institutionalizing the development of capabilities in the use of RE systems), and inclusive growth (catalyzing solutions to cross-cutting social issues). The NREP also provides an RE power supply expansion plan via collaboration between the NREB and the Department of Energy. The Philippine Energy Program 2020-2040, the second comprehensive energy blueprint supporting the government’s long-term 2040 vision, also reiterates the energy sector’s goal to attain a future with clean energy. Under this plan, the strategic focus areas include secure and cleaner energy, adaptive environments, stronger investments, resilient and secure energy infrastructure, strategic alliances with international communities, and strengthened partnerships with the attached agencies. GREEN RIDE Japan’s Shinkansen trains will begin sourcing 10 percent of the electricity used for its operations from non-carbon emitting renewable energy sources by 2027—the first time the famed trains are to be powered by renewable energy. —Photo from the Government of Japan website Japan, the Asian country with the highest ranking in the overall SDG Index Ranking, provides good examples of energy conservation and sustainability. Ranked 18th out of 166 countries, Japan is on track to meet three out of four of the SDG’s target indicators, but still faces significant challenges with regard to renewable energy share in total final energy consumption. The Energy Conservation Act in Japan, which was enacted in 1979, helps to promote the effective and rational use of energy in the country. Having undergone several revisions in light of natural crises, the act covers energy management in the industrial, commercial, residential, and transport sectors, as well as energy efficiency standards in appliances and vehicles. In 2023, the act underwent an amendment that helped gear its direction more toward accomplishing SDG 7. Under this amendment, the definition of “energy”—which previously only referred to oil, natural gas, coal, heat (fossil-derived), and other sources of energy derived from these sources—was expanded to include all forms of non-fossil energy. It also required large-scale energy consumers to submit regular reports on non-fossil energy usage, as well as mid- to long-term plans for non-fossil energy transition by target year 2030. The Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) also launched its Green Power Island Program in 2021, following the end of the Hybrid Island Program. The program aims to accelerate the process of integrating renewable energy, reinforce the capacity of local electric utilities, introduce power system stabilization measures, and promote private investment. The new program builds on its predecessor by utilizing renewable energies, storage batteries, and other facilities to achieve the optimal operation of power supplies and maintain stability and economic viability. The Hybrid Island Program, which ran from 2016 to 2021, sought to create a framework that allowed hybrid power generation systems to be maintained and managed within countries or regions through the development of solar, hydro, and other renewable power generation facilities—a system now carried over to the Green Power Island Program. Japan has also incorporated renewable energy solutions into technologies and systems applicable to its peoples’ daily lives. In 2023, the West Japan Railway Co., or JR West, announced that it would switch 10 percent of the electricity used for its Shinkansen operations to non-carbon emitting renewable energy sources by the year 2027. This move falls in line with the goal of reducing carbon emissions in Japan by 2050, and would mark the first time that Shinkansen trains in Japan are to be powered by renewable energy. The second highest-ranking Asian country on the SDG Index, South Korea has made significant strides toward accomplishing SDG 7. Though major challenges remain relating to renewable energy share in total final energy consumption, South Korea has achieved and maintained most of SDG 7’s targets and remains on track overall. As of 2024, South Korea ranks 33rd out of 166 in the UN Sustainable Development Report. South Korea has also set a target of reaching carbon neutrality by 2050. While its energy sector is dominated by a strong dependence on fossil fuels and energy imports as well as a high share of coal-fired power generation for industrial energy, the country hopes to achieve to evolve by substantially increasing the share of renewable energy sources, gradually phasing out coal, and significantly improving energy efficiency through technological innovation and digitalization. As of 2022, oil and coal make up the largest sources of energy in Korea, at 36 percent and 26 percent of the country’s total energy supply, respectively. Coal also accounts for the largest source of energy generation in Korea as of 2022, making up 33 percent of the country’s total generation. In 2019, South Korea launched its Third Energy Master Plan, the country’s top-level energy policy overlooking mid-to-long-term energy policies and goals for the next 20 years. Its main objective was to reduce the country’s total energy consumption by around 14 percent by the year 2030, coinciding with the SDGs’ target year. Beyond that, the master plan also aimed to reduce energy consumption by 17.2 percent by 2035, and 18.6 percent by 2040, below the projected business-as-usual level. In 2020, South Korea introduced the Korean New Deal, which planned to invest around $144 billion in creating 1,901,000 jobs by the year 2025 and transform the country’s economy into a greener, more digitized and sustainable one. Among its main policies was the Green New Deal, which placed emphasis on renewable energy, green infrastructure, and innovation in the green industrial sector, and accelerating the country’s transition toward a low-carbon eco-friendly economy. Under this deal, around 73.4 trillion won, with 42.7 trillion won from the treasury, would be invested for green infrastructure, renewable energy, and fostering the green industry by 2025. The green car subsidy program also offered up to $17 million for subsidies to people purchasing electric cars in 2021, as well as up to $33.5 million for hydrogen fuel-cell electric vehicles. Subscribe to our daily newsletter By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy . Sources: doe.gov.ph, trade.gov, iea.hboards.sdgindex.org, cdn.climatepolicyradar.org, undp,org, iea.org, English.moef.go.kr, jica.go.jp, youtube.com, jaif.or.jp, asiaeec-col.eecj.or.jp, meti.go.jp, climate-laws.org, un.org, sdg.neda.gov.ph
Retiring Naeher is proud of her achievements and looking forward to USWNT's next generationNo. 14 Ole Miss seeks consolation win over Miss. State in Egg Bowl
Trump’s tariffs in his first term did little to alter the economy, but this time could be differentNo. 24 Illinois cruises past Chicago State 117-64 behind Kylan Boswell's triple-double
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.
U.S. women's national team goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher, known for her unflappable demeanor in the face of pressure, is retiring from international soccer. Naeher was on the team's roster for a pair of upcoming matches in Europe but those games will be her last after a full 11 years playing for the United States. Naeher was the starting goalkeeper for the U.S. team that won the Women's World Cup in 2019 and the gold medal at this year's Olympics in France. She's the only U.S. goalkeeper to earn a shutout in both a World Cup and an Olympic final. She made a key one-handed save in stoppage time to preserve the Americans' 1-0 victory over Brazil in the Olympic final. Mallory Swanson, who scored the only goal, ran down the length of the field to embrace Naeher at the final whistle. Naeher announced her retirement on social media Monday . “Every tear shed in the challenging times and disappointments made every smile and celebration in the moments of success that much more joyful. This has been a special team to be a part of and I am beyond proud of what we have achieved both on and off the field," she wrote. “The memories I have made over the years will last me a lifetime.” Naeher has been known throughout her career for her calm and steady leadership. She is one of just three goalkeepers to make more than 100 appearances for the United States. Naeher made her debut with the national team in 2014 and was a backup to Hope Solo at the 2015 World Cup, which the United States won. She became the team’s regular starter following the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics and was on the squad that repeated as World Cup winners in 2019. For her career, Naeher has appeared 113 games with 110 starts, 88 wins and 68 shutouts. She had four shutouts over the course of the Olympic tournament in France. In all, she was on the U.S. roster for three World Cups and three Olympic teams. The 36-year-old has also played for the Chicago Red Stars in the National Women’s Soccer League since 2016. She plans to play for Chicago next season. The United States is headed to Europe for a match against England at Wembley Stadium on Saturday and on Dec. 3 against Netherlands in The Hague. In addition to her save at the Olympics, Naeher has had many other memorable moments. In the 2019 Women's World Cup semifinals against England, she stopped Steph Houghton’s penalty kick in the 83rd minute. The Americans won 2-1 before downing the Netherlands 2-0 in the final. Earlier this year in the semifinals of the CONCACAF Women’s Gold Cup, Naeher made three saves during a penalty shootout with Canada and also converted a penalty kick herself — tucking the ball neatly into the corner of the net. Afterward she said: “Winning is the best feeling.” AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccerFranklin Resources Inc. boosted its stake in Integral Ad Science Holding Corp. ( NASDAQ:IAS – Free Report ) by 12.9% in the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 110,449 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 12,647 shares during the period. Franklin Resources Inc. owned 0.07% of Integral Ad Science worth $1,191,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Crestwood Capital Management L.P. lifted its holdings in shares of Integral Ad Science by 0.3% in the third quarter. Crestwood Capital Management L.P. now owns 650,738 shares of the company’s stock valued at $7,034,000 after buying an additional 1,941 shares during the period. Point72 DIFC Ltd acquired a new stake in Integral Ad Science in the 3rd quarter valued at about $41,000. nVerses Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of Integral Ad Science during the 3rd quarter valued at about $45,000. Principal Financial Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of Integral Ad Science by 9.3% in the 2nd quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 61,108 shares of the company’s stock worth $594,000 after purchasing an additional 5,189 shares during the last quarter. Finally, The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company raised its holdings in shares of Integral Ad Science by 18.1% in the 2nd quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 37,870 shares of the company’s stock worth $368,000 after purchasing an additional 5,806 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 95.78% of the company’s stock. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A number of brokerages recently weighed in on IAS. Scotiabank assumed coverage on shares of Integral Ad Science in a research report on Thursday, December 5th. They issued a “sector perform” rating and a $10.00 price target on the stock. Benchmark reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Integral Ad Science in a research report on Thursday, November 14th. Oppenheimer reduced their target price on Integral Ad Science from $20.00 to $18.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, November 13th. Piper Sandler cut their price objective on Integral Ad Science from $18.00 to $16.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, November 13th. Finally, Craig Hallum decreased their target price on shares of Integral Ad Science from $18.00 to $16.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, November 13th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $15.18. Integral Ad Science Price Performance Shares of IAS stock opened at $10.44 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $1.70 billion, a P/E ratio of 52.20, a P/E/G ratio of 1.49 and a beta of 1.45. The company has a current ratio of 3.71, a quick ratio of 3.71 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07. Integral Ad Science Holding Corp. has a 12 month low of $7.98 and a 12 month high of $17.53. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $11.11 and a two-hundred day moving average of $10.74. Integral Ad Science ( NASDAQ:IAS – Get Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, November 12th. The company reported $0.10 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.08 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $133.50 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $138.06 million. Integral Ad Science had a net margin of 6.39% and a return on equity of 3.47%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted ($0.09) EPS. As a group, equities analysts expect that Integral Ad Science Holding Corp. will post 0.26 EPS for the current year. Insiders Place Their Bets In other news, CEO Lisa Utzschneider sold 10,481 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, October 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $10.11, for a total value of $105,962.91. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 239,709 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,423,457.99. This represents a 4.19 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website . Also, CFO Tania Secor sold 5,240 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, October 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $10.11, for a total transaction of $52,976.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 248,223 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,509,534.53. This trade represents a 2.07 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . Insiders sold a total of 16,363 shares of company stock worth $165,629 over the last quarter. Company insiders own 2.00% of the company’s stock. Integral Ad Science Profile ( Free Report ) Integral Ad Science Holding Corp. operates as a digital advertising verification company in the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Ireland, Germany, Italy, Singapore, Australia, Japan, India, and the Nordics. The company provides IAS Signal, a cloud-based technology platform that offers return on ad spend needs; and deliver independent measurement and verification of digital advertising across devices, channels, and formats, including desktop, mobile, connected TV, social, display, and video. Further Reading Five stocks we like better than Integral Ad Science Stock Splits, Do They Really Impact Investors? Buffett Takes the Bait; Berkshire Buys More Oxy in December Transportation Stocks Investing Top 3 ETFs to Hedge Against Inflation in 2025 What Are Dividends? Buy the Best Dividend Stocks These 3 Chip Stock Kings Are Still Buys for 2025 Receive News & Ratings for Integral Ad Science Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Integral Ad Science and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .
Prayers are pouring in after a 20-year-old college football player has died. Medrick Burnett Jr., an Alabama A&M linebacker, has died about a month after suffering a traumatic head injury. The redshirt freshman player from California died on Tuesday, a couple of days before Thanksgiving. His sister, Dominece James, shared the news on social media. “He had several brain bleeds and swelling of the brain. He had to have a tube to drain to relieve the pressure, and after two days of severe pressure, we had to opt for a craniotomy, which was the last resort to help try to save his life,” his family members shared. Alabama A&M released a statement on his passing. “Our Bulldog family is heartbroken by the loss of Medrick Burnett Jr.,” Alabama A&M Director of Athletics Dr. Paul A. Bryant said. “Medrick was more than an exceptional athlete; he was a remarkable young man whose positive energy, leadership and compassion left an indelible mark on everyone who knew him. While words cannot adequately express our grief, we are humbled by the strength of his family who stood by his side throughout this unimaginable ordeal.” Terrible news out of Alabama A&M, as Medrick Burnett Jr., redshirt freshman LB from California, died of injuries suffered from a head-on collision during the Magic City Classic. He was 20 years old. pic.twitter.com/fpCxtUB6zQ Prayers are pouring in for his family on Wednesday. "Heartbreaking . Prayers for all who loved him," one fan wrote. "Sending thoughts and prayers from Vol nation," one fan added. "Rip young man. 20 is too young," one fan added. "damn praying for his family man," one fan added. "Rip Prayers to his family," another fan added. Maddie Malhotra/Getty Images Our thoughts are with his friends and family members during this difficult time on Wednesday. May he rest in peace.Hidalgo leads No. 6 Notre Dame over JuJu Watkins and third-ranked USC 74-61 in big matchup out West
Paul Dickenson dead at 74: BBC commentator who covered Jessica Ennis-Hill’s iconic gold at London 2012 diesColman Domingo Details Why ‘The Madness’ Is a Drama for Today’s Era of Media Feeding Frenzies
David Lammy hits out at 'politicking' over Chagos Islands as he plays down claims Labour's sovereignty deal is collapsing after new Mauritian PM joins Donald Trump allies in voicing concerns By GREG HEFFER, POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT and DAVID WILCOCK, DEPUTY POLITICAL EDITOR FOR MAILONLINE and RYAN HOOPER FOR THE DAILY MAIL Published: 14:04 EST, 27 November 2024 | Updated: 14:09 EST, 27 November 2024 e-mail View comments David Lammy tonight hit out at 'politicking' over Labour 's agreement to hand over sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. The Foreign Secretary insisted the sovereignty pact was a 'very good deal' as he played down claims it was on the verge of an embarrassing collapse. Serious doubt has been cast over the deal's future following criticism of its terms by the new Mauritian prime minister and opposition from allies of incoming US president Donald Trump . Navinchandra Ramgoolam, who was elected a fortnight ago, said he had 'reservations' about the agreement struck with the previous Mauritian administration. He said he wants time to go over the details with lawyers, and expressed surprise that the deal was struck so close to the African country's general election . Speaking to the BBC , the Mauritian PM did not specify what he disliked. But an ally lashed out at a provision handing the UK and US a 99-year lease on the Diego Garcia airbase. It came after Mr Ramgoolam met with Jonathan Powell, who is Labour's incoming national security adviser and the UK envoy behind the agreement to give away the islands. Mr Powell has been scrambled first to Mauritius and then to Washington DC in a desperate attempt to get the deal done before Mr Trump takes over from Joe Biden in January. David Lammy tonight hit out at 'politicking' over Labour's agreement to hand over sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius Newly-elected Mauritius PM Navinchandra Ramgoolam met with Jonathan Powell, who is Labour's incoming national security adviser and the UK envoy behind the agreement Speaking to the BBC he did not specify what he disliked, but a key ally has lashed out at the key provision that hands the UK and US a 99-year lease on the Diego Garcia airbase. Sir Keir Starmer's deal to hand over what is formally known as the British Indian Ocean Territory has prompted a wave of criticism The agreement also faces an additional hurdle as it has been condemned by Marco Rubio, who has been lined up by Donald Trump as the new US secretary of state The UK Government's deal to hand over what is formally known as the British Indian Ocean Territory has prompted a wave of criticism. It is feared the strategically important archipelago is being 'surrendered' to an ally of China , albeit under a process that began under the previous Tory government. The agreement also faces an additional hurdle as it has been condemned by Marco Rubio, who has been lined up by Mr Trump as the new US secretary of state. He last month labelled the Chagos Islands deal 'a serious threat' to national security that 'threatens critical US military posture in the region'. Speaking to MPs on the House of Commons' foreign affairs committee, Mr Lammy dismissed growing criticism of the agreement. 'I'm very, very confident that this is a deal that the Mauritians will see, in a cross-party sense, as a good deal for them,' the Foreign Secretary said. Tory former Cabinet minister Sir John Whittingdale, a member of the committee, said the Mauritian leader had described the agreement as 'high treason and a sellout'. But Mr Lammy replied: 'Both you and I have said things during an election in order to get elected. He did not say that yesterday.' The Foreign Secretary also pushed back at criticism from Mr Trump's allies, saying: 'This is incredibly sad. I know and I'm sad that there's been so much politicking about this. 'This process begun under the last government and there were ministers who understand entirely why this is so important for our national security and global national security. 'The agencies in the US think this is a good deal. The State Department in the US thinks this is a good deal. 'And most important of all, the Pentagon and the White House think this is a good deal. And that's not just the principal politicians in those in those areas, it is the system.' Mr Lammy said the agreement was a 'very good deal' for 'our national security' because it secured the legal basis of the Diego Garcia military base. He added: 'I'm really reassured about that, and I think an incoming (US) administration will be reassured about that. 'And I'm confident that the Mauritians are still sure about that, despite politicking that we all know goes on.' Labour has insisted it had to strike a deal to protect the Diego Garcia base after the International Court of Justice ruled the UK's administration of the islands was 'unlawful'. But Sir Richard Dearlove, the former head of MI6, branded the legal case 'phoney' and expressed his hope than Mr Trump and Mr Rubio 'shoot this agreement down'. He told Sky News this evening: 'The Chagos Islands are strategically, really important. 'The Mauritian claim to these islands, which are a thousand miles away from (Mauritian capital) Port Louis, well, the case is weak. 'The case is based on a UN vote. So the international law case for surrendering sovereignty seems to me, to be completely phoney.' He added: 'I think they have to realise that this is not in the interests of the United States. It's not in the interests of the UK from the point view of our national security.' The Tories renewed a demand for answers from the Government about the cost to the taxpayer and when full details of the agreement will be made public. Shadow foreign secretary Dame Priti Patel told the Mail: 'While Keir Starmer's special envoy has been sent to beg Donald Trump for his support, ministers refuse to disclose details of negotiations taking place. 'They remain unable to answer basic questions about cost of this deal and the implications it might have on our national security and defence. 'What we do know is that these plans go against our national interests and the views of the Chagossians have been ignored. 'The fact that the new Mauritian prime minister wants more time to consider the deal gives the Government a chance to reflect on their plans and to start providing answers to the serious questions posed.' Former defence secretary Grant Shapps added: 'Now even Mauritius's new prime minister believes Labour's Chagos sovereignty sell-out is a dud. 'It's time for Starmer to scrap the deal and defend British military interests around the world.' Downing Street today insisted the Government's position 'remains unchanged' on the Chagos Islands deal. The Prime Minister's official spokesman said: 'The UK's position on this remains unchanged. 'We have always said that we look forward to engaging with the new Mauritian government and that's exactly what we're doing in order to progress the deal. 'We are now finalising the details of legal texts, the treaty, and will be coming forward for parliamentary scrutiny as part of the ratification process next year.' Labour made the shock announcement in October that it was going to hand sovereignty of Chagos Islands - a British overseas territory for more than 200 years. As part of the arrangement, the US-UK military base on Diego Garcia on the Indian Ocean archipelago will remain operational for at least 99 years. But the president of Mauritius who agreed it, Pravind Jugnauth, was ousted in the election. It has yet to be officially signed. Opponents of the handover are hopeful that Mr Trump will force Labour to scrap the deal when he returns to the White House. BBC Share or comment on this article: David Lammy hits out at 'politicking' over Chagos Islands as he plays down claims Labour's sovereignty deal is collapsing after new Mauritian PM joins Donald Trump allies in voicing concerns e-mail Add comment
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.LOS ANGELES (AP) — Hannah Hidalgo scored 24 points and No. 6 Notre Dame defeated JuJu Watkins and third-ranked Southern California 74-61 on Saturday in a marquee matchup on the West Coast. Watkins and the Trojans (4-1) fell behind early and were down 21 points in the fourth quarter. She had 24 points, six rebounds and five assists. Hidalgo came out shooting well, hitting 5 of 8 from the floor in the first quarter and had 16 points at the break. She added six rebounds and eight assists. Hidalgo's backcourt mate, Olivia Miles, added 20 points, eight rebounds and seven assists for the Fighting Irish (5-0). Even though Hidalgo outshone her, Watkins’ imprint was all over the game. A documentary about her life aired on NBC leading into the nationally televised game. A buzz arose when Snoop Dogg walked in shortly before tipoff wearing a jacket in USC colors with Watkins' name and number on the front and back. Her sister, Mali, sang the national anthem. Notre Dame: The Irish struck quickly, racing to a 20-10 lead in the opening quarter. Even after cooling off a bit, they never trailed and stayed poised when the Trojans got within three in the second and third quarters. USC: The Trojans were without starting guard Kennedy Smith, whose defense on Hidalgo would have proven valuable. It was announced shortly before tipoff that she had a surgical procedure and will return at some point this season. The Trojans got within three points three times but the Irish remained poised and never gave up the lead. Notre Dame's defense forced the Trojans into 21 turnovers, which led to 22 points for the Irish. Watkins, Kaleigh Heckel and Talia von Oelhoffen had five each. USC was just 1 of 13 from 3-point range Notre Dame plays TCU on Nov. 29 in the Cayman Islands Classic. USC plays Seton Hall in the Women's Acrisure Holiday Invitational on Nov. 27 in Palm Desert, California. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball
‘We drew because of me’ - Kounde takes blame after Barca heldBattery Recycling Market to grow by USD 11.35 Billion from 2024-2028, driven by lithium supply-demand gap, Report on AI's role in transforming the market - Technavio
What is Twitter Wrapped 2024: How you can join this latest trend on X and what not to missCharleston Southern’s disappointing football season ended on Saturday as the Bucs lost at Florida State, 41-7. CSU finishes the season with a 1-11 record, losing their final 10 games after a win over Furman in week two of the regular season. The Bucs hung tough early, trailing only 3-0 with five minutes left in the first half. The Seminoles, however, scored two touchdowns in the final 4:05 of the second quarter to take a 17-0 lead at the break. Charleston Southern wraps up season at Florida State “Really proud of the way our guys competed. The moment was not too big for them,” CSU coach Gabe Giardina said. “I thought we showed the right kind of character and I was impressed with how we competed. “It’s been a season of near misses, losing five games by five points or less, but this team has been a joy to coach because of how they came to work every day.” CSU’s lone touchdown came with 57 seconds left in the game when Kaleb Jackson and tight end Landon Sauers combined on a seven-yard pass. CSU loses in overtime to Eastern Illinois; fall to 1-10 Jackson finished the game with 221 passing yards, completing 22-of-32 passes. Chris Rhone had 60 yards on three receptions. The Bucs totaled 275 yards in offense for the game as the Seminoles limited CSU to only 57 yards rushing. Davion Williams led CSU’s defensive effort with eight tackles, a sack, and two tackles for loss. No-surrender Buccaneers face final 2 games on road “We gave up some big plays in the second half but I thought we competed at a high level defensively in the first half,” Giardina said. “Our guys fought their butts off, just like they have all season.”
Jimmy Carter, the 39th US president, has died at 100Jimmy Carter, the 39th president and a Nobel Peace Prize recipient, has died at 100