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Barclays PLC Acquires 72,793 Shares of Orion S.A. (NYSE:OEC)By Noam N. Levey, KFF Health News Worried that President-elect Donald Trump will curtail federal efforts to take on the nation’s medical debt problem, patient and consumer advocates are looking to states to help people who can’t afford their medical bills or pay down their debts. “The election simply shifts our focus,” said Eva Stahl, who oversees public policy at Undue Medical Debt, a nonprofit that has worked closely with the Biden administration and state leaders on medical debt. “States are going to be the epicenter of policy change to mitigate the harms of medical debt.” New state initiatives may not be enough to protect Americans from medical debt if the incoming Trump administration and congressional Republicans move forward with plans to scale back federal aid that has helped millions gain health insurance or reduce the cost of their plans in recent years. Comprehensive health coverage that limits patients’ out-of-pocket costs remains the best defense against medical debt. But in the face of federal retrenchment, advocates are eyeing new initiatives in state legislatures to keep medical bills off people’s credit reports, a consumer protection that can boost credit scores and make it easier to buy a car, rent an apartment, or even get a job. Several states are looking to strengthen oversight of medical credit cards and other financial products that can leave patients paying high interest rates on top of their medical debt. Some states are also exploring new ways to compel hospitals to bolster financial aid programs to help their patients avoid sinking into debt. “There’s an enormous amount that states can do,” said Elisabeth Benjamin, who leads health care initiatives at the nonprofit Community Service Society of New York. “Look at what’s happened here.” New York state has enacted several laws in recent years to rein in hospital debt collections and to expand financial aid for patients, often with support from both Democrats and Republicans in the legislature. “It doesn’t matter the party. No one likes medical debt,” Benjamin said. Other states that have enacted protections in recent years include Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Washington. Many measures picked up bipartisan support. President Joe Biden’s administration has proved to be an ally in state efforts to control health care debt. Such debt burdens 100 million people in the United States, a KFF Health News investigation found . Led by Biden appointee Rohit Chopra, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has made medical debt a priority , going after aggressive collectors and exposing problematic practices across the medical debt industry. Earlier this year, the agency proposed landmark regulations to remove medical bills from consumer credit scores. The White House also championed legislation to boost access to government-subsidized health insurance and to cap out-of-pocket drug costs for seniors, both key bulwarks against medical debt. Trump hasn’t indicated whether his administration will move ahead with the CFPB credit reporting rule, which was slated to be finalized early next year. Congressional Republicans, who will control the House and Senate next year, have blasted the proposal as regulatory overreach that will compromise the value of credit reports. And Elon Musk, the billionaire whom Trump has tapped to lead his initiative to shrink government, last week called for the elimination of the watchdog agency . “Delete CFPB,” Musk posted on X. If the CFPB withdraws the proposed regulation, states could enact their own rules, following the lead of Colorado, New York, and other states that have passed credit reporting bans since 2023. Advocates in Massachusetts are pushing the legislature there to take up a ban when it reconvenes in January. “There are a lot of different levers that states have to take on medical debt,” said April Kuehnhoff, a senior attorney at the National Consumer Law Center, which has helped lead national efforts to expand debt protections for patients. Kuehnhoff said she expects more states to crack down on medical credit card providers and other companies that lend money to patients to pay off medical bills, sometimes at double-digit interest rates. Under the Biden administration, the CFPB has been investigating patient financing companies amid warnings that many people may not understand that signing up for a medical credit card such as CareCredit or enrolling in a payment plan through a financial services company can pile on more debt. If the CFPB efforts stall under Trump, states could follow the lead of California, New York, and Illinois, which have all tightened rules governing patient lending in recent years. Consumer advocates say states are also likely to continue expanding efforts to get hospitals to provide more financial assistance to reduce or eliminate bills for low- and middle-income patients, a key protection that can keep people from slipping into debt. Hospitals historically have not made this aid readily available, prompting states such as California, Colorado, and Washington to set stronger standards to ensure more patients get help with bills they can’t afford. This year, North Carolina also won approval from the Biden administration to withhold federal funding from hospitals in the state unless they agreed to expand financial assistance. In Georgia, where state government is entirely in Republican control, officials have been discussing new measures to get hospitals to provide more assistance to patients. “When we talk about hospitals putting profits over patients, we get lots of nodding in the legislature from Democrats and Republicans,” said Liz Coyle, executive director of Georgia Watch, a consumer advocacy nonprofit. Many advocates caution, however, that state efforts to bolster patient protections will be critically undermined if the Trump administration cuts federal funding for health insurance programs such as Medicaid and the insurance marketplaces established through the Affordable Care Act. Trump and congressional Republicans have signaled their intent to roll back federal subsidies passed under Biden that make health plans purchased on ACA marketplaces more affordable. That could hike annual premiums by hundreds or even thousands of dollars for many enrollees, according to estimates by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a think tank. And during Trump’s first term, he backed efforts in Republican-led states to restrict enrollment in their Medicaid safety net programs through rules that would require people to work in order to receive benefits. GOP state leaders in Idaho, Louisiana, and other states have expressed a desire to renew such efforts. “That’s all a recipe for more medical debt,” said Stahl, of Undue Medical Debt. Jessica Altman, who heads the Covered California insurance marketplace, warned that federal cuts will imperil initiatives in her state that have limited copays and deductibles and curtailed debt for many state residents. “States like California that have invested in critical affordable programs for our residents will face tough decisions,” she said. ©2024 KFF Health News. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.j love f 。

North Carolina Teaching Fellows selects students from Statesville, Troutman

CLEVELAND — The NFL has closed an investigation into sexual assault allegations against Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson, who is ending the season on injured reserve for the second year in a row. The league has been reviewing the case for months , trying to determine whether Watson should be punished. “The matter is closed,” league spokesman Brian McCarthy said Friday in an email to The Associated Press. “There was insufficient evidence to support a finding of a violation of the personal conduct policy.” Watson, who served an 11-game suspension in 2022, was accused of assault in Texas by a woman in September. She was seeking more than $1 million in damages before the sides reached a confidential settlement. Watson strongly denied the allegations through his attorney, Rusty Hardin. The 29-year-old Watson suffered a season-ending Achilles tendon rupture in October. He's been rehabbing the injury in hopes of returning next season. The Browns still owe Watson $46 million in each of the next two seasons after they traded three first-round picks to Houston and signed him to a five-year, fully guaranteed $230 million contract that has backfired. Watson has only played in 19 games over three seasons due to the suspension and injuries. He was acquired by the Browns, who were comfortable with his character despite Watson being accused of sexual assault and inappropriate conduct during massage therapy sessions while he played for the Texans. While he's in the clear with the league, Watson's future with Cleveland isn't so certain. His massive contract — and its salary-cap ramifications — has put the Browns in a bind in terms of trying to improve their roster. Cleveland has had a disappointing season after making the playoffs a year ago and could move on from Watson, but the cost would be exorbitant if the team just releases him. The Browns signed Jameis Winston for one season to be Watson's backup. Winston has gone 2-3 as a starter since taking over and he's put some life into Cleveland's offense, which didn't score 20 points or gain 300 yards with Watson before his injury. His 2023 season was ended by a broken bone in his shoulder, requiring surgery. Winston has indicated he would come back, and he could be a viable option as a starter even if the Browns draft a young QB. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFLSYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) — Eddie Lampkin Jr. and Donnie Freeman each posted a double-double and Jaquan Carlos finished an assist shy of joining them as Syracuse closed out its nonconference schedule with a 75-63 win over Bucknell on Saturday. The Orange evened their record at 6-6 with their sixth win in seven home games, taking a 12-point lead at intermission and maintaining it through the second half, handing the Bison (4-9) their seventh straight loss. Syracuse, which lost its Atlantic Coast Conference opener to Notre Dame, finished nonconference play 6-5. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.A South Bay native helped defeat the South Bay's team in an NHL game Saturday night. Calgary Flames goalie Dustin Wolf, who was born in Gilroy, stopped six San Jose Sharks shots in the first 4 minutes to set the tone while his teammates peppered San Jose goaltender Yaroslav Askarov on the way to a 3-1 win over the last-place Sharks in front of a sellout crowd at SAP Center. > Watch NBC Bay Area News 📺 Streaming free 24/7 It was the Sharks' seventh straight loss. Askarov made 30 saves to keep the Sharks in the game, but San Jose was unable to net the equalizer against Wolf, who finished with 21 saves.The North Carolina Teaching Fellows Commission has selected 210 individuals to receive North Carolina Teaching Fellows awards for the Class of 2025 during its early-decision window. The Teaching Fellows program is a competitive, merit-based forgivable loan program providing tuition assistance of up to $10,000 a year for qualified students committed to teaching elementary education, special education, science, technology, engineering, or math in a North Carolina public school. The purpose of the program is to recruit, prepare and support future teachers who attend institutions of higher education in North Carolina. The award winners may attend any of the program’s 10 partner institutions pending admission: Appalachian State University; East Carolina University; Elon University; Fayetteville State University; North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University; NC State University; Meredith College; University of North Carolina at Charlotte; University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; and University of North Carolina at Pembroke. People are also reading... North Iredell Holiday Classic Basketball Schedule Rowan County shooting suspect apprehended at Statesville motel Foxy Roxy's Pizza prepares to bring pizza perfection to downtown Statesville, one slice at a time Mooresville duo leads list of Iredell's top football players in 2024 2 US Navy pilots shot down over Red Sea in apparent 'friendly fire' incident, US military says 5 newsmakers in 2024: North Iredell football snaps drought, Mooresville coach remembered Cauthen, Statesville pull off road win in conference opener Initial realignment draft puts 5 Iredell schools in same 6A/7A conference What’s open and closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day 2024? Pine Lake Prep's Ramanata leads list of 20 All-County honorees on the pitch Iredell Memorial Hospital named one of nation’s top hospitals Rudolph had a shiny nose and terrible name, former Statesville teacher writes West Iredell’s Moore, Lake Norman’s Dingman shine brightest in cross country From building glutes to shredding abs: The 4 hottest fitness trends for 2025 Chi-Chi’s is making a comeback 20 years after its last restaurant closed In the early-decision window, the NCTF commission received 307 completed and screened applications. The commission considered grade point average, leadership and experience, awards and honors, written essays, educator recommendations, and video submissions to offer the 210 awards. Standardized test scores from SAT/ACT were optional to align with admission standards from participating colleges and universities. Students who did not receive an early-decision award were deferred to the regular application period, which runs until Feb. 28, 2025. Any potential teachers in the areas of elementary, STEM, or special education are encouraged to apply at www.ncteachingfellows.org during the regular application window. The comprehensive list of the Class of 2025 Teaching Fellows awardees will be finalized in March 2025. “Congratulations to these deserving winners chosen during our early-decision process,” Bennett Jones, director of the North Carolina Teaching Fellows program, said. “We look forward to their future careers in classrooms around the state. We are heartened by the continued growth of the program, and we are grateful for the support of lawmakers and education leaders as we continue to promote the teaching profession.” The 210 awards in the early-decision window represent a 61% increase in early-action awards from last year’s window. The early-decision awardees feature 134 high school seniors, 60 college transfer students and 16 licensure-only students. The early-award recipients hail from 126 different cities and towns representing 63 counties across the state. The early class of 2025 includes 30% minority recipients. Finally, 136 of the early-decision award winners intend to study elementary education, 45 are pursuing licensure in the areas of STEM education, and 29 are planning to be licensed in special education. The North Carolina Teaching Fellows Commission is comprised of four deans from educator preparation programs, a community college president, a beginning teacher, a principal, a member from business and industry, and a local school board member. The NC Teacher of the Year, Principal of the Year, Superintendent of the Year, Chair of the State Education Assistance Authority Board of Directors, and Director of the Teaching Fellows program all serve as ex-officio members of the commission. Concord — Julia-Madison Pacetti, Sydney Warren, Sydney Williams, and Sarah Wilson Granite Falls — Ava Aldrich and Emily Haas Hamptonville — Allie Reynolds and Mattie Tavano Hickory — Miriam Wood Lenoir — Emma Brown, Natalie Crump Lincolnton — Mary Franklin and Jadyn White Maiden — Madison Dellinger Mooresville — Sophie Baum, Isabel Gamble and Jovi Griffin Morganton — Laney Hodge Mount Pleasant — Ellie Shoe Olin — Stephanie Elkins Rutherfordton — Maytlin Bailey Statesville — Carter Kincaid, Taylorsville — Rebekah Winkler Troutman — Megan Macartney Valdese — Peter Skelton Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox. Author email {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — Reniya Kelly had 18 points and six assists, Maria Gakdeng added 16 points and nine rebounds, and No. 16 North Carolina beat 14th-ranked Kentucky 72-53 on Thursday night in the SEC/ACC Challenge. North Carolina opened the game on a 14-4 run, capped by Alyssa Ustby’s fifth 3-pointer of the season. The Tar Heels led 36-25 at halftime after holding the Wildcats to 36% shooting. North Carolina only made one field goal in the opening five minutes of the third quarter as Kentucky got as close as seven points. But The Tar Heels made five field goals in the final five minutes to take a 50-39 lead into the fourth. Kentucky’s opening four baskets of the fourth were from 3-point range to get within 60-51 with 5:52 left on Dazia Lawrence’s basket off a nice assist from Georgia Amoore on an inbounds play. North Carlina sealed it by scoring the next six points — all from the free-throw line. Ustby scored 13 points with eight rebounds for North Carolina (8-1). The Tar Heels outscored Kentucky 42-10 in the paint. Lawrence scored 17 points and Amelia Hassett had 13 points and 13 rebounds for Kentucky (7-1). Amoore added 10 points and eight assists and Clara Strack, averaging a team-high 18.3 points per game, was held to four points on 2-of-10 shooting. North Carolina stays at home to play Coppin State on Sunday. Kentucky returns home to face Queens University on Monday. ___ 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-basketballBroncos hope to continue playoff push when they meet the banged-up Raiders

Proposals for a two-tier pay-per-mile car tax system could see drivers offered the chance to fork out more so they are not tracked, an expert has claimed. Tim Wray, spokesperson for technology experts Kapsch, has suggested road pricing could be introduced as an 'opt-in system' to put an end to privacy concerns. Satellite technology could be introduced to monitor road users and charge individuals for every mile they drive. It comes amid concerns raised by motorists who said they were worried about privacy if a pay-per-mile tool was brought in. Mr Wray said drivers concerned about being monitored could instead pay fees based on the mileage displayed on their vehicle’s odometer, under the plans. He said: "You could have an opt-in system. One way of delivering all of this could be making it non-mandatory. READ MORE: Fred Sirieix's fiancée reveals 'excruciating pain' as she shares health diagnosis Don't miss the biggest and breaking stories by signing up to the BirminghamLive newsletter here . "The simple odometer system. You could say "do you know what if you want that, you can still have that". But if you want potentially all of the benefits of what we are talking about in a more nuanced system you can have that as well. "Then it gets away from the principle of it being a tax , it’s a payment to receive a service." Mr Wray said a benefit of a satellite-based pay-per-mile system would be the option to charge road users variable rates, Express reports. He hinted this could see some individuals pay less for those travelling in lower-emission vehicles at certain times of the day. But taking mileage from the odometer would likely be issued at a flat fee as it would be difficult to determine what roads motorists travelled on. Mr Wray said: "If we can get to a more nuanced system which is fundamentally satellite-based tolling. With all of the challenges that will present in terms of privacy etc... being tracked, all of that stuff that makes it politically very difficult. "If you can get to that point and you can start creating pricing tables which then say "the aim of this Government is let's say to reduce congestion in city centres", you can price for that. The cost of driving a big V8 whatever it might be down Mayfair at quarter to nine on a Monday morning will not be the same as driving a Hyundai i10 down a country road at 3am on a Saturday night."Reniya Kelly scores 18 and No. 16 North Carolina women beat 14th-ranked Kentucky 72-53

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Bahamas, Turks & Caicos tell Trump they will not be dumping grounds for US deporteesThe gunman who stalked and killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson fled New York City by bus, police officials told CNN on Friday. Video of the suspected shooter leaving the scene of the shooting Wednesday showed him riding a bicycle to Central Park and later taking a taxi cab to a bus depot, Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny told CNN. Here's the latest: Police believe gunman who killed UnitedHealthcare CEO has left New York City The gunman who killed the CEO of the largest U.S. health insurer may have fled the city on a bus, New York City police officials told CNN on Friday. Video of the suspected shooter leaving the scene of the shooting Wednesday showed him riding a bicycle to Central Park and later taking a taxi cab to a bus depot, Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny told CNN. “We have reason to believe that the person in question has left New York City,” Commissioner Jessica Tisch said. Gunman’s steps after killing UnitedHealthcare’s CEO give police new clues The gunman who killed the CEO of the largest U.S. health insurer made sure to wear a mask during the shooting yet left a trail of evidence in view of the nation’s biggest city and its network of security cameras that have aided authorities piecing together his movements and his identity. A law enforcement official said Friday that new surveillance footage shows the suspect riding the subway and visiting establishments in Manhattan and provided more clues about his actions in the days before he ambushed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson . The gunman’s whereabouts and identity remain unknown Friday, as did the reason for Wednesday’s killing. New York City police say evidence firmly points to it being a targeted attack . ▶ Read more about the search for the gunman For many companies, investor meetings are seen as a risk In many companies, investor meetings like the one UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was walking to when he was fatally shot are viewed as very risky because details on the location and who will be speaking are highly publicized. “It gives people an opportunity to arrive well in advance and take a look at the room, take a look at how people would probably come and go out of a location,” said Dave Komendat, president of DSKomendat Risk Management Services, which is based in the greater Seattle area. Some firms respond by beefing up security. For example, tech companies routinely require everyone attending a major event, such as Apple’s annual unveiling of the next iPhone or a shareholder meeting, to go through airport-style security checkpoints before entering. Others forgo in-person meetings with shareholders. ▶ Read more about how companies protect their leaders Police have obtained other surveillance images of the person wanted for questioning Those images include New York’s subway system, a law enforcement official said. In establishments where the person was captured on camera, he always appeared to pay with cash, the official said. The official wasn’t authorized to discuss details of the ongoing investigation and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. — Mike Balsamo Another health insurer taking precautions after the shooting Medica, a Minnesota-based nonprofit health care firm that serves 1.5 million customers in 12 states, said it’s temporarily closing all six locations. The firm has offices in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Nebraska and North Dakota, and employs about 3,000 people. Employees will work from home, Medica spokesman Greg Bury said in an email Friday. “The safety of Medica employees is our top priority and we have increased security both for all of our employees,” a statement from Medica said. “Although we have received no specific threats related to our campuses, our office buildings will be temporarily closed out of an abundance of caution.” Bury also said biographical information on the company’s executives was taken down from its website as a precaution. Government health insurance provider Centene Corp. says its Investor Day will now be virtual The insurer cited the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in its announcement about the Dec. 12 event. “All of us at Centene are deeply saddened by Brian Thompson’s death and want to express our support for all of those affected. Health insurance is a big industry and a small community; many members of the CenTeam crossed paths with Brian during their careers,” Centene CEO Sarah M. London said in a news release. “He was a person with a deep sense of empathy and clear passion for improving access to care. Our hearts are with his family and his colleagues during this difficult time.” Centene Corp. has grown in recent years to become the largest insurer in Medicaid, the state- and federally funded program that covers care for people with low incomes. Insurers manage Medicaid coverage for states, and Centene has more than 13 million people enrolled in that coverage. UnitedHealth Group says it’s focused on supporting Brian Thompson’s family The insurance company also said it’s focused on ensuring the safety of employees and assisting investigators. “While our hearts are broken, we have been touched by the huge outpouring of kindness and support in the hours since this horrific crime took place,” the company said. NY Mayor Eric Adams provided no new information on investigation’s progress during interviews But he said Friday that he’s confident police will arrest the shooter. “We are on the right road to apprehend him and bring him to justice,” Adams said on TV station WPIX. Hours after the shooting, UnitedHealthcare removed photographs of its executives from its website Later, it removed their names and biographies entirely. Investigators believe the suspect may have traveled to NY last month on a bus that originated in Atlanta Police and federal agents have been collecting information from Greyhound in an attempt to identify the suspect and are working to determine whether he purchased the ticket to New York in late November, a law enforcement official said. Investigators were also trying to obtain additional information from a cellphone recovered from a pedestrian plaza through which the shooter fled. Killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO spotlights complex challenge companies face in protecting top brass The fatal shooting of Brian Thompson while walking alone on a New York City sidewalk has put a spotlight on the widely varied approaches companies take to protect their leaders against threats. Experts say today’s political, economic and technological climate is only going to make the job of evaluating threats against executives and taking action to protect them even more difficult, experts say. Some organizations have a protective intelligence group that uses digital tools such as machine learning or artificial intelligence to comb through online comments to detect threats not only on social media platforms such as X but also on the dark web, says Komendat. They look for what’s being said about the company, its employees and its leadership to uncover risks. ▶ Read more about the steps companies take to protect their leadership Police test DNA and fingerprints on discarded bottle as they hunt for UnitedHealthcare CEO’s killer Police said Thursday they found a water bottle and protein bar wrapper from a trash can near the scene of the ambush and think the suspect bought them from a Starbucks minutes before the shooting. The items were being tested by the city’s medical examiner. The Associated PressStock market today: Dow eyes longest losing streak since 1978 as stocks slide ahead of Fed decision