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Delaware hospital system will pay $47 million to settle whistleblower allegations of billing fraud

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:20:57 GMT

By RANDALL CHASE (Associated Press)DOVER, Del. (AP) — Delaware’s largest hospital system will pay more than $47 million to settle whistleblower allegations by its former compliance officer that it provided kickbacks to outside doctors in return for patient referrals, resulting in fraudulent Medicaid billing. The settlement announced Friday comes nearly seven years after Ronald Sherman filed his whistleblower lawsuit, which remained under seal for more than a year, against Christiana Care Health System.The lawsuit alleged that Christiana Care employees, including nurse practitioners, hospitalists and physician assistants, treated patients referred by non-CHSS physicians at no cost or below fair market value. Those outside physicians then billed insurers, primarily Medicaid, for care that was actually provided by Christiana employees. In exchange for the unearned billings, the physicians continued to funnel patients to Christiana Care rather than to other hospitals, accord...

Toronto, GTA under freezing rain warning

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:20:57 GMT

Toronto and most of the GTA are under a freezing rain warning as the Christmas long weekend begins.Environment Canada says freezing rain is expected to begin overnight and carry into Saturday morning, creating icy and slippery conditions across the region.“Latest analysis suggests that a few hours of freezing rain are likely beginning overnight and persisting into Saturday morning. Freezing rain is expected to be light, which should limit ice build-up to 2 mm at most,” the national weather service said in a statement issued late Friday.Environment Canada says the closer you are to Lake Ontario, the less likely the threat of freezing rain as temperatures are expected to be just above the freezing mark.The warning also extends to Mississauga, Brampton, York and Durham regions.

North Dakota lawmaker made homophobic remarks to officer during DUI stop, bodycam footage shows

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:20:57 GMT

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — A North Dakota lawmaker who serves on a panel that handles law enforcement legislation made homophobic and anti-migrant remarks to a police officer who arrested him on a charge of driving drunk, body camera footage shows.Republican state Rep. Nico Rios of Williston was also charged with refusing to provide a chemical test. Both that and the drunken driving charge are misdemeanors under state law. Rios is scheduled for a Feb. 5 pretrial conference in municipal court. Williston police pulled him over on Dec. 15 for failing to maintain his lane, according to an officer’s report. The officer wrote that Rios “was verbally abusive, homophobic, racially abusive and discriminatory” toward him “for the entire duration of the incident following road side testing.”The homophobic slurs can be heard in body camera footage requested by and provided to The Associated Press. In the recording, Rios also said he would call the North Dakota attorney general about the situat...

First Quantum says Panama hasn’t provided legal basis for mine closure plan

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:20:57 GMT

TORONTO — First Quantum Minerals Ltd. says the Panama government hasn’t provided a legal basis for pursuing a closure plan for its Cobre Panama copper mine. The company says that earlier this week, the government announced it’s pursuing a plan to close the mine that it intends to present in June.But First Quantum says its subsidiary Minera Panama S.A. has been unable to formally engage with the Panama government “to clarify the legal situation and associated environmental obligations.” The company suspended operations at the mine in late November after Panama’s Supreme Court ruled that a 20-year concession agreement covering the copper mine was unconstitutional.The agreement has raised both nationalist and environmental concerns, prompting widespread protests. First Quantum says it’s crucial that steps are taken to ensure the mine is maintained safely, and the company will “pursue all appropriate legal avenues to protect its investment and r...

Utah man is charged with killing 2-year-old boy, and badly injuring his twin sister

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:20:57 GMT

ROY, Utah (AP) — A Utah man who served two years in prison breaking a child’s arm seven years ago was charged Friday with killing a 2-year-old boy and badly injuring his twin sister, Weber County prosecutors said.Jonathan Allen Dunn of Roy is charged with aggravated murder, aggravated child abuse and two counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a child. The aggravated murder charge carries the possibility of the death penalty, court records said.Dunn, who told officers he had been babysitting the children, called 911 on Thursday morning to report the boy was not breathing, an affidavit supporting the charges said. After his arrest, Dunn, 36, acknowledged punching the children in the back, sides and chest on Wednesday night and said that “he was hitting them harder than he should have,” court records said.He also reported pinching the children and pushing them into a door frame, court records said. He said he gave them both Tylenol, gave the boy cough medicine and the girl some chi...

The head of Arkansas’ Board of Corrections says he’s staying despite governor’s call for resignation

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:20:57 GMT

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders on Friday called for the head of the Board of Corrections to immediately resign in the latest round of a dispute over who runs the state’s prison system.Sanders’ letter came after Board of Corrections Chairman Benny Magness requested Wednesday that 138 National Guard members be deployed to work full time in the state’s prisons to “help fill in staffing gaps.”Magness intends to finish his term, which ends in two years, Corrections Department spokesperson Dina Tyler said in an email Friday to The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Magness was appointed to the board in 1999 by Sanders’ father, then-Gov. Mike Huckabee.The dispute stems from the Sanders administration moving forward with opening 622 temporary prison beds that the board has not approved. Board members have said opening the temporary beds would jeopardize the safety of inmates and staff.Arkansas’ prisons are currently above capacity, with more than 1,600 additiona...

Canadian death toll in cantaloupe salmonella outbreak rises to seven

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:20:57 GMT

OTTAWA — The Public Health Agency of Canada is reporting another death from a salmonella outbreak involving cantaloupes, bringing the total to seven. The agency says there have been 164 lab-confirmed cases of salmonella in eight provinces linked to Malichita and Rudy brand cantaloupes so far.Quebec has been hardest hit with 111 of those cases. There have also been illnesses in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador. The majority of people who became sick are children aged five and younger and adults aged 65 and older. The agency says 61 people have been hospitalized.  It says if people have fresh or frozen cantaloupe at home and they are unsure what brand the fruit is, they should throw it out and wash their hands.  The Canadian Food Inspection Agency first issued recall warnings on Nov. 1. The affected Malichita and Rudy brand cantaloupes were sold between Oct. 10 and Nov. 24.&...

Housing crisis brings high and low point to Chow’s first six months as mayor

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:20:57 GMT

In the first six months of her time as mayor, Olivia Chow said the housing crisis has led to both her highest and lowest point since getting elected. She’s hoping there will be more highs in 2024. Chow’s highlight was opening the building purchased through the Multi-Unit Residential Acquisition Fund.“Seeing the joy of the tenants, feeling so proud of her space. Now she’s going to be secure in that space because it’s now our land trust, meaning that she will have complete control. She wouldn’t have to get evicted, which she was facing for several years,” explained Chow.But her low point was visiting a church that had a wall of refugees sleeping on mattresses on the floor plus the fact they have not been able to help them completely. “You deserve better, more respect, more dignity than just sleeping in a church basement on a mattress,” she said. “It’s sad. It’s disappointing. I’m not giving up, though. I kee...

Bidens make traditional pre-Christmas visit to children’s hospital

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:20:57 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden joined his wife, first lady Jill Biden, on Friday for a Christmas season visit to Children’s National Hospital to meet young patients and their families. The first lady read the children “’Twas the Night Before Christmas,” as the president waved and flashed smiles at the children and their family members. President Biden also thanked the hospital staff for their work and encouraged the children and their parents to “keep the faith.”“Next Christmas when I see you, maybe I’ll see you at the White House,” Biden told the children.The visit continued an 81-year annual tradition, that dates back to first lady Bess Truman, of presidents’ wives bringing holiday cheer to children who are too ill to be at home on Christmas. President Biden has joined his wife at Children’s National during her holiday visit each of the last three years.The Bidens on Saturday are scheduled to travel to the presidential retreat at Camp David, Md...

Man killed in shooting outside Wheaton pub after apparent argument, witnesses say

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:20:57 GMT

WHEATON, Ill. — An apparent argument at a popular pub in unincorporated Wheaton on Friday morning ended in a shooting that left one man dead.The DuPage County Sheriff's Office says it responded to a shooting at Rosie O Reilly's Pub, 0N131 Gary Ave., just before 8:45 a.m. on Friday. Witnesses described what seemed like an argument happening inside the pub, which eventually resulted in a fatality.Authorities have not yet confirmed the homicide or released the victim's identity, but Rosie O Reilly's owner John Dwyer confirmed to WGN that a man died in the incident. SkyCam 9 also captured images of the aftermath, including spent shell casings scattered across the pavement and deck behind Rosie O Reilly's.The victim was evidently well-known to the owners and patrons of the pub. Described as a friendly guy, WGN was told he leaves behind two children, with another on the way.Dwyer struggled to understand how such a tragedy could unfold so suddenly."This could happen anywhere, anytime, for...