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South Florida nurse practitioner convicted in $200 million Medicare fraud scheme

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:51:28 GMT

A federal jury in Miami convicted a 45-year-old nurse practitioner from Homestead for her pivotal role in a scheme aimed at defrauding Medicare of over $200 million. Elizabeth Hernandez was found guilty on multiple charges related to submitting false and fraudulent claims for costly genetic testing and medical equipment that Medicare beneficiaries did not require, the United States Department of Justice said in a news release. Court documents and trial evidence revealed that Hernandez had signed thousands of orders for medically unnecessary orthotic braces and genetic tests, leading to fraudulent Medicare billings exceeding $200 million. Telemarketing companies played a crucial part in the scheme by persuading Medicare beneficiaries to request orthotic braces and genetic tests, and then sending pre-filled orders for these items to Hernandez. She endorsed these orders, falsely stating that she had examined or treated the patients, even though she had never interacted with many of the...

Florida woman escapes ceiling collapse after home struck by lightning

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:51:28 GMT

TAMPA, Fla. (WSVN) — A dramatic ordeal unfolded for Marlene Grenier as she rushed to safety when her Tampa home was struck by lightning during a fierce storm. The incident left her in the dark, but her quick thinking saved her from a potentially disastrous situation.As the storm raged outside, Grenier stood at her front window with her dog, watching the tempest. Suddenly, a deafening crash shook the house, prompting fears of a collapse.“I was standing in my front window over there, my dog was standing next to me, we were watching the storm out the window, and it sounded like a bomb hit our house, the house shook, I thought the house was coming down,” Grenier recounted.The lightning strike triggered her smoke detectors and plunged her home into darkness. Grenier, guided by the smell of smoke, ventured upstairs to investigate. To her shock, she discovered parts of her ceiling had crashed onto her bedroom floor.“Started walking upstairs and smelled smoke and the...

Rupert Murdoch, whose creation of Fox News made him a force in American politics, is stepping down

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:51:28 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Rupert Murdoch, the 92-year-old Australian media magnate whose creation of Fox News made him a force in American politics, is stepping down as leader of both Fox’s parent company and his News Corp. media holdings.Fox said Thursday that Murdoch would become chairman emeritus of both companies, effective at board meetings in November. His son, Lachlan, will become News Corp. chairman and continue as chief executive officer of Fox Corp.Lachlan Murdoch said that “we are grateful that he will serve as chairman emeritus and know he will continue to provide valued counsel to both companies.”Besides Fox News, Murdoch started the Fox broadcast network, the first to successfully challenge the Big Three of ABC, CBS and NBC, with shows like “The Simpsons.” He is owner of The Wall Street Journal and the New York Post.He slimmed down his corporate holdings with the 2019 sale of many entertainment assets to the Walt Disney Co. These included film production, rights to the Mar...

Tropical storm conditions possible for mid-Atlantic from coastal storm

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:51:28 GMT

(CNN) — Tropical storm alerts could be issued for parts of the East Coast soon for a developing coastal storm which will bring gusty winds, heavy rain, dangerous rip currents and coastal flooding from Florida to New England as it tracks along the coast into this weekend.An area of low pressure is likely to develop off the east coast of Florida by early Friday. If conditions are just right, this low pressure could even develop enough to be named by the National Hurricane Center.The next two Atlantic storm names are Ophelia and Philippe.There is a 50 percent chance this area of low pressure organizes into a subtropical storm into the weekend, according to the hurricane center. A subtropical storm is a cyclone that is not fully tropical, but still has some characteristics found in a tropical storm.But the difference in overall impacts between the two are minimal, as subtropical storms still produce strong winds and can spread heavy rain well away from...

Budweiser won’t cut off the tails of its famous Clydesdale horses

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:51:28 GMT

New York (CNN) — PETA said it’s “cracking open some cold ones” after Anheuser-Busch said it’s ending the practice of cutting the tails of Budweiser’s iconic Clydesdale horses.Budweiser has featured the horses, with their ubiquitous white feathered legs, in its ad campaigns for decades, from the holidays to the Super Bowl. But the practice of “docking,” which is when the tail’s hair is cut short and which can result in parts of the tailbone being shaved off, has long been under fire from animal rights groups.In a statement, Anheuser-Busch said “the practice of equine tail docking was discontinued earlier this year.”“The safety and well-being of our beloved Clydesdales is our top priority,” a company spokesperson said.Earlier this month, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and other animal rights groups sent a letter to the company requesting it “immediately prohibit the amputation” of the horses’ tailbones.The American Veterinary Medical Association said the pr...

McDonald’s once again sued after customer burns herself on hot coffee

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:51:28 GMT

New York (CNN) — McDonald’s is being sued over a hot coffee spill, again.This time, a San Francisco location is being accused of serving a “scalding” cup of coffee with an improperly attached lid, which allegedly resulted in the coffee pouring out on plaintiff Mable Childress’ body and causing “severe burns” after she tried drinking it.The lawsuit, filed last week, alleged that the elderly woman is suffering from “physical pains, emotional distress and other damages.” The restaurant’s negligence was a “substantial factor” for her injuries, it alleged.Childress also said in the lawsuit that the restaurant employees “refused” to help her, a point that the McDonald’s denied.“We take every customer complaint seriously and when Childress reported her experience to us later that day, our employees and management team spoke to her within a few minutes and offered assistance,” the McDonald’s franchisee owner, Peter Ou, said in a statement to CNN.“My restaurants have strict food safety ...

Massachusetts lawmakers call on Congress to pass immigration reforms

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:51:28 GMT

A lengthy list of Democrat and Republican lawmakers in Massachusetts called on top Congressional officials in Washington and the Biden administration to pass immigration reform as the state deals with a surge of migrants and a shortage of emergency shelter.The letter, signed by more than 60 representatives and senators, comes as Democratic pressure mounts on the Biden administration and Congress from multiple states as they grapple with how to handle thousands of new arrivals entering already overburdened shelter systems.Sen. Marc Pacheco, Taunton Democrat, led the letter, which argues that comprehensive immigration reform is urgently needed to address a dysfunctional entry system and a “rapidly-devolving” workforce shortage.“Our outdated federal immigration system is in desperate need of reform,” the lawmakers wrote. “Our country needs a functional gateway at the border that safeguards our national security from illegal entrants while providing noncitizens seeking lawful entry a pr...

Callahan: Bill Belichick hamstrung Bill O’Brien, but O’Brien must deliver anyway at the Jets

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:51:28 GMT

FOXBORO — Bill Parcells famously wanted to shop for his own groceries.Parcells cooked dinner for four seasons as the Patriots’ head coach, his last a Super Bowl supper in 1996. Then, unhappy with his lack of personnel control, AKA the grocery list, he left for the Jets.As the Pats prepare to face the Jets this weekend, it’s worth separating the groceries Bill Belichick assembled this offseason from the meal he appears to be burning now at 0-2.The roster talent, from the team.Per usual, Belichick nailed his shopping down the defensive aisle. He retained key ingredients that stirred a top-3 defense last season, including cornerback Jonathan Jones and safety Jabrill Peppers. He tossed in first-round rookie corner Christian Gonzalez, an emerging stud, as well as grass-fed thumpers in Keion White and Marte Mapu.And in true Belichick fashion, he managed to pick all the rotten produce in the offensive market.Former star receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster is not viewed internally as a...

This is your last chance to find out if San Diego County owes you money

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:51:28 GMT

SAN DIEGO -- Time is running out for San Diego County taxpayers as the window to claim money that’s owed to them closes Thursday night.Regional Treasurer-Tax Collector, Dan McAllister says $543,171 worth of unclaimed cash will be rolled into the County General Fund if it’s not snagged by the Sept. 21 deadline.“The holidays will be here before we know it; I’m sure people can use extra money,” McAllister said. “If you have done business with the county in the last three years, including paying property taxes, you could be on the 'Unclaimed Monies' list.” Find out if San Diego County owes you money Finding out if you’re owed money by the county is as simple as reviewing a list of unclaimed refunds on the Treasurer-Tax Collector’s webpage. Scroll the list, which is in alphabetical order, to see if your name is on the register."We want all of this money returned to San Diegans, so please tell your friends and family to go to sdttc.com to check the unclaimed money list,” said McAllister...

King Charles III makes a stop at fire-damaged Notre-Dame cathedral on day 2 of his visit to France

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:51:28 GMT

PARIS (AP) — King Charles III went from a meeting with young athletes in a working-class, multicultural suburb of Paris to an emotional stop in front of the fire-damaged Notre Dame cathedral on Thursday, the second day of his state visit to France. Earlier, Charles made an address to lawmakers at the Senate, praising France and the United Kingdom’s “indispensable relationship” and its capacity to meet the world’s challenges, including the war in Ukraine and climate change.Charles and Queen Camilla, accompanied by French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte, paid much attention to a presentation about ongoing renovation work at Notre Dame, one day after the king said he had been “utterly appalled by the scenes of such devastation following the catastrophic fire” in April 2019.Charles and Camilla were not able to enter the cathedral for safety reasons, but Macron invited them to take a closer look at the entrance as dozens of workers on the higher floors of the...