Author: a1obm

The U.S. Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against three of the nation’s largest Medicare Advantage insurers, CVS Health’s Aetna, Elevance Health and Humana, accusing them of paying illegal kickbacks to boost plan enrollments and expand their market share. The complaint, unsealed Thursday, alleges that from 2016 to 2021, the companies paid hundreds of millions of dollars to insurance brokers to steer Medicare beneficiaries toward their plans.  DOJ sues Aetna, Humana and Elevance for breaking federal law “Health care companies that attempt to profit from kickbacks will be held accountable,” said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Michael Granston of the…

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WSYX) — The family of 4-year-old Ja’Kai Smith is grappling with grief and seeking answers after the boy’s tragic death, allegedly at the hands of his mother and her boyfriend. Prosecutors have charged Kailee Smith-Parks and Linwood Allison Jr. with aggravated murder and 22 counts of endangering children, accusing them of torturing the child.”I didn’t have any idea it was to that extent. I knew something wasn’t right. That’s why I called Reynoldsburg officers,” Kashinda Green, Ja’Kai’s great aunt, said.Prosecutors allege that Ja’Kai was beaten, locked in his room, starved, waterboarded, forced to take cold showers, and verbally…

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WSYX) — The family of 4-year-old Ja’Kai Smith is grappling with grief and seeking answers after the boy’s tragic death, allegedly at the hands of his mother and her boyfriend. Prosecutors have charged Kailee Smith-Parks and Linwood Allison Jr. with aggravated murder and 22 counts of endangering children, accusing them of torturing the child.”I didn’t have any idea it was to that extent. I knew something wasn’t right. That’s why I called Reynoldsburg officers,” Kashinda Green, Ja’Kai’s great aunt, said.Prosecutors allege that Ja’Kai was beaten, locked in his room, starved, waterboarded, forced to take cold showers, and verbally…

OpenAI is walking back part of its latest ChatGPT update. The company admits the AI had started acting like a sycophant, or an overly flattering “yes man” to users. In some cases, the too-agreeable behavior posed a health risk. Users of ChatGPT have been exploring the major GPT-4o updates since March, when the internet was flooded with Studio Ghibli-themed memes and selfies and custom interior designs. But an April 25 update is where users began to draw a line.  Company admits a design flaw OpenAI has acknowledged a serious design flaw in more detail. A Friday announcement titled “Expanding on…

State Auditor: Washington Counties Insurance Fund defrauded, money still missingWASHINGTON STATE — The Washington Counties Insurance Fund acknowledges tens of thousands of dollars of public funding has gone missing due to a lack of oversight.It comes after the State Auditor completed a fraud investigation in the department after a finance manager noticed a discrepancy of more than $123,000.The Fund is a public entity and manages public money because the funds come from governments,” described Kathleen Cooper of the Washington State Auditor’s Office. “Rather than each county buying insurance policies individually through insurance companies, state law (RCW 48.62) allows governments to…

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A Soviet-era spacecraft meant to land on Venus in the 1970s is expected to soon plunge uncontrolled back to Earth. It’s too early to know where the half-ton mass of metal might come down or how much of it will survive reentry, according to space debris-tracking experts. Dutch scientist Marco Langbroek predicts the failed spacecraft will reenter around May 10. He estimates it will come crashing in at 150 mph (242 kph), if it remains intact.“While not without risk, we should not be too worried,” Langbroek said in an email.The object is relatively small and, even…

Jon Bon Jovi is showing his wife Dorothea Hurley some love in honor of the couple’s 36th wedding anniversary.The ’80s rockstar shared a touching Instagram post Tuesday to commemorate the occasion.“36 roses for 36 amazing years. Happy anniversary my love,” the post reads. It included a snap of Bon Jovi and Hurley on their wedding day and another of the Graceland Wedding Chapel sign, where they married.This post comes about a year after the “Livin’ On A Prayer” singer admitted that he may have strayed from their marriage at times.“These are all the wonderful clichés of rock stardom,” he told…

SCOTTSDALE, AZ — The state’s top prosecutor is now part of a civil lawsuit filed by the family of a man who walked out of an assisted-living facility last summer and died in the desert.A Maricopa County Superior Court judge has granted a request from Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes to become a party to a lawsuit filed earlier this year by the family of Bob Pollmann.The decision means the AG’s office becomes a formal participant in the lawsuit. The AG’s office can present evidence, cross-examine witnesses and make legal arguments related to the case.Pollmann was an 85-year-old retired teacher…

AUBURN, Wash. — An Auburn man who said he was hearing voices after smoking meth when he went on a highway shooting spree in 2023 was sentenced to prison Friday afternoon.King County Superior Court Judge Kristin Ballinger imposed a 93-month (just under 8 years) prison sentence that was recommended by prosecutors as part of a plea agreement with 30-year-old Marco Antonio Ramos Valdez.RELATED | King County man charged with I-5 shooting spree claims meth-induced paranoiaRamos pleaded guilty to one count of assault in the first degree and one count of reckless endangerment.Troopers described Ramos’ actions on the night of December…

New York taxpayers have long helped fund major TV and film productions. Now, Gov. Kathy Hochul wants to boost that support even more. Since 2017, households across the state have contributed to entertainment subsidies, and Hochul is proposing a sizable increase in the film tax credit program. Household tax shares According to Empire State Development and The New York Times, several well-known TV shows rank among the top recipients. “Blue Bloods” has cost households about $20.90 each, “Saturday Night Live” about $14.50, and “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” around $10.60 per household. A tax credit program offers qualified companies…